Nomad debuts Stellar Orange ChargeKey with iPhone-inspired color matching
Nomad is updating one of my favorite and most clutch tech accessories they make. They are expanding their ChargeKey lineup with a new Stellar Orange color to perfectly match the Cosmic Orange iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max. ChargeKey has been one of Nomad’s longest-running products and is still one of the simplest solutions for carrying a reliable cable on your keychain that can do it all, from ultra-high speed charging to professional-level data transfer speeds. Here is what you should know. more…

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2026 iPad Air: Everything you need to know
Macworld Apple’s iPad Air was updated in March 2025, but other than a new M3 chip, not much changed about it. A year later, Apple is expected to update its mid-range tablet again with a performance-focused refresh rather than a redesign. Here’s everything you need to know about the new iPad Air for 2026. 2026 iPad Air: At a glance What’s New: M4 chip, N1 wireless chip, possible price increase What’s staying the same: Design, display, cameras, RAM 2026 iPad Air performance and specs: Will the 2026 iPad Air be faster? M4 chip 8GB RAM N1 chip for Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 C1X 5G modem Apple The main feature for the 2026 iPad Air will be a new processor. According to an internal Apple document, the M3 is expected to be replaced by an M4 chip. While we are familiar with the M4 chip, which has already featured in the 2024 iPad Pro, it’s not clear what the specification of the M4 in the iPad Air will be. The iPad Pro came with a 9-core or 10-core CPU, depending on the storage. We believe Apple will offer only the 9-core CPU with a 10-core GPU. The 2025 iPad Air had 8GB of RAM, the minimum required to run Apple Intelligence. We expect the new iPad Air will also have 8GB of RAM standard. With the iPhone 17, Apple released a new N1 chip for Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, and Thread networking technology. We expect the N1 to appear in the iPad Air, along with the iPhone Air’s C1X 5G modem for cellular models. 2026 iPad Air design and display: Will Apple redesign the iPad Air? 11-inch and 13-inch Liquid Retina displays Similar dimensions and thinness Britta O’Boyle Apple offers the iPad Air in 11- and 13-inch models, and the new iPad Air is expected to have the same design and screen options. What might change is the colors; Apple currently offers the M3 iPad Air in four colors (Blue, Purple, Starlight, Space Gray), the same options as the M2 model. Apple often changes the colors when introducing a new generation, so it would be unusual to have the same options for three generations. The iPad Air has used the same LED backlit Liquid Retina display for several generations, and we expect it to continue with the M4 update. Apple’s more expensive iPad Pro uses tandem OLED panels, but we don’t expect that technology to come to the iPad Air for several years. 2026 iPad Air cameras: Are the cameras changing? 12MP rear camera 12MP Center Stage front camera Eugen Wegmann Apple doesn’t upgrade its iPad cameras annually like the iPhone. The iPad Air has had the same two cameras since the M1: a 12MP front camera with Center Stage and a 12MP rear wide-angle camera. It’s unlikely the hardware will change, although Apple could introduce new software features. 2026 iPad Air price: Will the iPad Air cost more in 2026? Tariffs, rising RAM prices, and other supply-chain cost increases could drive prices up this year. Apple CEO Tim Cook said during the Q1 2026 financial results earnings call that the company is in “supply chase mode” and facing industry-wide constraints for components. However, any price increase would likely affect the higher-end configurations, and we expect the M4 iPad Air to still start at $599 for the 11-inch model.

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London's Apple Regent Street to reopen on Valentine's Day
Apple has announced that its central London store refurbishment will be completed and Apple Regent Street is to reopen on Valentine's Day.Apple Regent Street | Image Credit: AppleIn early January 2025, Apple announced that its Regent Street site was to be closed for unspecified refurbishment. It was part of Apple's plans to remodel or open around 50 stores worldwide by 2027.Apple did say that the closure, which began at 6:00 PM GMT on January 11, was temporary. It didn't give a reopening date at the time, but it has now revealed that the store will open again at 10:00 GMT on Saturday, February 14, 2026. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Deals: iPhone 16 up to $420 off orig. price, 32GB M4 MacBook Air $300 off, M4 Pro $400 off, chargers, more
Today’s 9to5Toys Lunch Break deals are starting with some serious price drops on iPhone 16 and 16 Pro models – these Amazon offers are drastically undercutting the Apple refurb units that recently appeared with iPhone 16 models at up to $420 off and 16 Pro at $630 off the original prices. We also have a particularly notable offer on 32GB M4 MacBook Air models at up to $300 off and M4 Pro MacBook Pro configs at $400 off. Apple’s 11-inch 1TB M5 iPad Pro has hit the Amazon all-time low, you can land Powerbeats Pro 2 at up to $122 off, and Anker’s new orange model Smart Display Nano Charger now live on Amazon at $30. Head below for a closer look at everything.  more…

