Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge If you keep your passwords stored on Apple’s iCloud, you can access those passwords on Firefox through an official iCloud Passwords extension, as spotted by MacRumors. However, the extension only supports macOS Sonoma or later, so you won’t be able to use it with Windows.If you do need to access your iCloud passwords on Windows, you can access them by downloading iCloud for Windows and the iCloud Passwords extension for Chrome or Edge instead. We’ve asked Apple if it plans to add support for Windows to its Firefox extension.Another developer originally made the Firefox extension, but Apple has taken it over, according to a notice on the extension’s GitHub page. Apple is “now the sole owners in charge of maintaining their own official iCloud Passwords extension,” the developer says. The extension’s repository and source code aren’t linked to it anymore except for “historical reasons.”

Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge; Getty Images US officials are urging Americans to make calls and send text messages over encrypted apps to minimize the risk of private information falling into the hands of foreign adversaries who might still be lurking in America’s telecommunications networks, NBC News reports. Two officials from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) spoke with news outlets, including NBC News, Tuesday on the lasting effects of a recent attack on US telecommunications systems. The attack, which was tied to Chinese hacking group Salt Typhoon, impacted companies including AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile and Lumen Technologies, The Wall Street Journal first reported in October. The Journal later reported that targets of the hack included phone numbers for people in the Donald Trump and Kamala Harris campaigns.Two months after the initial report of the hack, malicious actors may still be able to gain access to sensitive information about Americans’ communications from the telecom networks. An FBI official on the call, who was not identified in press reports, reportedly said hackers accessed information including call records showing phone numbers called and the times of the call, and in some cases actual live phone calls of certain targets. The Journal reported last month that hackers could have gained access to unencrypted texts as well.Jeff Greene, executive assistant director for cybersecurity at CISA, told reporters on the call that the scale of the hack was so great that agencies could not possibly predict when there would be a “full eviction” of malicious material, NBC News writes. “Encryption is your friend, whether it’s on text messaging or if you have the capacity to use encrypted voice communication,” Greene said, according to NBC News. “Even if the adversary is able to intercept the data, if it is encrypted, it will make it impossible.” Services like Signal and WhatsApp offer end-to-end encrypted messaging that can obscure communications outside of the users involved in the call or text. Law enforcement’s embrace of encrypted apps is particularly notable given that the FBI has previously railed against tech companies’ protectiveness over the technology. Though the FBI publicly says it does not oppose encryption, it has strict parameters on its support. The agency’s website states that it “does not want encryption to be weakened or compromised so that it can be defeated by malicious actors,” but wants companies that “manage encrypted data to be able to decrypt that data and provide it to law enforcement only in response to U.S. legal process.” That’s something tech companies say could undermine the whole system.The bureau engaged in a long standoff with Apple following a shooting in San Bernadino, California in 2015, because the company refused to break the encryption on the shooter’s iPhone to give investigators access, warning that to do so would endanger users’ privacy across its products. The FBI eventually found a way to get into the phone without Apple.

Network-attached storage (NAS) devices are both powerful and versatile, allowing you to store just about anything on a compact platform while being able to run services and more. You can create a media server, security surveillance system, password manager, and smart home automation hub, to name but a few. Direct-attached storage (DAS) is more basic with a few drives and hardware-based RAID. While I typically recommend a NAS over a DAS since it can do much more, there are some reasons why you'd want to buy a DAS instead.

On Wednesday morning, someone shot and killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside the Hilton hotel in midtown Manhattan before walking away and then getting on a Citi Bike that they rode to Central Park, said NYPD Chief of Detectives Joe Kenney during a press conference. Thompson was scheduled to appear at the company’s investor meeting today, which was canceled after the shooting.Now Lyft, which owns the bikeshare service, says it’s prepared to help investigators if the shooter left a digital trail while renting or using one of its bikes. Lyft spokesperson Eric Smith said in an email to The Verge that the company is “ready to assist law enforcement.” However, as of the time the company responded to our inquiry, investigators hadn’t yet made contact.“As far as where he got the Citi Bike, we’re still working that through,” Kenney told reporters, adding that the department was gathering video from “numerous sources” but that it doesn’t “have video or witness confirmation on how he obtained that bike.”Kenney said it looked like the killer “specifically targeted” Thompson and that “at this point, we do not know why.” The CEO’s wife, Paulette Thompson, told NBC News that “there had been some threats.” Earlier this year, UnitedHealthcare suffered a massive ransomware attack, which leaked info on over 100 million people and snarled healthcare for weeks despite a $22 million payment to the attackers.Police officials were spotted asking around for video footage of a Citi Bike kiosk on Madison Avenue and 82nd Street in Manhattan early Wednesday afternoon, reports The New York Times. NYPD shared images of the shooter, including one of them on the bike, and asked that anyone with “information as to the identity or location of this individual” contact police at 1-800-577-TIPS.These are images of the individual sought in connection to this investigation. If anyone has information as to the identity or location of this individual please contact @NYPDTips at 1(800)577-TIPS. pic.twitter.com/sm2GuEOYk1— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) December 4, 2024

