Researchers have discovered that the XCSSET malware has started targeting M1-equipped Macs via Xcode, The Hacker News reported Monday and has been updated to compromise accounts on various cryptocurrency trading platforms.
Xcode is the integrated development environment (IDE) used to make apps for the iPhone, iPad, and other Apple hardware. Even if a cross-platform framework is used to develop a particular app, it must pass through Xcode to reach those platforms.
That means XCCSET is limiting itself to technically savvy people who, if we had to guess, would be more likely to own cryptocurrency than the average Mac owner. Targeted attacks like this are often more successful than broader ones.
Kaspersky warned that XCSSET had been updated for Apple’s custom silicon in March. The malware wasn’t focused on cryptocurrency at the time, the security company said. Instead, it featured a variety of modules that were designed to:
Reading and dumping Safari cookies
Injecting malicious JavaScript code into various websites
Stealing user files and information from applications, such as Notes, WeChat, Skype, Telegram, etc.
Encrypting user files
Trend Micro then warned on April 16 that XCSSET had been updated to bypass security features introduced with macOS Big Sur, change the icons it uses to match system icons, and attempt to gain access to victims’ accounts on crypto platforms.
The company’s advice was clear: “To protect systems from this type of threat, users should only download apps from official and legitimate marketplaces,” it said. But that’s hard to do when it comes to finding Xcode projects to work with or learn from.
XCSSET’s expansion to cryptocurrency makes sense. The value of Bitcoin, Ethereum, and even Dogecoin has continued to rise in recent months, and stealing coins from someone else is probably requires fewer resources than mining them would.
Adding support for Apple’s custom silicon was also prudent. Devices featuring the M1 chip have been well-reviewed, and with Apple’s plan to ditch Intel entirely by the end of 2022, it makes sense to start targeting its chips now.
Other malware creators appear to agree. We saw reports of the first malware targeting Apple silicon in February, and in March, the Silver Sparrow malware was discovered on approximately 30,000 macOS devices, some of which had M1 chips.
Apple is officially launching a Tile-like item tracker that will work with the company’s software and services. Dubbed AirTag, the small circular tag will allow you to track items within Apple’s “Find My” app on iOS. Much like Tile, Apple’s AirTags will be useful for tracking items like keys or wallets, and you’ll be provided with notifications when you’re separated from your item.
Details about AirTags first appeared in copies of the iOS 13 beta nearly two years ago, and the AirTags name was also spotted in iOS 13.2. Apple accidentally confirmed the AirTags name in a deleted support video last year, too. Following the rumors, it has taken Apple a considerable amount of time to make AirTags a reality.
Apple will clearly be competing with Tile with its AirTags, but the location-tracking company has been attempting to embed its technology directly into Bluetooth chips in recent years. Tile has previously teamed up with Qualcomm, Dialog Semiconductor, Silicon Labs, and Toshiba to include Tile compatibility as an option on devices. Tile has also embedded its location-tracking network into gadgets from Boosted and Bose, and is prepping its own AirTags competitor that could let you find lost items through walls.
Apple will certainly face some competition from Tile’s broader reach here, but the deeper integration with iOS and iPhones will be a significant challenge for Tile and other competitors like Samsung’s $29.99 Galaxy SmartTags. Apple’s launch of AirTags comes nearly a year after Tile filed a complaint with the European Commission, accusing Apple of anti-competitive behavior. Tile argues that Apple’s iOS 13.5 update to Bluetooth settings has disadvantaged third-party tracking products in favor of Apple’s own Find My app that doesn’t include the same restrictions by default.
Apple has strenuously denied the allegations, and the company has even opened up its Find My app to third-party products recently. Devices will need to play by Apple’s Made for iPhone (MFi) accessory rules, so companies will need to apply to get certified and have their products tracked in the Find My app. Apple is also offering a chipset specification for third-parties to integrate with the Ultra-Wideband found in Apple’s latest iPhones.
Developing… we’re adding more to this post, but you can follow along with our Apple “Spring Loaded” live blog to get the news even faster.
iPads? AirTags? AirPods? There could be a lot on tap today
Apple seemingly has a big backlog of products to announce. We’ve been anticipating new iPad Pros, AirTags, AirPods, an Apple TV, and just maybe a new iMac with Arm-based Apple Silicon. The tagline for today’s event, “Spring Loaded,” seems to be a hint that today’s live stream will be chock-full of new stuff. All signs, however, point to new iPad Pros being the star of the show.
And it might not be just hardware. Apple is increasingly pushing its own services. Perhaps there will be more on tap today to fill out its Apple One bundle. Obvious candidates are some kind of premium podcast option or maybe even an HD option for Apple Music, but the Apple TV Plus service could also stand to get some more premiere content and today’s stream might be a good place to announce it.
