The best Chromecast to use with the Oculus Go

Planning to share your game footage from your Oculus Go? This is the Chromecast to pick up!

Oculus Go headsets are a great way to isolate yourself from the world to immerse yourself a movie, game, or other content. But, say you want to share your gameplay with someone else at your house. You’re never going to strap two heads inside of a VR headset, but there’s fortunately a better way.

Last year, the Gear VR added the ability to share video to a Chromecast, and it works the same on the Oculus Go.

Here’s the best Chromecast to use with your Oculus Go!

Is what I have now good enough?

If you’ve been using a Chromecast since the first version was released in 2013, you’ll want to get one of the newer models. The first gen Chromecast is fine for streaming from Netflix or Hulu, but it chokes a bit when trying to stream from the Oculus Go. This means your audio and video on the headset will be a couple seconds ahead of where it is on the Chromecast, which could lead to a disorienting experience.

Chromecast and Chromecast Ultra

If you want to buy a Chromecast today, you have two options: the standard Chromecast and the Chromecast Ultra. The standard Chromecast outputs at a resolution of 1080p and costs $35, while the Chromecast Ultra outputs at 4K and costs $70.

While it performs better than the 2013 model, the current standard Chromecast still has issues when trying to cast from a Gear VR or Oculus. Audio was delayed by about two seconds, while the screen froze a few times. It’s not a deal breaker, but not a perfect situation either.

The Chromecast Ultra was much better. The audio was delayed by only one second instead of two. Meanwhile, we had no issues with the screen tearing or freezing. Another advantage that the Ultra has is it comes bundled with the Chromecast Ethernet adapter, which should help your Chromecast perform better than if you decide to use Wi-Fi. The Ethernet adapter costs $15 on its own, so the $70 for the Chromecast Ultra isn’t a huge price jump from the cost of the standard Chromecast and the Ethernet adapter combined.

See at Best Buy

What about Chromecast Audio?

Chromecast Audio is a great way to play audio to multiple speakers, so you may be tempted to Cast your game audio for an epic surround sound. Unfortunately, Oculus Go only allows Casting BOTH audio and video, so sending the signal to a Chromecast Audio wouldn’t do anything.

Chromecast Ultra is the best Chromecast for streaming

It’s a price jump from the standard Chromecast, but if you plan on Casting a lot of your game footage, the Chromecast Ultra is your best option. An extra second of audio delay may not sound like a lot, but it can quickly become aggravating while you’re trying to game. The Ethernet adapter is a nice cherry on top, and being able to stream your favorite shows and movies in 4K will be a nice bonus too.

See at Best Buy

What say you?

Are you going to pick up a Chromecast to use with your Oculus Go? Let us know down below!

Spigen’s Bluetooth headphones, PNY SSDs, Amazon Cloud Cams and more are one sale today

Whether you’re looking for new tech gear or household items, we’ve got you covered.

Today you can get big discounts on Spigen’s Bluetooth headphones, PNY SSDs, Amazon Cloud Cam 2-packs, and more! Don’t pass these up.

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If you want to know about the deals as soon as they are happening, you’ll want to follow Thrifter on Twitter, and sign up for the newsletter, because missing out on a great deal stinks!

How to set up the Steam Link beta on Android

This app is way more versatile than it appears at first.

If like me you have been looking for a good reason to own an Android tablet, Valve may have given us the perfect excuse. Steam Link has been available as a small device for your TV for quite some time now and did the job of allowing you to stream your games to the biggest screen in your house admirably but it didn’t allow for much portability.

The new Steam Link app, however, does allow you to move freely around your house and play all your favorite Steam games on any Android device you own as long as it is Android 5.0 and up. That means even my ancient Hudl from Tesco runs it, although without a 5GHz band on your tablet’s Wi-Fi you may experience some latency issues. Setting up the Steam link is easy but you will need a few things.

