When Google announced that trackers would be able to tie in to [its 3 billion-device Bluetooth tracking network](https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/05/bluetooth-tags-for-androids-3-billion-strong-tracking-network-are-here/) at its Google I/O 2023 conference, it also said that it would make it easier for people to avoid being tracked by trackers they don't know about, like [Apple AirTags](https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/05/nypd-urges-citizens-to-buy-airtags-to-fight-surge-in-car-thefts/).

Now Android users will soon get these "[Unknown Tracker Alerts](https://blog.google/products/android/unknown-tracker-alert-google-android/)." Based on the [joint specification developed by Google and Apple](https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/05/apple-and-google-submit-joint-proposal-to-fight-malicious-use-of-tracking-devices/), and incorporating feedback from tracker-makers like Tile and Chipolo, the alerts currently work only with AirTags, but Google says it will work with tag manufacturers to expand its coverage.

Android's unknown tracker alerts, illustrated in moving Corporate Memphis style.

For now, if an AirTag you don't own "is separated from its owner and determined to be traveling with you," a notification will tell you this and that "the owner of the tracker can see its location." Tapping the notification brings up a map tracing back to where it was first seen traveling with you. Google notes that this location data "is always encrypted and never shared with Google."


Android phones can now tell you if there’s an AirTag following you

Apple has released a new batch of software updates for all of its platforms today, adding some of the last noteworthy features to iOS 16, iPadOS 16, and macOS Ventura before it announces their replacements at its Worldwide Developers Conference next month. The iOS and iPadOS 16.5 updates and macOS 13.4 update are available to download now.

Apple is mostly done adding marquee features to these versions of its software, and the list of improvements is short. The biggest addition in iOS, macOS, and iPadOS is a sports tab in the Apple News app, which self-evidently makes it easier to follow news about sports. They also resolve an issue across all OSes that would keep Screen Time activity from being synced properly. And iOS and iPadOS pick up new Pride-themed wallpapers.

The iOS and iPadOS 16.5 and macOS 13.4 updates also fix some outstanding bugs. In macOS, there’s a fix for a problem that would keep Macs from using an Apple Watch to unlock, plus a fix for Bluetooth keyboards taking too long to connect after a restart. The iOS update fixes a Spotlight freezing bug and problems with the Podcasts app in CarPlay. If any of the updates include significant security fixes, they will likely appear on Apple's [security update page](https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201222) in the next couple of hours.


Apple Releases iOS 16.5, macOS Ventura 13.4, and tvOS 16.5

iOS 16.5 and macOS 13.4 arrive with sports news, Bluetooth fixes, and more



LG Electronics (LGE) issued a recall of four models of its 86-inch 4K TVs on Thursday due to tip-over concerns. The recall affects 52,000 TVs sold between March and September 2022 with the model numbers 86NANO75UQA, 86UQ7070ZUD, 86UQ7590PUD, and 86NANO75UQA.

The [recall notice](https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2023/LG-Electronics-Recalls-Free-Standing-86-Inch-Smart-Televisions-and-Stands-Due-to-Serious-Tip-Over-and-Entrapment-Hazards-Recall-Alert) from the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) says the TVs "can become unstable while on the assembled stand, posing serious tip-over and entrapment hazards that can result in injuries or death to children and others." The recall applies to TVs sold by Amazon, Best Buy, Costco, Walmart, and other brick-and-mortar stores for $1,100 to $1,900.

The recall notice says owners of the affected models should detach the TV from its stand and place it somewhere safe and away from kids. It also advises customers to contact LGE "for instructions on how to inspect the unit and to obtain replacement screws and stand parts, including help from a technician for a free repair."