There are a lot of possibilities, but only Apple knows which of them it’s choosing for this “loaded” live stream.
We hope to find out ourselves soon. The event kicks off at 10AM PT / 1PM ET, and we’ll be live-blogging all of the announcements from the live stream.
If you aren’t sure whether a TV or computer monitor will suit your needs better, why not get a display that’s a little of both? Samsung’s 32-inch 1080p Smart Monitor M5 looks like a monitor with its small bezels and stand, but it has access to TV streaming apps, including Netflix, YouTube, Apple TV, and more without the need for extra hardware. The reason I’m sharing this info today is because it’s $50 off at Amazon, down to $230 (via 9to5Toys).
You can find a larger 4K TV for this price, but the M5 has a few other features up its sleeve that might appeal to you. It can be mounted to your wall or a monitor arm, its remote supports Google Assistant and Alexa, and it’s even AirPlay 2-compatible. This model has two HDMI ports, two USB-A 2.0 ports, and built-in speakers. You can read more about it in our previous coverage.
Samsung Monitor M5 (32-inch)
$230
$280
18% off
Prices taken at time of publishing.
Samsung’s Smart Monitor M5 has a 1080p screen and the ability to natively access TV and movie streaming services like YouTube, Netflix, and Apple TV. It also supports AirPlay 2.
$230
at Amazon
Razer’s Viper Ultimate wireless gaming mouse that includes an RGB-filled charging dock is back down to its lowest price on Amazon and Best Buy. Normally $150, it’s $100. This model is worthy of consideration if you’re looking for a comfortable gaming mouse that’s not too big, and one that has a true ambidextrous design. Both sides of the Viper Ultimate have thumb buttons, making it suitable for left- or right-handed gamers. Amazon currently offers the black, white, and pink models for this price.
Razer Viper Ultimate
$100
$150
34% off
Prices taken at time of publishing.
Razer’s true ambidextrous wireless gaming mouse, the Viper Ultimate, includes a charging dock. This model has a 20,000 DPI optical sensor, and Razer claims it features 70-hour battery life.
$100
at Amazon
$100
at Best Buy
Amazon’s Eero 6 mesh Wi-Fi bundle that includes one Eero 6 router and an extender is $40 off. Normally $199, it costs $159 to add a significant boost in signal coverage to your home. The router has two Ethernet ports so you can wire it to your modem, as well as one other device or a switch, but the extender has no ports other than the USB-C port that powers it.
Gamers who have a PS4 or PS5 and are connected to the internet can snag a free copy of Horizon Zero Dawn: Complete Edition. Sony has been giving away some games during the last few months because of the pandemic, and it is likely to compete with Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass, which has been adding many new games for its subscribers recently. Either way, you don’t need a PS Plus membership to download it, so be sure to do that before May 14th.
HP pledged to slash its still-growing greenhouse gas emissions in half this decade, compared to 2019 levels. It plans to reach “net zero” emissions by 2040, meaning that it won’t release more climate pollution than it can draw down from the atmosphere.
Those targets fall in line with what scientists have found is necessary globally to stave off the worst effects of climate change. It also follows climate commitments made recently by Apple and Dell. Apple has a faster-approaching deadline of achieving net zero emissions by 2030. Dell pledged in 2019 to cut planet-heating pollution from its operations and electricity use in half this decade.
HP’s plan to reduce emissions is on a shorter timeline than Dell’s. Dell plans to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, ten years later than HP. And unlike Dell, HP also pledged to halve emissions for which it’s indirectly responsible this decade. That includes pollution from supply chains and from the use of its products.
Environmental advocates are pushing companies to grapple with indirect emissions because they typically make up the biggest share of a company’s overall carbon footprint. That’s the case for HP, whose pollution has grown in this area for the past few years even as its other emissions have fallen. As business grew, the company’s overall carbon footprint grew by 5 percent in 2019 compared to the year before.
HP plans to focus on using more renewable energy while making its products more energy efficient. It also says it will turn to electric vehicles and alternative fuels to ship products, and it will push its suppliers to make similar CO2 pollution reductions.
Beyond addressing climate change, HP also announced initiatives to protect forests and reduce waste. By the end of the decade, it says that 75 percent of its total annual product and packaging content will be made with recycled, reused, or renewable materials. Last year, the company achieved its goal of sourcing 99 percent of materials for its paper products from recycled sources or responsibly managed forests. Now it wants to make up for deforestation caused by other companies by upping its investments in restoring forests.
Whenever Apple decides to schedule an event, you know there are going to be some interesting products introduced, with at least one major device taking center stage and perhaps one or two surprise entries.
