Tag: airtag
How to add an AirTag to Find My on iPhone
Google is reportedly working on a location tracker like Apple’s AirTag
It was only a matter of time until Google launched its own location tracker, similar to Apple’s AirTags, Samsung’s SmartTag, and of course, Tile. According to the developer (and well-sourced leaker) Kuba Wojciechowski, Google’s Nest team is developing a tracker codenamed “Grogu.” It’ll reportedly include an onboard speaker, as well as support for Bluetooth Low Energy and ultra-wideband (UWB). Wojciechowski found evidence of the tracker when he noticed that Google added support for locator tags in the developer hub for Fast Pair, the Android feature that lets you quickly connect Bluetooth devices.
While there aren’t any specific details at this point, we can expect Google’s tracker to work like the competition (attach it to whatever you like, and keep tabs on its location with your phone). It’s also unclear if Google can replicate Apple’s admittedly slick AirTag experience. Wojciechowski says that the Pixel 6 Pro and Pixel 7 Pro both shipped with UWB modules, which would allow them to direct you to nearby objects acccurately. But he notes that Google’s “finder” network won’t require UWB — BLE should be enough.
I have recently found references that show that Google’s working on support for locator tags in Fast Pair – see the linked thread for more info. https://t.co/8tvlWaHQpv
Now it turns out Google’s working on a first party tracker too!
— Kuba Wojciechowski⚡ (@Za_Raczke) January 16, 2023
While Google can’t guarantee that every Android phone will ship with UWB, Wojciechowski says Google is working with chipset makers to help them support Fast Pair. That means we could see third-party trackers rounding out the location network, something it’s hard to imagine Apple ever allowing. As for availability, Wojciechowski didn’t find any specific timing, but he notes that it could be announced at I/O this year. That makes sense, as Google is already far behind the location tracking competition.
10-year old Chipolo explains why it’s not worried about Apple’s AirTag
When Apple’s AirTag came onto the scene in 2021, competitors like Tile were quick to bash the tech giant for antitrust issues, saying smaller companies had no chance of competing with Apple’s massive network of a billion iPhones. As it turns out, that’s not how another rival sees the situation. Chipolo, the 10-year-old maker of […]
10-year old Chipolo explains why it’s not worried about Apple’s AirTag by Sarah Perez originally published on TechCrunch
AirTag odyssey: One woman’s lost luggage journey goes viral
Valerie Szybala thought she made the right choice when she accepted United Airlines’ offer to deliver her delayed luggage.
This was in the last week of 2022, when bad weather and operations failures canceled thousands of flights, most of them on Southwest Airlines. Szybala had just landed at Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C., when the United app notified her that the bag wasn’t on her flight from Chicago. It seemed easier to let the airline bring the bag, packed with souvenirs from a long vacation, directly to her home.
After all, she’d put an Apple AirTag in her luggage, letting her track the bag’s journey. But Szybala could not have imagined what came next.
“That’s where the real chaos began,” Szybala told Mashable.
When the tagged bag departed the airport on Dec. 29th, Szybala says, it seemed on course for delivery a few miles away. AirTags are intended to track personal items, such as wallets and car keys, by sending out signals that can be detected by Apple’s Find My network. (Privacy experts have been critical of the device’s ability to track people without their consent, including victims of domestic violence.)
Szybala’s bag never arrived on the 29th. She kept watching it the next day, and it appeared to settle in for the evening at a residential apartment complex.
That’s when she started to worry.
Since the Find My network provided her with the bag’s location, Szybala decided to go there herself. Thus began a viral Twitter thread on the saga. At time of writing, the first tweet in that thread had been viewed 15.5 million times.
Szybala’s experience is a cautionary tale about trusting airlines and their third-party courier services to return delayed or lost luggage — and why a tracking device might just be the leverage travelers need to hold major corporations accountable for their practices.
When Szybala arrived at the apartment complex, she saw and photographed emptied suitcases near a dumpster. Panic set in. A text chat with a United customer service representative, via the carrier’s app, left Szybala feeling “gaslit.”
A screenshot of the exchange shows Szybala pleading with the rep for clarity about why her AirTag indicated the bag was at an apartment complex, not a secure distribution center as the rep insisted. The rep, whom Szybala couldn’t confirm was human, replied: “Calm down you bag is at the delivery service.”
“When I thought that there was someone stealing bags, and maybe emptying them out, is when I was like, ‘I need to take action,'” she said.
Szybala kept returning to the complex with the hope of finding her bag, with no luck. At one point, she watched the bag travel to a McDonald’s.
“ANOTHER MAJOR UPDATE: My luggage AirTag has left McDonalds and returned to the apartment complex where it is being held hostage!” Szybala wrote on Twitter.
As her tweets circulated, Szybala received DMs from people with similar horror stories and inside information about how luggage is supposed to be handled. Several pointed her to a Houston-based company, Wheres My Suitcase (sic), used by multiple airlines. Its Yelp page is covered in bad reviews.
