Month: January 2025
Tesla recalls 200,000 vehicles with faulty on-board computers
Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge, Getty Images
Tesla issued a recall for over 200,000 electric vehicles due to an issue with its latest computer hardware that can short circuit and disable some safety features including the rearview camera.
Tesla submitted the recall on January 6th, which acknowledges faulty computers are in some of the most recent builds of Model 3, Model Y, Model S, and Model X vehicles. It includes ones with manufacturing dates ranging as early as January 25th, 2023 for some Model Xs, and as late as December 16th, 2024 for some Model Ys (with other models overlapping in between).
The latest recall is due to non-compliance with the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which has stringent rules on rearview camera reliability. Tesla issued a separate recall for problematic rearview cameras in January 2024 and one for Cybertrucks with laggy rearview cameras in October. Both were fixed with over-the-air (OTA) software updates.
Tesla is again leveraging its OTA abilities to remedy this new recall, which started rolling out on December 18th and was added to newly manufactured vehicles on December 16th, according to the safety recall report.
But as Electrek reports, the update can’t fix the broader computer issue, which has been identified in 887 warranty claims and 68 field reports as of December 30th. The issues are reportedly affecting Tesla’s latest HW4 (also known as AI4) computers, which are supposed to support the company’s transition to full autonomy.
Tesla says it will replace computers in cars that don’t get fixed with the OTA update. But the company will undoubtedly need to replace them soon, especially if CEO Elon Musk wants to build out the robotaxi service he has promised for years.
Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge, Getty Images
Tesla issued a recall for over 200,000 electric vehicles due to an issue with its latest computer hardware that can short circuit and disable some safety features including the rearview camera.
Tesla submitted the recall on January 6th, which acknowledges faulty computers are in some of the most recent builds of Model 3, Model Y, Model S, and Model X vehicles. It includes ones with manufacturing dates ranging as early as January 25th, 2023 for some Model Xs, and as late as December 16th, 2024 for some Model Ys (with other models overlapping in between).
The latest recall is due to non-compliance with the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which has stringent rules on rearview camera reliability. Tesla issued a separate recall for problematic rearview cameras in January 2024 and one for Cybertrucks with laggy rearview cameras in October. Both were fixed with over-the-air (OTA) software updates.
Tesla is again leveraging its OTA abilities to remedy this new recall, which started rolling out on December 18th and was added to newly manufactured vehicles on December 16th, according to the safety recall report.
But as Electrek reports, the update can’t fix the broader computer issue, which has been identified in 887 warranty claims and 68 field reports as of December 30th. The issues are reportedly affecting Tesla’s latest HW4 (also known as AI4) computers, which are supposed to support the company’s transition to full autonomy.
Tesla says it will replace computers in cars that don’t get fixed with the OTA update. But the company will undoubtedly need to replace them soon, especially if CEO Elon Musk wants to build out the robotaxi service he has promised for years.
Engadget Podcast: That’s a wrap on CES 2025
We’re officially recovering from CES 2025! In this episode, Devindra and Senior Reporter Sam Rutherford dive into their favorite PCs from the show, NVIDIA’s RTX 5000 GPUs and debate the merits of Lenovo’s extra-large Legion Go S handheld. They explain why they like ASUS’s ultra-light Zenbook A14, and Sam gives us his final thoughts on Dell’s clunky brand transition.
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 podcast, Engadget News!
Subscribe!
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Topics
Lenovo’s surprising CES showing: ThinkBook Plus Gen 6’s rollable screen – 0:47
Legion Go S by Lenovo is the first third-party handheld to run SteamOS – 4:35
NVIDIA’s RTX 5000 seems great… – 10:16
…But Jensen Huang’s keynote on NVIDIA’s future lacked focus – 15:29
MicroLED TVs shown at CES are gorgeous and pricy – 30:11
Credits
Hosts: Devindra Hardawar and Sam RutherfordProducer: Ben EllmanMusic: Dale NorthThis article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/engadget-podcast-thats-a-wrap-on-ces-2025-171558731.html?src=rss
We’re officially recovering from CES 2025! In this episode, Devindra and Senior Reporter Sam Rutherford dive into their favorite PCs from the show, NVIDIA’s RTX 5000 GPUs and debate the merits of Lenovo’s extra-large Legion Go S handheld. They explain why they like ASUS’s ultra-light Zenbook A14, and Sam gives us his final thoughts on Dell’s clunky brand transition.
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 podcast, Engadget News!
Subscribe!
