If you’re an Android owner who uses wireless headphones or earbuds, remove them for a second and listen up: As first reported by WIRED, millions of audio devices from reputable brands like Sony, JBL, Anker, Sonos, and even Google itself are now facing a major security vulnerability that could allow hackers to eavesdrop on your conversations or track your location. There are ways to plug the hole, but you’ll need to jump through a few hoops to do it.

How the “WhisperPair” attack works

The vulnerability was first discovered by Belgium’s KU Leuven University Computer Security and Industrial Cryptography Group, and is being dubbed “WhisperPair.” It takes advantage of Android’s Fast Pair feature, which allows for convenient, one-tap connections to nearby Bluetooth devices, similar to what might pop up on your iPhone screen if you open an AirPods case near it. Unfortunately, according to the researchers, they’ve discovered that it’s possible for a malicious actor to essentially hijack the pairing process, giving them a hidden window into your audio device while still letting it connect to your phone or tablet, leaving you none the wiser.

“You’re walking down the street with your headphones on, you’re listening to some music. In less than 15 seconds, we can hijack your device,” KU Leuven researcher Sayon Duttagupta told WIRED.

OK, so a hacker can listen in on your headphones. Big whoop. But yes, actually. Big whoop indeed.

How this puts you at risk

Once a hacker pairs with your audio device, they can use it to eavesdrop on your microphones, listen in on any private conversations that might be coming through your speakers, play their own audio at whatever volume they want, and, if your device has Google Find Hub support, possibly even track your location.

That last vulnerability is the most concerning to me, although it’s also the hardest for hackers to pull off. Right now, it’s only been documented in the Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 and five Sony products, and requires you to have not previously connected them to an Android device or paired them with a Google account.

Still, even without location tracking, it’s certainly not ideal for a hacker to essentially have access to a microphone in your house at all times.

How to protect yourself

The researchers reached out to Google, which has come up with a series of recommended fixes—but here’s where the problems come in: These fixes need to be implemented by the accessory makers on an individual basis, and you’ll likely need to install them manually.

What that will look like differs based on what device you have. JBL, for instance, told WIRED that it has started pushing out over-the-air updates to plug the vulnerability, while Logitech said it has “integrated a firmware patch for upcoming production units.” Lifehacker is reaching out to other companies with affected products, and I will update this post when we hear back.

To ensure you get your device’s fixes when they roll out to you, the researcher who discovered WhisperPair suggests downloading its corresponding app—something most audio devices offer these days. “If you don’t have the [Sony app], then you’ll never know that there’s a software update for your Sony headphones,” KU Leuven researcher Seppe Wyns told WIRED.

On the plus side, if you happen to own an affected Google audio device, you should be in the clear—the company says it has already sent out fixes for them. Unfortunately, Google isn’t magic. The company also said it tried to update Find Hub to block the location tracking vulnerability for all devices, whether their manufacturer has updated them or not. Unfortunately, the KU Leuven researchers said they were able to bypass that one-size-fits-all fix within a few hours.

Unfortunately, Fast Pair can’t be disabled, so until your device’s manufacturer rolls out its own update, it will be vulnerable. There is a panic button you can hit if you notice unusual behavior in the meantime, as the researchers say that factory resetting your audio device will clear it of any hackers who have already paired to it. Unfortunately, that still leaves it vulnerable for new hackers going forward.

The risk is real but mostly theoretical for now

On the bright side, while the concerns here are quite real, Google says you don’t need to worry too much yet. The company told WIRED it has, “not seen any evidence of any exploitation outside of this report’s lab setting.” That means the researchers in question might be the first people to discover WhisperPair, although the researchers themselves are being a bit more cautious, as they question Google’s ability to observe audio hijacking for devices from other companies.

On that note, if you’re a smug iPhone user reading this, you shouldn’t feel too comfortable: WhisperPair could affect you too. While the vulnerability can’t originate on an Apple device, if you happen to connect a device that has already been hacked on an Android to your iPhone or iPad, then you’re in the same boat.

