Found a lost AirTag? Be careful when you scan it

AirTags are Apple’s version of Tile trackers — they’re small circular gadgets with Find My Network support. When a user enables Lost Mode on an AirTag, it generates a unique URL that directs whoever finds and scans it to https://found.apple.com to view the owner’s contact details. However, a recently discovered security flaw makes scanning random AirTags potentially dangerous.

A report on KrebsOnSecurity details (via MacRumors) that Lost Mode doesn’t prevent users from injecting arbitrary code into the contact details field. In theory, people can exploit this vulnerability and set up AirTags to redirect unsuspecting users to phishing or other malicious websites. Due to this, an average user trying to do the right thing by attempting to reach the owner of a lost AirTag can fall victim to the scam.

This vulnerability was first discovered by Bobby Rauch, a Boston-based Security Consultant. Rauch reported it to Apple back in June, and the investigation lasted for three months. Last Thursday, Apple got back to him and mentioned that it’d be patching this security flaw in a future update.

Rauch stated:

I can’t remember another instance where these sort of small consumer-grade tracking devices at a low cost like this could be weaponized. It’s a pretty easy thing to fix. Having said that, I imagine they probably want to also figure out how this was missed in the first place.

Bobby had informed Apple that he’d be sharing the details of this vulnerability with the public within 90 days of his notification. While Apple told him that they would appreciate it if he didn’t leak it, he ended up sticking to his word by sharing his findings three months later.

Do you use any AirTags to track your items? If you find a lost AirTag, would you scan it? Let us know in the comments section below.

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Can’t pair your Android TV with the new Google TV remote? Here’s what you need to do

Google recently released a new remote control feature in the Google TV app. It replaces the old Android TV Remote Control app and gives users access to a native remote for their Android TVs on their phones. The feature has started rolling out to users in the US, and Google plans to bring it to 14 more countries over the next few weeks. If you’re facing issues while pairing your Android TV with the new Google TV remote or are based outside the US, here’s what you need to do to set it up.

How to pair your Android TV with the new Google TV remote

Google is reportedly in the process of rolling out some essential updates that you need to pair your Android TV with the new Google TV remote. Since the company has already removed the old Android TV Remote Control app from the Play Store, users who haven’t received said updates are left in limbo. Thankfully, you can sideload the updates on your Android TV to use the new Google TV remote.

As Reddit user u/juzmafia points out in this post, you need to download and install the following APKs on your Android TV to get started:

• Android TV Remote Services V5.0 (Download)
• Gboard v11 (Download)

If you’re not sure how to sideload APKs on Android TV, download the Downloader by AFTVnews app from the Play Store, open the download links given above in the app’s browser, provide the permission to install apps from unknown sources, and then click on the Install button.

After you install both the APKs, you should be able to pair your Android TV with the Google TV remote. Depending on where you are, you will have either the Google TV app or Google Play Moves & TV app installed on your phone. While the remote feature is available on both, the Google TV app lets you pair using either the in-app remote icon or the TV Remote Quick Settings Tile. The Google Play Moves & TV app, however, only offers the Quick Settings Tile.

Pairing with the in-app remote icon is a fairly straightforward process:

• Tap on the icon to open the remote interface
  
• Select your Android TV from the drop-down menu at the top
  
• Enter the six-digit code displayed on your TV.

The remote should start working immediately after you enter the code. If you don’t see your TV on the list, make sure your phone and TV are on the same Wi-Fi network.

If you have the Google Play Moves & TV app, you’ll first need to set up the new TV Remote Quick Settings tile. To do so:

• Swipe down twice from the top of your screen to open Quick Settings
  
• Tap on the Edit button
• On the following screen, scroll down to locate the TV Remote tile. If you don’t see the tile, update to the latest version of the Google Play Moves & TV app.
  
• Tap and hold on the tile and drag it above “Hold and drag to add tiles”
• Once you have the TV Remote tile in Quick Settings, tap on it to open the remote interface
  
• Follow the steps mentioned above to pair your TV.

You should now be able to use the new Google TV remote with your Android TV. Although Google says it will roll out the new remote to other regions in the coming weeks, we can confirm that this method works outside the US.

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New Galaxy S22 Ultra renders showcase a split camera module

Last week, we got our first look at the Galaxy S22 Ultra, the most premium phone in Samsung’s upcoming flagship lineup. The Galaxy S22 Ultra is widely rumored to be a spiritual successor to the beloved Galaxy Note series. And the leaked Galaxy S22 Ultra renders only fueled that notion further as they showcased a design that looked incredibly reminiscent of the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra.