Topics
Lenovo’s surprising CES showing: ThinkBook Plus Gen 6’s rollable screen – 0:47
Legion Go S by Lenovo is the first third-party handheld to run SteamOS – 4:35
NVIDIA’s RTX 5000 seems great… – 10:16
…But Jensen Huang’s keynote on NVIDIA’s future lacked focus – 15:29
MicroLED TVs shown at CES are gorgeous and pricy – 30:11
Credits
Hosts: Devindra Hardawar and Sam Rutherford
Producer: Ben Ellman
Music: Dale North
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/engadget-podcast-thats-a-wrap-on-ces-2025-171558731.html?src=rss
This versatile MagSafe smartphone light can also charge your phone in a pinch
The Godox MA5R will be available for just $49.99. | Image: Godox
Godox, a company known for its professional photography gear like flashes and reflective umbrellas, has announced a new lighting product for smartphones. Its MA5R is a magnetic power bank with an array of diffused color-changing LEDs on the back that can improve phone photography while keeping battery anxiety in check. It’s priced at $49 and while you can preorder it through online specialty stores, official availability isn’t known.
The MA5R attaches to MagSafe-compatible iPhones, smartphones supporting the Qi2 wireless standard, or mobile devices upgraded with a magnetic ring on the back. It can also be used handheld, but Godox didn’t include a standard tripod mount for attaching it to stands — an odd omission given the company’s lineup of pro gear.
Image: Godox
The MA5R uses color-changing LEDs to reproduce a wide range of colors and color temperatures.
The accessory can be controlled through the Godox mobile app over Bluetooth, which allows its color temperature to be adjusted across a wide range — from 1800K (warmer) to 10000K (cooler) — so you can match the lighting in almost any environment. You can also opt for a wide range of colors if you’re looking for a more dramatic lighting effect, or choose one of “14 pre-programmed special effects” which could be useful when shooting video.
Image: Godox
The MA5R includes an additional smaller LED on other side that can be used to improve the lighting of selfies.
On the other side of the MA5R, next to its magnetic mount, is a small display showing battery life and lighting brightness. There’s also a smaller front-facing LED light that can be used to improve selfies by rotating the accessory while it’s attached to a phone. It offers a smaller range of color temperature adjustments between 2800K and 6500K.
The added lights mean the MA5R is 13 millimeters thick so it’s not exactly going to disappear when attached to your phone. And it’s only got a 5,000mAh battery inside. That’s enough to keep its LEDs running for up to three hours and 40 minutes at full brightness, or up to seven hours and 20 minutes at half brightness, but not quite enough to fully recharge many smartphones more than once.
Wireless charging also stops while the LEDs are turned on, so maybe think of the MA5R’s charging capabilities as a bonus feature for what looks like a solid portable lighting solution.
The Godox MA5R will be available for just $49.99. | Image: Godox
Godox, a company known for its professional photography gear like flashes and reflective umbrellas, has announced a new lighting product for smartphones. Its MA5R is a magnetic power bank with an array of diffused color-changing LEDs on the back that can improve phone photography while keeping battery anxiety in check. It’s priced at $49 and while you can preorder it through online specialty stores, official availability isn’t known.
The MA5R attaches to MagSafe-compatible iPhones, smartphones supporting the Qi2 wireless standard, or mobile devices upgraded with a magnetic ring on the back. It can also be used handheld, but Godox didn’t include a standard tripod mount for attaching it to stands — an odd omission given the company’s lineup of pro gear.
Image: Godox
The MA5R uses color-changing LEDs to reproduce a wide range of colors and color temperatures.
The accessory can be controlled through the Godox mobile app over Bluetooth, which allows its color temperature to be adjusted across a wide range — from 1800K (warmer) to 10000K (cooler) — so you can match the lighting in almost any environment. You can also opt for a wide range of colors if you’re looking for a more dramatic lighting effect, or choose one of “14 pre-programmed special effects” which could be useful when shooting video.
Image: Godox
The MA5R includes an additional smaller LED on other side that can be used to improve the lighting of selfies.
On the other side of the MA5R, next to its magnetic mount, is a small display showing battery life and lighting brightness. There’s also a smaller front-facing LED light that can be used to improve selfies by rotating the accessory while it’s attached to a phone. It offers a smaller range of color temperature adjustments between 2800K and 6500K.
The added lights mean the MA5R is 13 millimeters thick so it’s not exactly going to disappear when attached to your phone. And it’s only got a 5,000mAh battery inside. That’s enough to keep its LEDs running for up to three hours and 40 minutes at full brightness, or up to seven hours and 20 minutes at half brightness, but not quite enough to fully recharge many smartphones more than once.
Wireless charging also stops while the LEDs are turned on, so maybe think of the MA5R’s charging capabilities as a bonus feature for what looks like a solid portable lighting solution.
