Smart home
Apple AirTag Bluetooth Tracker Hacked, Claims a Security Researcher
German security researcher Thomas Roth who goes by the name “stacksmashing” on social media tweeted on Sunday that he was able to successfully hack the Apple AirTag by “breaking into” its microcontroller. He claimed that after gaining access to the microcontroller, he reprogrammed the AirTag and modified its firmware.
The changes made by the security researcher allowed him to tweak the functionality of the AirTag and put a custom NFC link when it is in the Lost Mode, as shown in a video posted on Twitter.
Normally, when the AirTag is in the Lost Mode, it shows a notification when scanned by an NFC-capable smartphone, such as an iPhone or an Android smartphone, with a link to the found.apple.com website (part of the Find My network) to display information about the owner.
The hackers could be able to leverage the loopholes showcased on Twitter to target those who found the lost AirTag to malicious websites, instead of displaying information about the user. However, Roth did mention in his tweets that it took hours for him to bring modifications. He also said that he bricked a couple of AirTags before reaching success.
Apple claimed privacy and security as the core features of the AirTag at the time of its official announcement last month. However, the tweets posted by Roth suggest that the Cupertino company may need to bring an update to block firmware-level modification.
Gadgets 360 has reached out to Apple for a comment and will update this space when the company responds.
Smart home
Samsung Is Bringing Metaverse Game Wilder World to Its Smart TVs
A free-to-roam metaverse ecosystem, Wilder World is primarily a competitive racing game that launched for alpha testing in December 2023 and will begin a wider rollout this year. The team behind the game announced its partnership with Samsung via an official post on X on Wednesday.
In Samsung’s next sale of exclusive Web3 TV bundles, fifteen select buyers will get Wilder World NFTs as rewards. Through this partnership, the metaverse game expects to add new players to its ecosystem.
Samsung, catching up with the advancements in emerging technologies, is essentially looking to connect with a newer generation of customers. The Seoul-based company is hence integrating Web3 elements like the metaverse and NFTs with its newer range of products.
Samsung has long maintained its lead in the television market. In 2023, the company reportedly occupied a 30.1 percent market share of televisions sold globally, which was slightly higher than the previous year’s 29.7 percent. With its new initiatives, Samsung could directly bring Web3 technologies to its vast user base.
This is not the first time that the tech mammoth has taken a Web3-friendly approach. In April 2023, for instance, Samsung teamed up with Crypto.com to bring asset trading services on devices from the Galaxy Z fold series.
In 2022, Samsung tied up with partners Theta Labs and Nifty Gateway to get NFTs to its smart TV and smartphone ecosystems.
In fact, the same year Samsung introduced the world’s first TV-based NFT explorer. Later that year, the company started rolling out smart TV models that came with features like NFT buying and management.
Smart home
Apple Said to Be Exploring Foray Into Home Robotics, Developing Products
According to the report, the iPhone maker is reportedly working on two potential products. The first one is a robotic device that sits atop a table and moves a display around using robotics. The second product, which is also in development, is a mobile robot that can follow a user around their house. These products are not ready to be launched, but the former is said to be in a more advanced stage than the mobile robot, as per the report.
Development of hardware for the robotics project was reportedly overseen by Matt Costello and Brian Lynch, Apple executives who work on the company’s home products. The company is said to be looking for its next product to generate additional revenue, following the launch of the Apple Vision Pro earlier this year.
The Bloomberg report also states that Apple was planning on a three-pronged approach for new products in the coming years. One of these — a autonomous car said to be in development for over a decade — has been cancelled, while the company continues to focus on smart home and mixed reality products, such as the first-generation Apple Vision Pro.
The rumoured robotics-enabled products from Apple would likely compete with existing products from companies like Amazon’s $1,599 (roughly Rs. 1.33 lakh) invitation-only Astro robot that is available in the US. There’s currently no word from Apple — the company is known for keeping its products and services under wraps until they are ready to be announced — on plans to develop or sell smart home products equipped with robotic features, and it is possible that these initial devices might never be sold by the company.
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Smart home
Apple to Face Lawsuit Claiming AirTags Are Weapon of Stalkers
About three dozen women and men who filed the suit alleged that Apple was warned of the risks posed by its AirTags and argued the company could be legally blamed under California law when the tracking devices are used for misconduct.
In the three claims that survived, the plaintiffs “allege that, when they were stalked, the problems with the AirTag’s safety features were substantial, and that those safety defects caused their injuries,” Chhabria wrote.
Apple had argued it designed the AirTag with “industry-first” safety measures and shouldn’t be held responsible when the product is misused.
“Apple may ultimately be right that California law did not require it to do more to diminish the ability of stalkers to use AirTags effectively, but that determination cannot be made at this early stage,” the judge wrote in allowing the three plaintiffs to pursue their claims.
A spokesperson for the company didn’t immediately return an email requesting comment on the ruling.
Apple was accused in the case of negligently releasing the AirTag despite warnings by advocacy groups and others that the product would be re-purposed for surveillance. “With a price point of just $29 it has become the weapon of choice of stalkers and abusers,” according to the complaint.
Apple developed a feature that alerts users when an AirTag might be tracking them, but that and other safety measures aren’t enough, according to the suit.
Tile Inc. is facing similar allegations that its tracking devices connected to Amazon.com Inc.’s Bluetooth network lack adequate protections against stalking.
The case is Hughes v. Apple, Inc., 3:22-cv-07668, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California (San Francisco).
© 2024 Bloomberg LP
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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