Apple's latest anti-stalking features for AirTags announced earlier this month have started to appear in iOS, MacRumors has reported. The latest beta 4 version of iOS 15.4 now includes a warning shown to users when they first set up an AirTag. "Using this item to track people without their consent is a crime in many regions around the world," it reads. "This item is designed to be detected by victims and to enable law enforcement to request identifying information about the owner."
Apple noted earlier that it has already worked with law enforcement on multiple occasions to trace misused AirTags back to their original owners, so it's not an idle threat. At the same time, it obviously wouldn't necessarily stop any stalkers willing to use fake identities .
Another issue has been an "unknown accessory detected" error message that has been confusing users. It's actually caused by certain AirPods models, along with third party devices, but many folks thought it meant that someone had planted an AirTag tracker on them. The latest beta of iOS 15.4 will now make clear that you're traveling with someone else's AirPods, for instance, to reduce confusion.
In addition, there's no longer an option to toggle off "Item Safety Alerts." Rather, the update now offers "Customize Find My Notifications" and "Customize Tracking Notifications" options. Some of these changes may or may not appear in the final version of iOS 15.4, due sometime next month.
The update is part of a larger measure to improve AirTags safety and reduce stalking. Last year, Apple shortened the period of time when an AirTag can be separated from its owner without making noise from three days to between eight and 24 hours. That change was designed to reduce the time a potential victim can be tracked.
Later this year, Apple will update recent iPhone models to add a precision tracking feature that will allow individuals to more easily locate an unknown AirTag. It also plans to change unwanted tracking alerts to notify people earlier. Lastly, the AirTag sound is being tweaked to make it as loud as possible, with a backup iPhone visual alert.
Apple's 2021 MacBook Pros offer incredible performance thanks to the latest M1 Pro and Max chips, while the return of certain key ports makes them more practical than ever. If you've been looking for one but have been put off by the price, the 14-inch 1TB model just fell to a new all-time low at Amazon. You can pick up the 1TB M1 Pro model with a 10-core CPU, 16-core GPU and 16GB of RAM for just $2,229, or $270 off the regular price.
With an Engadget review score of 92, the 2021 MacBook Pros were among the best laptops of the year. That's due in large part to the 2nd-gen M1 Pro/Max CPUs that can keep up with and even outperform models equipped with Intel and AMD chips, while delivering up to 12 hours of battery life. They also offer good GPU performance for content creation and light gaming.
Along with the three Thunderbolt 4 ports, you get HDMI, MagSafe power, a headphone jack and an SD card slot. Apple has also ditched the butterfly keyboards in favor of more reliable ones, while adding in a high-resolution 1080p Facetime webcam. Finally, the 14-inch Liquid Retina XDR display delivers 3,024 x 1,964 resolution, up to 1,600 nits of brightness and a 120Hz refresh rate. Some folks may not like the screen's notch, however, and the lack of upgradeable memory and storage are also downsides.
If you don't need 1TB of storage (Thunderbolt 4 certainly makes upgrading that easy), Amazon is also offering a deal on the base 512GB model. Apart from the smaller SSD and a slightly less powerful M1 Pro CPU and GPU (8-core CPU and 14-core GPU), it has similar specs to the 1TB model and is considerably cheaper — just $1,799, or $200 off the regular price.
DJI’s announcement of the Ronin 4D last year shook things up with features never seen on a cinema camera. It had a full-frame sensor, up to 8K RAW video, one of the first vertical stabilization arms and a LiDAR system that can handle not only focus but gimbal control.
However, things have changed a bit recently. Most crucially, the Ronin 4D is no longer available with Apple ProRes RAW video now that it has gone on sale. Because of that, DJI has also lowered the base price of the 6K model from $7,200 to $6,800.
The Ronin 4D is not without other flaws like excessive weight and rolling shutter, too. Still, there’s nothing else out there that can remotely rival its tech and design. DJI might be best known for drones, but is it actually the most innovative camera company in the world?
Design
Steve Dent/Engadget
The Ronin 4D is a complex product, so let’s take a look at the features and design. First up is the “Zenmuse X9” mirrorless camera designed exclusively for the R4D. I’m testing the 6K version, but DJI plans to release an 8K model later on.