How to know if you’re at risk

I wish I could offer a simple solution that would instantly beef up the security on all of your devices, but unfortunately, staying safe from WhisperPair will take some vigilance on your part—in particular, looking out for an update from your device’s manufacturer. To check whether the WhisperPair vulnerability affects you, visit the researchers’ website and search for your device. It’ll tell you the manufacturer, whether it’s vulnerable, and what steps you can take to plug the vulnerability. Note that the short list that first pops up under the search bar doesn’t include every vulnerable device, so don’t assume you’re safe just because you don’t see yours there—search for it first.

Canada has agreed to drastically reduce its tariffs on imported Chinese EVs from 100 percent to 6.1 percent as part of a new deal between the two countries. In return, China will be reducing tariffs on Canadian canola seeds from 84 percent to about 15 percent.

The move is a break from the United States, which maintains a 100 percent tariff on EVs from China, effectively banning them in the country. Mexico currently tariffs the vehicles at 50 percent after increasing its rate last year.

Under the agreement, which Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney called “preliminary,” Canada will allow up to 49,000 Chinese EVs into the country, with that number rising to 70,000 after five years. Until now the three major North American trading partners had been aligned in trying to protect their domestic electric vehicle manufacturing. Chinese EV companies benefit from state subsidies, and as such can often be priced at a far better value than domestic alternatives.

“Our relationship has progressed in recent months with China. It is more predictable and you see results coming from that,” Carney said to reporters. A warmer relationship may be forming in response to the Trump administration’s tariff policies, with China hoping that alienated nations may seek a better relationship with the Eastern power.

As to concerns that cheaper electric vehicles from China could hurt the Canadian auto market, the prime minister was unconcerned, saying “it’s still in low, single-digit proportion of the size of the Canadian auto sector,” Carney added, “Canadians buy about 1.8 million autos a year.” China remains Canada’s second-largest trading partner after the United States.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/canada-cuts-tariffs-on-chinese-evs-as-part-of-new-deal-174241990.html?src=rss

X is still struggling with an outage that has intermittently taken the service offline and made it slow to load for much of the morning. According to X’s developer platform page, there is an ongoing incident related to streaming endpoints that’s caused increased errors. The incident started at 7:39AM PT, according to the page.

That roughly coincides with a spike in reports at Down Detector. The issues seems to be somewhat intermittent. At some points, X’s website has loaded partially and only shown older posts. At other times, the app and website have failed to load at all.

As of 9:30AM PT, X’s Explore and trending pages were loading, but the “following” tab wasn’t showing posts and instead suggested users “find some people and topic to follow” (as shown in the screenshot below).

X

X didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on the outage. As TechCrunch notes, this is the second time this week that X has experienced significant issues. The service also went down for many users around the world on Tuesday.

But while the current issues are widespread, it does seem that some posts are still managing to go through. Rival Bluesky, which earlier in the week changed its profile picture on X to its butterfly logo in a bikini, to took the opportunity to throw some shade.

X

Developing…

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/x-has-been-down-for-most-of-the-morning-171843527.html?src=rss

Verizon is offering affected customers a $20 account credit following a nationwide network outage on Wednesday that left users across the US unable to connect, forcing phones into SOS mode for roughly ten hours before the carrier restored service around 10:15PM ET.

Customers will receive a text message when the credit becomes available and can redeem it through the myVerizon app by clicking “Take action.”

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

We already knew something Ocarina of Time-related was coming from Nintendo and Lego in 2026, and now we know exactly what that set will look like. Weighing in at a surprisingly modest 1,003 pieces, the typically word salad-y Lego The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time – The Final Battle is the second Lego Zelda set, following the 2,500-piece Great Deku Tree set in 2024.

While the latter lets you choose between building either a Breath of the Wild or OoT-themed replica of the wise old guardian of the forest, the upcoming set is aimed squarely at fans of the series’ debut 3D outing. As you can probably guess from the name, it’s a brick-built tribute to Link and Princess Zelda’s climactic battle with Ganondorf in the seminal Nintendo 64 game, in what remains of the castle. Inside the rubble are three recovery hearts.