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The best RPG on Apple Arcade gets a sequel
"Oceanhorn 3: Legend of the Shadow Sea" invites players into a beautiful open-world RPG full of action. Plus more new Apple Arcade games. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

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How to stop an AirTag tracking you: Find & disable unknown AirTags
Macworld You may have heard reports of people using AirTags to track others, but what if it’s you who is being tracked? What if you are the one who sees the warning that an AirTag has been detected near you, and what should you do if that’s the case? The first thing is not to panic. It probably isn’t anything malicious. You might have found something someone had lost, or a pet with an AirTag in its collar might have taken a shine to you. You may also see an alert for other devices moving with you, such as AirPods and other Bluetooth trackers, so it could be an innocent case of having borrowed an item from someone with an AirTag attached or inside it. In this article, we will help you identify whether you are being tracked by an AirTag and explain what to do, including how to locate the AirTag and how to stop it from tracking you. We will also explain how to make sure you will receive alerts if an AirTag is tracking you. What to do if you think an AirTag is tracking you If you suspect an unknown AirTag is tracking you, the most important first step is to remain calm. Apple has built multiple safety features into the Find My network to help prevent unwanted tracking. These include on-screen alerts and audible sounds designed to notify you if an AirTag that doesn’t belong to you is nearby. If an AirTag is detected near you that is not associated with your iCloud account, your iPhone – or an Android phone using Apple’s tracker detection tools – will display an alert. These notifications typically appear after a period of time, or when you are moving and the AirTag appears to be moving with you. When you see an alert that an AirTag is following you, you can play a sound or use Precision Finding to help locate it. We explain how to do this below. Even if you don’t receive an alert, an AirTag that has been separated from its owner for a while (around three days) will eventually emit a chirping sound to draw attention to itself. This safeguard is effective as long as the AirTag’s owner is not frequently nearby. If you believe you are being intentionally tracked, do not confront a potential perpetrator. Instead, prioritise your safety and contact law enforcement for assistance. 1. Locate the AirTag by playing a sound You will see a notification if an AirTag is travelling with you.Foundry If an unknown AirTag is tracking you, you may see an alert on your iPhone stating: “AirTag Found Moving With You.” If you have received an alert about an AirTag that is traveling with you can make the AirTag produce a sound so you can locate it. To do so, follow these steps: Tap Apple’s Alert. Tap Continue. Tap Play Sound. You will have the option to play the sound again. Beware that the beep that’s made isn’t ongoing or particularly loud, and it can be muffled. You may also hear the AirTag beeping, or making a “chirruping” sound without needing to go through the steps above. AirTags are designed to play a sound automatically after being separated from their owner for a period of time (now as short as 30 minutes to a few hours depending on movement). However, the audio alert will only play if the person engaged in surveillance doesn’t come into contact with it in that time, so if a stalker can come within range of the AirTag at least every three days, the sound won’t play. What to do if you can’t play a sound on the AirTag You may find that there is no option to play a sound, in that case, the item may no longer be near you or it may be back in range of its owner. The AirTag needs to be within Bluetooth range to play a sound. Another possibility is that the AirTag speaker has been disabled. After reports of people disabling AirTag speakers, Apple started adding the notification to alert you to the presence of the AirTag. If you have been alerted that an AirTag has been found moving with you, the Find My app will display a map showing where the AirTag has ‘followed’ you. This way you can get an idea of where the AirTag has been detected, shown by red dashes and dots. It may put your mind at rest if you realise that the location is one you spent time at with a friend or colleagues who has an AirTag or other device (such as AirPods). 