While the Galaxy S22 Ultra’s overall design — from the centered hole punch to the curved sides and boxy form — looked very much like the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, one thing definitely caught everyone’s attention: the peculiar P-shaped camera module. But it looks Samsung may not have finalized the design yet, as a fresh leak now shows the Galaxy S22 Ultra featuring a different camera module.

OnLeaks (Steve H.McFly) has published updated renders (via Android Authority) of the Galaxy S22 Ultra that depict the rear camera module split into two individual strips. The new renders come following IceUniverse comment about the Galaxy S22 Ultra having a slightly different camera module than the one shown in OnLeaks’ earlier renders. You can check out the new camera module (on the left) in the gallery attached below.

OnLeaks says after IceUniverse’s remarks, he reached out to his sources and was able to track down a Galaxy S22 Ultra prototype with a uniform body frame and the split camera module. It’s unclear at this point, which camera design Samsung has finalized for the Galaxy S22 Ultra.

Following @UniverseIce comments on my #GalaxyS22Ultra, I asked my sources to investigate.
Seems a prototype w/ uniform body frame indeed exist but I got no confirmation on the camera housing design.
Nonetheless, here two updated renders depicting these prospective differences. pic.twitter.com/14bNzFxqDP

— Steve H.McFly (@OnLeaks) September 26, 2021

What are your thoughts on the latest Galaxy S22 Ultra renders? Do you prefer the P-shaped camera module shown in the earlier renders or the split module in the above renders? Let us know your thoughts in the comments down below.

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Google is finally bringing year-round ringtone options for Nest Doorbells

Each year, Google offers seasonal ringtones for its Nest Doorbells. These options are available for a short duration, after which the video doorbells revert to the classic ding-dong sound. However, this time around, Google is adding new year-round ringtone options with the upcoming Halloween update.

According to The Verge, Google will enable the Halloween-themed ringtones starting next month. Along with the seasonal ringtones, the company will also roll out six “evergreen” ringtones. While Google hasn’t revealed any details about these ringtones, The Verge notes that they will be available year-round, and users will be able to set them up using the Google Home or Nest apps. However, unlike the Halloween-themed ringtones, the upcoming evergreen ringtones will not be available on the older Nest Doorbell (wired).

The Halloween-themed ringtones, which will be available until October 31, include an evil laugh, a skeleton dance, a spooky raven, a ghostly boo, a howling werewolf, a cackling witch, and more. These ringtones will play both from the doorbell itself and on any Google Nest speakers or displays you have around your house. You’ll also get the option to play an hour-long playlist of Halloween-themed sounds and music using your Nest speakers and a Halloween-themed game on the Nest Hub and Nest Hub Max.

Once Halloween is done, your doorbell will default back to the default option. However, you’ll be able to select a different seasonal option until the end of December. Google hasn’t revealed which ringtones will be available after October 31, but we expect to see holiday-themed options related to Christmas, Hannukkah, New Year’s, and Kwanzaa. If you have one of the newer models, you’ll also be able to select the new evergreen ringtones after October 31. Your Nest Doorbell won’t revert to the default option after the holiday season if you do so.

We expect Google to share more information about the upcoming evergreen ringtones in the coming days. We’ll update this post with more details as soon as we learn more.

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iOS 15.1 beta 2 fixes iPhone 13 bug preventing masked users from using “Unlock with Apple Watch”

Apple has seeded iOS 15.1 beta 2 to registered developers. This update comes exactly a week after the first beta rolled out. Beta 1 re-enabled SharePlay after Apple had disabled it in later builds of iOS 15 beta before the stable release. The first iOS 15.1 beta also enabled users to add their COVID-19 vaccination certificates to Apple Wallet in supported countries (if your country doesn’t support it, we’ve got you covered!). With iOS 15.1 Beta 2, Apple fixes an annoying bug that was affecting iPhone 13 users.

The iPhone 13 bug

Soon after users worldwide got their hands on their brand new iPhone 13 models, complaints started spreading all over the internet. A bug in the iPhone 13 lineup prevented masked users from unlocking their iPhones using their Apple Watches. It would display an Unable to Communicate with Apple Watch error.

For the unaware, Apple introduced this feature with iOS 14.5 and watchOS 7.4. It’s a handy workaround in these trying times when wearing a mask outside has become the norm. Instead of entering the iPhone password every time a user is in public, the iPhone checks if an unlocked Apple Watch linked to the same Apple ID is present on the user’s wrist. If all conditions are met, the iPhone unlocks without manually entering the password.

Apple’s acknowledgment

Apple has acknowledged the presence of the bug and posted a new support document. The document states:

Apple has identified an issue where Unlock with Apple Watch may not work with iPhone 13 devices. You might see “Unable to Communicate with Apple Watch” if you try to unlock your iPhone while wearing a face mask, or you might not be able to set up Unlock with Apple Watch.