Disney, Fox and Warner Bros. Discontinue Venu Sports Streaming Service
Venu Sports, a joint venture between Disney, Fox and Warner Bros., was announced to great fanfare last year but was discontinued before it ever became available.
Venu Sports, a joint venture between Disney, Fox and Warner Bros., was announced to great fanfare last year but was discontinued before it ever became available.
Kuo: Foldable iPhone Entering Mass Production This Year
Apple’s first foldable iPhone is set to enter mass production in the second half of 2025, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
In a new post on Medium, Kuo said that the foldable iPhone remains in “the planning stage.” The device will reportedly be eSIM-only, just like Apple’s upcoming ultra-slim iPhone 17 model. Kuo said that the two devices will likely face hurdles in the Chinese market unless Apple modifies the design to support physical SIM cards.
Kuo said in 2021 that Apple would introduce the first foldable iPhone in 2025 or later, and display analyst Ross Young said in 2022 Apple had delayed its foldable iPhone until 2025.
Analyst Jeff Pu believes that a foldable iPhone could come out as soon as late 2026, while TrendForce believes it will come in 2027. The Information says that Apple could release a foldable iPhone with a clamshell design as soon as 2026. Kuo’s latest forecast suggests that the foldable iPhone is on track to be announced in late 2025 or in 2026, but a more specific timeframe remains unknown.
Kuo added that while the ultra-thin iPhone 17 may ship in higher volumes than the iPhone Plus, it likely won’t significantly boost iPhone sales overall, “partly due to downgraded components paired with a high price and a user experience similar to current models.”Tags: Foldable iPhone, Ming-Chi Kuo
This article, “Kuo: Foldable iPhone Entering Mass Production This Year” first appeared on MacRumors.comDiscuss this article in our forums
Apple’s first foldable iPhone is set to enter mass production in the second half of 2025, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
In a new post on Medium, Kuo said that the foldable iPhone remains in “the planning stage.” The device will reportedly be eSIM-only, just like Apple’s upcoming ultra-slim iPhone 17 model. Kuo said that the two devices will likely face hurdles in the Chinese market unless Apple modifies the design to support physical SIM cards.
Kuo said in 2021 that Apple would introduce the first foldable iPhone in 2025 or later, and display analyst Ross Young said in 2022 Apple had delayed its foldable iPhone until 2025.
Analyst Jeff Pu believes that a foldable iPhone could come out as soon as late 2026, while TrendForce believes it will come in 2027. The Information says that Apple could release a foldable iPhone with a clamshell design as soon as 2026. Kuo’s latest forecast suggests that the foldable iPhone is on track to be announced in late 2025 or in 2026, but a more specific timeframe remains unknown.
Kuo added that while the ultra-thin iPhone 17 may ship in higher volumes than the iPhone Plus, it likely won’t significantly boost iPhone sales overall, “partly due to downgraded components paired with a high price and a user experience similar to current models.”
This article, “Kuo: Foldable iPhone Entering Mass Production This Year” first appeared on MacRumors.com
Discuss this article in our forums
Viral ChatGPT-powered sentry gun gets shut down by OpenAI
But actual autonomous AI weapons systems are much more terrifying.
OpenAI says it has cut off API access to an engineer whose video of a motorized sentry gun controlled by ChatGPT-powered commands has set off a viral firestorm of concerns about AI-powered weapons.
An engineer going by the handle sts_3d started posting videos of a motorized, auto-rotating swivel chair project back in August. By November, that same assembly appeared to seamlessly morph into the basis for a sentry gun that could quickly rotate to arbitrary angles and activate a servo to fire precisely aimed projectiles (though only blanks and simulated lasers are shown being fired in his videos).
Earlier this week, though, sts_3d started getting wider attention for a new video showing the sentry gun’s integration with OpenAI’s real-time API. In the video, the gun uses that ChatGPT integration to aim and fire based on spoken commands from sts_3d and even responds in a chirpy voice afterward.
I saw wireless earbuds that are also air purifiers, and they claim to be a maskless mask
Listen to dope tunes and breathe cleaner
Like many world-changing events, new applications of existing technology can lead to some interesting concepts. For example, the Covid-19 pandemic led to the creation of masks featuring audio components. The controversial Razer Zephyr had external speakers, will.i.am’s Xupermask Honeywell collaboration had earbuds, and there was Dyson’s air purifier mask headphones combo, of course. Once the pandemic and the lockdown eventually concluded, the idea of wearable air filtration devices with audio listening devices sorta died down.
