Social media has become an increasingly popular tool among scammers in recent years, which is bad news for those of us that frequent the platforms. A new report from the Federal Trade Commission published this week called social media a “gold mine for scammers,” reminding us all of a guiding principle we should live…
<img width="1200" height="800" src="https://cdn.slashgear.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/fortnieboy-1200×800.jpg" class="webfeedsFeaturedVisual wp-post-image" alt="Boy playing Fortnite on PlayStation" loading="lazy" style="margin: auto;margin-bottom: 5px;max-width: 100%" data-attachment-id="709499" data-permalink="https://www.slashgear.com/epic-games-store-free-weekly-games-will-continue-another-year-28709498/fortnieboy/" data-orig-file="https://cdn.slashgear.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/fortnieboy.jpg" data-orig-size="1440,960" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="fortnieboy" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="
Jennie Book/Shutterstock
” data-medium-file=”https://cdn.slashgear.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/fortnieboy-1080×720.jpg” data-large-file=”https://cdn.slashgear.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/fortnieboy-1200×800.jpg” />Epic Games has just published its 2021 Year in Review, and while it’s fun to look back, it’s more interesting to see what’s still yet to come. In this case, the horizon has never looked better. Epic Games has confirmed that it will continue giving away games for free all throughout 2022. In a market still heavily dominated by Steam, … Continue reading
The Federal Aviation Administration says it has reached an agreement with AT&T and Verizon (Engadget’s former parent company) regarding the rollout of their C-Band 5G networks at and around airports. The agency said the three sides have found common ground “on steps that will enable more aircraft to safely use key airports while also enabling more towers to deploy 5G service.”
According to the FAA, the providers offered “more precise data about the exact location of wireless transmitters and supported more thorough analysis of how 5G C-Band signals interact with sensitive aircraft instruments.” The agency said it used the data to “determine that it is possible to safely and more precisely map the size and shape of the areas around airports where 5G signals are mitigated, shrinking the areas where wireless operators are deferring their antenna activations. This will enable the wireless providers to safely turn on more towers as they deploy new 5G service in major markets across the United States.”
The accord follows a months-long tussle between airlines and wireless providers over C-Band 5G. AT&T and Verizon voluntarily delayed the rollout for six weeks to address concerns that their services could interfere with aircraft systems and electronics, due to C-Band frequencies being close to ones used by altimeters.
Earlier this month, the CEOs of airlines including Delta, United and Southwest claimed in a letter to the federal government that the networks could affect their planes’ instruments and lead to a “catastrophic” event.
AT&T and Verizon activated their C-Band 5G networks last week after agreeing to create temporary buffer zones around dozens of airports — they haven’t switched on C-Band 5G towers within two miles of some runways. They also argued that similar networks have been deployed in 40 other countries without issue.
It’s not clear when AT&T and Verizon plan to turn on C-Band 5G towers closer to airports following the FAA agreement. The providers declined to comment.
The CTIA, a trade association for the wireless industry, was bullish about the news. “This is a positive development that highlights the considerable progress the wireless industry, aviation industry, FAA and FCC are making to ensure robust 5G service and safe flights,” CTIA chief communications officer Nick Ludlum told Engadget in a statement.
Meanwhile, the FAA said it would continue discussions with helicopter operators and other stakeholders in the aviation industry “to ensure they can safely operate in areas of current and planned 5G deployment.”
When it comes to trading in your old smartphone for a new one, even if you’re trading in the previous-gen model, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll get the best price possible. This is because how much a phone is worth will depend on the condition that it is in, so a phone with a broken screen and a ton of scratches won’t be worth as much as one that is in near-pristine condition.
To help Apple make the checking process easier, it seems that in iOS 15.4, Apple has introduced a new Trade-In Tool that basically uses your iPhone’s camera to scan the cosmetic details of the iPhone you’re trying to trade-in, where it will try to detect any imperfections your iPhone might have.
This data is then sent to Apple where they can then assess how much they are willing to pay you for your iPhone, or if your iPhone is even eligible for trade-in to begin with. The idea is that this will help to make the whole process a lot faster for both customers and Apple, although we’re not sure if value users are offered will differ once Apple receives the actual iPhone and if the damages are more pronounced that what was scanned.
9to5Mac also speculates that the scanning technology built into the Trade-In Tool could also be used to potentially detect genuine components, especially with the company’s self repair program is getting ready to be launched.
iOS 15.4 Will Come With A Trade-In Tool That Scans Your iPhone’s Cosmetic Details
, original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
Is there a security risk when it comes to the AirPods? On a very small chance, there is always the possibility that someone could swap one of their AirPods for yours, in which they will then be able to listen in on your phone calls and conversations, or even use it to control Siri on your iPhone.
It feels like a very unlikely scenario, but it could happen, so much so that Apple is actually looking into creating a user authentication system for future AirPods. This is according to a patent discovered by Patently Apple in which Apple could introduce some kind of authentication system to ensure that the person wearing the AirPods is indeed the owner.
