Millions of vehicles worldwide could be susceptible to remote tracking and sabotage due to security flaws in a popular GPS module sold on Amazon and other online marketplaces. On Tuesday, cybersecurity firm BitSight disclosed it found six “severe” vulnerabilities in the MV720, a hardwired GPS tracker produced by Chinese electronics manufacturer Micodus. According to BitSight, the vulnerabilities are “not difficult to exploit” and may not be limited to one device.
Micodus did not respond to communication attempts by BitSight and the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), meaning the company has made no effort to fix the vulnerabilities, and there are no known workarounds. Two of the six flaws are “critical” in nature. The most pressing involves a hardcoded password that a bad actor could use to send SMS commands to the MV720. Someone could use that capability to track the real-time location of a vehicle and remotely cut off its fuel supply.
The number of MV720 trackers out in the wild is hard to say. According to BitSight, approximately 1.5 million Micodus devices are in use across 169 countries. Notably, the firm found Ukraine had the most Micodus trackers of any European country. It also found evidence of use among at least five Fortune 50 companies, a US state government and a military in South America. A BitSight spokesperson told TechCrunch there are likely “thousands” of Micodus devices in use across the United States. CISA says affected vehicle owners should remove the tracker from their cars as soon as possible.
Twitter has scored a victory in its lawsuit against Elon Musk over his attempted exit from a $44 billion takeover deal. In an initial hearing, Delaware Court of Chancery chancellor Kathaleen McCormick has granted Twitter's request for an expedited, five-day trial beginning in October. The company had originally sought a four-day trial in September.
Brain-computer interfaces have become a practical (if limited) reality in the US. Synchron says it has become the first in the country to implant a BCI in a human patient. Doctors in New York's Mount Sinai West implanted the company's Stentrode in the motor cortex of a participant in Synchron's COMMAND trial, which aims to gauge the usefulness and safety of BCIs for providing hands-free device control to people with severe paralysis. Ideally, technology like Stentrode will offer independence to people who want to email, text and otherwise handle digital tasks that others take for granted.
Surgeons installed the implant using an endovascular procedure that avoids the intrusiveness of open-brain surgery by going through the jugular vein. The operation went "extremely well" and let the patient return home 48 hours later, according to Synchron. An ongoing Australian trial has also proven successful so far, with four patients still safe a year after receiving their implants.
It may take a long time before doctors can offer Synchron's BCIs to patients. The company received FDA approval for human trials in July 2021, and it's still expanding the COMMAND trial as of this writing. Still, the US procedure represents a significant step toward greater autonomy for people with paralysis. It also represents a competitive victory — Elon Musk's Neuralink has yet to receive FDA permission for its own implant.
Android developers who distribute apps on the Google Play store can now use third-party payment systems in many European countries. The measure applies to the European Economic Area (EEA), which comprises European Union states as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. However, the policy will not apply to gaming apps, which still need to use Google Play's own billing system for the time being.
Google is making the move after the EU's legislative arm, the European Commission, passed the Digital Markets Act (DMA) this month. Along with the Digital Services Act, the law is designed to rein in the power of big tech by, for instance, prohibiting major platform holders from giving their own systems preferable treatment.
The DMA isn't expected to come into effect until sometime in 2024. However, Google's director of EU government affairs and public policy, Estelle Werth, wrote in a blog post that the company is "launching this program now to allow us to work closely with our developer partners and ensure our compliance plans serve the needs of our shared users and the broader ecosystem."
The move partially reverses a policy that required all in-app payments to be processed through the Play Store's billing system. Developers who opt for a different billing system won't be able to avoid Google's fees entirely. However, Google will lower the service fees it charges them by three percent.
Google says that 99 percent of developers qualify for a fee of 15 percent or less. The others typically pay 30 percent. The fees Google charges would drop to 12 percent (or lower) or 27 percent, respectively, if they select a third-party billing system. Developers may end up paying around the same amount in fees anyway, depending on what the alternative payment provider charges.
Developers will also "need to meet appropriate user protection requirements," Google says. The company plans to allow gaming apps to use alternative payment systems in the EEA sometime before the DMA comes into effect.
Google has long resisted the idea of opening up the Play store to alternative payment providers in the face of pressure from multiple sides, but the EU forced its hand in this case. The company adopted a similar measure in South Korea last year after the country passed a law requiring Google and Apple to offer third-party payments.
