Tag Archives: author_name|Lawrence Bonk

Hackers made robot vacuums randomly yell racial slurs

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Robot vacuums across the country were hacked in the space of several days, according to reporting by ABC News. This allowed the attackers to not only control the robovacs, but use their speakers to hurl racial slurs and abusive comments at anyone nearby.

All of the affected robots were of the same make and model, the Chinese-made Ecovacs Deebot X2s. This particular robovac has developed a reputation for being easy to hack, thanks to a critical security flaw. ABC News, for instance, was able to get full control over one of the robots, including the camera.

One victim of this week’s hacks was a Minnesota lawyer named Daniel Swenson. He told ABC that he was watching TV when the robot started making weird noises, like “a broken-up radio signal or something.” Through the app, Swenson could tell that a stranger was accessing the live camera feed and the remote control feature.

He reset the password and rebooted the vacuum, but that’s when the weirdness really started. It immediately started moving again of its own accord and the speakers began emitting a human voice. This voice was yelling racist obscenities right in front of Swenson’s son.

"I got the impression it was a kid, maybe a teenager," said Swenson. "Maybe they were just jumping from device to device messing with families." Ultimately, he said it could have been worse, such as if the vacuum silently spied on his family for days on end.

Swenson’s device was hacked on May 24. That same day another Deebot X2s in Los Angeles began chasing around a dog. This vacuum’s speakers also shouted abusive comments. Five days later, a similar incident happened in El Paso. It remains unclear how many of the company’s devices have been hacked in total.

At the root of this issue is a security flaw that allows bad faith actors to bypass the required four-digit security PIN in order to gain control of the vacuum. This issue originally came to light in December 2023. The Bluetooth connector also has a flaw that allows for complete access from up to 300 feet away. However, the attacks occurred throughout the country, so the Bluetooth vulnerability is an unlikely culprit.

According to Gizmodo, the company has developed a patch to eliminate the aforementioned security flaw that’ll roll out sometime in November. We reached out to Ecovacs to get a confirmation on this.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/hackers-are-making-robot-vacuums-randomly-yell-racial-slurs-184017187.html?src=rss

Do you want a giant Redbox machine? Now’s your chance

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Redbox is as dead as disco, but that doesn’t mean it can’t (sorta) live on in your living room. Redbox’s parent company folded with hundreds of millions of dollars in unpaid debts. It also left over 24,000 of its iconic red machines at various retail locations, as reported by The Wall Street Journal and spotted by Gizmodo.

The machines are heavy, cumbersome and difficult to dispose of, with a former RedBox executive suggesting it costs $500 to remove one of the kiosks. This is compounded by the fact that some of the machines are actually embedded in concrete. The retailers plan on salvaging them for scrap, at a loss, which has led collectors to take the initiative to scoop some up before they hit the scrap heap.

Jacob Helton, a 19-year-old from North Carolina, picked one up from a drugstore because he “felt like Redbox is important in the history of American media.” He went on to make the point that “its collapse marks the end of the video rental era.” Now he has a giant DVD-renting machine in his garage.

Now, before you roll up to a local Walgreens and ask about the dilapidated Redbox machine sitting outside, there are some caveats. First of all, these things are heavy and extremely difficult to transport. As mentioned above, some are even dipped in concrete.

Also, these machines suck up massive amounts of energy during use. Walgreens told a judge that it costs the company $184,000 each month to power 5,400 kiosks. That breaks down to around $35 per month for a single machine. They also have to be regularly maintained. However, if you do have a large DVD collection, each machine can hold around 500 of them. You can pretend to rent them out to friends and family and, well, that’s about it.

Redbox was on top of the world just ten years ago, boasting of nearly $2 billion in yearly revenue and installing over 43,000 kiosks across the US and Canada. It managed to hang on a bit longer than Blockbuster, but now it’s gone forever.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/do-you-want-a-giant-redbox-machine-nows-your-chance-172806520.html?src=rss

Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered hits the PS4 and PS5 on February 14

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It’s time to dust off a pair of pistols, as Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered releases for PS4 and PS5 on February 14, 2025. What better way to spend the next Valentine’s Day by foraging around caverns for loot?

These remasters boast updated visuals, though you can toggle to the old-school graphics to soak in the nostalgia. The same goes for controls. There are modern controls inspired by the newer entries in the series, but those retro inputs are just a toggle away.

The collection includes more than 150 trophies, which feature “nods to iconic moments from the series.” The photo mode from Tomb Raider I-III Remastered has also returned, allowing players to share “favorite moments and the beauty of the remastered environments with the community.”

It’s worth noting that the three games included in this collection were never referred to as numbered sequels. The remaster features Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation, Tomb Raider: Chronicles and Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness.

Crystal Dynamics and Eidos are behind these remasters, so this is the real deal. This is the team that made the aforementioned Tomb Raider I-III Remastered, which was well-reviewed.