2. Locate the AirTag with Precision Finding/manual search Simon Jary If you were unable to find the AirTag by playing a sound there is another option. If you have an iPhone 11 or later, you can use Precision Finding to see the exact distance and direction to the unknown AirTag. Tap Apple’s Alert. Tap Continue. Tap Find Nearby. You will see instructions that should direct you to the location of the AirTag. Other ways to find an AirTag If you don’t hear the AirTag chirruping, can’t get the AirTag to play a sound, and can’t find the AirTag using Precision Finding, check common hiding spots such as: Check pockets: In clothing, not just pockets but also check inside the lining or anywhere it could have been sewn in. Check bags: Look inside purses, luggage, messenger bags, and other items, unzip and also feel for an AirTag that’s been placed or sewn in. Examine your car: A car may have a number of locations that are unreachable or hard to check. Because an AirTag has as long as a year’s worth of power, someone might wrap it in cotton (to stifle the beep it may make; see below), slit a fabric seam, slip it in, and sew it back up. Parking your car away from homes and businesses and using a Bluetooth scanner can help you pinpoint if one is in your car. Look under car seats and in vehicle wheel wells. Check belongings: Someone could have posted you an item with an AirTag in it. 3. Identify the AirTag Foundry Once you have the physical device, you can gather information about it without alerting the owner. Your iPhone will detect the AirTag and direct you to a URL on Apple’s website where you can identify the AirTag with its serial number. If you suspect that the AirTag is being used maliciously you should take a screenshot of this information, as the serial number can help law enforcement identify the owner through Apple’s records. If the owner has marked the device as lost, there may even be a phone number for the owner. And it may be that they had simply lost the AirTag. 4. Disable the AirTag by removing the battery Open up the AirTag to locate the battery.Foundry To stop the AirTag from sharing your location immediately, you must disable it physically. Software actions alone won’t stop tracking. To disable the AirTag you should remove the battery. Follow these steps to do so: Push down on the center of the stainless steel battery cover. Rotate it counterclockwise to open it. Remove the CR2032 battery. Disabling the AirTag will not notify the owner of who disabled it. Safety First: If you feel unsafe, do not go home. Instead, go to a public location or a police station. We recommend keeping the AirTag and battery if law enforcement involvement is possible. 5. What happens after you have disabled the AirTag What happens after you have found the AirTag and disabled it?Foundry The AirTag will stop updating its location immediately, but disabling the AirTag won’t erase the location data that it had sent. The owner will eventually see a “last seen” alert. What to do if you have an Android phone While Android does not natively support the Find My network, Google and Apple have collaborated on a joint standard for “Unknown tracker alerts”. Apple also has an Apple’s Tracker Detect app for this purpose. Automatic Alerts: Android 6.0 and later will automatically notify you if an unknown AirTag is traveling with you. If you have an Android phone, you can check for unknown AirTags moving with you using the Tracker Detect app. It’s far less robust than Apple’s Find My app and needs to be run manually. Manual Scanning: You can also manually scan for nearby trackers by going to Settings > Safety & emergency > Unknown tracker alerts and tapping Scan Now. How to make sure you are warned if an AirTag is tracking you You will need to be running iOS 17.5 or later. You also need Bluetooth to be turned on (Settings > Bluetooth). To make sure you will receive an alert if an AirTag is tracking you need to turn on Location Services. On your iPhone (or iPad) go to Settings. Swipe down to Privacy & Security. Tap on Location Services and make sure it is turned on. Swipe down to System Services and tap on it. Make sure that Significant Locations is switched on. Go back to Settings. Swipe to Notifications and tap to open. Swipe down to Tracking Notifications. Make sure that you have that turned on. How to report an AirTag tracking you It goes without saying that you should not confront the perpetrator. If you don’t feel safe you should consult the police. Here are a few things you could do: In addition to local law enforcement, the FBI, or police, if you’re in need of help, consult one of these U.S.