Snapdragon-based Wear OS smartwatches haven't typically kept pace with rivals from Apple and Samsung. The Wear 4100+ was built using relatively old manufacturing processes, and the performance was rarely noteworthy. Qualcomm appears to have taken some of those criticisms to heart, though, as it's introducing Snapdragon W5 Gen 1 and W5+ Gen 1 chips (so long, Wear branding) that not only promise much-needed speed and battery life improvements, but might expand the range of wearables that use the company's technology.
The star of the show, the Snapdragon W5+ Gen 1, makes the leap from a 12-nanometer system-on-chip in the 4100+ (already somewhat outdated by 2020) to a cutting-edge 4nm design with much newer Adreno 702 graphics and support for 2,133MHz memory, albeit with the familiar quad-core ARM Cortex-A53 architecture. The new W1 AON co-processor, meanwhile, has moved from 28nm to 22nm, uses the newer Cortex-M55 architecture and includes the Bluetooth functionality previously reserved for the more demanding main SoC. There are also low-power "islands" in the main chip that let audio, navigation and WiFi run without waking other components, while new Deep Sleep and Hibernate states lean almost exclusively on the co-processor when tasks only require the bare minimum of computing power.
Qualcomm
The result, according to Qualcomm, is twice the performance with 50 percent greater battery life in typical use. You can expect more uses of 3D on your watch (such as maps and Memoji-style watch faces), and you might not have to worry about your wristwear dying before the day is over. AI-based tasks like real-time image recognition and voice assistants should get a boost, too. And when the W5 line has up to a 35 percent smaller footprint, it should allow for slimmer, smaller watches.
The regular Snapdragon W5 Gen 1 is basically a W5+ without the co-processor — it's up to third-party chips to fill in the gaps. While the W5+ is aimed mainly at Wear OS smartwatches, the W5 is geared more toward kids' watches, medical devices and other worn devices that might not be as demanding. In a chat with Engadget, Qualcomm's Smart Wearables head Pankaj Kedia said he saw the W5 line opening a "series of new opportunities" to reach brands and device categories that were previously off-limits.
You won't have to wait long for the first products based on the platform. Oppo will release a Snapdragon W5 Gen 1 watch within the next 30 days, while Mobvoi is preparing a W5+ Gen 1 smartwatch for the fall. There are 25 more designs already on the way, Qualcomm said. While the company didn't name any of these other customers, it won't be surprising if some of the better-known Wear OS watchmakers adopt the technology in the months ahead.
Apple could soon compensate MacBook owners for their troubles with faulty "butterfly" keyboards. Reutersreports Apple has agreed to pay $50 million to settle a class-action lawsuit alleging that it knew about and concealed the unreliable designs of keyboards on MacBook, MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models released between 2015 and 2019. If a judge approves the preliminary deal, Apple would pay customers who needed repairs in California, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, New York and Washington.
The company won't have to admit wrongdoing as part of the settlement. It will have to continue offering free keyboard repairs for four years after purchase.
Apple introduced the butterfly keyboard in 2015 with the 12-inch MacBook. It was meant to enable ever-slimmer laptops without compromising stability, but the design quickly developed a reputation for extreme sensitivity to debris. Keys would get stuck or lose responsiveness if even tiny dust motes or crumbs slipped underneath. The company took steps to mitigate the problem (such as membranes) and eventually began reverting to more conventional keyboards starting with the 16-inch MacBook Pro from late 2019. Apple acknowledged that some were having problems and launched repair programs, but maintained that the majority of customers had no issues.
As with many class-actions, you shouldn't expect a windfall if you're affected. Attorneys said they expected a $395 payout if you've had to replace multiple keyboards, $125 for one full replacement and $50 if you only replaced key caps. The lawyers may also claim up to $15 million of the $50 million settlement in legal fees, which could limit the money available for MacBook owners. While the payouts aren't absolutely necessary when Apple has previously offered refunds for repairs, they're more likely to be symbolic than practical.
Transit app Moovit is aiming to be more helpful when it comes to helping users get to their destination. Starting today, the app is rolling out more personalized trip-planning features in 3,500 cities across 112 countries to build on its existing route suggestions.