Download Steam Link beta (Free)

What you need

• A Bluetooth controller compatible with your Android device. They recommend the Steam controller but isn’t required.
• The Steam link app that you just downloaded from above.
• The Steam PC or Mac client installed with the games you want to play downloaded.
• A solid internet connection.

Find a Bluetooth Controller at Amazon

Step by Step

Open the Steam Link beta on your device.
Pair and connect the Bluetooth controller to your device.
Choose the computer you wish to stream to.
Tap the Start Playing button.
Enjoy your Steam games on your hammock outside.

The Deets

The whole procedure is extremely quick and simple. First, the app wants to make sure you can control the games so it asks you to connect a Bluetooth controller, the Steam controller for preference. If you all you have is a cheap Bluetooth controller for your Android phone that will work too so don’t worry, and if you want to speed the process along you can pair and connect it before you open the app and Steam Link will recognize it and skip the step.

Next, you will be asked to choose the computer you want to stream from. If you have multiple computers running the same Steam account, you will need to figure out which is which — my computer names all seem to be random letters and numbers so I connected to all of them until I found the right one — and once you’ve found it a dialogue box will appear on your computer screen and a code will appear on your Android device. Input the code to link your devices.

From here, the big screen version of the Steam Client on your computer will load in on both the screens and you should be able to navigate normally. You can now take the device to any room in the house, as long as the WiFi connection remains strong, and enjoy wireless free gaming, and because the controller is connected to the tablet and not the computer you really can move around with far less latency than you might experience if it was paired with the computer.

So far I have zero issue with latency — which occurs when the stream doesn’t keep up with your inputs on the controller — but I haven’t played too many twitch-based games like Call of Duty or Fortnite either. It may occur on some games so be warned!

A little Bonus

Oh and, as the late great Steve Jobs would say, just one more thing, you can also use the Steam Link app to stream your normal desktop. That’s right, a simple press of Alt-Tab on your computer keyboard and you will come out of the Steam Big Screen and into your normal desktop where you are free to do pretty much whatever you want.

So yes that is Sea of Thieves playing on my Pixel 2 XL and yes that is the Admirals hull, it looks so good and is well worth the 70,000 gold, and although I had to connect the controller to the PC this time and not the tablet I still got some fairly decent range with it. It’s a lot of fun.

So do we like the Steam Link app?

I know I do. I’ve had a lot of reason to be jealous of my friends with their Nintendo Switch’s and although the Steam Link app is not a true replacement for it, and doesn’t have Zelda, it is a great, free alternative to use something you already own and maximize its potential. Have you guys played with the Steam Link app? What did you think? Let us know in the comments.

Twitter is killing its apps for Roku, Android TV and Xbox

Apps will remain for Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV, though.

Fun fact: Twitter had apps for Roku, Android TV and Xbox.

Another fun fact: Those apps will no longer work come May 24. While Twitter didn’t explicitly say why, TechCrunch says it had to do with the new European General Data Protection Regulation, which goes into effect May 25 and is the reason all of your apps have been updating and letting you know that they’re updating their privacy policies and basically making a mess of your inbox in the name of privacy.

Or something.

And apparently the Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV apps will remain in service.

On Thursday, May 24, Twitter for Roku, Twitter for Android TV and Twitter for Xbox will no longer be available. To get the full Twitter experience, visit https://t.co/fuPJa3nVky on your device or desktop.

— Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) May 22, 2018

Why in the world would you use Twitter on your TV? Perhaps you’re a glutton for punishment, or maybe you want in on the occasional exclusive content. (Before Amazon took over, Twitter was streaming Thursday night NFL games.)

So let’s pour one out for Twitter on Roku, Xbox and Android TV — even if you never used ’em.

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Deals: eBay 15% Off Memorial Day Coupon, Anker and Koogeek Amazon Sales, and More

eBay shoppers this week have the chance to save 15 percent off their purchases thanks to the online marketplace’s new Memorial Day coupon. While the coupon is limited to certain sellers, it provides savings on select top brands like Apple, DJI, Dyson, and more.