It has a full-frame 24-megapixel sensor and choice of three mounts: DJI’s own DL mount, a Sony E-Mount, and the M-mount used for Leica rangefinder/mirrorless cameras.
DJI has three native lenses including 24mm, 35mm and 50mm models, all with f/2.8 maximum apertures. They’re all pretty lightweight at 180 grams each as they’re designed for gimbal use, and cost $1,199 each – very expensive for f/2.8 prime lenses.
You can also mount Sony and M-mount glass, but lenses have to be relatively small or you can’t balance them correctly. That’s not a huge limitation as it would be pretty unusual to use a telephoto lens on a gimbal.
You can even mount manual lenses and get autofocus via DJI’s optional focus module controlled by the LiDAR system. Finally, it has an incredible nine ND filter levels that give you maximum exposure control, letting you crank open the iris even in bright sunlight.
The main camera gimbal has three axes of movement with quick-release locks for swift balancing. The standout feature, though, is the Z-arm that gives it the “4D” name – one of the first on a gimbal, according to DJI. It uses an internal balancing system combined with multiple motion detection sensors on the front and buttons that help it smooth out walking, running or other jarring vertical movements.
On the right side of the body you’ll find HDMI, time code and DC power ports. On the left are switches to control power, recording, the main gimbal and the Z-axis, along with a multi-dial that controls focus by default. However, it can also be programmed for other functions like gimbal control.
Steve Dent/Engadget
For storage, you can use either a CF express card, external SSD over the USB-C port (much like recent Blackmagic cameras), or DJI’s ProSSD module. The latter is a paid $799 upgrade, but required for high video frame rates. It’s nice to have the three options, particularly the external SSD, but you can only record on one of those at a time – so there’s no way to create a backup while recording.
The Ronin 4D has multiple removable modules, starting with the strong top handle. It’s a good way to hold the camera if you want a low angle, so it’s equipped with a rocker switch to adjust the gimbal (height only) and a button to put it in “sport” mode for quick movements. What it really needs is a record button, though, so you don’t have to reach around to the side.
Attached to that handle is the 5.5-inch, 1,000 nit display that’s the primary way to change camera and gimbal settings. It’s easy to adjust the viewing angle thanks to the nice friction mount, and has a super-logical menu system similar to the one on Blackmagic’s cameras.
It can be operated either via touch or with the 14 manual buttons and dial. Camera settings like f-stop and shutter speed are found along the top and bottom of the display. Power, media, gimbal and other controls are on the left.
Steve Dent/Engadget
Next up are the camera grips. Both attach via a quick-release lever, and you can change the angle to adapt to your working style with another clever lever – even while you’re holding on to it.
The left grip has a joystick to move the main gimbal up and down or side to side, along with buttons for focus and gimbal tracking. The exposure button brings up the waveform, zebra and other tools depending on what you have selected, while the trigger button locks the gimbal or centers it with a double press. Finally, there’s another sport mode button on the inside of the handle.
The right handle has a large wheel that’s primarily used for focus, but also changes camera settings like the ND filter, shutter speed and iris when you hit the “mode” button. Doing that also ingeniously changes the wheel’s operation from smooth to “clicky” with distinct detents. It also has a focus assist button and AF lock button, while the trigger either locks the Z arm or activates/deactivates it with a double press.
Steve Dent/Engadget
You also have the option to mount an optional $399 transmitter at the back that relays video to the High-Bright 7-inch, 1,500 nit remote monitor that’s also optional ($1,699). It lets you not only view video but control many camera and gimbal functions from up to 20,000 away. To do that, you can remove the left and right grips normally used on the camera and attach them to the screen.
It can also record proxy video at up to 1080/60p via the built-in microSD card slot, though that function was not enabled in my review unit. However, I was able to record video to an Atomos Ninja V recorder via the HDMI port.
Also at back is the battery plate that uses DJI’s TB-50 batteries. Those deliver 1-2 hours on a charge depending on operation, according to DJI, but I usually found they were good for just over an hour with active gimbal use.
Finally, the LiDAR focus module is attached above the camera and connected via a locking USB cable. With supported lenses, you get both autofocus and tracking – more on that shortly.
