Apple Watch riddled with security flaws

Stolen Apple Watches can easily be reset and re-paired to a different iPhone, claim researchers

The new Apple Watch is riddled with security flaws, including one that can force a reset and another in which the attacker can pair it with a different iPhone - neither of which require the attacker to enter a passcode.

Furthermore, once an Apple Watch is lost of stolen it cannot be found using Apple's own location services as it lacks GPS capabilities. Apple is reportedly working on a "Find my watch" feature, which will be based on the iPhone it is paired with and Wi-Fi networks that it has connected to.

Pressing down and holding the Apple Watch's power button, according to Christian Zibreg, writing on the Apple-focused iDownload Blog, provides an option to "Erase all content and settings", which appears even if a PIN has not been entered. Once the device is plugged into charge, the Watch asks for confirmation of the reset and will wipe all the data on the device in seconds.

"Should a 'Find my Watch' feature make its way into the Apple Watch, Apple might enhance the device's Wi-Fi features in order to allow the device to be easily located by iCloud even when the iPhone is out of range," claimed the Blog.

It continued: "To tackle this issue, Apple will reportedly employ a feature called 'Smart Leashing' that will prompt the device to tap its built-in Wi-Fi in order to establish its location relative to the iPhone's last known location. Find My Watch will even notify you via a light tap on your wrist should you accidentally leave your iPhone behind."

Furthermore, while the Wall Street Journal reported that Apple abandoned plans for an ultra-high-definition television set last year, after a decade of development, it also cited the slim margins in the highly competitive television market. However, activist investor Carl Icahn has claimed that the company will released an ultra-HD television in 2016.

This new TV will include integration with the Apple Watch to provide remote control from the Watch. However, such capabilities may only be built-in to a second generation Apple Watch, with early adopters effectively abandoned. Forthcoming updates, though, will work with Apple TV, Apple's networked media player.