Current rumors have Apple introducing 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro models, the latter with Apple’s first Mini LED display. There may also be a new Apple Pencil stylus to go with it.
What else? We could see Apple’s long-awaited AirTags, device trackers that are set to go up against Tile, the current leader in that particular market. There is the possibility of a new iPod Mini, a third-generation version of the AirPods, a new model of the Apple TV (which was released in 2017), and the official release of iOS 14.5.
Anything more? Well, that’s always a possibility. Be here at 1PM ET and find out.
WHAT TIME IS THE APPLE “SPRING LOADED” EVENT?
You’ll have to tune into the live stream, which starts at 10AM PT / 1PM ET today, Tuesday, April 20th. The event will likely be available to watch again after it concludes, so you’re not stuck if you miss out on the debut stream.
WHERE CAN I WATCH THE APPLE EVENT?
As always, Apple is hosting the stream on its site. Alternatively, it’s streaming on YouTube. The YouTube stream is embedded up at the top, so feel free to stick around.
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On paper, the Surface Laptop 4 is a Surface Laptop 3 with better chips.
In look and feel, very little has changed from the last generation. Sure, there are differences here and there: the Laptop 4 is ever-so-slightly thinner, and there’s a new “Ice Blue” color option. But you get the same 3:2 touchscreen, the same port selection, and the same design.
The big changes are on the inside. You can configure both the 13.5-inch and 15-inch Surface Laptop models with either Intel’s 11th-Gen processors or AMD’s Ryzen 4000 processors. Microsoft promised that these improvements would deliver significantly better performance and battery life than the previous Surface generation.
So this review will largely focus on the new system’s performance. But my priority wasn’t to compare the 15-inch Surface Laptop 4 that we received to its predecessor. For one, the Laptop 3 set a low performance bar — it had mediocre battery life, and couldn’t even play a 4K 60FPS video without stuttering, so even a competent budget laptop would blow that out of the water. But more importantly, there’s another company out there that recently made a huge chip upgrade to its flagship models, which has left most other 2020 chip upgrades in the dust: Apple, with its Arm-based M1. So my big question when looking at AMD’s new Ryzen 7 Surface Edition (also known as the AMD Ryzen 7 4980U Microsoft Surface Edition because of course it is) is: Does it beat Apple’s M1?
The answer is no. For the most part, it’s still not quite as good. But that may not matter to Surface Laptop 4 buyers — at least, not yet.
First, a quick tour of the Ryzen 7 Surface Edition. This chip isn’t AMD’s top gun; it’s part of the Ryzen 4000 generation, and the Ryzen 5000 mobile series has been out for a few months now. It’s a bit disappointing to see that the Surface is still using the older Ryzen chips, since much of the new generation is based on a new architecture (Zen 3, to the 4000 series’s Zen 2) that has delivered performance gains.
Of course, that doesn’t make the Ryzen 7 4980U a bad chip. Ryzen 4000 chips outperform Intel’s 10th Gen Comet Lake processors across the board. The 4980U in particular has eight cores, and AMD’s excellent Radeon integrated graphics. Note that the M1 also has eight cores, but those cores aren’t created equal. An easy way to think of it is that AMD’s chip has eight all-around-pretty-good cores, while Apple’s chip has four high-performance cores and four weaker cores. You’ll see that difference reflected in our benchmark results later on.
In addition to that processor, the 15-inch Surface Laptop 4 I reviewed comes with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. It costs $1,699. The most comparable M1 MacBook Pro is also $1,699. If you’re not looking to spend that much, you can get the 15-inch Laptop 4 for as low as $1,299 for 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, which puts it neck-in-neck with the entry-level MacBook Pro, but with a bigger screen. The 13.5-inch Laptop 4 is priced more closely to the fanless MacBook Air, starting at $999 for a Ryzen 5 4680U, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. Then, there are the Intel models. You can get a 13.5-inch system with a Core i5 starting at $1,299 (also with 8GB of RAM and 512GB of storage), and a 15-inch system with a Core i7 starting at $1,799 (16GB of RAM, 512GB of storage). It’s all quite confusing, so I recommend visiting Microsoft’s site for yourself to mix and match.
The 13.5-inch model comes in Platinum, Ice Blue Alcantara, Matte Black, and Sandstone. The 15-incher comes in Platinum and Matte Black.