Operation
Steve Dent/Engadget
I was pretty intimidated by all these features to start with, thinking it would be a bear to learn the Ronin 4D. However, it was surprisingly easy to pick up the basic operation and then gradually learn the more granular controls.
Balancing the camera is easier than on any gimbal I’ve tried, as everything is right there in front of you. You just unlock each axis one at a time, unlock it using the quick release controls and slide the gimbal until it’s balanced. Once that’s set, DJI’s “autotune” feature takes care of the fine balance.
You can then turn on the 4D Z-arm for walking or other situations where the gimbal may bounce, but it’s by no means required for simple handheld operation. If you don’t need it, keeping it shut off will save you some battery life. If you do use it, you’ll need to balance for the smoothest operation, but that’s easily done via an on-screen guide.
The gimbal can be set so that it always points the same way or (“locked”) or set in “follow” mode to smoothly follow the operator’s movement. In the latter mode, can set it follow only pan, pan and tilt, or pan, tilt and roll (FPV). The camera can be manually tilted or panned using the joystick, then centered using the C1 button or double pressing the left trigger.
The Z-arm has similar lock and follow modes, with “lock” keeping the camera in the same position. If you move the camera more than the arm’s range of movement, though, you risk smacking the arm against its top or bottom stops. “Follow,” again, allows the Z-arm to smoothly follow your movements.
Steve Dent/Engadget
The LiDAR focus system is impressive, and could be something we’ll see on future cameras if they can shrink it down small enough. It works at a distance of around 33 feet by generating a real-time 3D point cloud.
You can choose between either manual focus, autofocus or assisted manual focus. AMF uses autofocus but also moves the manual focus dial. That way, you can take control by just grabbing the wheel, and give control back by releasing it.
There are three focus areas, or regions of interest as DJI calls them. The first is spot focus, the second is a wide box and the third is “smart” that detects faces or lets you draw a box to track objects.
Focus needs to be calibrated for each supported lens, but once set up, it’s very accurate. Unlike standard autofocus systems, it can work in the dark. The biggest drawback compared to phase or contrast detect AF is that it focuses on the front of a scene, so someone’s nose might be in focus but not their eyes.
You can even set up LiDAR autofocus with manual focus lenses using the LiDAR motor kit. That would normally require a geared cinema lens, but the kit comes with a geared belt you can wrap around other lenses that don’t have that. I tested it briefly with a Sony 28mm f/2.0 lens (with the AF turned off) and found it was reasonably accurate, though it required multiple calibrations.
Steve Dent/Engadget
DJI has plenty of tools for manual focus, too, like peaking. But the best one is the LiDAR focus waveform that shows an object’s shape and distance. After some practice, I was wondering how I ever managed to do manual focus without it.
One of the coolest features enabled by the LiDAR module is ActiveTrack Pro, similar to that found on DJI’s Mavic 3 and other drones. That lets you lock onto a subject and have the gimbal track it while also maintaining autofocus. It automatically detects faces when in “smart” mode, and from there, you just press the track button on the right handle. That turns the yellow box into a green box, indicating that ActiveTrack is alive. You can track other types of subjects simply by drawing a box on them.
The feature works very well, keeping your subject framed exactly as you set it up. It tracks human subjects well even if you move behind or to the side of them. If something goes wrong, the framing can also be tweaked manually using the left trigger. It can get thrown if your subject moves too fast, though, as the camera can only pivot and tilt so quickly.
On the whole, the Ronin 4D delivers smoother footage than any comparable product I’ve tried – even over challenging terrain. The ActiveTrack Pro feature is particularly welcome, as it allowed me to take my eyes off the subject to see where I was going while still maintaining the desired framing.
ProRes RAW is not supported at launch
Steve Dent/Engadget
Finally, let’s look at the video specs and quality. Originally, the Ronin 4D was announced with ProRes RAW along with ProRes HQ and H.264 10-bit recording. However, DJI announced that the RAW option would not be available at launch, even though it worked perfectly when I tested it. The company didn’t say why, but the cinema camera company RED has a patent on that technology that all users must license.
Instead, it’s shipping with Apple ProRes 4444 XQ. That’s a very high quality codec, but it doesn’t offer the advantages of ProRes RAW – particularly the ability to keep the original, pristine sensor data.
