Engadget Podcast: Twitter gets Elon Musk and an edit button

What a week it’s been for Twitter. Elon Musk snapped up 9.2 percent of the company, becoming its biggest shareholder. He soon became a board member and shortly after, Twitter announced it was bringing a long-awaited Edit feature to its Blue service. Senior reporter Karissa Bell joined us this week to discuss how it all went down, as well as the potential repercussions. Then, we looked at Peloton’s newest gadget, Microsoft’s updates to Windows 11 as well as more controversy over Apple’s AirTags.

Listen below, or subscribe on your podcast app of choice. If you’ve got suggestions or topics you’d like covered on the show, be sure to email us or drop a note in the comments! And be sure to check out our other podcasts, the Morning After and Engadget News!

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Topics

  • Why did Elon Musk buy 9.2% of Twitter? – 1:42

  • Our Peloton Guide hands-on – 27:08

  • Windows 11 getting a redesigned File Explorer and video call upgrades – 38:31

  • Dyson’s headphone / mask combo isn’t an April Fool’s joke – 41:01

  • OnePlus 10 Pro review – 44:07

  • Dates for Microsoft Build and WWDC have been announced – 46:40

  • Police reports indicate AirTag stalking may be more prevalent than we know – 48:34

  • Snapchat Lens helps users learn the ASL alphabet – 52:38

  • Open AI’s DALL-E 2 latest generative art project creates amazing images – 53:41

  • What we’re working on – 56:25

  • Our pop culture picks – 1:02:15

Video livestream

Credits
Hosts: Cherlynn Low and Devindra Hardawar
Guest: Mat Smith
Producer: Ben Ellman
Livestream producers: Julio Barrientos, Luke Brooks
Graphics artists: Luke Brooks, Brian Oh
Music: Dale North and Terrence O’Brien

Microsoft blocked Russian cyberattacks targeting Ukraine

Microsoft said it has disrupted cyberattacks from a Russia-linked group called Strontium (aka APT28 and Fancy Bear) targeting Ukraine and the West. The software giant obtained a court order allowing it to take control of seven internet domains being used by Strontium to coordinate attacks. It announces the news shortly after the FBI said it disrupted botnets also run by the GRU. 

“On Wednesday, April 6th, we obtained a court order authorizing us to take control of seven internet domains Strontium was using to conduct these attacks,” said Microsoft security VP Tom Burt. “We have since re-directed these domains to a sinkhole controlled by Microsoft, enabling us to mitigate Strontium’s current use of these domains and enable victim notifications.”

Organizations targeted included Ukrainian institutions and media organizations, along with foreign policy government bodies in the US and EU. “We believe Strontium was attempting to establish long-term access to the systems of its targets, provide tactical support for the physical invasion and exfiltrate sensitive information,” Microsoft said. 

Its actions are part of a larger effort by businesses and government to thwart a wave of attacks directed at Ukraine. Microsoft has been taking legal and technical action to seize infrastructure used by APT28 as part of an “ongoing long-term investment started in 2016,” said Burt. “We have established a legal process that enables us to obtain rapid court decisions for this work.”

The FBI announced yesterday that it had silently removed Russian malware that allowed the country’s GRU military intelligence arm to create botnets using infected computer networks. Strontium has reportedly operated since the mid-2000s and has been linked to attacks against US government agencies, EU elections, NGOs, non-profits and other agencies. 

The Morning After: Wordle’s Wordlebot will judge your poor word choices

As the interest in Wordle ebbs and flows, The New York Times is trying to keep you hooked on its recent acquisition. So how about some post-match analysis? WordleBot is an optional feature that breaks down a completed game and reveals what players could have done to play more efficiently — perfect for those of us who struggle to grab the winning word on the fifth try, take hours to finish playing or are just stumped completely. Or cheat. Not namingnames.

The bot will offer up an efficiency score, making the word game suddenly feel like something closer to a chore or work. But for those addicted to sports stats and figures, it might add a compelling twist to Wordle. Me? I’ve moved on to Heardle.

— Mat Smith

The biggest stories you might have missed

ASUS ROG Flow Z13 review

Practicality can be overrated.

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Engadget

If you’re looking for a unique portable gaming PC, ASUS ROG obliges, yet again. Putting gaming PC components in a detachable 2-in-1 design makes for an innovative system that’s both adaptable and rather travel-friendly. According to Sam Rutherford, when paired with ASUS’ optional XG Mobile Dock, it can give you desktop-level performance with way less bulk. However, the Z13’s short battery life and high price make it hard to love. Yes, that high price makes the Z13 an incredibly hard sell for most. It’s all very intriguing.

Continue reading.

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

The apps may have taken users’ precise location, email, phone numbers and more.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Google has pulled dozens of apps used by millions after finding they covertly gathered data. 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. They were traced to Measurement Systems, a company reportedly linked to a Virginia defense contractor that does cyber-intelligence and more for US national-security agencies. It denied the allegations.

