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Amazon buys mesh WiFi startup Eero to connect smart homes
Amazon is still busy snapping up companies to bolster its smart home business. This time it's acquiring Eero, the startup that has developed a solid reputation for its mesh WiFi routers. There's no mystery as to why it's making the move -- it likes the thought of an easy-setup WiFi system that can connect all the smart devices in your household, even in remote corners.
Wood block connects you to coffee shop WiFi with a tap
It's not very fun to connect to WiFi at a café or hotel. If you don't have to ask staff for a password, they'll have to print it somewhere -- and it's still a hassle when all you want to do is check your email. Ten One Design thinks it might have a friction-free answer. It's releasing the Wifi Porter, an unassuming wood block that connects your handset to the local network with a tap. NFC-equipped Android phones and 2018 iPhones (the iPhone XS and XR) just have get near the block to get a connection prompt, with no app or password required. If your device doesn't have those luxuries, you can still connect using a QR code on the bottom.
TP-Link's newest WiFi 6 routers include its first mesh-ready model
TP-Link is ready to come out swinging now that the high-speed WiFi 6 standard is here in earnest. The company is expanding on its recent introduction of two high-end routers (the Archer AX11000 and AX6000) with three more devices that include its first WiFi 6-capable mesh router, the Deco X10. The seemingly timid-looking cylinder can dish out speeds up to 1.95Gbps across its three bands, ensuring that you get a cutting-edge connection whether you're in the den or the bedroom. It'll arrive in the third quarter of the year and cost $350 for a two-pack.
Linksys' Max Stream router can be the center of a mesh network
It's CES, and that means it's time for Linksys to unveil yet another WiFi router -- but this one could be particularly important if you're tired of dead spots in coverage. Its new Max Stream AC2200 is a typical (if quick) tri-band router with 2.2Gbps of combined bandwidth, but includes built-in mesh networking support. If your WiFi bogs down in the bedroom, you can add Velop nodes to keep things humming. You don't have to buy a dedicated mesh system (or litter your home with full-size routers) to guarantee consistent speeds.
Google settles with contractor over alleged racial discrimination
As much as Google talks about being inclusive of other cultures, it might have some more work to do. The Guardian has learned that Google recently settled a racial discrimination claim from a British contractor who collected shopping mall WiFi data for the Maps team in Europe. Allegedly, the company withdrew an offer for a new contract after the man (going by the pseudonym Ahmed Rashid) complained about harassment and racial profiling from mall staff and security due to his Moroccan roots. The company had a "complete disregard" for safety by insisting on secrecy for the project, Rashid said -- he couldn't tell others he was coming or flash ID to allay their suspicions.
Netgear's first WiFi 6 routers look like stealth fighters
Netgear is very clearly determined to maintain its reputation for outlandishly styled, high-performance WiFi routers. The company has unveiled its first routers using the WiFi 6 (aka 802.11ax) standard, and... well, just look at them. Both the Nighthawk AX8 and Nighthawk AX12 more closely resemble stealth fighters than networking equipment (to better position the antennas, Netgear said), and they appear to have the speed to match. Both can handle up to 6Gbps of wireless data traffic at any one time, tout "optimized" quad-core processors to juggle all that traffic and promise 25 percent higher data efficiency thanks to 1024 QAM. They're ready for your eventual multi-gigabit cable or fiber connection, then, and could be helpful if you're regularly transferring massive files between devices.
New York City's WiFi kiosks have over 5 million users
New York City's high-speed WiFi kiosks have been around for a while, but just how many people are using them? Quite a few, in fact. The LinkNYC team has revealed that there were over 5 million registered WiFi users as of September 2018, with over a billion sessions spread across the 1,700-plus units in the city. People make over 500,000 calls every month, too, although it's not clear how many of those were ice cream truck pranksters. You can safely presume that there's plenty of demand.
Verizon VPN app protects against shady public WiFi
Add Verizon to the list of tech giants that can't resist the temptation to offer their own virtual private network services. The carrier (and Engadget's parent company) has released a Safe Wi-Fi app for Android that uses the encryption of a VPN to protect you against dodgy WiFi hotspots. Ideally, you won't have to worry about a fake access point intercepting your data traffic at the airport or coffee shop. The app even blocks ad trackers that can lead to targeted marketing -- yes, the telecom that got in trouble for aggressive ad tracking is now helping you avoid it.
Cruel pranksters made NYC internet kiosks play ice cream truck tunes
New York City is in the midst of a heatwave, and some pranksters are taking advantage of technology to twist the knife a little more. LinkNYC has confirmed to Motherboard that someone is making its internet kiosks play ice cream truck music, taunting hapless New Yorkers looking for a cold treat on a hot day. It's incredibly cruel (or wonderfuly clever, if you're the mischievous sort), but there's no hacking involved. The perpetrators phone a kiosk, play the mouthwatering tunes from their phone, and switch to the kiosk's home screen to hide that there's a call in progress.
