Apple Guide Podcast

For years, Apple has been developing a complicated system of guessers for multitasking between multiple apps on your iPad. Today, we are going to take a look at those systems, see how they work now, and take a look at what changes may be coming in the future.

https://youtu.be/UaGjjzXoc_Q

Let's start by taking a look at how it works right now by using an example. Let's say you're trying to plan a trip to Peru. You're switching between navigating through all the places you can go in Peru using Maps, researching things to do on TripAdvisor, and deep diving in Safari. Then, you are putting all of your findings into a Keynote presentation. So, you arrange your apps like this.

You start by wanting to put Safari and Keynote in split view. To do this, you open either app. Then, swipe up from the bottom of the screen just a little bit to reveal the dock. This is where you can find the other app you're looking for. But, since I don't see it there, I will instead search the App Library. Once found, I can drag it to either the left or right of Safari, and it will snap into split view. From there, I can slide the bar in the middle of both apps to the left or right to readjust how much space each pane uses.

Now, let's open an app in slide over. To do this, once again, swipe up just a little bit from the bottom of the screen to open the dock, find the app you're looking for, and drop it on the bar between apps. In my case, I'm going to use Maps. This will give you a floating nonresizable window that you can move to either the far left or right of your screen using the dots at the top of the window. To hide the window, slide it all the way to the edge of either side and to get it back, slide in from that respective side. We will take a look at those three dots in more detail later. Another interesting thing about this floating window is the fact that it has its own multitasking menu. So, if I were to drop another app on top of this floating window, it switches to the new app. In my case, I'm dropping in Tripadvisor. If you notice, at the bottom of the floating window there is another home bar. If you swipe up here, you can see all the other apps you have added to slide over and even close them. You can quickly switch between them by swiping left and right on that home bar. Otherwise, you can see the apps you have open with slide over by launching the regular multitasking and looking to the far right.

The last multitasking feature to highlight is pip or picture-in-picture. This feature puts what you are watching in a box that slides into one of the four corners of the screen allowing you to move freely around your iPad with the video still playing. To use this feature, click the picture-in-picture button in the video player. However, some apps that support PIP don't have a dedicated button, so you have to swipe up to close the app while the video is still playing, and it will automatically pop into PIP mode if the app supports it. But, once in PIP, you can click on the video for playback controls or too open and go back to the app into a full-screen video player.

So, now you have four apps on-screen exactly how you like them. But, what if you need to replace an app or rearrange them? One way is by using the three-dot menu at the top of every window, where you can choose to move the app into full screen, split view, or slide over. Another way is by dragging the windows around using those same three dots. The last way is by entering into multitasking by swiping up halfway from the bottom of the screen. Here, you can readjust how they are arranged and even close certain parts of a window by swiping up as usual. If in multitasking and you see an icon of double-stacked windows next to the app name, then that app has more than one window open.

For years Apple has been trying to brand the iPad as a computer, and since then, it's been hard to see their vision. That is until Apple added support for an external keyboard and mouse. Suddenly that vision is a little closer. So, let's look at your options for an external keyboard and mouse, see how they work, and if it's a good fit for you.

https://youtu.be/_zKLkIcSFmQ

The simplest way to get started is by picking up a cheap Bluetooth keyboard, say around $15. Then pair it to your iPad by putting the keyboard into pairing mode and selecting it from the list of found Bluetooth devices. Once it says "Connected" next to your keyboard you are ready to take advantage of a whole slew of features and convinces that an external keyboard brings.

For one thing, the iPad has a pretty small screen. And, once that on-screen keyboard pops up, it doesn't leave much room to work with. But, with a connected external keyboard, the on-screen keyboard is replaced with a shortcut menu that hovers over the home bar. What appears on this menu changes based on where you're typing. For instance, if you're in a text editor, like Notes, you may get QuickType and text formatting options. In other apps, you may only get dictation and quick access to the keyboard settings.

Beyond just typing text, you also have access to most of the keyboard shortcuts you're familiar with on macOS. For instance, you can use the same Cmd + Z to undo, Cmd + X to cut, Cmd + C to copy, and Cmd + V to paste. Although, if you're not already familiar with these shortcuts, you can hold down the Cmd key to see a full list of supported shortcuts for the app you're using.

