In June, reports began to surface that some older models of Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick devices were being targeted by malware. In order to be at risk, you would have needed to manually enable certain options that are off by default, meaning many users weren’t affected, but it was still worrisome enough that Amazon has rolled out a new software update that will help users make sure they don’t unknowingly open themselves up to risk, AFTVnews reports.
The malware that users began spotting in June relied on Android Debug Bridge (ADB) being enabled in the settings menu. Normally, this is only used by app developers who create software that runs on Fire TV devices, but it is also used to sideload applications that aren’t directly available on Amazon’s App Store like Kodi or Terrarium TV.
Many people installing Kodi or Terrarium understand that they’re operating outside of how most people use their Fire TV devices and also understand the risk they’re undertaking, but not everyone is aware of this. Newer versions of Fire TV devices like the Fire TV Cube use Fire OS 6, which prompts the user to make sure they really understand what they’re doing when they enable ADB. Plenty of older devices like the original Fire TV and Fire TV Stick, as well as the second generations of those, use the older Fire OS 5 operating system.
Until this update, older Fire TV models don’t prompt the user before turning on ADB. That is, until now. With the latest update — version 5.2.6.6 — the operating system will prompt users just as Fire OS 6 does.
This doesn’t mean that you’re any safer if you do decide to turn ADB off to install Kodi, Terrarium, or other software that you need to sideload. The malware still works exactly as it did before. The only difference is that all users of Fire TV devices will be less likely to turn on ADB by accident if they’re poking through the menus.
If you have no interest in sideloading apps, you shouldn’t have much to worry about from this malware, but if your TV ever prompts you to turn on ADB and you’re not sure why, make sure to deny the request.
Instagram is making its way to yet another screen, and this time, Apple TV is getting a taste of the Reels rabbit hole. The company has launched a dedicated Instagram app for Apple TV, bringing Reels, longer videos, and live shows to the big screen. So, if watching one quick clip on a phone somehow turns into an hour of scrolling, there's now a much larger screen for that.
Instagram brings Reels and more to Apple TV
Audio-Technica, a brand well known for making some of the best studio and professional headphones on the market, has just come out with the ATH-AWX7000, which the company itself claims to be its "finest headphones ever." The new flagship closed-back headphone has debuted at an eye-watering price of $3,799. It combines hand-finished Japanese woodwork with a newly developed 58mm driver.
The earcups are made from Kiso cypress, a prized wood historically used for Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples. Each housing is finished by hand with traditional Echizen lacquer, which brings out the grain and is expected to darken over time. The frame and sliders are finished in a deep navy kachi-iro shade traditionally associated with samurai.
This post is brought to you in paid partnership with Best Buy.
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