Both ProRes options do deliver good quality, but also gobble up storage quickly. The H.264 10-bit option is more efficient, but not very edit friendly – so it would be nice to have something in between those.
You can record up to 6K at 48 fps or 4K at 96 fps using the full width of the sensor, in all codecs. Anything above that, including 6K at up to 60 fps and 4K at 120 fps will introduce a Super 35 crop.
The Ronin 4D’s 24.1-megapixel sensor has dual native ISOs at ISO 800 and 5000, with a claimed 14 stops of dynamic range. Image quality is right up there with other cameras I’ve tested lately, like the Panasonic S1H, Sony A7S III and Canon EOS R3.
Steve Dent/Engadget
In RAW mode with Log settings enabled, it delivers crisp, color accurate video that’s easy to adjust in post. It’s not quite as good in low-light as the EOS R3 or other recent mirrorless cameras, but video is usable up to around ISO 6400, up to ISO 12,800 if you’re careful with exposure. Beyond that, noise can get excessive, particularly with highly saturated reds and blues.
The biggest drawback with the sensor is rolling shutter. While it’s not worse than models with similar sensors like Panasonic’s S1, it’s excessive for a camera that’s designed for movement. Another current issue is audio, as the 3.5mm mic jack isn’t up to snuff for production needs. However, DJI is addressing that with an upcoming module with more production-friendly XLR inputs.
Considering that the Zenmuse X9 is DJI’s first full-frame camera, the image quality is shockingly good overall. It might even make sense for DJI to release the camera separately in some form, as the Ronin 4D form factor isn’t practical for non-gimbal shooting. That way, productions could more easily match up footage.
Wrap-up
Steve Dent/Engadget
In sum, the Ronin 4D is an impressive piece of technology that could change the way producers think about handheld shooting. DJI has created a new product class and invented technology like LiDAR-powered ActiveTrack Pro and assisted manual focus. At the same time, it delivers full-frame image quality with no compromises, apart from the rolling shutter.
So is DJI the most innovative camera company right now? I haven’t seen anything else that can match the level of technical innovation on the Ronin 4D. It’s even hard to compare the Ronin 4D to other products, because it essentially has no peers. And for a first-generation product, the design and build quality is astonishingly good.
With a $6,800 price tag (and more like at least $8,000 properly kitted out), the Ronin 4D is a pretty niche product – though it’s easily worth that price. Even if it doesn’t sell widely, though, it’s a technical tour de force that has put other camera manufacturers, cinema and otherwise, on notice. If DJI keeps innovating at its current pace, that sleepy world could get a lot more interesting.
A man who unknowingly sold his Bored Ape NFT for a pittance is suing OpenSea, claiming it knew about a flaw in its platform that allowed hackers to buy unlisted NFTs at a fraction of the market price, decrypt has reported. Timothy McKimmy alleged in a complaint that he didn't even list his Bored Ape #3475 for sale, but a hacker managed to buy it for just .01 ETH ($26) and turn around and sell it for 99 ETH ($250,000 at current prices).
The Ape is one of 10,000 limited edition Bored Ape Yacht Club primate NFTs, and supposedly in the top 14th percentile in terms of value, McKimmy said in the lawsuit. He noted that it's significantly rarer than one recently purchased by Justin Bieber for $1.3 million. Thus, he's seeking "the return of the Bored Ape... and/or damages over $1 million."
Moreover, he claims that OpenSea knew about the bug that was widely reported in the media, but refused to halt trading. "Instead of shutting down its platform to address and rectify these security issues, Defendant continued to operate," he said in the complaint.
McKimmy was a victim of the "inactive listing" exploit on OpenSea that saw multiple users lose up to $1.8 million in NFTs. OpenSea has reportedly been approaching some victims to settle, offering them a lower price than their NFT may be worth, according to decrypt.
The lawsuit may not be the last it faces over the inactive listing hack, as a law firm is reportedly soliciting complaints from other OpenSea users. The platform is also facing a separate phishing campaign that resulted in theft of NFTs, but OpenSea said that that didn't arise from any platform vulnerability.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk's lawyer has accused the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or leaking information about a federal probe to retaliate against him, CNBC has reported. "It has become clearer and clearer that the Commission is out to retaliate against my clients for exercising their First Amendment rights—most recently by criticizing the Commission on the public docket and by petitioning this Court for relief," said Musk attorney Alex Spiro.
