“I want to thank ventilator manufacturers such as GE for providing access to service documents,” Nathan Proctor, head of the right to repair campaign at the PIRG, said in a statement. “When technicians can’t access service manuals, it puts unnecessary barriers to fixing life-saving equipment.”

While the need for medical equipment technical manuals is pressing given the pandemic, it fits into a larger conversation. For years, right to repair proponents have argued that tech companies have prevented owners and independent technicians from completing basic fixes. Companies like Apple argue the repairs are too complex or not safe, though that’s debatable. Europe is already pushing for broader right to repair legislation, and the current demand for medical device service could make the battle more prominent in the US, too.

“We hope this also serves as an example about why restricting repair is harmful,” Proctor said. “It’s time we removed these repair restrictions for all the equipment in hospitals. We hope that manufacturers continue to expand their cooperation with independent technicians and hospital in-house biomeds to provide what they need to fix equipment.”

Those vulnerabilities, the FDA said, could allow bad actors to remotely take control of the devices in order to generate false alarms or silence real ones. An attacker could, for instance, stop the system from notifying providers about a patient’s cardiac status, putting their life in danger. Thankfully, the FDA has yet to receive reports of patient harm or device malfunction involving GE’s central stations. The company has taken steps to prevent them all the same, advising customers to separate the equipment from wider hospital network and instructing them on where they can get a patch when it becomes available.

The FDA has been keeping a close eye on medical equipment cybersecurity measures and issues over the past years. It issued a final guidance instructing manufacturers to boost pacemakers’ and insulin pumps’ protections against cyberattacks in 2016. The agency also previously issued a warning about certain pacemakers that are vulnerable to hacking and even recalled half a million pacemakers due to hacking fears.

Since it’s a software update, current owners of the WiFi-capable microwaves can rope in Google Assistant with either the GE Kitchen Appliances app or Google Home app. Simply download either app and follow the set-up instructions. If you’re stuck with a dumb microwave, GE’s lineup starts at $144.

Last year, GE started rolling out direct integration of the Google Assistant with a variety of its home appliances, including ovens and dishwashers. GE’s connected microwave will be the first that works directly with the Google Assistant — but other brands like Whirlpool have built their own actions so that their devices can work with Google Assistant. Google needs support from big appliance-makers like GE to compete with Amazon in this space, as Alexa has already made considerable headway in the smart cooking market with connected microwaves, stoves, coffee makers and more.

Many have questioned the need for connecting everyday household appliances like toasters, ovens or cookers to a smartphone or virtual assistant. Depending on your culinary abilities, the kitchen can either be a dreaded or sacred space. While some people may find a new gadget helps with multitasking or saves them time in the kitchen, others may find them to be an unwelcome intrusion or simply unnecessary. We thought the Amazon Basics microwave oven — which has Alexa built right in — was an impressive piece of technology, but questioned who really needed it. The simple act of nuking a frozen meal in the microwave may already be the height of convenience (or laziness), and adding a voice assistant in the mix may be overkill.