Similar to some previous eBay coupons, the discount applies to the purchase price (excluding shipping, handling, and taxes) of an order priced at $50 or more, and the code can only be used once within a single transaction. Likewise, the discount will be capped at a value of $50, so any cart that totals around $330 will gain the full $50 discount. Note that the coupon expires Friday, May 25 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

Unlike past codes the Memorial Day coupon is more limited, with a list of specific sellers that are partaking in the event. There are still plenty of notable shops to browse through, including AnkerDirect, Daily Steals, Overstock, Tech Rabbit, and many more. For the full list, visit this page and scroll all the way to the bottom, or you can delve straight into the electronics sale items compatible with the coupon.

Over on Amazon, Apple accessory makers Anker and Koogeek have a few discount codes for products going on through the end of May. The items range from Anker’s dependable battery packs and USB cables, to a collection of Koogeek’s low-price HomeKit products. Check out the full list below:

Anker (Need Codes)

• PowerPort 5W Qi-Certified Wireless Charger – $12.99 with code ANKER258, down from $19.99 (exp. 5/28)

• Powerline II USB C to C Cable 3ft – $6.99 with code ANKERPD8, down from $9.99 (exp. 6/1)

• PowerCore+ 26,800 mAh with Power Delivery Charger – $79.99 with code ANKERPD3, down from $119.99 (exp. 6/1)

Anker (Don’t Need Codes)

• eufy by Anker BodySense Smart Scale – $34.99, down from $45.99 (exp. 5/24)

• Powerline+ USB C to A 3.0 Cable 6ft (Red, Grey) – $8.99, down from $13.99 (exp. 5/28)

• Soundcore Vortex Bluetooth Over-Ear Headphones – $49.99, down from $69.99 (exp. 5/31)

• Powerline+ USB C to A 3.0 Cable 6ft (Red and Grey, 2-pack) – $17.59, down from $21.99 (exp. 6/1)

Koogeek

• Koogeek WiFi Smart LED Light Bulb – $18.99 with code C2Z69Y6K, down from $32.99 (exp. 5/25)

• Koogeek Dimmable Smart LED Light Strip – $32.75 with code LMPPC4NJ, down from $38.99 (exp. 5/25)

• Koogeek Smart WiFi Light Switch for Apple HomeKit – $32.99 with code JAUXYFD6, down from $43.99 (exp. 5/31)

For any MacRumors exclusive codes, be sure to visit our blog posts regarding Anker and RavPower sales. Otherwise, be sure to head to our full Deals Roundup for other sales and offers happening this week, including MacBook and iPhone trade-in bonuses at Gazelle.

Related Roundup: Apple Deals
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Graphic Designer Envisions Apple Music With Simpler UI, Music History Stats, Group Playlists, and More

Graphic designer Álvaro Pabesio shared his vision for an updated, enhanced Apple Music on Behance earlier today, and it’s an impressively detailed look at UI tweaks and changes that Apple could make to fix a few user gripes with its streaming music app. As you look at Pabesio’s designs, remember that this is a concept and in no way indicates or confirms what we’ll see with Apple Music in iOS 12 later this year.

To start off, Pabesio revamped the Library tab, removing the vertical list for Playlists, Artists, Albums, and Songs, and introducing a horizontal tab bar that you can scroll through. With more space afforded from this change, new daily suggestions pop up right in Library for playlists, stations, artists, and personal mixes the app thinks you’ll like.

Pabesio nixed “For You” completely by introducing features from this tab into other parts of the app, so the second tab is now Browse. Here you can perform the usual artist and album searches, and find the latest songs and new releases, but Pabesio added in a few details to truly expand browsing on Apple Music.