It's the latest shot fired by Musk in his ongoing dispute with the SEC that started in 2018 when he said that he had secured funding for a private buyout of Tesla at $420 a share — something many (including the SEC) interpreted as an attempt at a weed joke. The SEC fined Tesla and Musk $20 million each over that and forced Musk to step down as chairman for at least three years. Tesla also had to implement a system for monitoring Musk's statements about the company on Twitter and other media.
Musk has been chafing against those rules lately, however. Earlier this month he accused the SEC of conducting a "harassment campaign," and "stifling" has First Amendment free speech rights. The SEC responded earlier this week, saying its frequent check-ins with Tesla were effectively required by the court overseeing the 2018 settlement. It also rebutted Musk's other complaint, saying that it was making progress disbursing the $40 million fine to shareholders as it had promised.
Musk's lawyers alleged that at least one SEC member had leaked "certain information regarding its investigation," but it didn't say who or which information. Tesla revealed in its 2021 Q4 earnings report that the SEC subpoenaed the company and Musk, seeking information on how they're complying with the 2018 settlement.
Musk previously ran afoul of the 2018 settlement a year later after tweeting information about Tesla vehicle production that wasn't approved by the company's "disclosure counsel." His lawyers accused the SEC of violating his free speech rights then, too. Musk and Tesla eventually agreed to a revised settlement that required him to get approval in advance for any tweets or other communication from an "experienced securities lawyer."
After a bit of a delay, Panasonic has finally revealed the 25.2-megapixel GH6, the highest-resolution Micro Four Thirds mirrorless camera to date. One can think of it as a mini version of its S1H "Netflix camera," as it's loaded with pro video features like 5.7K ProRes V-Log video, a tilt-swivel display and CFexpress capture. However, it's still stuck with contrast detect rather than phase detect autofocus like most modern cameras. Luckily, I was able to get my hands on a preproduction unit to check out the new features and get an early feel for it.
First, let's talk about the most interesting changes. As mentioned, the GH6 has a 25.2-megapixel sensor with a high-speed readout, though it isn't stacked like its Micro Four Thirds rival, the OM-1. That obviously gives a much-needed image resolution boost, though photo burst performance is actually down a touch from the GH5 II (8 fps with continuous AF compared to 9 fps).
The GH6 still uses a contrast detect autofocus system (what it calls "depth from defocus" or DFD) rather than phase detect like nearly all its rivals. As with the GH5 II, it also includes face/eye/head/body/animal AI recognition. While Panasonic has pretty much perfected its DFD system, it's still not as fast or reliable as phase detect systems.
When shooting people pictures in relatively low light, it sometimes failed to get focus quickly enough to nail the shot, for instance. By comparison, Sony and Canon's latest cameras (the A7 IV and EOS R6) have no such difficulty, even in low light. And I still saw some wobble or hunting with video AF.
In terms of video, things are more positive. The GH6 can now shoot 5.7K video with V-Log at up to 30 fps with internal capture to either ProRes or ProRes HQ, or 5.7K up to 60 fps to MP4 10-bit H.264/H.265 recording (all-intra or longGOP). You can also shoot 10-bit 4:2:0 4K at up to 120 fps using the longGOP codec. All of these modes use the full sensor width with super-sampled video, though the 4K 120p setting introduces some pixel binning.
It will also be able to record ProRes RAW to an external Atomos recorder via a future firmware update. More interestingly, the GH6 is one of the first mirrorless cameras with HDMI 2.1 output, so it'll eventually let you record 4K RAW externally at up to 120 fps via a future update. When it first ships, it'll support 4K at up to 60 fps, with simultaneous external and internal recording.
Steve Dent/Engadget
In terms of video quality, Panasonic is promising 13+ stops of dynamic range using ProRes and V-Log recording. It also claims you'll see less noise at higher ISO settings (ISO 6400 and up). For both video and stills, it wasn't quite as good in low light as the GH5s (which has less than half the resolution) but it wasn't far off.