According to the patent, “For example, various characteristics of the user’s ear provide an echo of the ultrasonic signal which is unique to the user. Variations in the surface of the user’s ear canal may cause the ultrasonic signal to reflect off the surface and generate an echo having a signature that is associated with the user. For example, a user having a larger ear canal may result in an echo having a longer reverberation time than a user having a smaller ear canal.”
It sounds like a very sophisticated system but could be a good way to deter thieves from stealing AirPods or from people who find AirPods left behind to claim it as their own. Whether or not this is a system Apple will actually implement into future AirPods remains to be seen.
Apple Could Add Authentication To AirPods
, original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
The idea behind features like Snapchat’s disappearing messages or Facebook Messenger’s vanish mode is that it’s not meant to leave behind evidence that the chat even took place to begin with. However, what’s to stop someone from taking a screenshot and saving it for later, right?
While we might not be able to prevent screenshots from being taken, the next best thing is to probably at least let the other person know that a screenshot was taken. If you use Facebook Messenger, you might be interested to learn that in the latest update to the app, if a disappearing message was screenshotted, a message and notification will be sent to let the other person know.
This is according to Meta’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg who made a post on Facebook talking about some of the changes to Messenger. According to Zuckerberg, “New update for end-to-end encrypted Messenger chats so you get a notification if someone screenshots a disappearing message. We’re also adding GIFs, stickers, and reactions to encrypted chats too.”
The screenshot notification is just one of the few changes Meta is making to the Messenger app, where they have also announced that end-to-end encryption for group chats and calls will now be available to everyone following a test back in 2021.
Facebook Messenger Will Let You Know If Someone Screenshots A Conversation
, original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.
The BBC reports that an earlier positive COVID test, which the tennis star used for visa exemption to enter Australia, appears to be more recent than claimed.
Just in case you missed some Morning Spoilers this week, we’re trying something new: highlighting some of those stories in video format. But don’t worry, here are links to all those articles below—and you can still read new Morning Spoilers posts every weekday right here on io9!
<img width="1200" height="800" src="https://cdn.slashgear.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/T33-EMBARGOED-to-27-Jan-2022-1700-GMT-11-1200×800.jpg" class="webfeedsFeaturedVisual wp-post-image" alt="GMA T.33" loading="lazy" style="margin: auto;margin-bottom: 5px;max-width: 100%" data-attachment-id="709386" data-permalink="https://www.slashgear.com/gma-t-33-gordon-murrays-next-supercar-is-nothing-short-of-astonishing-28709384/t33-embargoed-to-27-jan-2022-1700-gmt-11/" data-orig-file="https://cdn.slashgear.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/T33-EMBARGOED-to-27-Jan-2022-1700-GMT-11.jpg" data-orig-size="1440,960" data-comments-opened="0" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="T33 – EMBARGOED to 27 Jan 2022 1700 GMT – 11" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="
Images: Gordon Murray Automotive
” data-medium-file=”https://cdn.slashgear.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/T33-EMBARGOED-to-27-Jan-2022-1700-GMT-11-1080×720.jpg” data-large-file=”https://cdn.slashgear.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/T33-EMBARGOED-to-27-Jan-2022-1700-GMT-11-1200×800.jpg” />If you’ve been saving up for the GMA T.50 fan car, we have unsettling news. The T.50 is no longer available for purchase as all 100 build slots sold out like hotcakes. But keep your chin up because Gordon Murray Automotive (GMA) has a new supercar called the T.33. This time, there’s no more teasing as the T.33 is ready … Continue reading
Waymo has sued the California Department of Motor Vehicles. In a case first reported by The Los Angeles Times, the Alphabet subsidiary filed a complaint with the Sacramento County Superior Court on January 21st to prevent the agency from disclosing what it believes to be trade secrets.
At the center of the lawsuit is a public records request an unidentified party made to obtain Waymo’s driverless deployment application. Before sharing the requested documents, the DMV allowed the company to redact any sections it believed would reveal its trade secrets, including questions that were asked by the agency. When the DMV eventually forwarded the package to the requester, that individual or group challenged the redactions. The agency then contacted Waymo and invited the company to sue it to resolve the matter.
Some of the information Waymo wants to prevent from entering the public domain include details on how it plans to handle emergencies involving its autonomous vehicles. Another redacted section details the abilities of its Driver software to handle San Francisco’s tricky one-way streets and hills. The company began offering taxi service to a limited number of customers in San Francisco in August. Those vehicles operate with a backup human driver.
The company contends it has publicly shared almost all of the information contained in its application with the DMV. According to Waymo, the redactions involve technical details that touch on how it achieves the safety performance it has detailed in other public venues. Waymo claims that information could give a competitor an edge on it. The suit’s purpose here is to either forestall or completely prevent the disclosure of the requested information. As TheLos Angeles Times notes, resolution for these types of cases can take years.
“Every autonomous vehicle company has an obligation to demonstrate the safety of its technology, which is why we’ve transparently and consistently shared data on our safety readiness with the public,” a spokesperson for Waymo told Engadget. “We will continue to work with the DMV to determine what is appropriate for us to share publicly and hope to find a resolution soon.”
The DMV declined to comment on the case, but said it’s currently reviewing the complaint.
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