The new AirPods that Apple just announced at its iPhone 16 event come with cases that have USB-C ports, but they will not ship with USB-C charging cables in the box. As 9to5Mac has noticed, the new devices' official page states that USB-C charge cables are sold separately for both the basic AirPods 4 and the AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation. Apple didn't reveal the lack of cable in the earbuds' package in the event, but perhaps the company's assumption was that most people already have a bunch of USB-C cables in their possession. Still, it has just switched out the AirPods' cases lightning port, so current users got lighting cables with their previous models.
Apple started selling its devices without charging bricks years ago, and it also stopped shipping the Apple TV with a USB cable for its Siri charger in 2022. So, no, this isn't unprecedented, but those who don't have an extra cable to use with an AirPods 4 will have to buy one. The latest version of the AirPods Max does come with a cable, though, so those looking to get a pair don't have to put an extra one in their shopping cart.
For those now undecided whether to get the AirPods 4: We did find the ANC version's performance impressive. Engadget Senior Reporter Billy Steele got to try it at Apple Park's chaotic hands-on area, and the active noise cancellation nearly silenced the room full of event attendees. Apple also called the new models the "best fitting AirPods ever."
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/apple-airpods-4-dont-come-with-a-cable-to-charge-them-035629606.html?src=rss
Meta is making changes to WhatsApp and Messenger in order to add interoperability with third-party chat apps — in Europe, that is — and the company is sharing how it would work in a new post. Based on previous reports, Meta started working on enabling third-party chats last year after the rules of the bloc's Digital Markets Act (DMA) came into effect. Under the DMA, "gatekeepers" or the largest companies and platforms in the industry have to ensure interoperability with third parties since they're prohibited from favoring their own services.
The company said it gathered feedback from potential partners and other stakeholders to help it shape the new experience. To start with, it designed new notifications for WhatsApp and Messenger that would alert users when a third-party service becomes available for integration. Users will be able to choose which third-party apps they want to receive messages from, and they can choose to either get those messages in a separate inbox. Those who don't mind getting messages alongside their Messenger or WhatsApp chats can choose a combined inbox instead.
The apps will also provide rich messaging features to third-party chats, so they're not purely a text affair. Users will be able to react to and directly reply to specific messages, see an indicator while the other person is typing and get read receipts. Next year, they'll be able to create group chats, and in 2027, they can voice and video call their friends on other apps.
"Users will start to see the third-party chat option when a third-party messaging service has built, tested and launched the necessary technology to make the feature a positive and secure user experience," Meta explained, so not all people's preferred messaging app will be integrated with WhatsApp and Messenger. The company said, however, that it will keep collaborating with other services to expand its availability.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/meta-shares-how-whatsapp-and-messenger-will-interact-with-other-messaging-apps-in-the-eu-143021269.html?src=rss
Boeing's Starliner capsule has undocked from the ISS at 6:04PM Eastern time on September 6 and has safely and gently landed at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico at 12:01AM on September 7. Calypso, as the capsule is called, didn't have a crew onboard despite flying to the ISS with astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore. NASA decided in late August that the astronauts will come home on a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule in February for safety reasons. Wilmore and Williams merely provided support for the capsule's trip back home and watched the coverage of its re-entry and landing. "You have got this. We have your backs, and you've got this. Bring her back to Earth," Williams told ground control.
The astronauts flew on the Starliner as part of its first crewed flight meant to prove that the spacecraft is ready to regularly ferry humans to the ISS alongside the SpaceX Crew Dragon. They were only supposed to stay on the orbiting laboratory for eight days, but the spacecraft's service module started leaking helium on their way there. Some of the module's thrusters had malfunctioned, as well. The Starliner uses helium to pressurize its fuel tanks and to push propellant to its thrusters that maneuver the spacecraft. Over the past three months, engineers on the ground conducted tests on Starliner with help from the astronauts, but NASA ultimately decided to have the Starliner fly back home uncrewed because it didn't have confidence with the certainty of the thrusters' performance.
During the Starliner's post-landing press conference, Boeing was noticeably absent, and three NASA officials talked about the landing instead. When asked why Boeing wasn't there and if the relationship between the agency and the company was affected by Starliner's issues, the representatives said that Boeing deferred to NASA to represent the mission. They said that all three of them talked to Boeing's managers and that the company is committed to working with the agency. Steve Stich, the manager for Commercial Crew Program at NASA Kennedy, also added that while all of them were happy with the landing, a part of them still wishes it would've gone the way they'd planned, with the astronauts coming home aboard the Calypso.
Stitch, Joel Montalbano (NASA's deputy associate administrator for Space Operations Mission Directorate) and Dana Weigel (NASA's manager for the International Space Station) all praised the Starliner for its successful docking and "bullseye landing." They said they learned a lot from the mission, which apparently achieved 85 to 90 percent of its objectives, and stressed that it's important to remember that things don't always go as planned when it comes to test flights.