You can take those shortcuts a step forward if you find a made-for iPad keyboard. These keyboards typically have a row of function keys that serve as shortcuts to iPadOS features, like playback controls, screen brightness, and dedicated home and multitasking buttons.

However, a keyboard is nothing without its mouse counterpart. So, once you pair your mouse to your iPad, the same way as the keyboard, you will see a little dot floating around the screen.

This is a place I think Apple did a great job of bringing a pro feature to the iPad in a uniquely iPad way. You see, the cursor doesn't work exactly as it does on a desktop computer. Instead, it is made to simulate you touching the screen. Notice, that as it moves across the screen, it conforms to the buttons a user would touch. Then, you can left-click to select that button, as you typically would. You can also right-click, which simulates a long press giving you access to those hidden long-press menus in, once again, a uniquely iPad fashion. On the other hand, you can pair a trackpad that uses the same gestures as if you are touching the screen. This means you can swipe across the trackpad with four fingers to slide through multitasking, swipe up with four fingers to close an app, or scroll using two fingers.

For a better experience, you can dive into Settings to make adjustments for a more personalized user experience.

For starters, you can customize the keyboard by going to Settings, General, Keyboard, and Hardware Keyboard. Here, you can make changes specific to your external keyboard. Say, if you prefer that iPadOS does not auto-capitalize, you can flip that switch. However, these settings only change for the external keyboard, not the on-screen.

You can also make adjustments to your trackpad by going to Settings, General, and Trackpad, where you can change the speed, scrolling direction, and clicking options. If you prefer to disable gestures, you can go to Settings, General, Gestures, and flip the "four and five finger swipe" off.

https://youtu.be/6Y_cBnRRXNk

Back in 2013, I got the first iPad Air, and for many years after that, it served as my computer. For 13-year-old me, that mostly meant playing games, surfing the web, and watching YouTube. When I needed something more powerful, I got the 2017 MacBook Pro, and my first iPad Air became more of a supplemental device. But, even the MacBook wasn't cutting it for me. I needed something with a bit more power. So, when the 2020 iPad Air came my way, I challenged myself to see if it could be a proper replacement for my Mac, and here's what I learned.

To put my iPad to the test, I gave it a simple question, can I run this whole blog off my iPad? Short answer, yes. The long answer is way more complicated.

But, let's start with the short answer. Yes, I am able to create a new blog post from start to finish off my iPad. I would start by doing some research in Safari and get to typing in Grammarly. Then, once everything is proofed and ready, I paste the script into a Parrot, a teleprompter app, and get to recording. When finished, I can then plug my camera directly into my iPad, thanks to the addition of USB-C, and import the video clips into Photos. From there, I can use Lumafusion to stitch the clips together. And, I end by posting the text to AppleGuideWeb.com and uploading the videos to YouTube and Facebook.

So, the moral of the story, I'm able to run this whole channel off my iPad, and I did so for a couple of months. The capabilities of the iPad Air certainly impressed me, and I ended up using my iPad more and more as I found ways to recreate more of my Mac workflows on an iPad. The keyword here is recreate.

Unfortunately, due to the software limitations of iPadOS, you can't simply replicate your desktop workflow step by step. They're just fundamentally different devices. Instead, you have to learn the many quarks of the iPad in order to adapt and recreate your workflow.

For instance, uploading a video to YouTube and Facebook wasn't as straightforward as it should have been. For some background, I export everything into the Files app, where I find it much easier to organize everything into folders. But, to upload the videos had to use a combination of apps and websites to get everything where it needed to be. For YouTube, I had to either save the video to my Photo library and upload it using the YouTube streaming app or go to Safari to upload it using their website. YouTube, why can't I upload videos using your Studio app? Although, I was able to upload the video to Facebook using their mobile Creator Studio app. But, that's the problem with both YouTube's streaming and creators apps and Facebook's Creator Studio app, they are, more or less, iPhone apps scaled up for the larger screen, and they're a shell of their online counterparts. Then, you ask, why not skip the apps and upload the videos using their respective websites. Well, that would be nice if YouTube Studio wasn't so buggy on the smaller screen and Facebook's Creator Studio supported Safari. Have you tried another browser, you may also ask? Well, what's the point if Apple requires every iOS browser to be a redesigned version of Safari.