More information is now displayed on the screen at once, thanks to the reduction of the current app’s large image banner carousel and the same horizontal scrolling bar from Pabesio’s Library tab. Pabesio highlights a much smaller new album/song carousel at the top of his concept, “Trending now” tracks, and places your personal mixes on this page as well.

In the graphic designer’s imagining of Apple Music, you can provide even more granular feedback into mood playlists by filling out a prompt, like “I’m [happy] and feeling like [going out].” Pabesio’s description says depending on your response Apple Music will take into account the music in your Library, the mood you chose, and find “up to 5 hours of selected music” for you to listen to.

One of Pabesio’s biggest overhauls is a new “Social” tab, taking the rudimentary features Apple added in iOS 11 last September and greatly expanding upon them. When you open the tab you see a similar horizontal tab bar like the one found in Library, and it houses Stats, Friends, Rankings, and more. Apple Music can now show your plays broken down weekly, monthly, yearly, and all time, and even lets you know if you did above or below average in terms of music listening each week.

Each user’s page now shows their song play counts, following and follower counts, and when you visit someone it’ll provide a taste comparison graph, similar to music social network Last.fm. Underneath that, Apple Music profiles now show individually played songs, instead of just displaying the latest albums or playlists the user listened to.

These can still be seen too, however, with even more displayed on profiles like playlists, top artists, custom playlists, and more. For Apple’s curated playlists, these also show follower counts, as well as up and down arrows to show when songs change position on charted playlists. All of these ideas extend to official artist pages as well.

Expanding even further on the social features is a new group playlist ability, so you can create public or private playlists with up to 50 friends. Pabesio also notes tiny fixes like “relevant notifications,” a “revamped album view,” and the return of double-tapping artwork to love a song.

Overall, Pabesio’s Apple Music concept is an interesting look into ideas that Apple could incorporate into the Music app down the line, and there’s much more to check out on his Behance page, including his tweaks to Apple Music on Mac. We should be hearing about any updates coming to Apple Music very soon, with the reveal of iOS 12 and much more at WWDC just two weeks away.

Tag: Apple Music
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iOS 12 Wishlist: Features MacRumors Readers Hope to See in the Next Version of iOS

Apple plans to introduce the next-generation version of iOS, iOS 12, on June 4 at its Worldwide Developers Conference. Rumors have suggested this is going to be a bug fix and performance improvement update, with Apple delaying some features until iOS 13 to focus on these internal changes.

There are, however, rumors that we may see updates that include cross-platform apps for Mac and iOS devices, new Animoji, Animoji support for FaceTime, updated parental controls, and an enhanced version of Do Not Disturb. Rumors never cover all of the features that we see in new versions of iOS, though, so there could be additional changes in the works.

With that in mind, we’ve taken a look at some of the most-desired features MacRumors readers are hoping for in iOS 12, pulled from our forums.

User Interface Changes

• Dark mode – Unsurprisingly, a system wide dark mode for iOS is one of the most hoped for features for iOS 12, just as it was for iOS 11 and iOS 10. Apple users have wanted a true dark mode for years, but there’s no word that it’s coming in iOS 12.

  A dark mode concept from iHelpBR

• Split Screen mode for iPhone – The option to run two apps side by side on the iPhone would be useful on larger iPhones, especially with rumors pointing towards a 6.5-inch iPhone in 2018.
• More customization – MacRumors reader Breezygirl would like to see Apple add more Android-like customization options, such as the ability to change the background in messages, adjust the SMS bubble colors, or add a theme to the OS to shift the colors.
• Desktop mode – On some Android devices, there’s a feature where you can dock a smartphone to use it as a desktop machine replacement, attaching it to a larger display, a keyboard, and a mouse. It’s a long shot, but MacRumors reader Marrakas would like to see Apple implement similar functionality.
• Volume redesign – The design of the indicator when you adjust the volume on the iPhone has always been a point of contention with iOS users, and so it’s no surprise that in iOS 12, MacRumors readers are hoping for a new, less intrusive volume interface that takes up less screen space.