To see how our test system stacks up, I ran various synthetic benchmarks as well as a 5-minute, 33-second 4K video export in Premiere Pro. See the results below:
Surface Laptop 4 15-inch benchmarks
Benchmark
Score
Benchmark
Score
Cinebench R23 Multi
8144
Cinebench R23 Single
1242
Cinebench R23 Multi looped for 30 minutes
8077
Geekbench 5 CPU Multi
7028
Geekbench 5 CPU Single
1163
Geekbench 5 OpenCL / Compute
14393
PugetBench for Premiere Pro
176
Right off the bat, this system is a huge improvement over the Surface Laptop 3. It took 16 minutes and 33 seconds on the video export, where its predecessor took over three hours. (16:33 is a slower time than we’ve seen from many Intel models, but that’s expected since AMD chips don’t support Intel’s Quick Sync.) The Laptop 4 also beats multi-core synthetic results we’ve seen from Intel’s top Tiger Lake chips in the MSI Prestige 14 Evo and the Vaio Z, as well as the 16-inch Intel-based MacBook Pro,
Intel models max out at a quad-core Core i7-1185G7.
But the more interesting comparison is to the M1 machines. The Surface Laptop 4 solidly beats both the MacBook Pro and the MacBook Air on Cinebench R23 Multi, and that task alone — it lost to both machines on every other test we ran, including all three Geekbench tests, the Puget for Premiere Pro benchmark, and the Premiere Pro export. That may seem confusing but (again) it makes sense when you think about the architecture of both chips — the Ryzen chip does better on the task where it can show off all eight of its powerful cores. That indicates that you’ll do well with the Surface Book if you’re running heavy multicore workloads, where you’re more suited to the M1 if you’re primarily doing pretty much anything else.
Of course, that’s far from the whole story. The reality is that most people who want a 15-inch screen probably don’t care if there’s a better-performing 13-inch machine floating around. And the MacBook that’s comparable in size — the MacBook Pro 16 — is significantly more expensive than the Surface Laptop 4, and comes with older Intel chips. So why am I comparing this device to M1 systems, you may ask? Really, I’m benching this laptop against an imaginary 16-inch M1 MacBook Pro, which (rumor has it) will launch sometime in the third quarter of this year. Given the results I’m seeing here, the release of a machine like that would make the Surface Laptop 4 a tougher purchase to justify.
That said, there are two big advantages the Ryzen-powered Surface Laptop 4 could very well have over a 16-inch M1 MacBook. The first is battery life. I got an average of 10 hours and 52 minutes using this device as my primary driver, which is some of the best battery life I’ve ever seen from a 15-inch laptop, and one of the best results I’ve seen from a laptop this year. That beats both of the M1 MacBooks, and destroys the 16-inch Intel MacBook as well. If there’s an area where Microsoft really makes its case, it’s here.
The Laptop 4 also knocks cooling out of the park. The Laptop 4’s fans did a really excellent job cooling the system. Throughout my fairly standard load of office multitasking (including around a dozen Chrome tabs, Spotify streaming, and the like), the chassis remained downright cold. During the more intense tests I ran, the CPU remained steadily in the mid-70s (Celsius) with occasional spikes up to the mid-80s — jumps up to 90 were rare. I was able to run our 4K video export several times in a row without any negative impact on results, and I didn’t see a huge dip in Cinebench results over a 30-minute loop either.
The screen maxed out at 370 nits — a bit dim for outdoor use, as you can see here.
If you’re a fan of the 15-inch Surface Laptop’s design, you’ll be happy to know it hasn’t changed much. One of the big advantages of this device is how thin and light it is, at just 0.58 inches thick and 3.4 pounds. For context, it’s almost a pound lighter than the 16-inch MacBook Pro, and over half a pound lighter than the lightest Dell XPS 15. It’s actually only a bit heavier than the 13-inch MacBook Pro.
With that said, those who aren’t diehard Surface fans may find the Laptop 4’s design a tad dated. In particular, the bezels around the 3:2 screen are quite chunky. That makes sense on a convertible device like the Surface Book 3 or the Surface Pro 7, which you need to be able to hold as a tablet, but doesn’t fit as well on a clamshell. If you put the Laptop 4 next to any member of the XPS line, you’ll see how much sleeker and more modern the latter looks. That doesn’t mean the Laptop 4 is ugly; it’s just falling further behind other Windows laptops each year.
The port selection is also the same, which is good news and bad news. The Laptop 4 retains a USB-A port, which I stubbornly believe is still a necessity for modern laptops (looking at you, Apple and Dell). But there is just one, and neither the Intel or AMD model supports Thunderbolt on their lone USB-C ports, which is disappointing on a laptop at this price. The Surface Laptop could certainly do with more port options, even if it’s competitive with what Apple and Dell are offering in terms of numbers. (In addition to the USB-A and USB-C, you get a headphone jack and Microsoft’s proprietary charging port.)