It’s hard to see how this works without a video, but Lego says you can release Link’s nemesis by pressing a button that raises him from the debris. As well as the minifigures for Zelda and Link — complete with his Master Sword and Hylian Shield — you also get a suitably transparent Navi to display. And then there’s the large poseable Ganon (the pig demon version of Ganondorf), which is probably the highlight of the whole set.

Interestingly, the new Ocarina of Time set is the first high-profile Lego announcement since unveiling its new Smart Brick at CES, but it looks like we’ll be playing with regular dumb Lego only here. You’ll just have to do the final Hyrule-saving “Hyah!” yourself, I guess.

Lego The Legend of Zelda : Ocarina of Time – The Final Battle is available to pre-order from today and will be available from March 1, priced at $130.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/the-latest-legend-of-zelda-lego-set-pays-tribute-to-ocarina-of-times-final-battle-172212137.html?src=rss

You know things are messed up when a Big Tech company fights accusations of union-busting by insisting it was only AI layoffs. That’s where things stand after a group of fired TikTok moderators in the UK filed a legal claim with an employment tribunal. The Guardian reported on Friday that around 400 TikTok content moderators who were unionizing were laid off before Christmas.

The workers were sacked a week before a vote was scheduled to establish a collective bargaining unit. The moderators said they wanted better protection against the personal toll of processing traumatic content at a high speed. They accused TikTok of unfair dismissal and violating UK trade union laws.

“Content moderators have the most dangerous job on the internet,” John Chadfield, the national officer for tech workers at the Communication Workers Union (CWU), said in a statement to The Guardian. “They are exposed to the child sex abuse material, executions, war and drug use. Their job is to make sure this content doesn’t reach TikTok’s 30 million monthly users. It is high pressure and low paid. They wanted input into their workflows and more say over how they kept the platform safe. They said they were being asked to do too much with too few resources.”

TikTok denied that the firings were union-busting, calling the accusations “baseless.” Instead, the company claimed the layoffs were part of a restructuring plan amid its adoption of AI for content moderation. The company said 91 percent of transgressive content is now removed automatically.

The company first announced a restructuring exercise in August, just as hundreds of moderators in TikTok’s London offices were organizing for union recognition. At the time, John Chadfield, CWU’s National Officer for Tech, said the workers had long been “sounding the alarm over the real-world costs of cutting human moderation teams in favour of hastily developed, immature AI alternatives.”

“That TikTok management have announced these cuts just as the company’s workers are about to vote on having their union recognised stinks of union-busting and putting corporate greed over the safety of workers and the public,” Chadfield said.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/tiktok-sued-by-former-workers-over-alleged-union-busting-170446921.html?src=rss

On Thursday, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) reported record fourth-quarter earnings and said it expects AI chip demand to continue for years. During an earnings call, CEO C.C. Wei told investors that while he cannot predict the semiconductor industry’s long-term trajectory, he remains bullish on AI.

TSMC manufactures chips for companies including Apple, Nvidia, AMD, and Qualcomm, making it a linchpin of the global electronics supply chain. The company produces the vast majority of the world’s most advanced semiconductors, and its factories in Taiwan have become a focal point of US-China tensions over technology and trade. When TSMC reports strong demand and ramps up spending, it signals that the companies designing AI chips expect years of continued growth.

“All in all, I believe in my point of view, the AI is real—not only real, it’s starting to grow into our daily life. And we believe that is kind of—we call it AI megatrend, we certainly would believe that,” Wei said during the call. “So another question is ‘can the semiconductor industry be good for 3, 4, 5 years in a row?’ I’ll tell you the truth, I don’t know. But I look at the AI, it looks like it’s going to be like an endless—I mean, that for many years to come.”

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Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff said this week that his company’s software engineering headcount has remained “mostly flat” over the past year as internal AI tools have delivered substantial productivity gains.