LG issues recall of 52,000 TVs due to 86-inchers’ “serious tip-over” hazards



For years now, Apple has wanted to replicate its success in processors with its own in-house cellular modems. The [company spent $1 billion](https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2019/07/apple-acquires-intels-5g-smartphone-modem-business-for-1-billion/) to buy Intel's modem technology in 2019, and since then the company has perennially been just a year or two away from replacing Qualcomm's modems in new iPhones (alleged [2021](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-intel-divestiture-apple/apple-pays-1-billion-for-intel-unit-in-push-for-chip-independence-idUSKCN1UK2X3) and [2022](https://www.fastcompany.com/90416100/apple-wants-its-own-5g-modem-in-2022s-iphones-but-itll-be-a-squeaker) timelines have come and gone, and [Qualcomm seems to think that 2023 won't be the year either](https://www.theverge.com/2022/11/2/23437586/apple-iphone-5g-modems-later-expected-2023-qualcomm)).

Undeterred by these setbacks, the company plans to expand its wireless ambitions to encompass Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, [according to a Bloomberg report](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-01-09/apple-plans-to-drop-broadcom-chip-by-2025-to-use-in-house-design?sref=9hGJlFio&leadSource=uverify%20wall). Apple is supposedly hoping to ship these chips in new products starting in 2025, working toward an eventual goal of building Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and cellular modem capabilities into a single chip.

Apple has relied on Broadcom chipsets for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity across all its products for years. Even when Macs used Intel processors, Apple declined to use or support the Intel Wi-Fi and Bluetooth products that are ubiquitous in most other laptops. Apple and Broadcom last signed [three-and-a-half-year supply deals](https://www.macrumors.com/2020/01/23/apple-broadcom-multi-year-supply-deal/) in early 2020 that were said to be valued at $15 billion. Apple is also said to be working on separate RF and wireless charging chips to replace Broadcom-provided parts.


Report: Apple plans to use its own Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip in future iPhones



Keylogger-like behavior has some [Corsair K100](https://www.corsair.com/us/en/Categories/Products/Gaming-Keyboards/RGB-Mechanical-Gaming-Keyboards/K100/p/CH-912A01A-NA) keyboard customers concerned. Several users have reported their peripheral randomly entering text into their computer that they previously typed days or weeks ago. However, Corsair told Ars Technica that the behavior is a bug, not keylogging, and it's possibly related to the keyboard's macro recording feature.

A reader tipped us off to an ongoing thread on Corsair's [support forum](https://forum.corsair.com/forums/topic/179736-k100-keyboard-randomly-starts-typing-on-its-own/) that a user started in August. The user claimed that their K100 started typing on its own while they use it with a MacBook Pro, gaming computer, and KVM switch.

"Every couple of days, the keyboard has started randomly typing on its own while I am working on the MacBook. It usually seems to type messages that I previously typed on the gaming PC and it won't stop until I unplug the keyboard and plug it back in," the user, "brendenguy," wrote.



Corsair says bug, not keylogger, behind some K100 keyboards’ creepy behavior


This time of year is often weird tech concept season—companies show us gadgets that they've been tinkering with and may or may not sell. Chinese smartphone maker Oppo is getting started ahead of CES with an intriguing smart health tracker meant for the whole family. Like fitness trackers and smartwatches, Oppo's OHealth H1 family health monitor uses sensors to track various health stats. But unlike those wearables, the H1 prototype is meant to be held in your hand—or to the forehead, chest, or back—when taking readings.

Oppo shared a video today demonstrating this "concept prototype" as part of its fourth annual [Inno Day](https://www.oppo.com/en/events/innoday2022/) event, where the company has previously shown [confirmed products](https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/oppo-new-foldable-phone-solved-crease-problem/), like this year's [Bluetooth audio system-on-a-chip](https://www.oppo.com/en/marisilicon-y/), and [its concepts](https://www.androidauthority.com/oppo-retractable-camera-3072059/). The event has included [in-person attendance](https://www.oppo.com/en/newsroom/stories/everything-you-missed-at-oppo-inno-day-2019/) in the past, but this year’s event looks like it was just a video shared online Although only a concept, Oppo's calling the H1 the first product from its "smart healthcare sub-brand" launched this year, OHealth.