  

• Improved battery widget – The battery widget could be improved by allowing all of a user’s devices to be displayed for quick cross-device battery checks.
• No more shake to undo – Several MacRumors readers are tired of the shake to undo/redo feature in the iPhone, which can be activated accidentally. Some readers would like to see an undo feature enabled through a different gesture.

App Improvements

• Camera controls in the Camera app – On a lot of Android devices, the camera app provides manual controls for photo taking. Apple has no similar feature for full manual control, and it would be nice if it were an option, even one that had to be toggled on in Settings. Other settings are hidden in the Settings app, and users would like to see these more readily accessible.
• Aspect Ratio in Camera app – Multiple MacRumors readers would like to see an option to set a default aspect ratio for photos.
• FaceTime – Several MacRumors readers are hoping for group FaceTime. Rumors suggest Apple’s working on it, but it might not come in iOS 12. Animoji are expected to come to FaceTime, though, so you can converse with friends and family as an Animoji character.

  

• App Store wishlists – The revamped App Store in iOS 11 removed app wishlists that some users took advantage of often. This is a feature that quite a few people miss.
• Photos improvements – MacRumors reader kirky29 is hoping for a major overhaul to the Photos app with a lot more functionality for doing things like viewing and editing metadata, changing grid size, altering the order of the photos, and more.
• Music app overhaul – MacRumors reader GermanSuplex has several suggestions for ways Apple could improve the Music app, including the ability to turn iCloud purchases off if desired, improved playcount syncing across devices, the ability to sort songs within playlists by different parameters, refinements and improvements to cloud services and the way the app handles metadata, more control over which devices playlists sync to, and better syncing of music content in general.
• Messages search and archive – A more robust search feature for the Messages app would be a welcome change, as would an option to archive messages and snooze messages, as Joseph H points out.

iPad

• Mouse support on iPad – This one is a long shot, but MacRumors reader boston04and07 wants to see Apple add mouse support for the iPad for navigating through apps.
• iPhone apps for iPad – Multiple iPhone apps, including Weather, Calculator, Health, and Activity are missing from the iPad and have been exclusive to the iPhone for years.

Settings and Systemwide Features

• Revamped Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Toggles – With iOS 11, Apple changed the functionality of the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth toggles in the Control Center. These buttons no longer permanently turn off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and instead just disable the features for a set amount of time. In iOS 12, MacRumors readers would like to see the on/off functionality returned or enabled through another gesture, such as a longer press.

  

• Do Not Disturb improvements – Do Not Disturb functionality on the iPhone is fairly basic, and that is actually one of the features Apple’s rumored to be working on for iOS 12. The ability to toggle DND on and off for specific apps would be useful, as boston04and07 points out, and being able to set schedules for different days of the week would also be useful. An option to hide notifications entirely would be a welcome change for those who want to use their devices in peace.
• Biometric locking for specific apps – Third-party apps can require you to use a fingerprint, Face ID, or a password to access sensitive data, but as MacRumors reader TimFL1 says, this isn’t available for first-party apps like Photos, nor for specific parts of apps, like individual photo albums.
• iCloud notifications – If you have multiple devices and get a notification from an app like Apple News, it goes to all of your devices instead of just one, and viewing the notification on just one device doesn’t clear it from all of them. If Apple implemented iCloud notifications, notifications would work more smoothly across devices, appearing on just one device and clearing on all.

iPhone X

• Always-on display for iPhone X – Some Android smartphones offer an always-on display, something that Apple could perhaps theoretically enable thanks to the OLED display on the iPhone X, which eats up less battery life. MacRumors readers would like to see an always-on display on the iPhone X for things like the time and incoming notifications, even though it’s probably a long shot at this point in time.

