Volvo says all its new vehicles now support over-the-air updates

Volvo now offers over-the-air (OTA) software updates across its entire vehicle lineup, it announced. After first introducing it on all-electric models like the XC40, it’s bringing the feature over to all new XC90, S60 and V60 ICE and hybrid vehicles. 

The latest update (Volvo’s eighth so far) will roll out to over 190,000 vehicles this week. Owners will get the latest version of Android Automotive OS with Android 11 on their infotainment systems, with new app categories on Google Play ranging from navigation to charging and parking. Video streaming is expected to arrive later in the year. 

Volvo extends over-the-air software updates to all its vehicles
Volvo S60 interior
Volvo

It also brings feature improvements around energy management, climate timers and mobile app functionality. The energy management updates will help keep the battery temperatures stable in both warm and cold weather to boost range and lower charging times. You’ll also see more frequent charging percentage updates during sessions.

Tesla pioneered over-the-air software updates on its Model S, X, 3 and other vehicles, assuring buyers that their EVs would get features found on newer models. It not only updates the software for entertainment and other systems (SOTA), but also firmware controlling the hardware (FOTA). Most automakers now offer some form of OTA updates, but many (BMW, Audi, Fiat) only deliver SOTA updates to the infotainment systems. 

Others, including GM and Ford, offer more extensive updates to vehicle systems, allowing them to improve range, performance and other factors. Volvo appears to fall into that category, improving not just the navigation and entertainment systems but charging and other features as well. It also promised that the infotainment system, developed jointly with Google, will feature on all new models across its lineup. 

Google pulls apps that may have harvested data from millions of Android devices

Google has pulled dozens of apps used by millions of users after finding that they covertly harvested data, The Wall Street Journal has reported. Researchers found weather apps, highway radar apps, QR scanners, prayer apps and others containing code that could harvest a user’s precise location, email, phone numbers and more. It was made by Measurement Systems, a company that’s reportedly linked to a Virginia defense contractor that does cyber-intelligence and more for US national-security agencies. It has denied the allegations.

The code was discovered by researchers Serge Egelman from UC Berkeley and the University of Calgary’s Joel Reardon, who disclosed their findings to federal regulators and Google. It can “without a doubt be described as malware,” Egelman told the WSJ. 

Measurement Systems reportedly paid developers to add their software development kits (SDKs) to apps. The developers would not only be paid, but receive detailed information about their user base. The SDK was present on apps downloaded to at least 60 million mobile devices. One app developer said it was told that the code was collecting data on behalf of ISPs along with financial service and energy companies. Measurement Systems also said it wanted data mainly from the Middle East, Central and Eastern Europe and Asia. 

“A database mapping someone’s actual email and phone number to their precise GPS location history is particularly frightening, as it could easily be used to run a service to look up a person’s location history just by knowing their phone number or email, which could be used to target journalists, dissidents, or political rivals,” Reardon said in the AppCensus research blog.

Though Google has pulled those apps from the Play Store, the researchers noted that they still exist on millions of devices. At the same time, they found that the SDK stopped collecting user data after their findings were revealed.

The Measurement Systems domain was registered by a company called Volstrom Holdings Inc., which deals with the federal government through a subsidiary called Packet Forensics LLC. A company called Measurement Systems S de R.L. “also listed two holding companies as officers, both of which share a Sterling, Va., address with people affiliated with Volstrom,” the WSJ noted. 

In a statement, Measurement Systems told the WSJ by email that “the allegations you make about the company’s activities are false. Further, we are not aware of any connections between our company and U.S. defense contractors nor are we aware of… a company called Vostrom. We are also unclear about what Packet Forensics is or how it relates to our company.”

Uber plans to add train, bus and flight bookings to its UK app

Uber is planning to add travel booking via flights, trains and more in the UK this year to expand its ride-hailing business, The Financial Times has reported. The new service is designed to provide a “seamless door-to-door experience,” so that you can book your flight, train and Uber all on the same app. To do so, the company will integrate its software with airlines, inter-city bus and rail operators (include Eurostar Channel Tunnel tips) and car rental companies, according to CNBC.

The UK is one of the company’s largest markets outside the US, so the expansion is a big step. “You have been able to book rides, bikes, boat services and scooters on the Uber app for a number of years, so adding trains and coaches is a natural progression,” said Uber UK general manager Jamie Heywood. “Later this year we plan to incorporate flights, and in the future hotels, by integrating leading partners into the Uber app to create a seamless door-to-door travel experience.”

This “super app” strategy isn’t new, as CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said he wanted Uber to be the “Amazon of transportation,” when he first joined the company. Prior to the pandemic, around 15 percent of Uber trips were higher-margin rides to or from airports. “With COVID behind us, with this big push into new modes of transport, we want to signal that this is a very important growth lever for us over the coming years,” Heywood said. 