The H1 uses sensors and algorithms to provide ECG, heart rate, blood oxygen, and body temperature readings. It also claims to be able to track sleep, and through skin contact, Oppo says the H1 can perform heart and lung auscultation. Oppo said readings could be taken simultaneously or one at a time for better accuracy.


Oppo prototypes Magic Mouse-looking health tracker for the whole family


If you bought a MacBook with one of Apple's low-profile butterfly-switch keyboards, if you ever had the keyboard repaired, and if you live in California, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, or Washington state, good news! A judge has approved a $50 million settlement to a class-action lawsuit that Apple [agreed to in July](https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/apple-reaches-50-mln-settlement-over-defective-macbook-keyboards-2022-07-19/), meaning that payouts to affected users (and the attorneys involved) can begin soon.

[According to Macworld](https://www.macworld.com/article/1418084/judge-approves-macbook-keyboard-lawsuit-payout.html), there will be three tiers of payouts: $50 to people who had individual keycaps replaced, $125 to people who had one keyboard replacement, and $395 to people who had to go in for two or more replacements.

For those unfamiliar, MacBooks introduced between 2015 and 2019 used a new low-profile keyboard with a "butterfly" switch mechanism that saved space but also resulted in firmer keys that moved less than they did before. Early complaints were mostly subjective and centered on the keyboard's feel compared to previous scissor-switch designs. But as time passed, it became clear that butterfly-switch keyboards also [failed at a higher rate than the scissor-switch designs](https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/05/report-butterfly-macbook-pro-keyboards-require-more-frequent-more-expensive-repairs/). These problems [persisted](https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2019/03/apple-apologizes-for-failing-macbook-keyboards-yet-again/) despite [at least four major revisions](https://deskthority.net/wiki/Apple_butterfly_mechanism) to the butterfly-switch mechanism.


Judge approves $50 million settlement over broken MacBook butterfly keyboards

German airline Lufthansa decided, 17 months after their release, that AirTags in checked luggage could be considered "dangerous goods" under battery and transmission rules that didn't seem to actually apply to the tiny coin-battery devices. (credit: Getty Images)

It was a strange fate that Lufthansa and its customers should suffer so much fear and doubt for something as small as an Apple AirTag.

But suffer they did, because the German airline Lufthansa, seemingly misreading an International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) regulation, positioned itself this week as the only major airline banning people from tracking their checked luggage with AirTags. A representative for the company [tweeted Saturday](https://twitter.com/lufthansa/status/1578879849577385984) that it was "banning activated AirTags," following up Sunday that it was concerned the tiny CR2032 coin batteries and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) transmitters in Apple's tracking devices could be considered "[dangerous goods"](https://twitter.com/lufthansa/status/1579080657635930112) under ICAO rules.

Outcry, close reading of the relevant sections ([part 2, section C](https://twitter.com/filipverh/status/1579589602209599489)) of ICAO guidelines, and accusations of ulterior motives immediately followed. [AppleInsider noted](https://appleinsider.com/articles/22/10/09/lufthansa-airtags-ban-based-on-incredibly-bad-regulation-interpretation) that the regulations are meant for lithium-ion batteries that could be accidentally activated; AirTag batteries are not lithium-ion, are encased, and are commonly used in watches, which have not been banned by any airline. The site also spoke with "multiple international aviation experts" who saw no such ban in ICAO regulations. One expert told the site the ban was "a way to stop Lufthansa from being embarrassed by lost luggage."

Lufthansa awkwardly abandons AirTag ban after baffling face plant

[Enlarge](https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Screenshot-2022-09-07-at-2.10.41-PM-2.jpeg) / The iPhone 14 Pro includes a pill-shaped cutout that resizes dynamically as you use the phone. (credit: Apple)

CUPERTINO, Calif.—Apple's new flagship phones have been revealed and critics of the iPhone's design since 2017 will be happy to see that the company has taken a new approach to the camera and sensor notch at the top of the screen.