WiFi's tougher WPA3 security is ready
WiFi security is finally getting an upgrade after 14 years. The Wi-Fi Alliance has officially launched WPA3, the next-generation standard that promises to tackle many of the vulnerabilities that have persisted in wireless networking. Most notably, it brings individualized data encryption that should protect your data against eavesdropping from within the WiFi network. You'll also get tougher password-based sign-ins through Simultaneous Authentication of Equals, a key establishment protocol that reduces the chances of someone guessing your password -- even if it's lousy.
TP-Link squeezed a smart home hub into its new mesh WiFi router
Mesh WiFi routers are no longer all that special, so how do you stand out? If you're TP-Link, you roll in a smart home hub. It just introduced a Deco M9 Plus router that builds on last year's model with a hub for ZigBee- and Bluetooth-based devices like light bulbs and thermostats. If you're not fond of connecting dedicated hubs and bridges but still want good whole-home networking coverage, this might scratch your itch. TP-Link is promising compatibility with Alexa and IFTTT commands when steering your household gadgets.
Spirit is first budget airline in the US to offer WiFi
As a rule, traveling with a budget airline in the US means foregoing any kind of mid-flight WiFi access. Not so with Spirit, though. The no-frills air carrier is rolling out internet access to its aircraft this fall, with the entire fleet expected to have connectivity by summer 2019. It might even be usable, unlike some options -- Spirit is relying on Ka-band satellite access, and is promising another speed upgrade when the SES-17 satellite reaches orbit in 2021.
Apple discontinues its AirPort WiFi routers
The longstanding rumors of Apple exiting the WiFi router market were true: the company is officially discontinuing its AirPort and Time Capsule base stations. An Apple spokesperson told Engadget that the company would continue to provide hardware and software support (such as patching bugs and vulnerabilities), but the devices themselves will only be available "while supplies last." The tech giant will post a series of knowledge base documents over the next few weeks to help guide customers wondering what to buy.
Tougher WiFi security will keep you safe at the coffee shop
WiFi security hasn't changed much since WPA2 came to be in 2004, and that's becoming increasingly apparent when public hotspots are frequently risky and glaring exploits are all too common. It's about to get a long-due upgrade, though: the Wi-Fi Alliance plans to roll out a WPA3 standard that addresses a number of weak points. For many, the highlight will be individualized data encryption. Even if you're on an open public network, you won't have to worry quite so much about someone snooping on your data.
GM thinks you'll buy stuff through your car's dashboard
As more cars roll off production lines with WiFi and LTE capabilities as standard, brands are falling over themselves to find ways to monetize this connectivity. Jaguar and Shell have partnered for in-car fuel payments, while BMW and Ford are bringing Alexa to your dashboard. Now, General Motors (GM) has unveiled a new on-board marketplace where drivers can buy coffee and gas, and make restaurant and hotel reservations, without getting out of their car.
Netgear routers now feature Disney's parental controls
Circle with Disney's advanced parental controls are helpful if you want to curb what your kids can do online and when, but it has normally required a separate device you plug in to your WiFi router. Why can't it just be built into the router itself? It is now: Netgear has announced that its Nighthawk and Orbi routers now include Circle with Disney software. If you want to set a time limit on a given app or block racy material, you don't need anything beyond the networking device you already own.
The rise of drone crime and how cops can stop it
It was supposed to be an easy $1,000 job. All 25-year-old Jorge Edwin Rivera had to do was pilot a drone carrying a lunchbox filled with 13 pounds of methamphetamine, from one side of the US-Mexico border to the other where an accomplice could retrieve the smuggled cargo. What he didn't count on was Border Patrol agents spotting the UAV in flight and tracking it back to his hiding spot, 2,000 yards from the national divide.
Google's Pixel Buds translation will change the world
Google's Pixel 2 event in San Francisco on Wednesday had a lot of stuff to show off and most of it was more of the same: the next iteration of the flagship smartphone, new Home speakers and various ways of entwining them more deeply into your smart home, a new laptop that's basically a Yoga running ChromeOS and a body camera that I'm sure we've seen somewhere before. Yawn. We saw stuff like this last time and are sure to see more of it again at next year's event.
Russian hackers can reportedly take over unsecured hotel WiFi
Security-conscious travelers typically avoid public WiFi hotspots, instead using VPNs and other tools to make sure their data is safely encrypted as it transmits from computer to unsecured wireless router to the internet. According to networking security website, FireEye, that concern is justified. The security team discovered a malicious document in several emails sent to "multiple companies in the hospitality industry, including hotels in at least seven European countries and one Middle Eastern country in early July." The document contained a macro that installs GAMEFISH malware, which is associated with a politically-motivated Russian hacking group known as APT28 (or Fancy Bear). This is allegedly the same group that hacked the Democratic National Committee ahead of last year's US election. Even worse, the tool used after the initial malware installation, EternalBlue, reportedly leaked from the NSA itself.
Comcast’s new XFi tools give parents more control over the home network
After debuting an all-in-one streaming app for its cable TV service and a new IoT-commanding home gateway earlier this year, Comcast announced on Friday that it is adding a trio of new parental control features to its XFi internet system: Timed Pause, Safer Search and a Notification Center.