It'll take around two weeks to get the Calypso back to NASA grounds and around a week after that to get all the data from the capsule. NASA and Boeing are planning to analyze the data the spacecraft gathered across its systems from its time in orbit until its undocking, reentry and landing. They will then use that information to design improvements for the spacecraft.
Unfortunately, they wouldn't be able to inspect the thrusters that malfunctioned on the flight to the ISS, as well as the "doghouses" that contained the spacecraft's propellant system where the helium had leaked. They had always planned to discard the service module that contained those elements upon re-entry, and it's now at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. NASA previously said that the issues cropped up because the propulsion equipment got hotter that expected while flying, causing container seals to loosen and to leak helium. In case of the thrusters, the heat apparently caused seals to bulge and restrict propellant flow, leading to outages.
Stitch said he wouldn't call those problems insurmountable — they just need some time to address them. They also can't tell at the moment if Starliner's next flight would have a crew onboard. For now, the agency is preparing for other missions. By the end of September, the SpaceX Crew-8 mission vehicle is scheduled to undock and come back to Earth, while the SpaceX Crew-9 mission is expected to launch. Crew-9 will fly with two astronauts instead of four to make room for Wilmore and Williams for its return flight in February.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/boeings-starliner-is-back-without-the-astronauts-it-flew-to-the-iss-110013469.html?src=rss
Telegram has quietly edited its FAQs to remove language stating that it doesn't moderate private and group chats, as reported by CoinDesk. A section with the heading "There's illegal content on Telegram. How do I take it down?" previously stated that content in chats and group chats remains between participants. Now, though, the section says that "all Telegram apps have 'Report' buttons" that will give a way for users to flag illegal content for the app's moderators. Users only have to tap the message on Android, or press and hold it on iOS, and choose the Report option. They can also take note of links to the content they want to report and send an email to the service's takedown email address (abuse@telegram.org).
The change comes after Telegram chief Pavel Durov published his first public comment following his arrest on his channel. Durov was arrested at an airport in France in late August as part of authorities' investigation into the lack of moderation on the app and its failure to curb criminal activities. He was already released from custody, but he was charged with "complicity in distributing child pornography, illegal drugs and hacking software" on the messaging app, as well as "refusing to cooperate with investigations into illegal activity on the Telegram."
French authorities apparently told Durov that he was arrested because they didn't receive any responses from Telegram about their investigation. That was surprising, the app's founder explained in his post, because Telegram has an official representative in the EU and an email address publicly available for anyone. He also said that French authorities had numerous ways to reach him for assistance and that he even previously helped them establish a Telegram hotline to address threats of terrorism in the country. In addition, he called the French authorities' decision to "charge a CEO with crimes committed by third parties on the platform" they manage a "misguided approach." No innovators will build ever new tools, he said, he they can be held responsible for the potential abuse of those tools.
Durov also talked about how Telegram defends the basic rights of people, especially in places they're violated. In Russia, for instance, Telegram got banned when the service refused to hand over encryption keys that will allow authorities to spy on users. He said the service takes down "millions of harmful posts and channels every day," publishes transparency reports and maintains direct hotlines with NGOs for urgent moderation requests.
The CEO admits, however, that Telegram has room for improvement. Its "abrupt increase in user count" to 950 million "caused growing pains" that made it easier for criminals to abuse its platform. Telegram aims to "significantly improve things in this regard" and has already started the process internally. Presumably, this change in its rules is part of the messaging service's efforts to address authorities' accusations that it has failed to prevent criminals from using its app. To note, service reported earlier this year that it has 41 million users in the European Union, but officials believe it lied about its user numbers to avoid being regulated under the Digital Services Act (DSA).
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/telegram-will-allow-users-report-illegal-content-in-private-chats-130053441.html?src=rss
You can get a Max subscription at half the amount it costs other subscribers in the US if you're a college or a university student. The streaming service is bringing back its student discount promo that it also offered back in July. If you can verify that you're in college or university with UNiDAYS, you can now get Max — with ads, anyway — for $5 instead of $10 per month. You can easily sign up for a UNiDAYS account for free if you don't have one yet to be able to grab the deal, as well as promotional offers from other companies like Apple, Microsoft and Uber Eats. After Max verifies your status, you'll get a discount code that you can then redeem for the discounted subscription.
Formerly known as HBO Max, the streaming service offers classic HBO series and newer HBO titles created for streaming. You'll be able to watch HBO Originals like The Last of US, House of the Dragon and Euphoria. But you can also stream old titles in the service's offerings, including Friends, South Park and Rick and Morty. Of course, you'll also be able to watch whatever movies the company has on offer, including Dune and Barbie.