Capturing 5.7K video at up to 30 fps in ProRes HQ uses internal data rates of 1,903 Mbps, far beyond SD UHS II capability. As such, the GH6 is the first Micro Four Thirds mirrorless camera with a CFexpress Type B card slot. That's required for ProRes recording and many of the MP4 high-frame-rate codecs.
The drawback right now is that there's only one CFexpress slot, so you won't be able to get a backup for certain video resolutions unless you use an external recorder. However, the GH6 will eventually support recording to an external SSD recorder via the USB-C 3.2 port, which also allows you to power the camera while shooting.
If you're concerned about rolling shutter with the extra resolution, the high-speed sensor readout is supposed to reduce that more than ever. I confirmed that rolling shutter was very manageable, even at the highest 5.7K and 60p resolution. However, it is present if the camera or subject move too quickly.
As with past GH models, video quality is outstanding, with the 5.7K video particularly sharp and useful for editing. The ProRes option has also saved me an extra step compared to the GH5s, as I no longer need to transcode video. The drawback is that the video files are 4-5 times the size — so you'll want to invest in high capacity CFexpress Type B cards, which can get very expensive.
The GH6 has five-axis in-body stabilization like the other models, but now offers up to 7.5 stops of shake reduction with supported lenses, just behind the 8 stops on Canon's EOS R6. With boosted IS and E-stabilization, it really smooths out video well even for situations like walking, better than most mirrorless cameras I've used.
The GH6 kind of looks like the GH5 II, but it's quite a bit heavier (823 grams compared to 727 grams with a battery and memory card), and the body has changed in several notable ways. It's much thicker, to start with, thanks in part to an active cooling fan that ensures the GH6 doesn't suffer overheating issues like Canon's EOS R5 and R6. To that end, Panasonic is promising unlimited recording in all video modes, including 5.7K 60p and 4K 120p.
Steve Dent/Engadget
The other major change is with the grip that's considerably deeper than on the GH5 II (or GH5 and GH5s. With that, the GH6 is considerably more comfortable to use than any Micro Four Thirds camera I've tried, particularly with large lenses. Panasonic has made a number of other changes to the button and dial layout as well, most notably with the addition of a dedicated audio button that let you change things like gain levels and quality. It also has an extra record button on the front of the camera that's extremely handy for vlogging .
The GH6 now has a tilt-swivel display like the SH1, with the same 1,840K dot resolution as the one on the GH5 II. That makes the camera thicker, but more practical for low angle and other types of shooting, and the tilt option keeps the screen from being blocked by cables if you use an external recorder. It's also Panasonic's brightest display yet, and was highly visible even in sunlight.
The 3.68 million dot OLED electronic viewfinder (EVF) is unfortunately unchanged from the GH5 lineup. While it's true that the GH6 is more of a video than a stills camera, a lot of shooters prefer to use an EVF in bright sunlight, so a sharper image would have been nice. Also unchanged is the BLK-22 battery that delivers fewer shots than the GH5 II (380 compared to 410) and slightly less shooting time — likely due to the fan and extra resolution.
Steve Dent/Engadget
The GH6 has a couple of other serious downsides compared to rivals. One of them is the relatively small sensor size compared to a full-frame camera. That offers fewer creative possibilities, though it's also more forgiving in terms of focus and makes for cheaper, lighter lenses.
The biggest flaw, however, is the contrast-detect autofocus. The good news is that Panasonic seems to have finally realized that buyers want phase detect and hinted that it's not out of the question for future models.
The GH6 was rumored to be priced at $2,500, but there's some good news on that front. It will go on sale in March for $2,200 (body only), making it relatively cheap to models that can match its video specs. It looks a solid choice for that, with video quality on par with any rivals. We'll take a closer look at everything in our upcoming review.
Late last year, Square Enix suspended sales of Final Fantasy 14 and stopped offering free trials as the game became overwhelmed with new players, following its latest expansion. Now, FF14 producer and director Naoki Yoshida has announced that free trials are returning starting tomorrow, February 22nd, Eurogamer has reported.