Speaking on TBPN, Benioff said he has about 15,000 engineers who are “more productive than ever.” The company has redirected its hiring efforts toward sales and customer engagement roles, hiring 20% more account executives this year as it pushes its Agentforce agentic AI service.

Human salespeople remain essential for explaining the “intricacies and nuances” of agentic AI to skeptical enterprise customers, he argued. Other parts of the business have seen deeper cuts. In a separate appearance on The Logan Bartlett Show, Benioff said that Salesforce had reduced its customer support workforce by roughly 50%.

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Bridgerton, Shonda Rhimes’ candy-colored, ultra-stylized period piece has been a legitimate sensation for Netflix, adapting the Julia Quinn novel series that itself owes plenty to Jane Austen (as does just about any Regency romance). With a large, rotating ensemble—led, perhaps, by Nicola Coughlan’s Penelope Bridgerton, who is ably assisted by Adjoa Andoh, Jonathan Bailey, Ruth Gemmell, Polly Walker, and Julie Andrews (as the voice of the mysterious Lady Whistledown)—the show revels in the tropes of the literature of the era while turning up the dial on sex, scandal, and drama. With four seasons and a spin-off, Bridgerton doesn’t show signs of slowing down—but it’s hardly the only hot period drama in town.

The Buccaneers (2023 – )

While not quite going full Bridgerton in terms of hyper-stylization, this 1870s-set adaptation of an unfinished Edith Wharton novel isn’t afraid to take several liberties in terms of costuming and music (see, for example, a key second season moment set to Sabrina Carpenter’s “Looking at Me.”) The buccaneers of the title are among the so-called dollar princesses of the era: Nan St. George (Kristine Froseth) and her friends are young women from upperclass American families on the make among the British aristocracy—the Americans get titles, and the English lords get to keep their frequently cash-poor estates running. What starts as soapy mercenary mission for the strong and spirited young women becomes a hunt for true love. It’s been renewed for a third season at Apple. Stream The Buccaneers on Apple TV+.

The Buccaneers

at Apple TV+

at Apple TV+

My Lady Jane (2024)

What if we did a steamy period drama involving England’s first (if only for nine days) queen, Jane Grey? But with an oppressed class of humans who can turn into animals? Based on a book from Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows, the show stars Emily Bader as the titular queenly contender, dealing with a dying king cousin, a sketchy marriage, and competition from sisters Elizabeth and Mary. The magic and shapeshifting make the whole thing sufficiently bonkers and a lot of fun, kicking off with the invocation: “She could have been the leader England needed. Instead, history remembers her as the ultimate damsel in distress. Fuck that.” Stream My Lady Jane on Prime Video.

My Lady Jane (2024)

at Prime Video

at Prime Video

The Great (2020 – 2023)

Catherine the Great had a little bit of a moment a couple of years back, kicked off by that high-profile HBO miniseries starring Helen Mirren. This is not that. The opening credits offer up that this is an “occasionally true story,” so you know what you’re in for. No real history lessons here, but a legitimately funny political satire, and of costume dramas in general, from the guy who co-wrote The Favourite, and starring everyone’s favourite Fanning alongside Nicholas Hoult. He plays Emperor Peter III, the husband who Catherine would ultimately overthrow, and the show plays on the sexual tension (and sometimes outright lust) between this married couple/political rivals always on the verge of either killing each other or ripping each other’s clothes off. Stream The Great on Hulu.

The Great

at Hulu

at Hulu

The Gilded Age (2022 – )

Julian Fellowes made period drama buzz-worthy with Downton Abbey, and does something similar here while shifting the time and place to the 1880s in New York City. We’re introduced to the world of upper and then extremely upper-class New York City society by Marian Brook (Louisa Jacobson), poor relation to the estranged aunties who take her in, and Peggy Scott (Denée Benton), a young Black writer from a solidly middle-class family who becomes a secretary to Christine Baranski’s Agnes van Rhijn. Old-money Agnes and sister Ada (Cynthia Nixon) live across the street from new-money social climbers the Russells (led with juicy imperiousness by Carrie Coon’s Bertha); established society isn’t keen on letting in these upstarts—though money very much talks. In one sense, the stakes here could not possibly be lower (Bertha wants a better seat at the opera! Twink footman invents a new clock!)—so why is the show so addictive? It’s been renewed for a fourth season. Stream The Gilded Age on HBO Max.