While I'm complaining about apps, here's another one, Adobe Lightroom, which requires you to purchase and use their Creative Cloud storage, ignoring the fact that you can buy an iPad with up to 2TB of storage that you may or may not want to sync with their services. It's unfortunate since Lightroom is probably one of the only pro Photo catalogings apps aside from Apple's built-in Photos app.

And, now that we are on the topic of pro apps, Apple, where's Final Cut and Logic?

Finally, I can't complain about apps without also complaining about the multitask...

https://youtu.be/ZQm6YvRkvyM

Our Macs tend to be used as a hub for all of our precious personal and unrecoverable information. Maybe it's your collection of family photos or years of archived work projects you've been saving. Now, what if one day all of that disappears? You sit down at your desk, click the power button, and nothing happens. Or, maybe you get lucky, and the screen comes on, but instead of booting into macOS, you get an icon of a flashing folder with a question mark inside. Either way, that's a bad sign for the survival of your data. That's why it's always better to be proactive and backup your data because an event like this can occur at any time, and once it does, there's no going back. Luckily, Apple has an intuitive backup utility. Let's take a look at how to use it.

To get started, you're going to need an external drive. I typically recommend getting a drive that's double your Mac's storage drive, or at least larger. This way there's enough space for a full copy of your computer and an equivalent amount of space for your history. To figure out what you have, click on the Apple menu, then go to About this Mac. In this window, click on the storage tab. The first storage device should be called "Macintosh HD." That's your Mac's internal drive. Under the icon, you should see a storage capacity. In my case, I have 500GB in my computer. So, I would preferably like to get a 1000GB external drive, but anything over 500GB should also do the job.

Now that you know the storage amount you're looking for, you also need to make sure you can connect the drive to your computer. For an application like this, you're likely looking into USB external drives. But, which style of USB should you be looking for, the oval, modern USB-C ("USB Type C") or the classic rectangular USB-A ("USB Type A")? Unfortunately, this isn't the easiest question to answer, so I'm going to try and help you through it.

First, look at all the ports on your computer. You will likely find the rectangular USB Type-A connection which is great because most external drives still come with this port. However, if you have a MacBook that only features USB Type C, you may need to purchase a USB-A to USB-C adapter in order to connect your external drive to your MacBook.

If none of this made sense, that ok. Below I have linked a 1000GB external drive and a USB-A to USB-C adapter. If you get the two of those and plug everything in where it fits, you should be good to go.

At this point, you should have everything you need to plug your external drive into your Mac.

Once it's plugged in, we can move to the next step, changing the drive format. This step is optional, but it will make your external drive more compatible with macOS. So, use the keyboard shortcut Cmd + Space to open Spotlight. In the search box that appears, you can type in whatever you're trying to find. In this case, we will search for Disk Utility, an app built into macOS that helps with drive management.

In Disk Utility, you should see your drive appear under the external section of the left sidebar. If so, click on it, and its information should populate the right panel. Next, click the "Erase" button on the toolbar. In the popup, you can give the drive a name, like "Macintosh Backup," then click the drop-down to change the drive format to APFS. Then, pause. Before clicking erase, open the drive and confirm you don't have any data saved on that drive. Because you are about to delete everything on it. But, if you just unboxed a brand new drive, you shouldn't have anything to worry about, but I would still double-check just in case. Once you're ready to go, click "Erase," and we will be ready to move to the next step.

And,

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There are so many streaming services out there, from big name brands like Netflix, HBO Max, and Amazon to the smaller streamers like BritBox, Paramount+, or Shutter. Ignoring the nauseating price of subscribing to all of these services, you also have to deal with flip-flopping through multiple apps trying to find something to watch. You may spend more time searching for a show than you actually do watching. However, some streaming services are taking part in an easier way to find and watch all the content you like. Here's everything you need to know about the "All-In-One" streaming service.

Today I'm referring to Apple's TV app found on all of your Apple devices, except the Apple Watch, and other streaming devices like Roku, GoogleTV, LG's webOS, or Samsung's TrizenOS.

First and foremost, the TV app is a gateway to Apple's own streaming service, Apple TV+, but it's also much more than that.

So, if you open the TV app on your AppleTV, Mac, iPhone, iPad, or any other device, and scroll down a bit you're going to stumble upon a section called Channels. Scrolling through that row, you will discover all sorts of smaller niche streaming services you can subscribe to directly through the TV app. By clicking on a circle, you can preview all of the content offered through that service. Then, once you find a service you like, you can subscribe to it using your Apple account and stream all the content offered by that channel through Apple's TV app.