One of new functions is called Smart Cards. Intel-owned Moovit will populate travel suggestions on the home screen based on factors such as your location, the time of day and week, your previous activity and items you mark as favorites. For instance, if you're out and about and you have your home set as a favorite destination, Moovit will automatically suggest the best transit options to get back there. On the flip side, if you have your work address saved, the app will offer transit suggestions for traveling there during weekday morning commute hours.
A "recent trips" card will display transit options for destinations you've searched within the last 30 days on the same day of the week and at around the same time. You'll also get transit suggestions for a nearby stop that you've marked as a favorite and departure details for nearby stations. In addition, you'll have the option to return to your last trip itinerary. You can swipe between all these cards, which will appear just below the search bar.
Moovit
Another of the three new features is called Smart Trips. You'll be able to set your preferred transit options when you set up the app or through the preferences menu on the Suggested Routes screen. That should be useful for those who, for instance, prefer not to take the subway. While you can select transit options in Google Maps, it's on a trip-by-trip basis. Being able to save preferred modes of transport should save Moovit users some time.
The last of the new features is Smart Returns. You can quickly select a trip back to the last location you departed from. You'll be able to set a departure time for the return journey on the Itinerary screen and receive a notification with suggested routes when it's time for you to get going.
The Atari brand recently turned 50 and the latest way that its current owner, Atari Interactive, is marking the occasion is with a Lego kit for its most popular console. The Atari 2600 set will be available on August 1st and it costs $240/€240.
The Atari 2600 debuted in 1977 as the Atari Video Computer System (the name was changed in 1982). The Lego kit is based on a four-switch version that arrived in 1980. The set has 2,532 pieces. It includes a moveable joystick that Lego says feels like the original.
Lego
There are cartridges for Asteroids, Adventure and Centipede that you can slot into the main body. There's a matching buildable mini model for each game and the cartridges can be stored in a holder. Sliding open the front panel reveals a pop-up scene of an '80s gaming room, which is a fun detail.
Atari is celebrating its milestone in other ways. For one thing, it teamed up with Cariuma for a sneaker collection. This fall, it will release a collection of 90 games from the Atari 2600, 5200, 7800, ST, Jaguar and Lynx on the Atari VCS mini PC, modern consoles, Steam and the Epic Games Store.
Amazon's long-running campaign against fake reviews just enjoyed some success. TechCrunchreports that Amazon has sued the administrators of more than 10,000 Facebook groups for attempting to coordinate fake reviews in exchange for free products or money. The group operators tried to recruit people in the US, UK, four European countries and Japan. One of the larger examples, Amazon Product Review, tried to avoid detection by "obfuscating" letters in phrases used to detect activity like this. Meta pulled the 43,000-member earlier this year.
The legal action comes after roughly two years of pinpointing rogue Facebook groups. Amazon said it would use info obtained during the discovery process to identify the perpetrators and pull fake reviews stemming from these communities.
Amazon has been suing fake review peddlers since 2015, and ramped up its efforts in recent years. The online shopping giant reported over 1,000 paid review groups to social networks in the first quarter of 2021, or three times the volume it reported a year earlier. The company argued that reports and lawsuits weren't enough to stop fake reviews, however. It believed that a more permanent solution would involve a stronger "public-private partnership" between online shops, social networks and law enforcement.
Whether or not Amazon can meaningfully deter fake reviews is another matter. This latest bust underscores the scope of the problem — it's easy to create a social media group that goes undetected for long enough to do significant damage. UK regulators certainly aren't convinced Amazon is doing enough, and have opened an investigation into the firm's approach to bogus review content. Amazon is fighting a battle that might be difficult to win under ideal circumstances, and it's not clear if the company's existing strategy is effective.
If you’re a regular Engadget reader, you probably don’t think of cheap Windows laptops when you think of daily drivers. But it would be a big mistake to ignore these devices — if not for yourself, for others you may know. There’s a reason why companies like Acer, ASUS, Dell and the like make Windows devices under $500 — lots of people have strict budgets to adhere to and others just don’t need the power that comes with a flagship laptop.
Affordable Windows notebooks are great options for people that only use a computer to check email, shop online or post on Facebook. (Hello, mom and dad?) They’re also good for kids who have no business putting their sticky little hands on a $2,000 gaming rig. And, depending on what you need them for, these devices can be decent daily drivers, too.
What about Chromebooks and tablets?