-based services the National Domestic Violence Hotline or more specialized resources for victims of domestic abuse, stalking, and other violence listed by the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. In the U.K. victims of stalking and harassment can get support from the police and victim support and the Suzy Lamplugh Trust. Other ways to find an AirTag Because AirTag regularly emits Bluetooth signals that Apple devices can pick up, you can use a simple Bluetooth tracker for iOS or iPadOS to scan the area around you and see if an AirTag is nearby. While these tracking apps can’t identify AirTag as such—AirTag changes its Bluetooth ID regularly to avoid being trackable themselves—the apps give you the lay of the landscape. That includes the names of Bluetooth devices that do label themselves in their broadcasts. BLE Scanner is a limited but free app that provides a list of Bluetooth devices your iPhone or iPad can detect, and offers a mapping feature that roughly sorts them by signal strength into distance away. This is particularly useful if you’re checking out whether a car has a hidden AirTag; less so inside when there may be dozens of your own and neighbors’ devices close enough to register. Regular Bluetooth devices typically identify themselves generically (like my “HP OfficeJet Pro 9010 series” printer) or specifically, as with the sharing name of your Macs, iPhones, iPads, Apple TVs, FitBit trackers, and so on. Bluetooth BLE Device Finder (free to download, but $4.99 to unlock needed features) has the advantage of letting you drill down into Bluetooth technical details, which may give additional clues about which devices are legitimate and not. Bluetooth scanning apps can provide cues about unknown devices near you, which may include AirTags. If you can eliminate all known Bluetooth devices, including by powering down equipment that you’re unsure of, and what’s left has no associated name, it can be worth looking further by hand. How does an AirTag track you Apple’s AirTag is a compact tracking device that can be attached to personal items to make it easy to find them. Unlike a GPS tracker, which requires cell service and may drain a battery quickly, an AirTag relies on the distributed Find My network of iPhones, iPads, and Macs that hundreds of millions of people around the world carry with them, and uses Bluetooth LE to send a signal to other devices. While there are a thousand positive and legitimate ways to use an AirTag, unfortunately, AirTags have been used to track people without their knowledge. For example, back in December 2021, the York regional police department in Canada announced that AirTags were being placed in hidden areas of target cars parked in public, and then tracked to the driver’s residence, where the cars are stolen while parked in the driveway. In another incident, a woman claimed that she found an AirTag hidden in her wheel well after her iPhone alerted her to an AirTag moving with her. State governments in New York and Pennsylvania have issued warnings about the misuse of AirTags and similar tracking devices. Incidents like this are rare (at the time, York police said there had been five AirTag-involved thefts out of 2,000 in the region). Apple has put some safeguards in place so that an iPhone, iPad, and AirTag provide varying alerts and information if the owner who paired the AirTag with their iPhone or iPad isn’t nearby. There are tools built into the iPhone to find and disable AirTags as well as an Android app that will scan for AirTags nearby. This is why you may have seen a warning that an AirTag has been detected near you. These warnings aren’t restricted to Apple devices: in May 2023, Apple and Google announced a joint initiative to allow Bluetooth location-tracking devices to be compatible with unauthorized tracking detection and alerts across iOS and Android platforms. Read: How to identify unwanted tracking by a compact Bluetooth device. Because AirTags don’t register proximity except to the owner, the only way it can be used to gather information about you is if it travels with you. An AirTag in your home, office, or classroom won’t reveal anything to someone trying to keep tabs. That reduces the “surface area” of unwanted surveillance because the AirTag has to be in your clothes, wallet, or purse, something else you’re carrying, or in a vehicle you’re in and using exclusively or at least regularly. If you’re traveling regularly through urban and suburban areas or on public transportation, other people’s devices will still pick up and relay location information about any AirTag that’s with you. That can include something as innocuous as pulling over to a rest area on a highway, and someone 50 feet away has an iPhone, or even driving on a highway near other people who have iPhones or iPads connected to a cellular network. Bluetooth LE’s range is surprisingly long. I found that an AirTag I temporarily placed in my car, parked two flights of stairs down from our ground floor and about 50 feet from the house still provided regular updates about its location via devices I owned—not to mention those of neighbors walking or driving by. Everyone’s devices participate in relaying secured, privacy-protecting location information about their devices and AirTags unless they opt out of the Find My network. That makes everyone around you a potential participant in tracking you via an AirTag you don’t know about. Once the AirTag is in your possession it will relay its location to the owner via the Find My network and other Bluetooth devices.