AI

• Siri – Improvements to Siri was one of the most frequent requests, with specifics that include Spotify integration, multi-lingual query support, and, in general, just features to make Siri smarter and more like Alexa or Google Assistant.

More than anything, most of our readers are hoping that Apple is going to hunker down and focus on bug fixes and performance improvements to make existing features operate smoothly and without issues.

Apple is said to be planning to address stability and performance concerns in this update, and has gone as far as delaying planned features in favor of underlying fixes.

Do you have other features you’re hoping to see in iOS 12 that didn’t make our list? Let us know in the comments.

Related Roundup: iOS 12
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USB-based YubiKey now boosts security for iPhones running iOS 11

If you’re a stickler for security, then you may be familiar with the YubiKey, the USB device that adds an extra layer of protection to your various internet accounts. Unfortunately, thus far, it’s only been compatible with devices that have USB ports, which means that phones were more or less out of the question. But now, that’s no longer the case. Thanks to the NFC chip embedded in iPhones (iPhone 7s and older, that is) and iOS 11, the YubiKey can now be used with Apple smartphones.

For those unfamiliar with the YubiKey, the tiny device is meant to be inserted into a computer, and has a little button that can be pressed anytime two-factor authentication is needed. This is faster, more secure, and more reliable than using some other authentication method, and as such, the YubiKey is quite popular among both companies and individual users.

And now that iOS 11 has opened up the possibility of third parties to integrate with the NFC chip via a new SDK, the YubiKey is iPhone compatible. All you need to do is tap the YubiKey against the iPhone.

Unfortunately, for the time being, this only works with apps that use the SDK, and it’s currently a short list — only LastPass is eligible. However, given that LastPass is a password manager that likely controls all your other passwords, it’s perhaps the most important app.

As LastPass noted, “LastPass users with iPhone 7 or above, running iOS 11, can now authenticate to their LastPass Premium, Families, Teams and Enterprise accounts on their mobile device with the same YubiKey NEO that they use for their desktop or laptop.” The note continues, “At the time of mobile login, users can touch the YubiKey NEO to the iPhone to wirelessly transfer a Yubico one-time password and securely access the application.”

In the future, we can likely expect other apps and sites like Google, Facebook, Dropbox, GitHub, Dashlane, and more to use the SDK as well, opening up new YubiKey possibilities. And if you’re interested in purchasing a YubiKey yourself, now that it’s more widely usable, you can do so on Amazon for $50.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Firefox 60 is the first browser to support password-free internet logins
• Major web browsers will support web-based fingerprint, facial authentication
• Common iOS 11 problems and advice on how to handle them
• Apple’s iOS 11.3 is now available for download on the iPhone and iPad
• How to reset your Apple ID password and gain control of your account

Notes show Sony’s next PlayStation may have an AMD Ryzen processor

The next PlayStation console may rely on an AMD Ryzen processor. The news arrives by way of principal programmer Simon Pilgrim from Sony’s Advanced Technology Group who is tweaking the LLVM (Low Level Virtual Machine) compiler stack to improve support for the “Zen” core architecture used in AMD’s Ryzen processors. That compiler component is part of the development environment for PlayStation consoles. 

The current PlayStation 4 relies on a custom all-in-one chip from AMD that contains six “Jaguar” CPU cores and 1,152 Radeon-branded graphics cores. Sony also sells the Pro variant, which packs updated graphics cores and higher CPU core speeds to support 4K HDR visuals. This model landed in September 2016.

For developers, that hardware creates a better environment because the components are based on what they are using on a PC to create games. Both Sony and Microsoft went with AMD’s hardware for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles, and the fact that Sony is gearing up for another console using AMD’s hardware isn’t surprising.

AMD spent four years designing its Zen architecture to pack more performance per watt, providing processors that could match Intel’s CPUs in performance but at half the cost. The first family of Ryzen 7, Ryzen 5, and Ryzen 3 processors arrived throughout 2017 followed by the initial rollout of the second-generation Ryzen processors based on a refreshed Zen design earlier this year. 