It’s not yet clear to what extent Uber will compete directly with other travel booking services, but Khosrowshahi was CEO at Expedia before coming to Uber. The company might have a leg up on rivals in that it could also offer a ride from airport to hotel, essentially owning the whole process.

Uber recently announced that it would let New York City users book Yellow Cab taxis directly through its app, with passengers paying around the same as they would for an Uber X ride. The company also plans to offer a similar service in San Francisco. It’s not clear yet, though, when or if Uber will offer its expanded travel booking service in the US. 

Google Docs now offers emoji reactions

Collaboration is a huge part of Google Docs, letting multiple users chip in edits, comments and more. Now, you can include not just text in your comments but emoji reactions, much as you can in messages or on social media. “The new emoji reactions feature provides a less formal alternative to comments to express your opinions about document content,” Google said in a blog post announcing the feature.

Emoji reactions come to Google Docs
Google

The new option appears when you highlight text in a document while in “editing” mode. From there, you’ll see a new “add reaction” icon smiley face icon that lets you place emojis in the editing comments section. Google notes that emojis used will be shared with Google chat, “so any preferences set in one app will be reflected in the other.” Both apps can also be used to update emoji preferences via the picker. 

Google recently feted the 15th anniversary of Docs (along with Sheets). It has gradually boosted the feature set over that time, with the last update allowing you to draft emails in Docs and then send them using Gmail. 

Emoji reactions on a Google Doc could be an easy way to add feedback, but then again they may not fly in some business environments. Either way, the feature can’t be disabled by the user and “there is no Admin control for the feature,” according to Google. The feature started officially rolling out yesterday, but it may take some time to appear depending on your domain type and region. 

Vevo says an ‘unauthorized source’ vandalized Drake, Lil Nas X and other YouTube channels

If you were trying to watch Drake, Taylor Swift, Lil Nas X, The Weeknd, Eminem, Ariana Grande, Harry Styles, Kanye West, Michael Jackson and other artists on YouTube this morning, you may not have seen what you expected. Music video network Vevo was reportedly attacked by someone with the Twitter handle @lospelaosbro, who uploaded some extremely strange clips, The Verge reported. Those included video of a rapper called Lil Tjay and a man called Paco Sanz who was sent to jail for scamming donations after lying about having cancer. 

Vevo acknowledged the incident, telling Engadget that “some videos were directly uploaded to a small number of Vevo artist channels earlier today by an unauthorized source.” It added that no pre-existing content was accessible to the attacker and said that it would be “conducting a review of our security systems.”

Vevo is owned primarily by music labels Sony Music Entertainment and Universal Music Group. The company says it controls “the largest network of music channels on YouTube,” and essentially acts like a contractor, allowing distributors to merge Vevo channels with existing channels as “Official Artist Channels.” Google also owns a small stake in the service.

According to a Vevo FAQ, artists don’t post their videos directly, but send them to “content providers” for uploading. Content providers include major labels like Universal Music Group and Sony Music, along with independent distributors. The hacked artist channels belong to multiple labels and Vevo said that they have now been secured and the incident is resolved.

Update 4/6/2022 1:34 PM ET: The article has been updated with a statement from Vevo. 

Amazon Music Unlimited price is going up a dollar to $9 for Prime members

The price for an Amazon Music Unlimited plan is going up from $8 to $9 for Prime members, Amazon has confirmed. It’s also raising the price for a “Single Device” subscription from $4 to $5, as spotted byConsumer Reports reporter Nicholas De Leon. Non-Prime members will continue to pay $10 per month and the Family Plan will still cost $15 per month for Prime members only.

The news means that Prime subscribers are barely getting any kind of deal on Amazon Music Unlimited, whereas Prime Video is still included for free in the plan. The price is still a bit cheaper for Prime members than you’d pay for Apple Music ($10 per month) or Spotify ($10 per month). Amazon also offers Music Prime for free to Prime members, but you’re limited to 2 million songs and can only play on one device at a time.

Amazon Music Unlimited is obviously best if you’re a Prime subscriber and have an Echo or other Alexa device, though it works on tablets, smartphones, TVs, Amazon Fire devices, PCs and so on. However, the user interface is generally considered subpar compared to Apple Music or Spotify, lacking things like biographies in artist profiles. Some of the benefits include downloads for offline listening and HD, Dolby Atmos and Sony 360RA streaming at no extra cost. 

Nikon Z9 review: A versatile camera with solid 8K video recording

With Sony and Canon dominating headlines, Nikon has been the forgotten company in the mirrorless race. That’s set to change, though, with the launch of the 45.7-megapixel Z9. It’s an innovative professional camera that offers awesome speed, incredible …

GM and Honda announce plans to build ‘affordable’ EVs arriving in 2027

GM and Honda will co-develop a series of affordable EVs using a global architecture and GM’s Ultium battery technology, the companies announced. They promised to build vehicles in multiple product segments, including the compact crossover category, calling it a “new chapter” in their partnership. That significantly expands on previous news that Honda would create two EVs using GM’s battery technology.

