Technology
Citizen reportedly plans to test a private security partnership in Chicago
Crime reporting app Citizen has reportedly deliberate a partnership with non-public safety outfit Securitas in Chicago. A report from Motherboard, citing a number of nameless sources, suggests Citizen stays fascinated with providing safety companies regardless of ongoing issues about its app.
In keeping with Motherboard, the Chicago Securitas partnership would “perform as a check-in service” for customers. Securitas might observe up after somebody reported a break-in to ensure they’re all proper, for example, or a consumer might schedule a Securitas go to by way of Citizen. Citizen already gives a subscription emergency response service referred to as Defend, nevertheless it consists of voice or video calls with an agent who can contact conventional emergency companies, not a full-fledged safety power.
Citizen has trialed non-public safety partnerships earlier than, nevertheless. The corporate dispatched Citizen-branded automobiles in Los Angeles in 2021, and a Motherboard report detailed plans for an on-demand safety power. Citizen confirmed that it had run a “small 30-day trial” of the service however had “no plans to launch our personal non-public safety power,” though it didn’t strictly deny that it might rent a agency like Securitas sooner or later. That mentioned, Motherboard’s description of the brand new program is extra restrained than the choices specified by its earlier plans — the place it described one thing extra akin to a non-public police different that might reply to an lively disaster.
Providers like Securitas clearly aren’t new. However Citizen — whose core service includes letting customers see close by reported close by crimes and different emergencies — has drawn criticism for encouraging paranoia and even vigilante manhunts by way of a bounty in a single arson case. Extra broadly, it’s half of a bigger pattern of promoting specialised companies by way of client apps.
Whereas a Citizen consultant didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark from The Verge, the corporate advised Motherboard that “we’re at all times exploring product options and partnerships that may assist hold Citizen customers and our communities safer.” The report doesn’t provide a possible timeline for the alleged partnership.
Technology
Apple’s next AirTag could arrive in 2025
You may not have even thought about replacing your AirTag yet, but Bloomberg reports that Apple is working on a new one that could arrive in mid-2025. The new AirTag will reportedly feature an updated chip with better location tracking — an improvement it might need as competition among tracking devices ramps up.
By the time Apple rolls out its refreshed AirTag, the Bluetooth tracking landscape will look a lot different on both Android and iOS. Last month, Google revealed its new Find My Device network, which lets users locate their phones using signals from nearby Android devices. Even Life360, the safety service company that owns Tile, is creating its own location-tracking network that uses satellites to locate its Bluetooth tags.
In last week’s iOS 17.5 update, Apple finally started letting iPhones show unwanted tracking alerts for third-party Bluetooth tags. If an unknown AirTag or other third-party tracker is found with an iPhone user, they’ll get an alert and can play a sound to locate it. The feature is part of an industry specification created to prevent stalking across iPhones and Android devices. Several companies that make Bluetooth tracking devices, including Chipolo, Pebblebee, and Eufy are on board with the new standard.
Technology
How to connect your AirPods to your iPhone, iPad the easy way
While the sonic quality of the AirPods certainly works across most devices with a Bluetooth connection, the real magic and a plethora of useful features really shine when you connect AirPods with other Apple devices. If you use the same Apple ID across all your Apple devices, you can really take advantage of the seamless auto-connect features.
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How to connect your AirPods to your iPhone
Before you start, make sure you’ve installed the latest version of iOS on your iPhone and be sure your AirPods are charged and in their case. If you’ve already connected your AirPods to your iPhone, it should connect automatically if you are signed in with the same Apple ID you used to sign onto your Mac. If not, here’s how to connect them to your iPhone.
- Unlock your iPhone and go to Settings
- Scroll down and tap Bluetooth, then turn on Bluetooth (if it isn’t already on)
- The toggle next to Bluetooth should be green, not grayed out.
- Now, grab your AirPods case with the AirPods inside, then hold it next to your iPhone with the case top open.
- At this point, a setup animation will show up on your iPhone screen.
- Tap Connect and you should be ready to listen.
MORE: 8 INCREDIBLY USEFUL THINGS YOU CAN DO WITH AIRPODS
How to connect your AirPods to your iPad
Before you start, make sure you’ve installed the latest version of iOS on your iPhone and be sure your AirPods are charged and in their case. If you’ve connected your AirPods to your iPad already, it should connect automatically if you are signed in with the same Apple ID you used to sign onto your Mac. If not, here’s how to connect them to your iPad.
- Open up your iPad and go to Settings.
- From Settings, scroll down and tap Bluetooth.
- Then, tap the button on the right once so that it turns green.
- Keep your iPad open to this screen and take out your AirPods.
- From here, a setup animation will appear on the iPad. Tap Connect.
- Your AirPods should appear under the list of available devices in your Bluetooth settings on the iPad. Now tap your AirPods, and there you go.
Kurt’s key takeaways
In a nutshell, AirPods are popular because they’ve got great performance, reliability and are easy to use, especially if you’ve already got other Apple products in your life. They just get you, you know? They move between your iPad to your iPhone without a hitch – it’s like they’ve got a mind of their own. And setting them up is super simple. It’s like tap, tap, boom – you’re connected.
In what ways do you think the AirPods’ features could be further enhanced when paired with Apple devices? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact.
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Technology
Two students find security bug that could let millions do laundry for free
A security lapse could let millions of college students do free laundry, thanks to one company. That’s because of a vulnerability that two University of California, Santa Cruz students found in internet-connected washing machines in commercial use in several countries, according to TechCrunch.
The two students, Alexander Sherbrooke and Iakov Taranenko, apparently exploited an API for the machines’ app to do things like remotely command them to work without payment and update a laundry account to show it had millions of dollars in it. The company that owns the machines, CSC ServiceWorks, claims to have more than a million laundry and vending machines in service at colleges, multi-housing communities, laundromats, and more in the US, Canada, and Europe.
CSC never responded when Sherbrooke and Taranenko reported the vulnerability via emails and a phone call in January, TechCrunch writes. Despite that, the students told the outlet that the company “quietly wiped out” their false millions after they contacted it.
The lack of response led them to tell others about their findings. That includes that the company has a published list of commands, which the two told TechCrunch enables connecting to all of CSC’s network-connected laundry machines. CSC ServiceWorks didn’t immediately respond to The Verge’s request for comment.
CSC’s vulnerability is a good reminder that the security situation with the internet of things still isn’t sorted out. For the exploit the students found, maybe CSC shoulders the risk, but in other cases, lax cybersecurity practices have made it possible for hackers or company contractors to view strangers’ security camera footage or gain access to smart plugs.
Often, security researchers find these security holes and report them before they can be exploited in the wild. But that’s not helpful if the company responsible for them doesn’t respond.
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