Instead of a notch descending from the top of the display, there's now what will appear to users as a pill-shaped cutout several pixels below the bottom to house the selfie camera, 3D sensor, and more. Called the "dynamic island," it takes up less of the screen overall by default, but it can resize itself to show different status indicators and other UI elements, blurring the line between the cutout and the rest of the screen.

Apple unveils iPhone 14 Pro & iPhone 14 Pro Max with pill cutout

Apple Unveils iPhone 14 Pro With Dynamic Island and Purple Color Option

iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max ditch the notch—sort of

If you've ever looked at a [360 Hz monitor](https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2021/12/from-360-hz-monitors-to-8000-hz-keyboards-2021-was-the-year-of-the-hertz/) and thought, "This isn't fast enough," here's something to look forward to. While we've seen monitor prototypes surpass 360 Hz, the highest native refresh rate you'll find on a PC display these days, it seems that AU Optronics (AUO) is working on panels that'll be available with an even snappier 480 Hz refresh rate.

Of course, not many would look at a screen updating with new information 360 times every second as lagging. But for very fast-paced action—like in a competitive game where words and items whizz by in an instant or where a few milliseconds of a delay could be the difference between a win or a loss—more speed is not only interesting but something that could be desirable not too far from now.

[![AUO highlighted a 480 Hz panel when promoting its presence at SID Display Week.](https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/monitor-980x503.jpg)](https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/monitor.jpg)

[AUO highlighted a 480 Hz panel when promoting its presence at SID Display Week.](https://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/monitor.jpg) (credit: [AUO/YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbT71TovBdc&t=63s))

As spotted by [TFT Central](https://tftcentral.co.uk/news/480hz-monitor-panel-spotted-and-its-24-in-size-has-a-1080p-resolution-and-is-tn-film?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=480hz-monitor-panel-spotted-and-its-24-in-size-has-a-1080p-resolution-and-is-tn-film) this week, AUO announced via a [YouTube video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbT71TovBdc) that it's working on a 24-inch PC monitor panel with a 480 Hz refresh rate and response time that's under 1 ms (the brand didn't get any more specific there). And it's aiming at gamers.

480 Hz desktop, laptop displays teased by PC panel-pusher AUO

A couple of years ago, Microsoft reformulated its Edge web browser with a backend based on Google's Chromium codebase. Since then, the company has tried to make Edge stand out primarily by adding on extra features, mostly related to privacy, security, and online shopping.

One interesting new experimental feature that could be coming to Edge soon is a Cloudflare-powered VPN feature, according to [a support document](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/use-the-microsoft-edge-secure-network-to-protect-your-browsing-885472e2-7847-4d89-befb-c80d3dda6318) published last week. A VPN (or virtual private network) provides an encrypted tunnel for all of your network traffic, shielding it from the view of other devices on the same network.

Using the VPN service, dubbed the "Microsoft Edge Secure Network," requires you to be signed in with a Microsoft account, just like cross-device syncing of bookmarks and extensions and plenty of other features. It provides up to 1GB of data per month, with no option to get more data if you want or need it—Edge will track your data usage and let you know when you're getting close to your limit.

Microsoft is testing a free 1GB-per-month VPN service in its Edge browser

For all the "wireless charging" tech available, there are still a lot of power cables slithering throughout homes. Even wireless charging stations require a cord. That's what makes the impending arrival of over-the-air wireless charging, which sends power without a cable or pad, exciting. Thus far, the technology has been limited to commercial uses in the US, but Belkin is expected to release a true wireless charging product for individuals this year.

California-headquartered Belkin offers a variety of consumer tech, including [wireless charging stands](https://www.belkin.com/us/magsafe-magnetic-accessories/magsafe/3-in-1-wireless-charger-with-magsafe-15w/p/p-wiz009/) supporting Apple MagSafe and [speakers](https://www.belkin.com/us/speakers-headphones/speakers/soundform-elite-smart-speaker-wireless-charger/p/p-g1s0001/). On Wednesday, it announced a partnership with Wi-Charge to create consumer products that support over-the-air charging. The Israel-based company says its technology uses infrared beams to send up to 1 W of power to devices within a range of up to 40 feet.