I’m sorry, I put that thing in what? | Image: Nissan Nissan put out a tutorial video for Ariya owners today that shows how to use a Tesla NACS adapter with the vehicle, and it includes a step completely out of left field: shove a small piece of plastic into your car’s CCS port before you connect the adapter.The Ariya is Nissan’s first EV with a CCS port, and the automaker just activated the vehicle’s ability to connect to Tesla’s vast Supercharger network in October. Other manufacturers have also adopted Tesla’s NACS standard, with companies like Ford and Rivian already shipping adapters to current EV owners. But none of those EVs need you to take a confusing extra step to make the adapter work.As explained in the video, the NACS adapter available through Nissan includes a “plug adapter” that must be installed into the hourglass-shaped cavity between the two DC pins at the bottom before charging at NACS-capable fast charging stations. Nissan assures the viewer that its “simple” and requires no tools. However, you will need to use the adapter it provides or from a US dealership, which may mean other third-party options like the Lectron adapter might not work. (Probably for the best, considering the Lectron adapter was recently recalled.)What’s odd about the Ariya’s charge port is that despite being a standard that works at many CCS-capable fast charging stations, there is some negative hollow space between the two direct current pins at the bottom that isn’t present on most other EVs. The plastic piece that Nissan wants you to stuff into the opening fills in the gap to look more like other CCS ports. We asked Nissan what the purpose of the opening is and why the insert is needed, but have not heard back at time of publication.Nissan’s other EV model is the pioneering Leaf, which uses the all-but-obsolete CHAdeMO standard and probably won’t get some magic adapter to connect to Tesla’s Supercharger network (although there are some CHAdeMO to CCS adapters now).EV ownership is already rife with competing standards, janky software, and fragmented confusion. Somehow, Nissan managed to add another step that leaves customers juggling multiple pieces of plastic just to get their $40,000 electric SUV to operate properly.

The Strength Plus app isn’t Peloton’s first attempt at capitalizing on strength training. | Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Peloton announced the launch of Strength Plus, a new standalone, audio-based strength training app. The app was introduced in a limited beta program earlier in September, but is now officially available. The Strength Plus app allows users to generate custom workouts by choosing workout length, equipment, experience level, and which muscle groups they want to focus on. It also includes multi-week programs curated by Peloton’s strength coaches, though workouts can be done at a user’s own pace. Strength Plus includes audio cues and tips from instructors, as well as a library of instructional videos demonstrating exercises and equipment setup. It’s more like a strength training playlist than Peloton’s typical classes, which have you follow an instructor as they do the workout in real time. It works with the Apple Watch and users can log weights and reps within the app. And, instead of being stuck with instructor-curated workout music, users can listen to their own music, audio books, or podcasts. This move isn’t surprising. Over the years, Peloton has repeatedly mentioned that strength training is its second most popular exercise type, though the company has had mixed success in capitalizing on it. In 2022, Peloton launched its own Guide strength training hardware, but it hasn’t taken off like its treadmills or bikes. When it revamped the Peloton app, it also added Peloton Gym workouts that catered to gym-goers with written workouts and video demos, though that wasn’t its own app, didn’t let you log reps, and didn’t include multi-week programming. Image: Peloton Peloton really wants to make strength training work. On paper, Strength Plus looks similar to other apps, most notably Ladder. (So much so, that Ladder has already clapped back with an entire Mac vs PC-style ad campaign.) The main difference is that Strength Plus leverages Peloton’s more widely known instructors. More broadly, this could be seen as an attempt to expand Peloton’s appeal outside the home — something the company has struggled to do after many people began returning to in-person gyms and classes once covid-19 lockdowns were lifted. Existing Peloton All Access, Guide, and App Plus members can access the Strength Plus app for free. For everyone else, Peloton is offering a limited $1 monthly promotional subscription for the first six months, and then $9.99 monthly after. For now, the app will also be iOS only. The Verge asked Peloton whether it plans to expand further to Android, but didn’t immediately receive a response.