Szybala was told by United that she could track her bag on wheresmysuitcase.com, but the website never updated the location of her belongings. She had no way to reach the courier service directly.
Szybala also says one industry insider told her that standard procedure is to bring luggage back to the distribution center if it can’t be delivered. What the suitcase in question was doing at an apartment building is still unknown.
On her fourth trip to the complex, Szybala received a text from the courier service. The delivery person said they’d delivered the bag to the wrong person in Virginia, and had to retrieve it. Given the AirTag details, Szybala doesn’t believe that story — but she did get her bag back on Jan. 2, three days after it went missing.
“It doesn’t seem above board to me,” she said.
When Mashable asked United Airlines for comment on the situation, the carrier said in an email: “We are working with our baggage delivery vendor to understand the details of this situation.”
United Airlines sent an additional update following publication of this story: “We’ve been in touch with this customer to discuss this situation and confirm she has received her luggage. The service our baggage delivery vendor provided does not meet our standards and we are investigating what happened to lead to this service failure.”
Szybala wrote on Twitter that travelers should consider using a tracking device in their luggage. Without it — and the viral Twitter thread — Szybala said she probably wouldn’t have her bag.
Indeed, the holiday travel nightmare appears to have convinced other fliers to do the same. NBC News’ Scott Budman reported Monday that Apple AirTags have become a best-selling item on Amazon in recent days.
Szybala also recommended that travelers photograph or inventory their belongings before flying, and that they opt to pick up delayed or lost bags from the airport rather than have them delivered. Still, she believes that United ultimately bears responsibility for what happens to travelers’ luggage, and how fliers are treated by the company when that happens.
“Obviously this is not going to change everything United does, but certainly getting all of this attention — the negative press — is kind of the only thing that might prompt them to evaluate some of these practices,” Szybala said.
UPDATE: Jan. 2, 2023, 3:55 p.m. PST This story was updated with a new statement from United Airlines.
Apple Announces Japanese New Year Promotion With Limited-Edition AirTag
Gift card amounts will range from ¥4,000 for second-generation AirPods and other accessories to ¥32,000 for the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro.
In addition to a gift card, the first 30,000 customers in Japan who purchase a new iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 12, or iPhone SE from Apple during the promotion will receive a limited-edition AirTag with a Year of the Rabbit engraving for 2023.
Apple has shared full terms and conditions for the promotion with additional details. Notably, iPhone orders placed through the Apple Store app will not qualify for a limited-edition AirTag, so make sure to complete the purchase on Apple’s website. The promotion will also be available at Apple’s retail stores in Japan.
Apple has ran a Japanese New Year promotion for many years. Last year’s promotion offered a limited-edition AirTag for the Year of the Tiger.
This article, “Apple Announces Japanese New Year Promotion With Limited-Edition AirTag” first appeared on MacRumors.com
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Top Stories: All-New Mac Pro in Testing, AirTag Updates, and More
In other news, Apple has detailed changes it made in a couple of recent AirTags firmware updates, while the company appears to have pulled back a new Home app architecture it began offering to users with iOS 16.2 and macOS Ventura 13.1. Read on below for details on these stories and more!
New Mac Pro in Testing, But ‘M2 Extreme’ Chip Likely Canceled
Apple continues to test an all-new Mac Pro with an M2 Ultra chip, but the company has likely abandoned plans to offer a higher-end “M2 Extreme” chip, according to Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman.
Gurman said the Mac Pro with the M2 Ultra chip will be available with up to a 24-core CPU, up to a 76-core GPU, and at least 192GB of RAM. Like the current Mac Pro, he expects the new model to remain expandable with additional memory, storage, and more.
The current Intel-based Mac Pro was released in December 2019 and starts at $5,999 in the United States. Barring any further delays, the new model will presumably launch in 2023.
Latest Rumors for Every Mac: When to Expect New Models
Beyond the Mac Pro, several other Macs are expected to be updated next year. For example, new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M2 Pro and M2 Max chips are expected to launch in early 2023. A new Mac mini with M2 chips is also rumored.
This week, we recapped the latest rumors for every Mac that Apple sells, including the MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, iMac, Mac mini, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro.
Apple Said to Cancel or Postpone iPhone SE 4
Apple plans to either cancel or postpone mass production of the fourth-generation iPhone SE, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
Kuo originally expected the next iPhone SE to launch in 2024, but he said these plans are likely to change due to consistently lower-than-expected shipments of mid-to-low-end iPhone models, such as the third-generation iPhone SE, iPhone 13 mini, and iPhone 14 Plus.
Apple Pulls iOS 16.2 Option to Upgrade to New Home Architecture
One of iOS 16.2’s key new features is the ability to upgrade to a new Home app architecture. While Apple hasn’t shared details on exactly what the changes are, the company said the upgrade offers “improved performance and reliability” for HomeKit accessories.
After some users who upgraded the Home app complained about technical issues, it appears that Apple has removed the option to upgrade the Home app for now.