Max will keep charging you the same amount as long as you're a student. You will have to reverify your status every 12 months, however, so you will lose access to the discount eventually. Of course, if you'd rather not watch your shows and movies with commercial breaks, you can get the Ad Free version of Max for $17 a month. The more expensive Ultimate Ad Free version will cost you $21 a month, but it'll allow you to stream on four devices at once instead of just two, to keep 100 downloads for offline viewing instead of just 30 and to stream in 4K UHD, Dolby Atmos, Dolby Vision and HDR 10 for select titles.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/max-is-giving-college-students-in-the-us-a-50-percent-discount-again-123029469.html?src=rss
Tesla has tweeted its roadmap for the remaining months of 2024 and early 2025, revealing that Full Self-Driving could be available in Europe and China in the first quarter of next year, if it gets the proper approval from each region's respective regulators. Company chief Elon Musk previously said that he expects to receive regulator clearance from the regions by the end of the year. The Wall Street Journal reported in April that authorities in China had already tentatively approved the launch of Tesla's Full Self-Driving software in their country. It's not quite clear where the company stands with European Union regulators at the moment.
In a response to the original post, Musk added that he's hoping for FSD to be approved in Right-Hand Drive markets by the end of the first quarter or by early second quarter next year. Since he's presumably talking about RHD markets in Europe and China, then he's pertaining to the UK, Hong Kong and Macau.
Hopefully, RHD markets in late Q1, early Q2, pending regulatory approval
The automaker has also revealed that Full Self-Driving will be available for Cybertrucks sometime this month, along with the Autopark capability. In October, Tesla is adding unpark, park and reverse functions to FSD, as well. The FSD software isn't free, and buyers will have to pay to be able to unlock its semi-autonomous driver assistance capabilities. In the US, Tesla owners can buy the software outright for $8,000, though they can also pay a $99-per-month subscription fee for the supervised version of the feature.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/tesla-says-full-self-driving-will-be-ready-for-europe-and-china-in-early-2025-033012374.html?src=rss
NinjaLab, a security research company, has discovered a vulnerability that would allow bad actors to clone YubiKeys. As the company has explained in a security advisory, NinjaLab found a vulnerability in the cryptographic library used in the YubiKey 5 Series. In particular, it found a cryptographic flaw in the microcontroller, which the security researchers described as something that "generates/stores secrets and then execute cryptographic operations" for security devices like bank cards and FIDO hardware tokens. YubiKeys are the most well-known FIDO authentication keys, and they're supposed to make accounts more secure, since users would have to plug it into their computers before they could log in.
The researchers explained how they discovered the vulnerability because they found an open platform based on Infineon's cryptographic library, which Yubico uses. They confirmed that all YubiKey 5 models can be cloned, and they also said that the vulnerability isn't limited to the brand though they've yet to try and clone other devices.
That vulnerability has apparently gone unnoticed for 14 years, but just because it has now come to light doesn't mean anybody can exploit it to clone YubiKeys. To start with, bad actors will need to have physical access to the token they want to copy. Then, they have to take it apart and use expensive equipment, including an oscilloscope, to "perform electromagnetic side-channel measurements" needed to analyze the token. In the researchers' paper, they said their setup cost them around $11,000 and that using more advanced oscilloscopes could raise the setup's cost to $33,000. In addition, attackers might still need their target's PINs, passwords or biometrics to be able to access specific accounts.
Bottom line is that users part of government agencies or anybody handling very, very sensitive documents that could make them espionage targets would have to be very careful with their keys. For ordinary users, as researchers wrote in their paper, "it is still safer to use YubiKey or other impacted products as FIDO hardware authentication token to sign in to applications rather than not using one."
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/yubikey-vulnerability-will-let-attackers-clone-the-authentication-device-143049198.html?src=rss
YouTube has introduced additional safeguards for teens on its website, which includes limiting the content they see that could lead them to form negative beliefs about themselves. As the Google-owned video sharing platform explains, teenagers are more likely to be critical of themselves if they see repeated messages about ideal social standards. In response, YouTube is now limiting repeated recommendations of videos featuring specific fitness levels or body weights, as well as those that display "social aggression in the form of non-contact fights and intimidation" for European users. As The Guardian notes, this rule is already being enforced in the US.
The website said it decided on those video categories after reviewing which ones "may be innocuous as a single video, but could be problematic for some teens if viewed repetitively." In addition, it has deployed crisis center panels across Europe that will give teens a quick way to connect with live support from recognized crisis service partners. A panel could show up on younger users' interface if they watch videos related to suicide, self-harm and eating disorders, among other sensitive topics. It could also pop up in their search results if they look for topics linked to specific health crises or emotional distress.