The Gilded Age (2022 – )

at HBO Max

at HBO Max

Sanditon (2019 – 2023)

Sanditon is based on Jane Austen’s final, incomplete work, which allows for plenty of creative leeway—it doesn’t have the stylistic whimsy of Bridgerton, but serves as a purer distillation of the regency-drama thrills that Austen bequeathed to us. Here, the wildly independent Charlotte Heywood (Rose Williams) sets out to reinvent herself while moving to the title’s growing seaside resort town (based, probably, on the real-life Worthing). She discovers that commercial prospects have drawn schemers and chancers to the area, creating a unique and vibrant social scene, with all of the balls and fancy costumes you’d expect. Naturally, romantic complications ensue when Charlotte gets judgy about the entrepreneurial Parker family and finds herself at odds with, and then getting close to, the wild youngest son, Sidney (Theo James). Stream Sanditon on PBS Passport or buy episodes from Prime Video.

Sanditon (2019 – 2023)

at PBS Passport

at PBS Passport

Dickinson (2019 – 2021)

Dickinson is so scrupulously weird that it gets points just for being unexpected. The most surprising thing about it, though, is that it’s not merely idiosyncratic—it’s good. The show imagines the life of 19th-century poet Emily Dickinson, with the conceit that she didn’t fit especially well in her own time, a fact the show reflects stylistically through the casual use of anachronisms and more modern sensibilities (think Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette or, for that matter, Bridgerton). It’s also beautifully filmed and acted, and impressively light for a show about a figure as mysterious and haunted as Emily herself. Stream Dickinson on Apple TV+.

Dickinson (2019 – 2021)

at Apple TV+

at Apple TV+

The Decameron (2024)

Moving the clock back a few centuries and heading to Italy, The Decameron is a funny, dark, ultimately surprisingly humane (after a fashion) show that takes on Giovanni Boccaccio’s 14th-century short story collection with Bridgerton-esque swagger. With the plague ravaging Florence, a bunch of nobles and attendants make their way to a countryside villa to wait out the plague and drain the liquor supplies. Rules and mores are turned upside down, particularly by the servant Licisca (Tanya Reynolds), who kind of accidentally kills her lady on the way to the villa and decides to take her place. Somehow, despite being about mostly terrible people, this makes for an entirely addictive binge experience that deserved a lot more attention than it got when it was released. Stream The Decameron on Netflix.

The Decameron (2024)

at Netflix

at Netflix

The Tudors (2007 – 2010)

The show may play fast and loose with history, but does remind us that the Tudors were far hornier than all those archbishops would have us believe. The show’s Jonathan Rhys Meyers is quite a bit hotter and probably a fair bit more lovable than the actual sociopathic, serial-killing Henry—but many of the women characters give as well as they get (both politically and in bed), particularly Natalie Dormer’s Anne Boleyn. Stream The Tudors on Paramount+ and Prime Video.

The Tudors (2007 – 2010)

at Paramount+

at Paramount+

Reign (2013 – 2017)

We didn’t come here for historical accuracy, and this CW drama isn’t offering much. Adelaide Kane stars as Queen Mary Stuart, better known as Mary, Queen of Scots, beginning the series as a teenage girlboss coming of age while also coming into her royal power. It’s soapy, sexy, and a little bit campy—which I absolutely mean as a compliment. Stream Reign on Prime Video.