Serving as a principal programmer at Sony since 2009, Pilgrim is spending his time supporting the first-generation Zen architecture, listed as “znver1,” in the LLVM compiler. The information regarding this work resides on Github where he made several znver1-based changes last week and submitted a cleanup for the znver1 code on Friday. Improvements go back at least two weeks. 

Despite the generation one Zen reference in Pilgrim’s work, he’s likely updating the LLVM compiler with support for AMD’s new Zen architecture refresh used in its four new Ryzen desktop processors. As previously reported, AMD’s next processor family, its third-generation Ryzen processors for 2019, will be based on a second-generation Zen architecture (Zen 2). Given Sony needs to be locked down to specific hardware now for a future PlayStation console release in the next few years, the company will likely miss out on Zen 2. 

Meanwhile, Microsoft deems its just-released Xbox One X as the most powerful console currently on the planet. Like the original Xbox One, it’s based on AMD’s hardware, but packs a meatier all-in-one chip with eight “Jaguar” cores clocked at 2.3GHz and 2,560 Radeon graphics cores clocked at 1,172. When released, the PlayStation 5 could be the first gaming console based on AMD’s new Zen CPU architecture. 

We can’t help but wonder if Sony will tease the PlayStation 5 next month during the E3 2018 gaming convention. A reveal is highly unlikely given the PlayStation 4 Pro isn’t even two years old, but at least we will already have an idea of what will be under the hood whenever the fifth-generation console finally makes its debut. 

Editors’ Recommendations

• Two ‘Mega Man X Legacy Collection’ compilations are coming this July
• The best Chromebooks
• The Ryzen 7 CPU could see a nice speed increase over AMD’s current chip
• AMD’s leaked road map shows plans for Ryzen, Threadripper processors until 2020
• AMD combats upgrade woes with ‘crates’ featuring discounted hardware bundles

Data-stealing bug prompts Comcast to shut down Xfinity activation website

Ken Wolter/123rf

Two security researchers uncovered a bug within Comcast’s online activation portal that revealed a customer’s home address along with the Wi-Fi network name and password in plain text. Within hours of learning of the flaw uncovered by Karan Saini and Ryan Stevenson, Comcast shut down the Xfinity activation site, citing customer security as its top concern.

In order for customers to activate their routers, they have to visit an Xfinity activation website to enter some user information in order to setup their router and service. Saini and Stevenson discovered that even though the website asks for a customer’s full address, just an apartment or house number was needed along with an account ID. Both pieces of information required to gain access to the activation portal could easily be found on a discarded bill.

The activation portal continues to work and return information about the customer and the Wi-Fi network even after the router and home broadband service has been activated.

If a customer is using a Comcast or Xfinity-branded router, then the activation portal continues to return updated network information, so if a customer changes the network name or password, that latest information would be displayed on the activation portal. ZDNet noted that there’s no way for a customer to opt out of this system. For customers using their own router, the publication discovered that the portal doesn’t have access to the Wi-Fi network name and password to display.

On the primary level, the security concern is that customer’s network data and home address isn’t protected by requiring information that’s not readily available through an account statement. Further, once a hacker obtains the network data, they can use it in a malicious manner if they’re within close proximity to the Wi-Fi network. The network ID and password could be used to gain access to unencrypted web traffic that passes through the router. Additionally, hackers can also temporarily lock users out by changing the network name and password once they have access.

Comcast has since disabled this feature on its website to correct the security flaw. “Within hours of learning of this issue, we shut it down,” a Comcast spokesperson told ZDnet. “We are conducting a thorough investigation and will take all necessary steps to ensure that this doesn’t happen again.” In a separate statement to Gizmodo, Comcast noted that it doesn’t believe that any data was improperly accessed as a result of this bug.

News of the bug comes at a time when Comcast is launching its own mesh networking accessory.