Continue reading.

The FBI silently removed Russian malware to thwart global cyberattacks

Sometimes even without the network owner’s knowledge.

Attorney General Merrick B. Garland has revealed that the United States secretly removed malware from computer networks around the world over the past few weeks to pre-empt Russian cyberattacks. The White House recently warned companies that Russia could attack critical infrastructure in the country, such as financial institutions and the power grid. Apparently, the malware the US removed would have enabled Russian military intelligence to create botnets out of the infected computer networks, which they could use in DDoS attacks, spamming networks and more.

Continue reading.

Smart reveals the production version of its compact electric SUV

The Smart #1 offers up to 273 miles of range.

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Smart

Smart’s compact electric SUV has kept the distinctive design of its concept origins. The Smart #1 will still have frameless windows and a “floating halo” glass roof. Alas, the scissor doors didn’t make the… cut.

While the estimated 273 miles of maximum range isn’t all that impressive, it comes from a 66kWh battery that charges quickly, taking it from a 10 percent charge to 80 percent in under 30 minutes with a 150kW DC charger. Even with a more typical 22kW AC supply, it takes less than three hours. For now, pricing and release dates are still TBC.

Continue reading.

Google Meet will kick you out if you’re the only person in the meeting

If your co-workers or friends don’t show up within the first five minutes of your scheduled video call, you’ll soon be able to blame Google for why you left early. The tech giant will start rolling out an update for Google Meet so that it will prompt you to exit meetings when you’re the only person in it. Say, you log into a team meeting, but nobody shows up within five minutes: A notification will show up asking if you’re still there and if you’d like to keep waiting or to leave the call. If you don’t respond within two minutes, you’ll automatically get kicked out. 

Other services like Discord already implement similar measures to prevent wasting bandwidth. Zoom also has a time limit for idle meetings, but it lasts for up to 40 minutes. Google didn’t say whether it introducing the new feature as a way to stop wasting resources, but the company is hoping that it can help prevent you from unintentionally broadcasting your video and audio feed. Regardless, you can easily switch it off if you don’t want to be prompted to leave your meetings. The feature will be on by default, but you can go to General under Settings to toggle it off. 

Google will gradually roll out the “leave empty calls” feature starting on April 11th, and it will take 15 days to reach all desktop and iOS users. It will also be available for Android users “soon.”

Google
Google

Audio-Technica releases a $79 Bluetooth version of its popular M20x headphones

Audio-Technica recently launched a $199 wireless Bluetooth version of its M50x headphones (the M50xBT) and now it’s doing the same for a popular budget model. It just released the M20xBT, a wireless version of its top-selling M20x wired headphones, priced at just $79. 

The M20x is a pretty nice-looking set of over-ear cans, though it lacks some design features of the M50xBT like the ability to fold them up. Still, it uses “professional-grade ear pad and headband material,” according to Audio-Technica, built for “long-lasting durability and comfort.” They come with 40mm drivers for enhanced low frequency performance, and allow for a wired as well as a wireless connection. 

Audio-Technica releases a $79 wireless version of its popular M20x headphones
Audio-Technica

The key feature for this model is multipoint Bluetooth pairing that allows you to smoothly connect two devices at once. There’s also a low latency mode to ensure audio and video are synced, and to limit audio lag for gaming. 

They offer a 60-hour battery life on a full charge and up to three hours on a 10-minute rapid charge via USB-C. Meanwhile, you can control calls, music playback and volume with the microphone and buttons on the left earcup. While Audio-Technica promises “excellent sound isolation” they don’t offer any form of ANC, which is what you’d expect for headphones in this price range. The M20xBT wireless headphones are now available at B&H and Amazon on pre-order for $79. 

Nintendo’s $50 eShop gift card is 10 percent off again at Amazon

If you want the latest Switch games, particularly the most popular AAA titles, usually the only choice is to suck it up and pay full price. There is a way to get a discount, though. Right now, you can purchase a $50 Nintendo eShop Gift Card for $45, for a savings of $5 or 10 percent, which you can then use to purchase any game in the store — including the latest titles like LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga. 

Buy $50 eShop Gift Card at Amazon – $45

You could choose from a number of new blockbuster titles that aren’t likely to be discounted anytime soon, including MLB The Show 22 (coming to Switch for the first time), Kirby and the Forgotten Land and Rune Factory 5. All of those titles cost $60, so the purchase of an eShop Gift Card would save you $5 (or $6 if you get two). 

If you’re more interested in indie titles, remasters or DLCs, new releases include Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition (remaster, $20), Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – Booster Course Pass (DLC, $25) and OlliOlli World (indie, $30). And for any discounted eShop games, you can make a good deal even better. Finally, you’re a regular eShop buyer but not in the market right now, it might be worth getting the card now to get a pre-discount on anything you’ll buy in the future.

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