The Windows Hello webcam is fine, delivering a serviceable picture, and the dual far-field microphones had no trouble picking up my voice. The speakers, which now support Dolby Atmos 9, sound quite clear, with good volume and bass and percussion that are audible (though not booming). Despite having Atmos speakers, our Laptop 4 unit didn’t come preloaded with Dolby Atmos software or anything similar to tune the audio.
All 15-inch models have an aluminum body.
My least favorite part of this laptop is the keyboard. It’s just a bit flat and mushy for my taste. I respect that some people prefer wider, flatter keycaps, of course. But I would take an XPS 15, MacBook, or Surface Book keyboard over this one — it’s just not quite as snappy or satisfying.
Overall, it’s tough to identify a true competitor to the 15-inch Surface Laptop 4. Put it next to a Windows workstation like the $1,200 entry-level Dell XPS 15 and the Surface wins on power, battery life, and weight. It’s a good purchase for someone who wants an excellent combination of efficiency and multicore performance in a 15-inch chassis, but doesn’t need the grunt of a discrete GPU.
The keyboard is backlit and has 1.3 mm of travel.
But that window of opportunity may be closing, because there’s very likely a larger M1 MacBook Pro on the way. I think there’s a good argument that people in the group described above (who don’t need a device right this second) should sit back and wait to see what Apple does in the next few months before committing to Microsoft’s machine, provided they don’t have a hard preference for operating systems.
On the other hand, even if the larger MacBook Pro is spectacular, there are some advantages the Laptop 4 will certainly retain (it runs Windows, and it’s built like a Surface Laptop) and some it will probably retain (it’ll likely be lighter than the MacBook Pro 16). And, of course, plenty of people need a laptop right now. In today’s market, among today’s 15-inch laptops, the Surface Laptop 4 is a pretty damn good buy. Microsoft didn’t change much about the outside — but on the inside, it really pulled through.
Samsung has quietly announced a new wireless keyboard, the Smart Keyboard Trio 500. According to a listing on Samsung’s store spotted by Max Jamborit’s a compact wireless keyboard with a very similar design to the likes of Apple’s Magic Keyboard, but with an interesting Samsung twist — a DeX shortcut to use the desktop-style interface on compatible Samsung devices.
DeX has been around since launching on the Galaxy S8 back in 2017, and allows you to access select Samsung phone or tablet’s apps in a windowed-interface similar to a desktop computer. But despite receiving new features and updates with subsequent phone releases, it’s yet to become the true desktop replacement Samsung initially pitched it as. Giving it an eye-catching button probably won’t change that, but it could still work as a little advertisement to use the feature, similar to Netflix’s ubiquitous TV remote buttons.
The keyboard can be paired with up to three devices, and switch between them.Image: Samsung
Beyond DeX, the Smart Keyboard Trio 500 has a couple of other tricks up its sleeve. There are customizable shortcut buttons to open your commonly used apps (though this is only compatible with Samsung devices running One UI 3.1 from march 2021 or later). The keyboard can also be paired with up to three devices, and switch between them using shortcut keys. It draws power from AAA batteries, which suggests it’s not rechargeable.
Samsung hasn’t listed a price or release date on its page for the Smart Keyboard Trio 500, but with an Unpacked event coming up on April 28th we could get an official unveiling soon.
Apple’s long-rumored AirTags trackers could launch alongside a wide array of third-party accessories, if retailer listings and leaked photos pulled together by MacRumorsare accurate. eBay and Etsy sellers, and even Walmart, are already selling keychains to attach the trackers to a set of keys. Images of apparent silicone straps have also leaked, showing how the trackers could be strapped to bigger items.
After being rumored for over a year, Apple’s Tile-like trackers are widely expected to be officially announced later today at its Spring Loaded event. Reports indicate the trackers themselves will be small discs equipped with Bluetooth and ultra-wideband radio chips, which users can track with Apple’s Find My app. At this point they’ve been leaked basically everywhere: iOS code, analyst reports, and even a support video from Apple.
While there’s no guarantee that these accessory manufacturers are working off official information supplied by Apple, these leaks give a good indication of how they plan on supporting the trackers once they’re official. They follow earlier leaks from January about AirTags accessories from Nomad and Spigen sub-brand Cyrill.
Apple’s approach to attaching AirTags to your personal belongings is different from Tile, its main competitor in the space. Tile produces trackers in a variety of different form-factors depending on what they’re designed to track, whether it’s a credit card shaped device for a wallet, or a tracker with a hole that’s designed to go on a keychain. In contrast, Apple seems to be producing just a single form-factor, and relying on accessories to attach it to your belongings. It’s an interesting difference that might make Apple’s trackers more versatile, albeit slightly worse tailored to some cases.