Apple Reveals What’s New in Latest AirTag Firmware Updates
Apple recently released two firmware updates for its AirTag accessory, and the company has since outlined what’s new in the updates.
One of the firmware updates introduces some features promised by Apple earlier this year to help prevent AirTags from being used for stalking purposes. The other update resolves an issue with the AirTag’s accelerometer not activating in some scenarios.
The ‘Trashcan’ Mac Pro: Remembering One of Apple’s Most Controversial Designs
This week marked the ninth anniversary of Apple releasing the so-called “trashcan” Mac Pro, providing an opportunity to reflect on one of Apple’s most controversial hardware designs.
While the “trashcan” Mac Pro had a beautiful design, it was not modular, leading to complaints from professional users about its lack of upgradeability over the years. The computer was discontinued in 2019.
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This article, “Top Stories: All-New Mac Pro in Testing, AirTag Updates, and More” first appeared on MacRumors.com
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Apple Reveals New AirTag Features Added in Latest Firmware Updates
According to Apple, firmware update 2.0.24 allows AirTag owners to use Precision Finding to help locate an unknown AirTag with their iPhone.
Also introduced in update 2.0.24, if a user’s iPhone is awake, a new notification alerts them when an AirTag that’s been separated from its owner is nearby and emitting a sound to indicate it has been moved. It can then be tracked down by sound or Precision Finding if the feature is available. Apple says that this change will also help if the AirTag sound is hard to hear or if the speaker has been tampered with.
The two features were promised by Apple earlier this year in a bid to prevent AirTags from being used for stalking purposes.
In addition, Apple says the latest firmware update, 2.0.36, resolves an issue with the AirTag accelerometer not activating in certain scenarios. All the features outlined above require iOS 16.2 or later, while the features that use Precision Finding require an iPhone 11 or later models with the U1 Ultra Wideband chip.
It is not possible to force an AirTag update, as it’s something that’s done over-the-air through a connected iPhone. To make sure the update happens, you can put your AirTag in range of your iPhone, but you have to wait for the firmware to roll out to your device. You can check your current AirTag firmware version through the Find My app, with instructions available in our how to.
This article, “Apple Reveals New AirTag Features Added in Latest Firmware Updates” first appeared on MacRumors.com
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The Best Apple AirTag Accessories of 2022
The Apple AirTag offers an affordable way for iPhone users to track nearly anything, but there’s a catch. By itself, the AirTag can really only be thrown into a bag. To make it more versatile, you’ll need some accessories.
Read This Article on How-To Geek ›
Apple Black Friday Accessory Sales Include Year’s Best Prices on AirTag, MagSafe Chargers, and Official iPhone 14 Cases
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
Starting with the AirTag 4-Pack, Amazon has the tracking accessory multi-pack for $79.99, down from $99.00. This is a match of the all-time low price on this device, and as of now only the 4-Pack is being discounted for Black Friday.
For MagSafe accessories, we’re seeing sales from both Amazon and Verizon. In total, Verizon has the best sales, but Amazon is either matching these prices or providing deals that get very close to Verizon’s all-time low offerings.
At Verizon, you can get the MagSafe Charger for $29.99, down from $39.00. The MagSafe Battery Pack is down to $74.24, from $99.00, and the MagSafe Duo Charger is down to $96.74, from $129.00.
At Amazon, you can get the MagSafe Charger for $29.99, the MagSafe Battery Pack for $74.99, and the MagSafe Duo Charger for $97.49. These are all either matching or nearly matching Verizon’s deals.
Lastly, Amazon also has quite a few discounts on Apple’s official MagSafe cases for the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro. You can find every case listed below by model, and many are seeing multiple colors hitting record low prices. There’s also the MagSafe Leather Wallet with Find My support for $44.99, down from $59.00.
iPhone 14
- Clear Case – $37.49, down from $49.00
- Silicone Case – $37.49, down from $49.00
- Leather Case – $44.99, down from $59.00
iPhone 14 Plus
- Clear Case – $37.49, down from $49.00
- Silicone Case – $37.49, down from $49.00
- Leather Case – $44.99, down from $59.00
iPhone 14 Pro
- Clear Case – $37.49, down from $49.00
- Silicone Case – $37.49, down from $49.00
- Leather Case – $44.99, down from $59.00
iPhone 14 Pro Max
- Clear Case – $37.49, down from $49.00
- Silicone Case – $37.49, down from $49.00
- Leather Case – $44.99, down from $59.00
You can find all the Apple Black Friday Deals currently available in our dedicated post. For everything else, we’re keeping track of all of the season’s best Apple-related deals in our Black Friday roundup, so be sure to check back throughout the month for an updated list of all the most notable discounts you’ll find for Black Friday 2022.
This article, “Apple Black Friday Accessory Sales Include Year’s Best Prices on AirTag, MagSafe Chargers, and Official iPhone 14 Cases” first appeared on MacRumors.com
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