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Google Photos brings ‘Create with AI’ templates to iPhone
Google Photos is bringing its new “Create with AI” templates over to iPhone and iPad, a few months after they arrived on Android. more…

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'Oceanhorn 3' leads March updates coming to Apple Arcade
Apple Arcade is adding a major new original in March, alongside several family-friendly releases and themed updates to existing games. Here's what's coming.Oceanhorn 3: Legend of the Shadow SeaApple confirmed that Oceanhorn 3: Legend of the Shadow Sea will debut on Apple Arcade on March 5, headlining a month that also includes new App Store greats and crossover updates. The additions continue Apple Arcade's push to pad out its catalog with platform-agnostic games that avoid ads and in-app purchases.Oceanhorn 3: Legend of the Shadow Sea launches exclusively on Apple Arcade on March 5. The new entry is set nearly 1,000 years after Oceanhorn 2: Knights of the Lost Realm and focuses on exploration, large-scale boss battles, and a world on the brink of rebirth. Continue Reading on AppleInsider | Discuss on our Forums

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Today in Apple history: Mac Color Classic ditches monochrome
On February 10, 1993, Apple launched the Macintosh Color Classic, its first color compact Mac. It was the computer the world was waiting for. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

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Apple and Google Agree To Change App Stores After 'Effective Duopoly' Claim
Apple and Google have agreed to a set of commitments to the UK's Competition and Markets Authority that will prevent them from giving preferential treatment to their own apps and require greater transparency around how third-party apps are approved for sale. The CMA announced the measures on Tuesday, seven months after it declared that the two companies held an "effective duopoly" over the UK's mobile app ecosystem. Both companies also committed to not using data gathered from third-party developers in ways the regulator deems unfair. The CMA granted both app stores "strategic market status" in October 2025, a designation that gave it the authority to demand changes. CMA head Sarah Cardell called the commitments "important first steps" and said the regulator would "closely monitor" implementation. Technology analyst Paolo Pescatore described the announcement as a "pragmatic first step" but noted some may see it as "addressing the low-hanging fruit." The UK's app economy is the largest in Europe by revenue and number of developers, generating an estimated 1.5% of the country's GDP. Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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Apple TV Remote comes to the Mac with this new, free app
Apple offers an Apple TV Remote app on iPhone, iPad, and even Apple Watch—but not the Mac. So one developer created his own solution: Itsytv, a new macOS app for controlling your Apple TV. more…

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JumpCloud launches venture arm to fund the next generation of IT and security startups
JumpCloud is expanding its footprint in the enterprise security landscape, but this time, it’s not with a new software feature. The company today announced the launch of JumpCloud Ventures, a new investment arm designed to support early-stage companies building solutions in identity, security, AI, and IT productivity. Along with the launch of the fund, JumpCloud has announced its first strategic investment in Tofu, a startup focused on combating identity fraud during the hiring process. more…

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iOS 27: Apple to focus on squashing bugs, boosting performance, and tweaking design
Apple will be focused on improving the nuts-and-bolts performance of the software with iOS 27. That means eliminating bugs, removing old code… The post iOS 27: Apple to focus on squashing bugs, boosting performance, and tweaking design appeared first on MacDailyNews.

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Apple Arcade is adding Oceanhorn 3 and three more new games
Apple Arcade just announced its new titles coming in March, headlined by the latest title in a popular and long-running franchise: Oceanhorn 3. more…

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Here are four Apple Music features I’ve been loving lately
I’m a firm believer that Apple Music is the best music streaming service out there. Here are four features in Apple Music I’ve been loving lately that you should check out. more…

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9to5Mac Daily: February 10, 2026 – App Store changes, MacBook rumors
Listen to a recap of the top stories of the day from 9to5Mac. 9to5Mac Daily is available on iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, Stitcher, TuneIn, Google Play, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players. Sponsored by Stuff: Stuff helps you get everything out of your head and into a simple, elegant system—closing open loops and reducing mental stress. Use code 9TO5 at checkout for 50% off your first year. more…

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Charge AirPods to 100% every time with this hidden setting
Squeeze more battery life out of your AirPods by charging them to 100% rather than using the default setting, which limits the charge to 80%. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

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MrBeast just bought a popular banking app
MrBeast, the king of YouTube, is now the new owner of a banking app called Step. It’s a big move meant to kickstart the popular creator’s new ‘MrBeast Financial’ business arm. more…

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Jony Ives’ AI hardware is delayed to 2027 and won’t be called io
The mysterious AI hardware device designed by Jony Ive for OpenAI has been delayed, according to a new court filing. It had originally been scheduled to launch later this year but now won’t ship any earlier than February 2027. The same court paperwork also reveals that the company is no longer planning to use the name io for the upcoming device … more…

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Bought a guitar, learned 3 chords, then stopped? Try this.
Learn the modern way with structured guitar lessons, visual guidance and hundreds of songs with a one-year Fret Zealot All Access Pass. (via Cult of Mac - Your source for the latest Apple news, rumors, analysis, reviews, how-tos and deals.)

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