According to a thread on Reddit , any 64-bit iOS devices suffer from a problem that renders them unusable if the time and date settings are set to a specific point.

Needless to say, though I will anyway, you shouldn’t try this at home, or work, or anywhere else really – unless you fancy a trip to your local Apple Store.

The problem arises if you set the date to January 1, 1970, which will then prevent the phone from booting up again, until you make that trip to the store.

It shouldn’t be permanently bricked, and while other people have reported success in booting their phone after a full drain of the battery, or waiting longer than five hours, there’s no guarantee that will get you working again.

In short, why the hell would you try this?? Now we’ve told you about it and plenty of people can verify it ‘works’ – there’s really no need to test it out for yourself.

If you do, and the battery drain trick (or removing the SIM card) doesn’t work, then you’ll need to head to an Apple Store for re-imaging of the handset.

We’ve contacted Apple to see if it plans to roll out an update to fix the issue and will update if we hear back.

➤ Changing Time & Date settings to Jan 1, 1970 will permanently brick 64-bit iOS devices [ vista980622 | Reddit]

Huami’s gorgeous new AMAZFIT smart watch makes me want to move to China

Smart watches haven’t quite resonated with the public as well as Google and Apple perhaps would have wanted. There have been no shortage of models released, but enthusiasm for them has been tepid at best.

I like to consider myself to be one of those “smart watch skeptics”, but Xiaomi sub-brand Huami just announced a new fitness-focused model for the Chinese market called AMAZFIT, and it’s making me reconsider my position.

First, let’s state the obvious: it’s gorgeous . The AMAZFIT looks just as stylish as any effort from Motorola or Apple. It boasts a 300×300 pixel display, which is in a circular configuration. The bezel of the device is made of ceramic, which makes it scratch resistant. It’s also IP67 certified, meaning that it has complete protection against dust, and can withstand being submerged in up to one meter of water.

In terms of performance, it’s no slouch either. The AMAZFIT boasts a 1.2Ghz processor, along with 512MB of RAM and 4GB of internal storage. It’s also the first smart watch to include a 28nm GPS radio, which promises better energy efficiency, and longer battery life.

As you might expect for a fitness-oriented product, it also comes with a heart-rate monitor.

Powering the watch is a 200mAh battery, which Huami claims will offer five days of uninterrupted use. When just tracking footsteps, this can stretch to up to 11.6 days. With GPS turned on, battery life plummets to 35 hours. While that doesn’t sound like much, it’s still way more than the Apple Watch’s claimed 18 hours of “mixed use” .

Sadly, as has been the case with all of Xiaomi’s repertoire, it’s unlikely that it’ll head to the West. You’ll probably be able to find one on eBay, or through a specialist retailer like GearBest .

For those in China, you’ll be able to get your hands on one starting from today. It’s selling for 799 Yuan, or roughly $120. This is what you’d expect for something made by Xiaomi, which has made a name for itself by selling high-spec hardware at bargain basement prices.

AltspaceVR brings its virtual world to Samsung Gear VR

Samsung Gear VR just got a new app that allows its users to mingle with people on other devices in a virtual world like Second Life .

AltspaceVR is available to download now for anyone using the Gear VR, HTC Vive and will be compatible with the Oculus Rift soon too when it finally goes on sale.

It’s an interesting take on making VR a more social experience and allows its user to create customized avatars and spaces too. While it is essentially a game in itself, there’s more to the shared world than that.

The emphasis is very much on creating an open, collaborative experience for all of its users on any platform. Users can do things like chat, play third-party games or just watch YouTube and Netflix together.

The company has also made its platform available to third-party developers to build their own in-world games and apps.

It’s also the first time the virtual world experience has been made available cross-platform using VR headsets, meaning people will no longer need to be tied to a desk and could potentially take their virtual reality friends on a real-life day out using the headset.

Of course, Second Life is the most well-known virtual world and has a longstanding cult following. Its creators, Linden Labs, have also announced a VR iteration called Project Sansar , which is set to be released this year as well so it will be interesting to see how the two worlds can compete.

➤ AltspaceVR virtual reality software is now available for Samsung Gear VR [AltspaceVR]