This issue will be fixed in an upcoming software update. Until the update is available, you can turn off Unlock with Apple Watch and use your passcode to unlock your iPhone 13.

To turn off Unlock with Apple Watch, go to Settings > Face ID & Passcode.

Apple advises users to temporarily disable the feature from the Settings app until it’s fixed in a future software update. MacRumors reveals that the fix is already live in iOS 15.1 beta 2. We expect Apple to release the update on the stable channel in the coming weeks.

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Amazon’s new robot runs Android but is apparently “terrible”, according to leaks

At Amazon’s fall event on Tuesday, the company officially unveiled the long-rumored Alexa-powered home robot. Dubbed Amazon Astro, the robot looks like something straight out of a science fiction movie and is unlike anything we’ve seen before from Amazon. Astro can do a wide range of things. It can recognize faces, follow you around the house, patrol your home when you’re away, detect an unrecognized person or certain sounds (fire alarm, for example), and more. In addition, it can also do everything you would expect from an Echo Show device, like playing music, making video calls, getting answers, and so on.

If you were wondering about the software that powers Astro, it turns out the device runs Fire OS (via The Verge). For the unaware, Fire OS is Amazon’s fork of Android without Google Mobile Services. While you would expect an Android-powered robot to be half-decent, leaks suggest that it’s flat-out terrible. While the Amazon Astro has yet to reach consumers, some developers who worked on the robot have criticized it for its incompetency, safety issues, and privacy risks.

According to leaked internal documents obtained by Vice, some Astro developers believe that it’s not ready for public release and has some serious flaws. One of the developers associated with the project described the robot as “terrible,” adding that its person detection feature is unreliable.

Astro is terrible and will almost certainly throw itself down a flight of stairs if presented the opportunity. The person detection is unreliable at best, making the in-home security proposition laughable.

The developer also bashed Amazon for pitching Astro as an accessibility device that can help with eldercare.

They’re also pushing it as an accessibility device but with the masts breaking and the possibility that at any given moment it’ll commit suicide on a flight of stairs, it’s, at best, absurdist nonsense and marketing and, at worst, potentially dangerous for anyone who’d actually rely on it for accessibility purposes.

Meanwhile, another source described the robot as “a disaster that’s not ready for release.” According to the source, the device is fragile and “will almost certainly fall downstairs in real-world users’ homes.”

In a statement to The Verge, Amazon said the reports questioning the performance and safety of the robot were outdated and “simply inaccurate.”

These characterizations of Astro’s performance, mast, and safety systems are simply inaccurate. Astro went through rigorous testing on both quality and safety, including tens of thousands of hours of testing with beta participants. This includes comprehensive testing on Astro’s advanced safety system, which is designed to avoid objects, detect stairs, and stop the device where and when necessary.

We’ll have to wait and see how Astro actually fares in the real world when it reaches buyers later this year.

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iWork update brings new features for Keynote, Pages, and Numbers

Apple has updated its iWork suite, bringing several new features across Keynote, Pages, and Numbers. In a press release, the Cupertino giant announced the new changes, which were made available to everyone on the spot. While some features are iOS 15 or macOS Monterey exclusive, users on older versions can still take advantage of some of the new goods.

What’s new

New macOS icons

The new iWork update, version number 11.2, brings refreshed macOS icons that are similar to those on iOS. Some users had questioned the logic behind the icons that were introduced with macOS 11 Big Sur. So Apple has listened to user feedback and switched to iOS-like icons with extra depth to match the new macOS feel.

Quick translation support in iOS 15 and macOS 12

Users running the latest versions of Apple operating systems will be able to use quick translations. Just select text inside iWork apps to translate content to the desired target language.

Better presenting tools in Keynote

Version 11.2 of Keynote makes remote lecturing and presenting easier than ever. Apple has made it possible to access your device’s camera and integrate a live video stream into the presented keynote. This makes explaining things more natural and immersive to the audience.

Additionally, you can share your iPhone or iPad screen so you can do a live demo. And if you’re collaborating on a presentation with other people, whether you’re in the same room or not, you will all be able to control the slides.

Screen View in Pages, optimized for iPhone

The new Pages version brings a feature called Screen View. When toggled, Pages will shrink documents into a single-column view, making it easier to view multi-column files on the small iPhone screen.

Radar charts in Numbers

The latest update to Numbers makes keeping track of data a simpler task. Apple describes the feature as:

Radar charts are a new chart type that makes it easy to visually compare multiple variables with similarities shown as overlapping areas, allowing differences and outliers to really stand out.

For additional details, check out Apple’s press release.

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