That idea is being revived by Ible, which is a Taiwanese company established in 2015. The company is currently known for its Airvida line of wearable air purifiers that look like necklaces. During CES 2025, Ible revealed its upcoming E1 & T1 wireless earbuds that double as air purifiers. Users can listen to music and take phone calls while the purifiers claim to provide something akin to an invisible face mask.
Though I couldn’t personally test the hardware, I visited the booth and spoke to the company, and both of these audio devices offer a different glimpse into the future where the best earbuds are health devices too, which is becoming more and more of a thing.
The Airvida E1 is a pair of neckband earbuds that merges a 25dB noise cancellation with an ionic air purifier. Weighing just 42 grams, the device is connected through Bluetooth and provides eight hours of battery life with audio or over 30 without audio. The device is charged through a magnetic charging cable. When it comes to sound quality, the E1 uses 13mm dynamic driver and multi-layer composite diaphragm for rich sound and robust bass.
Interestingly, it can be used as a desktop purifier when used with a stand, too. The Airvida Connect app offers real-time air quality updates, pollen alerts, and adjustable ion levels. This device claims to achieve 99.9% removal of PM2.5 particles and pollen allergens, along with 99.7% efficacy against Influenza A and SARS-CoV-2 viruses.
(Image credit: Future)
Meanwhile, the T1 looks to be the world’s first wearable ionic air purifier integrated with noise-cancelling earbuds. Like the T1, the audio device hopes to provide 99.9% protection against air pollutants, allergens, and viruses, while delivering superior sound quality with active noise cancellation and Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity.
Weighing 9.5g per earbud, they’re certainly hefty – something like AirPods Pro 2‘s buds weigh around 5g – and the battery life is fairly low at five hours of usic (or around 24 hours for air purification). The USB-rechargeable charging case offers three charges for extended use.
Still, 9.5g is light (and small) for an air-purifying solution, so we can forgive that. Generating over 30 million negative ions per cm³, it promises to effectively clean the air around the facial area. It comes with replacement earbud tips in three sizes, and two color options: Space Black and Pearl White. Aiming to be serviceable for various environments, it operates efficiently in temperatures from 0°C to 40°C and relative humidity of 30–85%.
Both E1 and T1 earbuds blend innovative air purification with advanced audio technology, and I hope they can live up to their claims and prove useful for people with respiratory issues, allergies or those attempting to avoid germs – and that the music can hold up too. What’s the point in breathing more clearly if the sound doesn’t put you in the mood to belt out some tunes?
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TechRadar will be extensively covering this year’s CES, and will bring you all of the big announcements as they happen. Head over to our CES 2025 news page for the latest stories and our hands-on verdicts on everything from 8K TVs and foldable displays to new phones, laptops, smart home gadgets, and the latest in AI.
And don’t forget to follow us on TikTok and WhatsApp for the latest from the CES show floor!
This devious macOS malware is evading capture by using Apple’s own encryption
The Banshee infostealer is now also targeting new victims.
Security researchers from Check Point Research recently find new variant of Banshee malware
The new variant uses encryption that allows it to blend with regular macOS operations
The campaign went unabated for two months
Cybersecurity researchers from Check Point Research recently uncovered a new version of the Banshee infostealer, capable of bypassing Apple’s built-in malware protection to grab sensitive data.
Banshee is a macOS-focused malware which emerged in mid-2024, designed to extract sensitive information such as system details, browser data, and cryptocurrency wallet information. Initially sold as a stealer-as-a-service for $3,000 per month, its source code was leaked in November 2024, leading to its broader dissemination.
Despite the operation being shut down, Banshee continued to live, being both developed, and distributed, by various hacking collectives.
Distribution through GitHub
Now, the new version seems to be somewhat more dangerous, and is most likely built by a different threat actor. According to the researchers, Banshee now uses string encryption from Apple’s XProtect, allowing it to blend with normal device operations and avoid being detected. XProtect is macOS’s built-in antivirus system that identifies and blocks known malware using regularly updated signature-based detection.
Furthermore, it no longer avoids Russian users, which could signal that it was built by a different team. This latest campaign seems to have started in September 2024, and continued unobserved for roughly two months.
While it is impossible to know exactly how many devices are infected with Banshee, we do know that it’s being distributed via GitHub repositories. Threat actors are impersonating legitimate software, and are betting on software developers being careless when downloading content from the open-source platform.
Check Point says that the same operators are also going after Windows users, but through Lumma Stealer, not Banshee. The researchers also stressed that macOS continues to gain popularity, thus becoming an increasingly attractive target.
“Despite its reputation as a secure operating system, the rise of sophisticated threats like the Banshee MacOS Stealer highlights the importance of vigilance and proactive cyber security measures,” they concluded.
Via BleepingComputer
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