Apple’s Spring Loaded event is due to take place later today at 1pm ET, where the AirTags are expected to be announced alongside the company’s new iPad Pro lineup and more. You’ll be able to watch along live on Apple’s Event website or YouTube.
VanMoof S3 with PowerBank arriving at Castricum aan Zee from Amsterdam.Photo by Thomas Ricker / The Verge
We put a new 2021 S3 model to the test on a three-hour ride
VanMoof, maker of some of our favorite electric bikes, just announced the PowerBank, a range extender that also charges the internal battery of the company’s S3 and X3 models. Not only does the emotional-support battery promise to ease range anxiety by extending VanMoof e-bike commutes by a claimed 45 to 100 km (28 to 62 miles), it also addresses VanMoof’s biggest limitation: non-removable batteries that enable a sleek look, but could necessitate hauling the 19-kg (42-pound) bikes indoors to be charged.
I’ve had a new VanMoof S3, improved for 2021 (more on that later), with the PowerBank since Friday. After 3 hours in the saddle on two 90-minute rides, I can attest to the extended range and more convenient charging. It’s not cheap and it’s not perfect and I didn’t go quite as far as VanMoof claims, but the PowerBank makes a compelling case for purchase.
The 378Wh capacity PowerBank attaches in seconds (about 20 of them). It has an on / off button so you can choose when it charges the larger 504Wh battery found inside both the full-sized S3 and smaller X3 e-bikes. It charges from a standstill or while riding, and adds an extra 2.8 kg (6.2 pounds) to the total weight of the bike. That’s a reasonable (and unnoticeable) tradeoff if it means never having to carry the bike up the stairs to your apartment again. It also adds $348 / €348 / £315 to the cost of a bike that already starts at $1,998 / €1,998 / £1,798.
The PowerBank sits in a permanent mount you must first attach to the S3 or X3 e-bikes. The PowerBank battery then wedges into the frame and locks in place with a supplied key, and is further secured with two velcro straps. A third velcro strap is used to keep the charging cable from flopping around as it snakes up to the underside of the top tube and into the bike’s charging port. I rode on some rather bumpy brick roads and didn’t hear a single rattle from the assembly.
The thick velcro straps, while being inelegant, blend nicely into the dark black S3 model. But the straps and bulky battery are visually jarring on the smaller, light blue X3 e-bike.
Light blue VanMoof X3 fitted with a PowerBank. Eww.Image: VanMoof
While a first for VanMoof, range extenders are not uncommon amongst e-bike makers, especially for electric mountain bikes. Last month Specialized announced the Como SL commuter e-bike with an optional $449.99 range extender that it says adds about 31 miles (55 km) of range.
Over the weekend I tested a PowerBank fitted to a brand new VanMoof S3 on a 76.7 km (47.7 miles) round trip from Amsterdam to the coastal hamlet of Castricum aan Zee, and back. That’s beyond the 60 km stated range of a VanMoof ridden at max power, and far beyond the 47 km I managed during my S3 range test in April of 2020. VanMoof claims that a fully charged S3 battery coupled to a PowerBank has a range of between 105-250 km (65-155 miles), depending upon the level of powered assist you’re using. I wasn’t anywhere close to that.
I rode at full power (level 4) on exceedingly flat Dutch terrain making liberal use of the Turbo Boost button. A bit more than half of my testing was directly into a fairly strong 14-knot headwind, the rest benefited from a 6-knot tailwind. In total, I’d estimate that I could have ridden about 80 km (50 miles) before both the S3 and PowerBank batteries were empty. In other words, the VanMoof PowerBank coupled to the new S3 extended my range by about 70 percent compared to 47 km (29.2 miles) I managed last year.
In my testing, I noticed that the S3 battery emptied faster than the PowerBank could recharge it while riding at max power with lots of Turbo Boost button presses. (VanMoof confirmed this behavior after my testing was complete.) So rather than risk having to stop and recharge on the way home (or ride in a less fun economy mode), I took advantage of a 20-minute ferry wait to top off the S3 battery when it was showing just 15 percent remaining. I likely would have made it the final 7.9 km home even without the top-up, but the whole point of having a PowerBank is to avoid range anxiety and I was in a hurry to get back.
As to my buttocks, well, I should give the VanMoof’s custom saddle honorable mention. It’s surprisingly comfortable, and the first time I’ve ridden it — my S3 review bike was fitted with a different saddle last year. While I did notice a bit of discomfort down there when climbing onto the bike for my return journey, it was far less than expected.