It sure looks like we are in the midst of a Croft-ian renaissance. The animated Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft just premiered on Netflix and Phoebe Waller-Bridge, who starred in the latest Indiana Jones film, is writing a live-action Lara Croft show for Prime Video.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/tomb-raider-iv-vi-remastered-hits-the-ps4-and-ps5-on-february-14-152949568.html?src=rss

Star Trek: Lower Decks season five trailer has too many Harry Kims to count

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A new season of Star Trek: Lower Decks is almost here, with a trailer to prove it. The fifth, and unfortunately final, season looks to feature the same unchecked shenanigans and in-the-know humor that has made the show so beloved to Trek fans.

The trailer’s filled with wacky hijinks and jokes pulled from the wide world of Star Trek. Eagle-eyed viewers will spot the Borg, the weird sexy decontamination sauna from Star Trek: Enterprise and a whole bunch of Harry Kims. That’s right. There looks to be at least seven Harry Kims floating around this trailer. My Delta Quadrant bestie is finally getting the respect he deserves.

For the uninitiated, Star Trek: Lower Decks is an animated show helmed by Mike McMahon, who created Solar Opposites and worked on the early seasons of Rick and Morty. It follows some low-level Starfleet officers just after the events of the 1990s shows, like Star Trek: The Next Generation. It’s very funny, particularly for long-time fans. It was also recently cancelled. 

Now I don’t know anything about viewership numbers, as Paramount+ keeps that stuff close to the (red) vest. However, Star Trek: Lower Decks seems fairly popular right? Also, it’s a cartoon, so it can’t be as expensive to make as something like Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. I can’t imagine that Jack Quaid and Tawny Newsome command jaw-dropping salaries, so why cancel it? You know what I’m getting at. #SaveLowerDecks.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/star-trek-lower-decks-season-five-trailer-has-too-many-harry-kims-to-count-184704663.html?src=rss

Blizzard co-founder Mike Morhaime is making a tabletop RPG party game

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Blizzard co-founder and ex-CEO Mike Morhaime’s publishing company Dreamhaven just announced a new game that mixes elements of tabletop RPGs with party games like Jackbox. Sunderfolk looks to be a more casual pick-up-and-play take on something like Gloomhaven.

The title has been “designed for players who love tabletop, board and video games.” It’s a two-screen experience, with players actually controlling many aspects of the game on their smartphone. You know, just like the immensely-popular Jackbox franchise. The “tactical couch co-op RPG” is being advertised as a way for veteran tabletop players to introduce the genre to their inexperienced friends.

Sunderfolk can be played by up to four players at once and there are six hero classes, like bard, arcanist, ranger and some of the other usual suspects. The TV is the main screen and the phone acts as a controller as folks navigate the game board. The story follows a beleaguered town as it is attacked by various monsters. In other words, it’s a standard fantasy RPG.

The unique control scheme looks to eliminate some of the barriers of entry with this type of game, like the steep learning curve and lengthy set-up time. Like many tabletop RPGs, it’s cooperative in nature and not competitive. You and your friends against the world.

Four people playing the game on a couch.
Dreamhaven

While the designer’s say Sunderfolk was made with couch co-op in mind, there will be online play. The game releases for Nintendo Switch, PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S sometime in 2025, with an affiliated iOS/Android companion app.

Kotaku got to try the game during a preview event and came away mostly impressed, saying that “working in tandem with other players quickly turned into a thrilling spectacle that felt right out of a TTRPG game night.” However, the site also said that the complexity of the gameplay may fail to lure in newbies. In other words, it’s more Gloomhaven than Jackbox.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/blizzard-co-founder-mike-morhaime-is-making-a-tabletop-rpg-party-game-174323950.html?src=rss

Dead Island 2 and Gris join the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog for October

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October’s PlayStation Plus Game Catalog lineup is certainly stuffed to the gills. There’s something for everyone, from zombie classics to narrative adventures and beyond. Let’s take a look.

The biggest draw here is likely Dead Island 2. For a while, we weren’t sure if this game would ever come out, but it did and it’s a blast to play. The action-heavy zombie slaying sim is set in Los Angeles and boasts six playable characters. There’s three-player co-op and, of course, more gore than you can shake a bloody baseball bat at. The game’s available for both PS4 and PS5.

Gris is a stylistic 2D platformer that was a bona-fide hit when it was released several years back. We said it “might be the prettiest game” ever made, so the graphics and vibes are strong with this one. It’s a relaxing mixture of puzzles, exploration and platform jumping. The dev team has another game on the way, called Neva, that also looks quite pretty. 

It took 13 years, but we finally got a new entry in the Monkey Island franchise. Return to Monkey Island continues the comedic adventures of Guybrush Threepwood, as first seen in several iconic Lucasfilm titles from the 1990s. Reviews were kind, with many players calling it a true return to form. As a warning, this is an old-school adventure with roots in the point-and-click genre.

Those are the big three, but this month’s drop also includes Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed, Overpass 2, Tour de France 2023 and The Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil in Me, among others. PlayStation Premium members are also getting some games, including The Last Clockwinder for PS VR2 and Dino Crisis.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/dead-island-2-and-gris-join-the-playstation-plus-game-catalog-for-october-162432379.html?src=rss

Venmo adds scheduled payments and requests

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Venmo has added the ability to schedule both payments and requests, which has been a long-desired feature. People can use this toolset to send out one-time payments or requests, or schedule things to go out monthly, weekly or bi-weekly.