Amazon's Prime Video and Hulu have the same feature. So, if you're a Prime Video subscriber or just an Amazon user, or you have Hulu, maybe you should look into using this feature through one of them.

Now, why would one want to subscribe to a streaming service this way? Let me ask, would you prefer to stream from one app or multiple? Ideally, you want to go to one place for everything, at least almost everything. But, there are other reasons. For one thing, I've found that these small streaming services tend to have really bad apps with super glitchy user experiences. I've seen it first hand with BritBox. It also simplifies the transaction process since it's all handled through your Apple account, and you can go to one place to see and cancel your subscriptions. Finally, you can share your subscriptions with up to six people through Apple's family sharing. Subscribing to channels through the TV app or Prime Video may be a great solution.

Also, in the TV app, you can use the search feature to find anything you want to watch. Then, after selecting it from the list of results, you will get all sorts of information about that TV show or movie, such as a synopsis, a list of episodes if it's a TV show, related content, cast, and more. It will also tell you all the places you can watch, either through a streaming service or by purchasing or renting it from the Apple iTunes store. Finally, clicking on a streaming service will prompt you to either download the app from the App Store or will open the respective app if it's already installed. In the case you have the respective app installed, you're a paying subscriber, and you've already signed in, it may immediately start playing the selected content without you having to find it again.

So, now let's say you're in the middle of watching multiple shows and movies across multiple platforms, say Hulu, HBO Max, and Disney+. Well, the TV app may be keeping up with your history in the background. When you open the TV app, you're greeted with an Up Next section of all the shows and movies you're currently watching, along with their watch status. Clicking on a show or movie should link you to that streaming services' app so you can pick up right where you left off.

Working on one screen can get pretty crowded. You could be typing up a document while doing some research online all while watching a YouTube video. Here your options are either to make everything really small or constantly switch between windows, both of which are unfavorable options. If this is an issue for you, you may want to consider getting an additional monitor for your Mac. So, here's a guide to everything you need to know.

https://youtu.be/dLmg7HNbyvs

To get started, you're obviously going to need to pick out a monitor. Newegg has a great guide that's super detailed. I will link it below. But, here are something's you want to look out for, the marketed use case, physical screen size, resolution, shape, display technology, and mounting options. Most importantly, however, is making sure you get a monitor that you can easily plug into your Mac. Chances are if you're reading or watching this, the other details probably don't matter as much.

The connection you're most likely to run into is HDMI, commonly found on monitors and TVs. But, HDMI isn't the only port you will find on your monitor. You may find monitors with DisplayPort, HDMI's rival in the computer field, or USB-C/ThunderBolt 3. You may even run into an older connection like a blue trapezoid with 15 pins. This is a VGA port. Or its younger brother, DVI, a long white rectangle with a variety of pin arrangements.

Then, unless you have a monitor and Mac with an HDMI port, you're going to need an adapter to connect your display to your computer. If your Mac is from the past 6 years, you definitely have a USB-C port. So, you will need an adapter that can adapt this port to a connection on the back of your monitor. For instance, if your external monitor has a blue VGA connection, look for a USB-C to VGA adapter. If your external monitor has a white DVI port, look for a USB-C to DVI. You get the idea. If you're going the USB-C route, you may want to consider some sort of USB docking station or hub that would make reconnecting your portable device like a laptop easier.

However, if you're looking to connect an older Mac to a display, look for a port labeled with a lightning bolt. This is likely a Thunderbolt 2 port. If you have one of these you will need an adapter that adapts that port to a connection on the back of your monitor. For instance, you may need a Thunderbolt 2 to HDMI adapter, if you have HDMI on your external monitor.

If your Mac doesn't have an HDMI, USB-C, or Thunderbolt 2, chances are your computer is really old. You're looking at either Thunderbolt 1 or Mini Display Port. If you go back far enough, you may even find a VGA port on your device. But, if you fall into any of these categories, you may want to consider an upgrade.

Lastly, if you're deep into the Apple ecosystem, you may have an AirPlay display you can use as an external monitor. You can check out my last video for more on that. However, working with a wireless display is never the best option for long-term use.