Reign (2013 – 2017)

at Prime Video

at Prime Video

Washington Black (2025)

With much of the heightened style of Bridgerton, but a steampunk aesthetic, Washington Black follows a young genius (Ernest Kingsley Jr.), once enslaved, with as inventive a mind and spirit as any Jules Verne character as he comes under the mentorship of Sterling K. Brown’s Medwin Harris. That introduction to a larger world sets our lead off on a series of adventures that are whimsical without ignoring the particular dangers and challenges to be faced by a Black man in the 19th century. In the absence of more complex narratives about real historical figures, this show (and the Esi Edugyan novel on which it’s based) at least centers the notion that Black North American history included innovation, progress, and even joy. Stream Washington Black on Hulu.

Washington Black (2025)

at Hulu

at Hulu

The Cook of Castamar (2021)

Let’s head over to Madrid, just a few decades earlier than Bridgerton, where Clara Belmonte (Michelle Jenner) has just taken a job in the kitchens of the Duke of Castamar (Roberto Enríquez). He’s been a virtual recluse since the unexpected death of his wife, though now the King and various family members are pressuring him to get back on the horse, literally and figuratively, and fulfill his obligations as a noble. Clara, on the other hand, had developed a bit of agoraphobia following the execution of her father, and she’s perfectly content to toil in the gloomy kitchens rather than go outside. Of course, the grieving Duke takes notice of her just as he’s being plied with marriage prospects. Plenty of characters, subplots, and sex in this Spanish import. Stream The Cook of Castamar on Netflix.

The Cook of Castamar (2021)

at Netflix

at Netflix

The Law According to Lidia Poët (2023 – )

A fun and fast-moving historical crime drama, the show (heavily) dramatizes the live of the real-life Poët, Italy’s first female lawyer—disbarred as the series opens in 1883 because LADY LAWYER?! WHAT? While she fights the ruling, she takes a job at her brother’s law firm where, of course, she’s the real brains of the operation, solving big cases in grand period style (and with a fair bit of sex, as well). It’s been renewed for a third season. Stream The Law According to Lidia Poët on Netflix.

The Law According to Lidia Poët

at Netflix

at Netflix

Harlots (2017 – 2019)

Harlots takes the historical costume drama in unique directions, and deserved more attention than it got during its three-season run. Its women aren’t dressed in fancy dresses because they’re royalty, but because they’re high-end sex workers (if the title didn’t make clear) in Georgian England. When Margaret Wells moves her brothel to Soho, she comes into direct competition with her own former madam, who runs a high-end establishment in the same neighborhood. It’s got more sex and moves at a faster pace than more traditional period pieces, and the chess game between rival houses (as they both fight the male-dominated law enforcement establishment) makes for juicy entertainment. Stream Harlots on Hulu.

Harlots (2017 – 2019)

at Hulu

at Hulu

Gentleman Jack (2019 – 2022)

Though her love dared not speak its name, the real-life Anne Lister certainly had no problem putting words to it—something like five million of them across her many diaries. So many, in fact, that the production of this show necessitated new transcriptions of works that hadn’t been fully examined, despite having been written in the 1830s. Suranne Jones stars as Anne Lister, landowner and budding industrialist who returns to her inherited family estate only to discover that the neighbors are snatching coal from her land—and also that Ann Walker (Sophie Rundle), a wealthy estate owner, is looking pretty fine. It’s a clever, funny series, and its use of Lister’s prolific diaries gives it a real sense of verisimilitude in its depiction of a queer trailblazer. Stream Gentleman Jack on HBO Max or buy episodes from Prime Video.

Gentleman Jack (2019 – 2022)

at HBO Max

at HBO Max

Queen Charlotte (2023)

This one’s probably obvious, given its direct relationship, but, just in case you missed it, let’s give this Bridgerton spin-off series its due. Maintaining much of the original show’s style, but with a laser focus on the title character, Charlotte rather brilliantly crafts a passionate, tortured romance between the Queen (here played as a young woman by India Amarteifio, with Golda Rosheuvel reprising the role for the framing bits), and King George III (Corey Mylchreest). The pressures of royal life and the king’s growing mental illness create a rocky road for the young couple, but their passion is moving and deeply, deeply horny. Stream Queen Charlotte on Netflix.

Queen Charlotte (2023)

at Netflix

at Netflix