Users will receive a push notification reminder the day before a payment goes out, just in case the funds aren’t available. To that end, the platform will pull from the connected bank account if the Venmo account is dry. These tools are rolling out right now.

The tools in action on the app.
Venmo

This is an obvious boon to those with roommates, as that one roommate who somehow got roped into handling all of the utility bills can let Venmo do the heavy lifting of bothering everybody else. Venmo says that 84 percent of consumers use peer-to-peer payment services to handle stuff like rent, utilities and other living expenses.

It’s also good for those with poor life organization skills. I can’t tell you the number of times I forgot to pay a bill, even though I had the money. Setting everything up in advance could be pretty darn helpful.

This is just the latest quality of life feature added by Venmo. The company recently integrated tap-to-pay support for Android phones, with no card reader necessary. The payment platform also now lets users send one another crypto.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/venmo-adds-scheduled-payments-and-requests-151251367.html?src=rss

Amazon to bring same-day prescription deliveries to nearly half of the US next year

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Amazon just announced a coming expansion of its same-day prescription delivery service, with 20 more cities and affiliated metro areas entering the program next year. This expansion will open up the feature to nearly half of US residents.

The company said it’s currently embedding pharmacies in many of its same-day delivery facilities to allow for the advanced rollout. The service already exists in cities like Miami, Phoenix and Seattle, but next year it’ll be coming to Boston, Dallas, Minneapolis, Philadelphia and around a dozen more national hotspots.

Amazon says that in most cases “a customer can order medication by 4PM and receive it at home by 10PM.” This is achieved via traditional delivery methods, though the company has been testing prescription delivery drones in Texas.

The delivery service is available via Amazon Pharmacy, which offers free shipments of prescriptions to Prime members. The service first launched in 2020 and has allowed the company to enter the healthcare space in a major way. Amazon also operates a virtual healthcare service, which is available in all 50 states.

The company recently boasted that it has doubled the number of customers it delivers prescriptions to. This number will likely shoot up even higher once the service becomes available in more cities next year.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/amazon-to-bring-same-day-prescription-deliveries-to-nearly-half-of-the-us-next-year-185708164.html?src=rss

Plex is adding reviews for TV shows and movies

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Streaming company Plex just announced that it’s introducing a new reviews feature for TV shows and movies, as reported by TechCrunch. This is great for people who want to quickly find something good to watch, as the reviews are culled from other Plex users, professional critics and friends. This move places Plex in direct competition with apps like Letterboxd.

There’s also going to be a social media component to this toolset. Reviews can be shared with your friends and even friends of friends. The company says that, eventually, there will be an update that will allow users to share their ratings and reviews with anyone using Plex. The feature is in beta release right now and you can sign up with a verified email address on the web interface or the mobile app.

Some Plex reviews.
Plex

Of course, reviews must abide by Plex’s community guidelines, so keep it family-friendly. Once activated, you can access a new “Ratings and Reviews” option in settings that allows for criteria adjustments. These settings can be adjusted to only display reviews from Plex users, critics, or a combination of both.

This update follows the app’s Discover Together feature, which allows people to create profiles on the app and follow friends for personalized recommendations. Plex has been absolutely hoovering up investment capital lately. It scored $40 million earlier this year and $50 million back in 2021.

For the uninitiated, Plex is an extremely popular free, ad-supported television (FAST) streaming app. It easily made our list of the best live TV streaming services. However, it also acts as a portal to other streaming platforms, making for a centralized entertainment hub.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/plex-is-adding-reviews-for-tv-shows-and-movies-173622067.html?src=rss

The Beats Studio Pro headphones are more than half off for Prime Day

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Amazon Prime Day has momentarily taken over the internet, and as part of the offerings, you can grab a pair of Beats' higher-end headphones for the lowest price we've seen. The Beats Studio Pro headphones are down to just $170, which is a whopping 51 percent off. October Prime Day has also brought the Beats Solo 4 headphones down to just $100 — half off their usual going rate.

The Studio Pros were originally released last year. We heaped a whole lot of praise on these cans in our official review, calling out the impressive sound profile. These headphones sound great, especially when compared to previous iterations. This is due to new 40mm drivers and an advanced two-layer diaphragm.

We also enjoyed the robust transparency mode and Spatial Audio features, which include dynamic head tracking. They also feature USB-C connectivity for wired use, hands-free Siri, one-touch pairing, Find My compatibility and a bunch of other iOS bells and whistles. Remember, Beats is an Apple company.

There’s no automatic pausing, which is something of an oversight. These aren’t the most comfortable over-ear headphones, which has become a Beats hallmark. Also, we bristled at the original asking price, but that complaint has faded with today’s sale..

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice, and stay tuned to Engadget.com for all of the best tech deals coming out of October Prime Day 2024.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-beats-studio-pro-headphones-are-more-than-half-off-for-prime-day-151149224.html?src=rss