Now, you may be inclined to recommend a Chromebook or a tablet to all of the people listed above. Those instincts aren’t wrong, but Chromebooks and tablets aren’t for everyone. Tablets will only work for the most mobile-competent users like kids who have been grabbing smartphones out of their parents’ hands since they’ve been dexterous enough to do so. Tablets can also be just as expensive as some of the cheapest Windows laptops, and that’s without a mouse or keyboard.
Chromebooks are a good alternative for those that basically live in a browser. However, there are some who just don’t want to give up the “traditional desktop.” And Chrome OS is more limited than Windows when it comes to the programs you can install and run.
What Windows laptops do well
Wachiwit via Getty Images
So what can you realistically accomplish on a cheap Windows laptop? Quite a bit, especially if you’re doing one thing (or a limited number of things) at a time. They’re great for web browsing, checking email, video streaming and more — but, yes, all of those things can be done on Chromebooks as well. Windows laptops have a big advantage, though, in Microsoft Office. While yes, there is a browser based version, the native, desktop apps are considered a must have for many and will run smoothly on even the most bare-bones laptops. The only caveat is that you may run into some slowdown on low-powered devices if you’re working with large data sets in Excel or a lot of photos and graphics in Powerpoint.
When it comes to specs, a bright spot for Windows laptops is storage. Even the most affordable devices tend to have at least 128GB SSDs. That will come in handy if you prefer to keep your most important files saved locally on your laptop. In contrast, cheaper Chromebooks often have less storage because they’re built on the assumption that you’ll save all of your documents in the cloud. Not only is that less convenient when you need to work offline, but it also limits the size of programs and files that you can download. So, not great for hoarding Netflix shows before a long trip.
Windows also has thousands of apps that you can download from its app store. Chromebooks have some Chrome apps, numerous browser extensions and the ability to download Android apps, but quality control is… inconsistent. Android apps, in particular, often haven’t been optimized for Chrome OS, which makes for a wonky user experience. Windows may not have as many apps as Android, but at least the experience is fairly standard across the board.
Windows also gives you the ability to download and use programs from other sources, like direct from the developer. You can run things like Adobe Creative Suite, certain VPNs and programs like GIMP, Audacity and ClipMate on a Windows device, which just isn’t possible on Chrome OS. Chromebooks limit you to the apps and programs in The Play Store and the Chrome Extensions store, reducing any others to unusable, space-sucking icons in your Downloads folder.
What to look for in a cheap Windows laptop
While you can do a lot even when spending little on a Windows laptop, you must set your expectations accordingly. The biggest downside when purchasing a budget laptop (of any kind, really) is limited power. Many Windows laptops under $500 run on Intel Celeron or Pentium processors, but you can find some with Core i3/i5 and AMD Ryzen 3/5 CPUs at the higher end of the price spectrum.
Specs to look for in a sub-$500 Windows laptop
Intel Core i or AMD Ryzen 3 processors
8GB of RAM
An SSD with at least 128GB of space
1080p display
Mostly metal designs
We recommend getting the most powerful CPU you can afford because it will dictate how fast the computer will feel overall. RAM is also important because, the more you have, the easier it will be for the laptop to manage things like a dozen browser tabs while you edit a Word document and stream music in the background. However, with sub-$500 laptops, you’re better off getting the best CPU you can afford rather than a laptop with a ton of RAM because the CPU will have enough power to handle most tasks that cheap laptops are designed for (If you’re editing RAW images or 4K video, you’ll want to invest in more RAM… and a laptop well above $500).
When it comes to storage, consider how much you want to save locally. If you primarily work in Google Docs or save most things in the cloud, you may not need a machine with a ton of onboard storage. Just remember that your digital space will also be taken up by apps, so it may be worth getting a little extra storage than you think you need if you know you’ll be downloading big programs. A final side note: SSDs are ubiquitous at this point, not to mention faster and more efficient than HDDs, so we recommend getting a laptop with that type of storage.
You also don’t have to settle for an entirely plastic notebook either. There are options in the sub-$500 price range that are made, at least in part, with metals like aluminum. Those will not only be more attractive but also more durable. As for screens, there’s a healthy mix of HD and FHD options in this price range and we recommend springing for a notebook with a 1080p display if you can. Touchscreens aren’t as common in the under-$500 space as standard panels, but you’ll only really miss one if you get a 2-in-1 laptop.