Despite my test coming in below the lowest range estimate for the PowerBank, VanMoof still stands by its numbers. “It should give most riders an additional 45-100km range depending on conditions and an individual’s use-level,” said the company in an email response to my findings. Apparently, my aggressive riding style, weight (190 pounds / 86 kg), height (6 feet / 183 cm), and ambient conditions at testing make me an outlier.
Some other observations…
VanMoof e-bikes don’t provide a USB charging port for phones mounted on the handlebar and the arrival of the PowerBank doesn’t change that. That’s an oversight in my opinion. A range extender enables riders to travel longer distances, which often requires GPS navigation on a phone operating at peak brightness and paired with Bluetooth headphones for turn-by-turn directions and maybe some music playing over your 4G / 5G connection. My three-year old iPhone wasn’t up to the task, which meant tethering it to yet another battery I had to carry in my jacket. I forgot about the cable when I stopped off at a ferry crossing, nearly causing me to topple over.
VanMoof says a USB port was considered but was ultimately left off for “waterproofing reasons.” Shame.
I should also note that the S3 I tested was one of the models that recently added support for Apple’s Find My tracking network. While that was the headline item, VanMoof’s X3 and S3 e-bikes were also upgraded with improved on-bike displays that are more visible in direct sunlight, and electronic shifters that are more accurate. I complained about the display readability in my review last year and it is slightly improved. More importantly, the e-shifter seems much improved over the S3 variation that I reviewed at launch in April of 2020. At the time I said it glitched on 2 out of 100 shifts, but the automatic four-speed on my new S3 glitched about 1 out of 100+ shifts over my three hours of riding. I characterize a glitch as an unexpected mechanical “clink” sound, a surprise free-wheel of the pedals when you expect to feel resistance, or an obvious feeling of being in the wrong gear.
VanMoof, unlike many e-bike makers, is able to constantly improve the hardware and software of its e-bikes because it has a dedicated factory and relatively tight control over a supply chain of custom VanMoof parts. That means it doesn’t have to compete for Shimano shifters or Bosch motors, for example, which left many bike manufactures without parts for months after the recent surge in e-bike demand. Good thing, too. The first shipments of S3 and X3 models were plagued by issue rates as high as 10 percent, the company co-founders told me last year.
VanMoof says it also improved the internal wiring of its bikes for better resistance to weather, added new pedals for better grip, and new fender flaps to reduce excess splash on wet roads. It also made the shipping boxes more environmentally friendly — important when you consider that VanMoof ships around 12,000 of those giant boxes a month, as of September 2020.
All this is to say that the 2021 S3 and X3 models, the ones with the “Locate with Apple Find My” label printed under the top tube, are the best VanMoof e-bikes yet, which really is saying something. The new PowerBank option is just icing on the cake.
All photos by Thomas Ricker / The Verge unless otherwise stated
Samsung has announced that customers will soon be able to scan for unknown Galaxy SmartTags trackers using Samsung’s SmartThings Find service. The feature, called Unknown Tag Search, will be coming to the SmartThings app starting next week.
Users will be able to scan the nearby area for any SmartTags that don’t belong to them but that are moving along with them. This feature could be a big win for safety, providing an easy way to make sure that nobody’s tracking you with a tiny SmartTag that they slipped in your backpack, purse, coat pocket, etc. It’s a nice feature if you’re concerned about the privacy or security implications of Tile-like tracking devices.
Samsung also announced that its assistant, Bixby, will gain the ability to find SmartTags. If you’ve placed a SmartTag on a certain item and named it, you’ll be able to use Bixby to find that tag. For example, if you’ve got a SmartTag on your keys, you could say “hi Bixby, where are my keys?” and it will set off the tag’s ringer.
Apple currently has a feature similar to Unknown Tag Search in the iOS 14.5 beta, and it seems like it would be a natural fit for the company’s long-rumored AirTags item trackers. The company is hosting its “Spring Loaded” event tomorrow, so perhaps we’ll see Apple officially unveil its rumored competitor to Samsung’s Galaxy SmartTags.
The embattled social network Parler is slated to reappear on iOS on the week of April 26th, following its re-acceptance into Apple’s App Store earlier today. However, the iOS app will block some content that’s available on the Android and web versions of Parler — a compromise that apparently satisfies Apple’s developer guidelines.
Parler announced the news in a press release. Interim CEO Mark Meckler said the company had “worked to put in place systems that will better detect unlawful speech and allow users to filter content undesirable to them, while maintaining our strict prohibition against content moderation based on viewpoint.”
Apple reaccepted Parler after a months-long ban under pressure from lawmakers, two days before a hearing on Apple’s App Store policies. The company said Parler — which promotes itself as a less strictly moderated alternative to Facebook or Twitter — had engaged in “substantial conversations” with Parler, resulting in a set of proposed changes that would meet Apple’s content policy.