Illustration: The Verge OpenAI, the AI model maker that used to describe its mission as saving the world, is partnering with Anduril, a military contractor, the two companies announced Wednesday.As part of the partnership, OpenAI will integrate its software into Anduril’s counterdrone systems, which detect and take down drones. It’s OpenAI’s first partnership with a defense contractor — and a significant reversal of its earlier stance towards the military. OpenAI’s terms of service once banned “military and warfare” use of its technology, but it softened its position on military use earlier this year, changing its terms of service in January to remove the proscription.“OpenAI builds AI to benefit as many people as possible, and supports U.S.-led efforts to ensure the technology upholds democratic values,” OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said in a statement. “Our partnership with Anduril will help ensure OpenAI technology protects U.S. military personnel, and will help the national security community understand and responsibly use this technology to keep our citizens safe and free.”As the Wall Street Journal notes, Anduril — currently valued at $14 billion — has a $200 million counterdrone systems contract with the Marine Corps. But OpenAI won’t just benefit financially from its Anduril partnership; it also stands to gain political clout. Anduril co-founder Palmer Luckey was an early supporter of president-elect Donald Trump, and also has ties to Elon Musk, one of the heads of the still-nebulous (and still nonexistent) Department of Government Efficiency. And the America First Policy Institute, a right-wing think-tank working closely with the Trump transition team, has proposed that Trump embrace AI to create a new “Manhattan Project” for defense.

ComfyUI is a node-based Gradio GUI designed for generative AI models. It is one of the most versatile ways to generate AI images, video, and audio locally on your own hardware. Free from software censorship or subscription requirements, it offers thousands of nodes and AI models with exceptional user control. ComfyUI is an incredibly powerful tool for anyone aiming to stay ahead of the AI curve.

The fee creep is back. | Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge Verizon customers will soon see yet another fee increase on their next bill, a game that wireless carriers love to play. As spotted by Android Police, Verizon customers on reddit noticed the small fee bump — just 20 cents extra per line. But it comes only a couple of years after a bigger increase to the “Administrative and Telco Recovery Charge” the company tacks onto monthly bills, and Verizon’s claim that it’s just the cost of doing business seems dubious at best.Verizon spokesperson George Koroneos confirmed the fee hike to The Verge, saying that “Starting December 18, the monthly Verizon wireless Administrative and Telco Recovery Charge will increase by $0.20 per line for mobile voice (basic phones, Second Number, smartphones, etc.) and data-only (hotspots, tablets, etc.) products. Verizon Home Internet services are not affected.” That takes the fee from $3.30 to $3.50 for each voice line on a plan and $1.40 up to $1.60 per data line.According to a Verizon support page, the fee “helps defray and recover certain direct and indirect costs we or our agents incur,” including network operating and maintenance costs. AT&T and T-Mobile have slightly different names for the same fee, and all make basically the same claim about offsetting the costs of running a wireless network. A more cynical perspective is that these wireless companies separate this fee from their monthly rate plan charges so they can raise rates without saying they’re raising rates. That was the basis for a class-action lawsuit against AT&T in 2022, which that company agreed to settle. It may just be 20 cents now, but that small increase adds up to a lot when you multiply it across millions of users. After all, Verizon only made $3.4 billion in net income the third quarter this year, down from $4.9 billion in the same quarter last year. And while the fee creep is nothing new, it’s yet another reminder of of the levers these companies can pull in order to pad out their bottom line.

Mobile gaming has come a long way over the last decade. Modern-day games are a far cry from the classics of Candy Crush and Fruit Ninja; now, they're full-blown 3D experiences that wouldn't look amiss on a console. Because of this, our phones now need the same type of TLC that we give our laptops and devices. If you're looking for something to suit your gaming needs, the GameSir X3 Pro mobile gaming controller is the way to go.

I'm a big fan of scouring the pages of Facebook Marketplace and eBay, hoping to save a buck. More than half of my big PC purchases have been pre-loved and from every component category: CPUs, GPUs, motherboards, and even storage. You name it, and I've probably bought it used.

Backing up your PC is one of the most important tasks you should do weekly. Ensuring you have a copy of all your data safely stored for quick retrieval can save time, money, and headaches. Self-hosting your backups can provide quick access to all your stored data even if your connection to the outside world drops. You'll save money compared to cloud-based storage subscriptions, learn something new about networking and server management, and can use network-attached storage (NAS) or server to move from simple data storage to running services.