A final note before we get to our picks: Cheap Windows laptop models change all the time. Unlike more expensive, flagship machines, these notebooks can be updated a couple times each year. That can make it hard to track down a specific model at Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart or any given retailer. We’ve listed some of our current favorite models below, but if you can’t find any of them available near you, just keep in mind our list of specs to look for in a cheap laptop – they’ll guide you to the best machines available at the moment.
Engadget picks
Acer Aspire 5
Valentina Palladino / Engadget
Acer’s Aspire 5 series has been a reliable pick for quite some time now. Most recently, we tested out the A514-54-395V, which has a 14-inch 1080p display and runs on an 11th-gen Intel Core i3 processor, 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage.
Performance was similar to the previous Aspire 5 model that we tested, but you will find some design differences on the A514-54-395V. Namely, it’s a 14-inch machine, not a 15-inch one, and it doesn’t have a full number pad on the right side of the keyboard. It still has an aluminum top cover, which gives it a more premium feel, but Acer removed the backlight on the keyboard on this one, which is a bummer. Thankfully, though, the keyboard is just as comfortable to use as the one on the previous model.
In addition to new WiFi 6 support, the latest Aspire 5 has an additional, crucial USB-C port. This was lacking on the previous model we tested, so we’re happy to see it included on this version. And it accompanies the ports that were already present: three USB-A connections, one HDMI socket, a headphone jack, a lock slot and a drop-jaw Ethernet port. As promised, Acer increased the average battery life on this model to 10 hours. On the previous model, we were clocking in roughly six hours of battery life, so this is a much-needed improvement.
Lenovo’s Flex 5 14 is a good alternative if you want a more portable laptop with a battery life that will keep you going all day long. It runs on an AMD Ryzen 3 4300 processor, with 4GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD, and it’s accompanied by a 14-inch 1080p IPS display and an array of ports that includes one USB-C connection. If you care about future-proofing, that USB-C port will be critical. You may not have a lot of USB-C accessories right now, but that will most certainly change in the coming years.
The typing experience is also top-notch: while it doesn’t have a number pad, its keys have that rounded-bottom shape that’s similar to keys on Lenovo’s ThinkPad machines. They make a satisfying clicking sound while you’re typing, but they’re not loud enough to bother those around you.
And despite being a budget machine, the Flex 5 14 isn’t flimsy. The palm rests don’t creak under pressure and it’s easy to carry this laptop one-handed around a room. I also appreciate its convertible design, which gives you more flexibility. And like most Lenovo machines, the Flex 5 14 has a webcam that you can cover with a physical shutter.
The Flex 5 14 also has the upper-hand over the Aspire 5 when it comes to battery life: The former lasted about 16.5 hours in our testing, whereas Acer’s machine lasted roughly 10 hours. That makes the Lenovo option the clear winner if you’re looking for a laptop that can last all day and then some.
We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention Microsoft's new Surface Laptop Go 2 here, even though it starts at $600. It’s certainly a decent option to consider if you’re really into the Surface line. Undoubtedly, the Laptop Go 2 has one of the best designs you’ll find on any cheap Windows notebook, with a minimalist aesthetic, thin bezels surrounding its display and a relatively like 2.5-pound weight. It’s 12.4-inch PixelSense touchscreen has 1,536 x 1,024 resolution, and it’s still pretty crisp despite not being an FHD panel. You’re also getting a 720p webcam, a fairly comfortable keyboard (albeit with no backlight) and a port array that includes one USB-A connection, one USB-C socket, a headphone jack and a power slot.
In addition to the attractive design, another reason why you may want to spring for the Laptop Go 2 is that even the base model runs on an 11th-gen Intel Core i5 processor. We found it to provide snappy performance, and you’ll probably notice a difference if you’re coming from a machine with a Core i3 processor or something even less powerful. We were also impressed by the Laptop Go 2’s battery life – it lasted nearly 15 hours in our testing, and since Microsoft improved the interior thermal system, you shouldn’t hear excessive fan noise when you’re using it.
There are two big downsides to the Laptop Go 2: the higher starting price and the base model’s 4GB of RAM. You’ll pay $600 for a machine with a Core i5 processor, 4GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD, and while those specs aren’t terrible, we usually recommend spring for a machine with at least 8GB of RAM. It’ll make multitasking much easier and more efficient, thereby improving your experience using the notebook in the long run. You’ll have to spend $700 to get that amount of memory in the Laptop Go 2, which is still cheaper than flagship notebooks, but not as affordable when compared with our other picks.
