The Morning After: Riding around in the Audi E-Tron

And Valve's VR headset is sold out almost everywhere.

Richard Lawler
·Senior News Editor
Updated ·3 min read
Engadget

Hey, good morning! You look fabulous.

2020 coming around means it's an election year, again, and if there's one lesson to take away from 2016, it's that you don't want to cough up your login info due to a phishing attack. Google's latest tweak makes it easier than ever to get Advanced Protection on your account using iPhone or Android, and if you're a potential target it's something you should check out, along with two-factor authentication use and adding a password manager to the mix. Stay safe out there.

— Richard

It could help track breathing issues — if you have the right device.Fitbit quietly enables blood oxygen tracking on its wearables

A bunch of Fitbit models already have blood oxygen monitoring hardware, but until now it wasn't being used. The company has just snuck out an update to its Versa, Ionic and Charge 3 devices, which will look at blood oxygen levels to help track things like asthma, heart disease and sleep apnea.

When ordinary two-factor authentication isn't enough.Google makes it easier to sign up for advanced hacking protection

Now, all you need is an Android device or iPhone to get Google's Advanced Protection on your account. Until now, turning on Google's extra security required adding physical key fobs to your personal security setup. However, now that iPhones (running iOS 10 or higher) and Android devices (on 7.0 or higher) can double as security keys, Google will let you enable the feature with a smartphone. It's an excellent way to prevent the threat of phishing attacks, and worth considering.

The company is hoping to get it back in stock before 'Half-Life: Alyx' comes out.Valve's Index headset is sold out and VR 'Half-Life' isn't even here yet

Valve's Index VR headset is sold out in most regions where it's officially available, and just a few months before Half-Life: Alyx comes out. In fact, only Japan has it at the moment. Even there, you can only get the headset or the headset with controllers bundle: The full kit with base stations is also sold out. The company has added a notification button for anyone looking to get a headset in time for the VR-only Half-Life game. The game launches in March.

A successful merger of luxury and electrification.Audi E-Tron review

One of the most interesting bits of tech in Las Vegas during CES was the Audi E-Tron. Now that Roberto Baldwin has reviewed the SUV, he can explain how the E-Tron's shorter-than-most 204-mile range isn't the dealbreaker you might assume it would be.

The latest update also bumps up the maximum iPad Pro refresh rate to 120 fps.There's a Ninja 'Fortnite' skin now, guys

Tyler "Ninja" Blevins is arguably Fortnite's best-known player, and the streamer is being rewarded for his contributions to battle royale with his very own in-game skin. (There's also a Ninja-themed pickaxe.)

At the same time, the latest Fortnite update also bumps up the maximum refresh rate on the 2018 iPad Pro to a whopping 120 frames per second — outstripping the game's console refresh rates, even on the top-end Xbox One X and PS4 Pro, which max out at 60 fps.

But wait, there's more...

The Morning After is a new daily newsletter from Engadget designed to help you fight off FOMO. Who knows what you'll miss if you don't Subscribe.

Craving even more? Like us on Facebook or Follow us on Twitter.

Have a suggestion on how we can improve The Morning After? Send us a note.

This article contains affiliate links; if you click such a link and make a purchase, we may earn a commission.