Apple’s new macOS 12.3 beta, which rolled out to registered developers last week, suggests Ultra Wideband (UWB) technology is coming to Mac.
UWB, currently exclusive to iPhone models with the Apple U1 chip, allow precise location reporting to make missing devices much easier to find. UWB is also used to improve AirDrop and to enable Apple’s CarKey feature.
Belkin unveiled the Wemo Smart Video Doorbell that uses Apple’s HomeKit Secure Video. It’s built around a 4MP, wide-angle lens.
Also at CES 2022, Belkin announced redesigned smart plugs and lighting solutions with support for Matter over Thread, which means they’ll also support HomeKit.
Plus, the wraps came off Belkin SoundForm Immerse noise cancelling earbuds with support for Apple’s Find My system.
You won‘t have to attach an AirTag tracker to the upcoming Targus Cypress Hero Backpack to locate it because it’ll have Apple’s Find My tracking technology built in.
The bag, which can hold a MacBook as large as 16 inches, can also be used to locate a misplaced iPhone.
Apple on Monday rolled out a brand-new Android app that allows users to identify unexpected AirTags nearby. Tracker Detect can also recognize other Find My-compatible devices from third-party companies.
The app also makes it possible for those who do not own an iPhone or iPad to scan a tracker they have discovered and learn more about it — or disable it so that it can no longer report their location.
Beats released a new version of its Beats Studio Buds on Tuesday in a joint effort with the trendy mens fashion store Union. The limited-edition wireless earbuds commemorate Union’s 30th anniversary. You can snap them up at the store’s Los Angeles and Tokyo locations and, as of Wednesday, online.
Plenty of backpacks have an AirTag tracker attached by their owners, but Targus is making one with Apple Find My tech built in. This will allow users to locate the backpack with their iPhone if it gets lost.
The Cypress Hero EcoSmart Backpack won’t launch until spring, but has already been named a CES 2022 Innovation Awards Honoree.
Apple’s new iOS 15.2 beta gives iPhone and iPad users the option to scan for nearby AirTags and Find My devices that may be tracking their movements.
The beta adds a new “Items That Can Track Me” button to the Find My app. Tapping it will display a list of “Unknown Items” — if there are any nearby. The app then provide users with instructions on how to disable anything that shows up.
Apple upgraded AirPods Pro and AirPods Max on Tuesday to enable Find My tracking. It allows users to locate missing AirPods even when they’re not connected to another Apple device.
Getting the new functionality just requires a firmware upgrade for the wireless earbuds and iOS 15.
It seems Find My network support for AirPods Pro and AirPods Max won’t roll out with iOS 15 and iPadOS 15 as originally planned. Apple says the feature, which can make lost headphones easier to find, will be available “later this fall.”
Once the Find My network is enabled for the high-end headphones, another iPhone, iPad or Mac owner in the vicinity of the lost item can can passively update your gear’s general location. The Find My network functionality makes the feature far my powerful by tapping the millions of Apple devices in use around the world.
Hidden code in iOS 15 confirms AirPods Max and AirPods Pro will be tied to an Apple ID to enable Find My tracking. The upgrade will allow users to locate missing AirPods, even when they’re not connected to another Apple device.
With iOS 15, your iPhone can warn you if you’ve left your Mac at the office. Or in a hotel room, restaurant, plane… wherever. Separation alerts are one of the better features of Apple’s operating system upgrade.
It’s easy to set up these up. Here’s how.
Apple made an enormous number of changes in its 2021 operating system updates. Many of these drew plenty of attention — like the FaceTime upgrade — but some useful improvements might have been overlooked in all the hoopla.
Here are nine new features in iOS 15, iPadOS 15 and macOS Monterey you might have overlooked.
The Chipolo One Spot is the strongest rival for Apple’s new AirTag. Both can access the Apple Find My network for locating lost objects. But the One Spot has better range, and is easier to attach. And there’s more.
I’ve tested both these trackers. Here’s why I prefer Chipolo’s over Apple’s.
AirTag’s diminutive size and lack of ability to attach to anything out of the box means that it’s ironically easy to lose. Locating one that goes missing shouldn’t be too difficult, but if yours is proving hard to find, you might want to put it into Lost Mode.
If your AirTag is found by someone else, it will be possible for them to contact you and return your device — and anything it might be attached to — if it’s in Lost Mode. We’ll show you how to use it.
The Apple AirTag tracker will be a huge hit, if a new survey of iPhone and iPad users is correct. More than 60% of respondents said they planned to buy the accessory.
Most people in the survey said they were satisfied with AirTag’s $29.99 price. But they were mostly drawn to the item tracker because it’s tied into Apple’s global Find My network.
AirTag owners have discovered a hidden debug mode inside the Find My app on iPhone. It offers more detailed information on your tracker and allows you to customize the Precision Finding interface.
We’ll show you how to enable it on iOS 14.5 or later.
AirTag, like many Apple devices, is automatically linked to your Apple ID when you set it up for the first time. If you plan to sell one or give it away, you will first need to remove it from your account with a factory reset.
We’ll show you how.
Anyone having trouble with Apple’s Find My service, or signing into iCloud, can stop rebooting their devices trying to fix the problem. Apple itself reports that four of its online services are currently experiencing problems.
Update: Apple reports that all four previously malfunctioning services are now fixed.
Apple’s new AirTag tracker is no bigger than a coat button and cannot be attached to anything without the use of accessories. So it’s likely many are going to get lost. Here’s what you should do if you ever find one.
Apple’s AirTag sales pitch is that you can attach the item tracker to your keys and you can find it with your iPhone, whether it’s in the couch or Canberra. That’s true, but the wireless range of these gizmos is so limited that finding a nearby AirTag in the next room isn’t easy as it should be. And the hardware is missing an obvious feature.
I’m a long-time user of rival Tile trackers. I was expecting Apple’s offering to be significantly better. In reality, both have their strengths. And Tile comes out ahead in some critical ways.
The upcoming Chipolo One Spot could rise to be a top Bluetooth item tracker. And if that happens, it’ll be with Apple’s help. The product will be one of the very first accessible through Apple’s Find My network, which means iPhone, Mac and iPad users can locate it without having to install any software from Chipolo.
The same is true of AirTags, Apple’s own much-rumored item tracker expected to be released soon.
The Find My application built into iOS and macOS finally opened up to device trackers made by other companies, not just Apple. Wednesday’s move allows iPhones, Macs and iPads to locate lost items produced by third-party accessory makers without needing to install additional software.
The first supported non-Apple products come from Belkin, Chipolo and VanMoof.
It won’t be possible for someone to hide an AirTag on you and track your location without permission. iPhones will notify their users if one of Apple’s item tracker tags is moving along with them.
Apple’s newest iOS 14.5 and iPadOS 14.5 betas add a new “Items” tab to the built-in Find My app that allows users to tracks Beats headphones, luggage and other third-party gadgets.
The tab is also expected to be home to Apple’s long-rumored “AirTags” trackers … when they finally appear.
There’s no reason to be skeptical about Apple’s plans for AirTags. Any iPhone, iPad or Mac user can see evidence that Apple is about to add support for item trackers to the Find Me application.