Aside from limiting potentially harmful recommendations, YouTube is adding a new parental control feature that would let parents link their accounts to their teens' for users in the US and other regions. Parents or guardians will see their child's channel activity, such as the number of comments, uploads and subscriptions, in the Family Center hub. YouTube will also send them an email if their teen uploads a video or a Short, and if they start a livestream, even if they're set to private.
The website told TechCrunch, though, that the alerts the parents receive will not include information on the content of comments and uploads. Parents will also not be able to change their kids' age on their accounts. This feature is a further expansion of the parental controls YouTube introduced in 2021. Back then, the website opened a public beta for supervised accounts that allowed guardians to control the kinds of videos their kids can see.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/youtube/youtube-will-limit-fitness-and-weight-video-recommendations-to-european-teens-123003587.html?src=rss
Worlds Part I, the No Man's Sky update that rolled out in July, made waters in the game more responsive to wind, depth and weather conditions. An artist drew fan art of their character fishing while perched on the wing of their boat after the update went out, which in turn inspired Hello Games to add a fishing mechanic to No Man's Sky. If you look at No Man's Sky communities online, you'll see a lot of people talk about wanting a fishing feature. Make sure to be on the lookout for the the game's latest update called Aquarius that's going out today if you're one of them.
Aquarius is packed with new features, all centered on fishing. You can either fish on your own or fish with friends if that would make it easier to wait for a bite. While you can sit, cast your line and wait for a catch on the shore, you can also set up automated traps. It's also possible to fish in deep water from an "Exo-Skiff" platform, which can be personalized with colors and comes with an inventory for storing your catches. Ocassionally, you'll pull up non-aquatic items like messages in bottles and technology upgrades. The Aquarius update also arrives with a new expedition, Expedition 15. Completing the various quests over the six weeks the expedition runs will unlock customization options like a deep-sea diving suit, a special fishing rod and a nautical-themed Aquarius jetpack.
The developer says it's releasing a huge array of fish in the game, "from common minnows to wild alien catches," and some can only be caught using fishing pots that can bait and trap rare catches. And while you can fish to relax, you can also challenge yourself by completing the fishing logs and taking part in expedition quests to find the biggest catch of the day.
Finally, you can cook whatever you catch using new recipes that you can discover around the No Man's Sky universe. It sounds like Hello Games intends to expand the game's fishing mechanic, though, so we may get more equipment, competitions and species to catch in the future. For now, if you enjoy fishing mini-games like I do, you may want to grab some snacks and prepare for hours of virtual angling.
Update, September 4, 5:50PM: This story was updated after publishing with more details on the Aquarius update and the expedition unlocks.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/you-can-finally-fish-in-no-mans-sky-as-its-aquarius-update-rolls-out-today-130042560.html?src=rss
The Federal Trade Commission has published a report that aims to warn people about Bitcoin ATM (or BTM) scams, which have apparently increased tenfold from 2020 to 2023. Americans had lost $65 million to fraud losses involving BTMs within the first six months of this year alone, and the actual amount may be a lot more than that, since most scams go unreported. Further, losses due to BTM scams have been exceptionally high, with people reporting a median loss of $10,000 over the past six months.
In most of the BTM scams reported, the bad actors impersonated government and business entities, as well as tech support representatives. Almost half of the instances reported started with a phone call, though some victims were fooled by fake security warnings from online ads, pop-ups and emails from scammers pretending to be from Microsoft or Apple.
Some scammers pretend to be government agents or employees from utility providers, for instance, and tell people that they have to settle their bills by paying through a nearby BTM. Others pretend to be feds or bank agents and scare would-be victims into believing that their accounts are being targeted by hackers, so they have to transfer their money to a "secure account." Those are just some examples of how the bad actors can fool their victims.
According to the commission's warning, scammers tend to send their targets to specific BTM locations, showing that they prefer some operators over others. Those preferences have changed over time, though, likely due to the fraud prevention measures crypto companies introduce to their systems. Whatever operator the scammer chooses, they send QR codes to their victims, since BTMs typically require depositors to scan one linked to the recipient's account. Those QR codes, of course, send money straight to the scammers' wallets.
As you can guess, most of the BTM scam victims are older people. The FTC says $46 million of the total losses involving BTMs in the first half of 2024 — that's 71 percent of the overall amount — came from people over 60. If you take BTMs out of the equation, most of the losses from cryptocurrency fraud were reported by people between 18 and 59 years old who fell victim to fake investment opportunities.
If you have an older person in your life, it's best to warn them about potential BTM scams before they get targeted, because recovering the money they lose from these schemes would most likely be impossible. In addition, it may be time for all BTM operators, as well as the supermarkets, convenience stores and other locations where the machines are installed, to post warnings next to BTMs about these scams.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/bitcoin-atm-scams-have-cost-americans-over-10-million-per-month-this-year-140031675.html?src=rss