The company said at the time that it had to halt sales because the "dense concentration of play hours... far exceed [the game's] server capacity." It addressed that by bringing its Oceania Data Center online and opening five new Worlds from the start so that everyone in Oceania could transfer over. Shortly afterwards (on January 25th), Final Fantasy 14 went back on sale.
The developer must have figured that it still wasn't quite ready for the free trial traffic, but that situation is apparently resolved as well. The company also announced that more deep dungeons are coming to Final Fantasy 14 with the 6.0 series of patch updates, expected to arrive in the coming months. Yoshida also confirmed that "at this point," there are no plans to introduce NFTs to FF14. "We did notice a lot of reactions, especially from the Western [audience] about NFTs, many comments about how [they're] opposed to NFTs," he added.
Smart clocks are ideal devices for the bedroom, as they give key information like the time and temperature but often have no intrusive cameras. If you're looking for a deal on a good one, Lenovo's Smart Clock Essential with Alexa is on sale right now at Amazon for $50, or $20 (29 percent) off the regular $70 price.
The Smart Clock Essential with Alexa came out early this year to replace the previous model, with the main additions being a new pogo docking pin on the bottom and, well, support for Alexa instead of Google Assistant. It features an attractive, fabric-covered design in colors "Mistry Blue" and "Clay Red," both of which are on sale. On the top edge there are four buttons: volume buttons, a button for activating the assistant, and another for setting an alarm. There's also a USB port for charging.
It neither streams video nor has a camera, though it of course has a mic and speakers so that you can listen to music/podcasts or make voice calls. The entire front face is a dedicated 4-inch LED display, displaying the time, weather, real-time decibel levels and more in white text on a deep black background.
The docking accessories still aren't available, but once they arrive, you'll have two options. One is a basic pad with room for both the clock and another wireless-charging like a phone, while the other is what Lenovo calls the Ambient Light Dock, which doubles as a nightlight. It'll be available for $30 in two whimsical designs with either a sea lion and a squid, along with eight different lighting modes and a rainbow of colors — so it could work great in a kid's room.
Millions of WordPress sites have received a forced patch over the past few days, Ars Technica has reported. The reason is a vulnerability in UpdraftPlus, a popular plugin that allows users to create and restore website backups. UpdraftPlus developers requested the mandatory patch, as the vulnerability would allow anyone with an account to download a website's entire database.
The bug was discovered by Jetpack security researcher Marc Montpas during a security audit of the plugin. "This bug is pretty easy to exploit, with some very bad outcomes if it does get exploited," he told Ars Technica. "It made it possible for low-privilege users to download a site's backups, which include raw database backups."
He told UpdraftPlus developers about the bug on Tuesday last week, they fixed it a day later and started force-installing the patch shortly after that. 1.7 million sites had received it as of Thursday, out of 3 million-plus users.
The main flaw was that UpdraftPlus didn't correctly implement WordPress's "hearbeat' function by properly checking to see if users had administrative privileges. Another issue was a variable used to validate admins that could be modified by untrusted users. Jetpack provided more details about how a hack could work in a blog post.
WordPress was previously breached earlier this year, but it was done indirectly via a GoDaddy hack that exposed 1.2 million accounts. If you're running WordPress with the UpdraftPlus plugin, you should definitely confirm that the plugin updated automatically to 1.22.4 or later on the free version, or 2.22.4 and up on the premium app.
Capcom has announced the development Street Fighter 6, the next chapter in the iconic fighting series, IGN has reported. It also released a teaser trailer featuring Ryu and Luke, a key DLC character appearing at the end of Street Fighter V.
The game was announced following Capcom's Pro Tour fighting game exhibition via a countdown website. There was no other information, though the trailer graphics suggest the new title might use a more realistic character style. Capcom said it would have more news coming in the summer of 2022.
Released in 2016, Street Fighter V was the first title in the series to use a full story mode, but it got off to a rough start due to server problems and limited content. It was eventually a success however, thanks in large part to the subsequent Champion and Arcade editions.
Along with the Street Fighter 6 news, Capcom unveiled a new fighting game compilation with titles including Darkstalkers: The Night Warriors, Vampire Hunter 2:Darkstalkers' Revenge and Hyper Street Fighter II: The Anniversary Edition. It arrives on June 24th on PS4, Xbox, PC and Nintendo Switch.