“GM and Honda will share our best technology, design and manufacturing strategies to deliver affordable and desirable EVs on a global scale, including our key markets in North America, South America and China,” said GM CEO and chair Mary Barra. 

The companies promised to share technology, design and sourcing strategies, while working toward “standardizing equipment and processes to achieve world-class quality, higher throughput and greater affordability,” GM’s press release states. The companies will also discuss EV battery collaboration in an effort to drive down costs and improve performance and sustainability. 

GM and Honda's new co-developed EVs will arrive in 2027
The Honda E
Engadget

The word “affordable” comes up a lot in the press release, as both companies emphasized the idea of building cheaper EVs than are currently available. “Honda and GM will build on our successful technology collaboration to help achieve a dramatic expansion in the sales of electric vehicles,” said Honda president & CEO Toshihiro Mibe. 

The tie-up makes a lot of sense, particularly for Honda, which has lagged way behind rivals in terms of EV development. By joining forces with GM, it can share development costs and contribute its considerable BEV and hybrid expertise. The two automakers previously announced a collaboration in 2018 to produce autonomous vehicles, with Honda taking a stake in GM’s Cruise self-driving division. The companies also joined force on hydrogen fuel cells.

Honda recently showed that it can build EVs with the Honda E, a cute and technologically advanced vehicle with limited battery range, designed mostly for urban use. More recently, it unveiled a pair of vehicles it’s developing with GM including the Prologue, to be launched in early 2024, followed by Acura’s first EV SUV.

GM, meanwhile, continues to develop its Ultium battery tech that uses pouch- and prismatic-style cells rather than cylindrical cells like Tesla. The aim to use it in up to 30-plus vehicles over the coming years, with the first models arriving in 2023. GM affirmed that it would release “a new all-electric product for North America positioned at a price point lower than the upcoming Chevrolet Equinox EV, building on the 2 million units of EV capacity the company plans to install by the end of 2025.”

Apple Watch SE models are $49 off in a big Amazon sale

Following a sale on the Apple Watch Series 7 models, Amazon is now focusing on the more value-oriented Watch SE. All four models are available with discounts of $49, with the 40mm GPS Watch SE starting at just $230, or 18 percent off. That’s near an all-time low price, and the best deal on the Watch SE we’ve seen this year. 

Buy Watch SE [GPS 40mm] at Amazon – $230Buy Watch SE [GPS 44mm] at Amazon – $260

With solid performance, a familiar design and support for numerous apps, the Watch SE scored a solid 88 in our Engadget review. It looks nearly identical to the Watch SE Series 6 and 7, and delivers smooth performance despite the slightly older processor. Most importantly, it offer all the same features you’d get in the more expensive models, like all-day heart rate monitoring, built-in GPS, fall detection, Apple Pay support, sleep-tracking and more. 

Buy Watch SE [Cellular 40mm] at Amazon – $280Buy Watch SE [Cellular 44mm] at Amazon – $310

It doesn’t include a blood oxygen sensor or ECG, nor the always-on display of the Series 6 or Series 7 models. If those things aren’t terribly important, you’ll still get a full Watch experience. The other main drawbacks with all Watch models are sleep tracking that doesn’t quite measure up to the competition, and less than a full day of battery life. 

If you want the latest and greatest models, there’s more good news too. All the Watch Series 7 models are still on sale for $69 off, starting at $330 for the Watch Series 7 41mm GPS model, $360 for the 45mm GPS model, $430 for the 41mm Cellular version and $460 for the 45mm Cellular model.  

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

Google’s Pixel 6 April update arrives with camera and charging fixes

Google’s Pixel 6 and 6 Pro are great phones on paper, but they’ve been beset by bugs and problems that have annoyed a fair number of users. Google’s April update has now arrived (on time, for once) with fixes for several key issues around charging, the camera and security, 9to5Google has reported. 

On the camera side, Google said the update fixes “issues causing front-facing camera preview in certain apps to appear zoomed in.” It’s also addressed an issue that occasionally caused a green screen to appear in the camera preview. On the wireless charging side, there’s a patch for performance issues with “certain accessories,” an issue that popped up on Reddit and elsewhere with various Qi charging stands. 

It also fixed various UI issues and bugs (with all Pixel devices from the 3XL up), including crashes that happen in Picture-in-Picture (PIP) mode, error messages with certain live wallpapers, incorrect animation displays and more. It also includes security fixes, particularly for a “high security vulnerability in the Framework component that could lead to local escalation of privilege,” as detailed in a security bulletin.

After arriving two weeks late, the March security bulletin fixed a number of key bugs related to WiFi connectivity issues, battery management and fingerprint recognition. However, it also made haptic vibration weaker, generating user complaints on various forums. Google acknowledged the issue, but there’s no word yet on a fix or update. Meanwhile, the April update is now rolling out “over the next week in phases depending on carrier or device,” Google said, so you should see it soon.