How to make AirTag safe(r)

February 19, 2022

I love the AirTag. It's a fine little tool for keeping track of things like car keys, backpacks, wallets and purses.

Unfortunately, some creepy criminals figured out Apple's tracking tags work pretty well as tools for stalking and theft, too.

Apple already revealed changes it's making to its trackers, but the company probably didn't go far enough. In our lead story this weekend, Cult of Mac writer Ed Hardy makes the case that Apple should do more.

Also this week:

  • The latest rumors point to a Mac-tastic March event.

  • New Apple TV+ sci-fi/satire Severance sounds great, as does the streamer's new Abraham Lincoln docu-series. Both premiered this week, and we've got reviews.

  • An unlikely company is ready to breathe new life into old Macs: Google.

  • And an ancient Apple mystery has been solved!

Happy weekend reading,

– Lewis Wallace, managing editor

News and opinion

New York’s attorney general issued a warning this week about AirTags being used to secretly track people. And this is only the latest escalation of the controversy over misuse of the trackers. Apple made some changes to make AirTag safer, but it needs to do more.

We know they're coming soon. But what will they be?

Plus, more Apple leaks and rumors:

Apple is making a number of nice design improvements to its Podcasts app. The biggest is the ability to filter podcast episodes by season.

If you have an elderly Mac that’s not up to the demands of the latest macOS version, you can turn it into a Chromebook. All you need is Chrome OS Flex, an operating system Google created for older Macs and PCs.

For decades, no one could figure out who inscribed the serial numbers on the first Apple computers' circuit boards. Now we know whodunnit.

If your computer setup tends to get cluttered — and whose doesn’t? — you have a new tool. That is, if you own a 24-inch iMac or plan to get one.

Plus, more new gear:

The iPhone 6 Plus was a game changer for Apple back in 2014. But it’s riding off into the sunset now, along with 2012's iPad model.

How-tos

AirPods Pro aren’t your average wireless headphones. Apple packed in a whole bunch of features that allow you to enjoy clearer FaceTime calls, quieter flights and more. One of those is the brilliant Conversation Boost.

Not a good time to dash off that important message to a colleague? Slack lets you schedule messages to send later on desktop and mobile.

Deals

We’re big fans of e-learning courses, which you can take in your own time, from anywhere — and this is one of the very best bundles we’ve found. Get The Unlimited Lifetime Learning Subscription Bundle featuring Rosetta Stone, and see how much you can learn.

Plus, more educational deals:

You don’t need a full lab setup to see the tiny details of the world. This WiFi Digital Microscope connects to your iPhone, and can magnify up to 1,000X.

A drone is only as good as its battery. Some last for as little as five minutes, which is barely enough time to take to the air and do anything. This Foldable HD Dual Camera Mini Drone, currently on sale from Cult of Mac Deals, isn’t like that.

Control the lighting in your home without sacrificing any space by adding a few of Lamp Depot’s Minimalist LED Corner Floor Lamps to your rooms.

Reviews

If you want more Thunderbolt ports for your Mac, the Plugable USB4-HUB3A hub offers a trio of them. And they are fully functional, offering up to 40 Gbps transfer speeds and support for 4K monitors. Plus, there’s a USB-A port for good measure.

The new Apple TV+ dark comedy/thriller centers on a company man with an unusual relationship to himself and his job. Every day he goes to work, and his brain stays behind.

Plus, more Apple TV+ recaps:

A pair of AirTag holders make it easy to attach Apple’s tracking tag to your keys or purse. The Slim Case has a minimalistic design, while the Leather Holder wraps the AirTag in a stylish sleeve.

The engrossing four-part docu-series about Abraham Lincoln plays like a classic PBS show.

The Mophie Portable Magnetic Stand folds flat but opens to hold up a MagSafe iPhone at a wide range of viewing angles. It’s a convenient way to make FaceTime calls or watch video wherever you go while freeing up your hands.

There’s no better case for giving your iPad a unique look than the Twelve South BookBook Cover — no one else is going to have a tablet that looks like something Isaac Newton might have carried.

Setups

One of the most-beloved products in Apple’s storied history of beloved products is the Cinema Display. This setup sports not one but two 30-inch Cinema Displays, the stunners Steve Jobs introduced to an absolutely dazzled WWDC audience in 2004.

When you see a setup with two monitors stacked on top of each other, what do you think? Maybe something like … doesn’t the person have to crane their neck to look at the top one? Isn’t it uncomfortable? Where does the webcam go? The person behind this setup confronts those questions.