The announcement didn't specify what product Belkin would incorporate Wi-Charge tech, but Ori Mor, chief business officer and co-founder of Wi-Charge, told [TechCrunch](https://techcrunch.com/2022/04/27/wireless-charging-at-long-last-yay/) it would be "a center-stage consumer product" released sometime this year. Mor pointed to Belkin's businesses in charging accessories and smart home and powerline products as areas that would benefit from over-the-air charging.

Belkin to release cable-free wireless charging tech this year

Most Windows 11 preview builds focus on adding features, but sometimes Microsoft uses them to remove things. Users installing the latest Windows 11 Home Insider builds will find that support for version 1.0 of the venerable SMB file-sharing protocol is now disabled by default, something that may break file-sharing for older networked storage equipment. A post by Microsoft program manager Ned Pyle [details](https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/storage-at-microsoft/smb1-now-disabled-by-default-for-windows-11-home-insiders-builds/ba-p/3289473) the reasoning behind the change and how it will affect users.Microsoft had already disabled SMB1 by default in other editions of Windows. The SMB1 server service was removed from all Windows versions [starting in 2017](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/storage/file-server/troubleshoot/smbv1-not-installed-by-default-in-windows), and the client service was disabled in Windows 10 Pro editions starting in 2018. Lyle writes that the client in the Home editions of Windows came last since it will "cause consumer pain among folks who are still running very old equipment, a group that's the least likely to understand why their new Windows 11 laptop can't connect to their old networked hard drive."SMB1 has long since been replaced with newer and more secure versions of the protocol; SMB2 was introduced in 2007, and version 3.1.1 was added to Windows 10 in 2016. But the original is still occasionally used by old servers and equipment—and if a machine is old enough to rely on SMB1, it's probably old enough that no one is interested in maintaining or upgrading it.

Microsoft enters “final phase” of disabling SMB1 file-sharing in Windows 11

Google Fi's "unlimited" usage plans are getting a price drop and more generous high-speed data limits.

Google's [blog post](https://blog.google/products/google-fi/fi-unlimited-plans-now-start-20/) explaining the changes says the "Simply Unlimited" plans now start at $50 for one line instead of $60. High-speed data limits are increasing from 22GB to 35GB, and you're allowed 5GB of hotspot tethering to other devices (this presumably counts against your total data cap.) If you're on a family plan and are buying multiple lines from Google Fi, your prices will be going down, too. Two lines are now $40 each instead of $45, three lines are $25 each (down from $30), and four or more lines are $20 each instead of $30. Simply Unlimited doesn't have worldwide usage applications, but the plan works with unlimited calling in the US, Canada, and Mexico.

Fi also has an "Unlimited Plus" plan, which provides international data access in 200+ countries, no limits on tethering, up to four additional data-only SIMs for your plan at no extra cost, and 100GB of Google One cloud storage. Unlimited Plus is down $5 across the board, with the new prices starting at $65 for one line and ending at $40 for four or more lines. The high-speed data cap is up from 22GB to 50GB. Like with the other limited plan, users also get unlimited calls in the US, Mexico, and Canada.

Google Fi unlimited plans get lower prices, higher data limits

Since its launch, the Raspberry Pi OS (and most operating systems based on it) have shipped with a default "pi" user account, making it simpler to boot up a Pi and start working without needing to hook the device up to a monitor or go through a multi-step setup process. But as of today, that's changing—new installs of the Raspberry Pi OS are shedding that default user account for both security and regulatory reasons.

Raspberry Pi Foundation software engineer Simon Long explains the thinking [in this blog post](https://www.raspberrypi.com/news/raspberry-pi-bullseye-update-april-2022/).

"\[The "pi" user account\] could potentially make a brute-force attack slightly easier, and in response to this, some countries are now introducing legislation to forbid any Internet-connected device from having default login credentials," he writes.