According to Parler’s press release, that includes filtering some content on iOS. “While the App Store version of Parler will prohibit some posts that Parler allows, those posts will still remain visible on the web-based and Android versions of Parler,” the release notes. Parler didn’t elaborate on what kinds of content that would include, but Apple broadly requires a system for filtering “objectionable” material posted by users.
Apple, Google, and Amazon all banned Parler after the January 6th attack on the US Capitol, saying Parler had failed to police violent threats and hateful content. Parler sued Amazon, which it had worked with for web hosting, but the suit has so far fared poorly in court. Google has continued to bar Parler from its Play Store, but users can install the app directly on Android — making the ban far less of a liability.
Xbox Cloud Gaming will come to Windows 10 PCs and Apple iOS devices in a limited beta tomorrow, April 20, the company announced today. For now, the beta will be available to 22 countries, with more being added at a later date.
This beta will be exclusive to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers, so if you’re not a member, you won’t be able to participate in the beta. Even then, only “select” subscribers are being invited.
The service will be available at www.xbox.com/play on iPhones, iPads and PCs, where those who have been invited can play more than 100 Game Pas tittlies through Safari, Edge or Google Chrome.
To play those games, you’ll need a compatible Bluetooth or USB-connected controller. Touch controls will also be available for 50 of the 100 games and will work similarly to how they do with Android devices.
Microsoft and Apple previously had public disagreements about Game Pass, where Apple wanted each game to be to be run through the App Store, and Microsoft ultimately had to take to web browsers as a workaround.
If you don’t already have an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription, you can sign up for one month of gaming goodness for
just $1
. Otherwise, it is priced at $14.99 per month and provides access to over 100 games for Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Series S, and Windows 10. Recently, Microsoft and Electronic Arts teamed up to add EA Play to Xbox Game Pass as well.
Microsoft’s Xbox Cloud Gaming (xCloud) is officially arriving on iOS and PC tomorrow. The service will arrive on devices via browsers, allowing Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers to play Xbox games on iPhones, iPads, and PCs. Microsoft is keeping this beta rather limited though, and requiring players to be invited to participate in the testing phase.
The service will be accessible at www.xbox.com/play, where Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers that have been invited to the beta will be able to play Xbox games through Edge, Chrome, or Safari browsers. More than 100 games will be available, and testers will be able to use a compatible Bluetooth or USB-connected controller or simply use custom touch controls.
“The limited beta is our time to test and learn; we’ll send out more invites on a continuous basis to players in all 22 supported countries, evaluate feedback, continue to improve the experience, and add support for more devices,” says Catherine Gluckstein, Microsoft’s head of xCloud. “Our plan is to iterate quickly and open up to all Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members in the coming months so more people have the opportunity to play Xbox in all-new ways.”
It’s the first time Xbox Game Streaming has been available on iOS devices after the service launched exclusively on Android phones and tablets last year. Microsoft wasn’t able to offer xCloud on iPhones or iPads during the initial launch phase of the service back in September, due to Apple’s restrictions on cloud gaming apps.
Both Apple and Microsoft got into a public war of words over xCloud, and Apple initially insisted that Microsoft would have to submit individual games for review. Apple eventually offered a compromise to allow cloud gaming apps to run on iOS with individually reviewed games, but Microsoft branded it a “bad experience for consumers.”
Facebook is rolling out a new feature today, allowing users across the globe to have the option to archive their posts and notes created on the social media site and transfer a copy of that data onto Google Docs, WordPress, or Blogger. It’s expanding on a similar tool the company released last year that allows you to transfer photos from its platform onto Google Photos. In both cases, the tool allows users leaving Facebook to preserve a version of the content associated with their account.
Users can access the tool by opening Facebook settings and clicking on “Your Facebook Information,” then selecting “Transfer a Copy of Your Information.” There, you can select which destination to transfer the data to (Google Docs, WordPress, or Blogger), log in to the account you select, and confirm the transfer.
The new feature is part of the Data Transfer Project, a cross-company data-sharing initiative that launched in 2018 with the goal of allowing you to move data across various online services and platforms seamlessly. Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Twitter are also involved in the project, offering similar data-export tools.
The feature is convenient for users who want to share specific posts or notes they created through Facebook. Still, it is important to note that data ported will not archive comments from other users since those comments are seen as belonging to a separate account.
The new data export tools help bring Facebook in line with two recent tech regulation laws — California’s Consumer Privacy Act and the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation. Both laws require that companies provide personal information in a readily usable format upon request, although the specifics of the format and interoperability measures are left unspecified.
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