If you got lost during any part of that, leave a comment below of what computer you have and what you plan on using the monitor for, and someone will help you out. Also, while down there, you can hit the thumbs up and subscribe for more videos like this.

Now that you have your monitor and it is connected to your Mac, you should see something appear on it. If not, try double-checking that the cables are snuggly plugged in and ensure you're on the correct video source. You may want to check your monitor's manual for more.

At this point,

https://youtu.be/S41-oli77uY

Universal Control is the latest continuity feature Apple has brought to the table. It allows you to share a mouse and keyboard and even drag and drop things between your iMac, MacBook, and even your iPad. In today's video, I'm going to try the feature myself.

Helpful Links

* Apple Support: Universal Control - https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212757 * Mac Rumors: "Universal Control: Everything You Need to Know" -https://www.macrumors.com/guide/universal-control/* Apple Support: Sidecar - https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT210380* AppleGuideWeb: "Continuity of the Apple Ecosystem (Part 1)" - https://appleguideweb.com/continuity-of-the-apple-ecosystem-part-1/ * AppleGuideWeb: "Continuity of the Apple Ecosystem (Part 2)" - https://appleguideweb.com/continuity-of-the-apple-ecosystem-part-2/

Wouldn’t it be cool if there was a way to send what you’re watching on your iPad to the big screen or what you’re listening to on your iPhone to a more powerful speaker? Well, in the Apple ecosystem there is, and it’s called AirPlay. So, in today’s video, let's take a look at all the ways you can use the feature.

https://youtu.be/0cPsPkSiWtI

Before getting any further, what is AirPlay?

AirPlay is a feature built into all your Apple devices that allows you to stream your content to another device, like a compatible speaker or TV. And it's relatively simple to do.

It all started in 2004 with the launch of AirTunes alongside the first AirPort Express. You could plug any pair of speakers into your Express, open iTunes, and choose your AirPort Express as a speaker from a drop-down menu at the bottom of the window. So, at the time, the feature was a bit limited.

Then, in 2010 AirTunes was rebranded to AirPlay in iTunes version 10 and added to iPhones and iPads that updated to iOS 4 and the newly released 2nd Generation Apple TV.

It wasn't until 2011, that AirPlay became a native feature in macOS Mountain Lion and iOS 5, along with the ability to mirror your Mac or iOS device to an AppleTV.

Finally, in 2018, along with the release of the original HomePod, AirPlay 2 was launched, bringing support for multiroom audio. It also created deeper integration into the Apple ecosystem now that Contol Center, in some form, can be found on every Apple device.

Now let's take a look at how to AirPlay to and from compatible devices.

Across the Apple ecosystem, there are two AirPlay icons to look for. The first is the original AirPlay icon. Today it's used to show when you can AirPlay a video in apps like YouTube. The second is AirPlay Audio. This icon will appear in music apps, like Podcasts.

Now that you know the symbols to look for let's seek them out.

First, on your iPhone or iPad, open Control Center from any app. Then, tap on the AirPlay Audio icon in the top corner of the media controls box and choose your AirPlay device from the list.

On your Mac running macOS Big Sur or later, open Control Center from the top menu bar and click on the AirPlay audio icon next to the volume control. Now you can once again select an AirPlay device from the list.

If you're running an older version of macOS, you should see an AirPlay icon on your menu bar standing on its own.

On your Apple TV HD and newer, you can hold down the TV button to launch Control Center from the right side of the screen. Then, click on the AirPlay Audio button and choose your speakers.

Also, in the AirPlay menu of Control Center, you can AirPlay to multiple AirPlay-compatible speakers at a time. This is a great option for when you want to broadcast audio to your whole home. To do this, choose one AirPlay device. Then, a checkmark will appear next to that speaker and empty bubbles next to the rest. Clicking on an empty bubble will AirPlay to that device as well, and give you individual volume controls for each of your active speakers.

Beyond just streaming your music and videos to a larger screen, you can also extend or mirror your screen.

On an iOS device or macOS Big Sur and later, you can tap the screen mirroring feature in Control Center and choose your device. If you're on an older version of macOS, this is also handled through the dedicated AirPlay menu.

Now that you know what AirPlay is and how to use the feature, what devices support it? Well,

Four scores seven years ago, Apple had a line of Wi-Fi routers they called the AirPort. This line included the AirPort Express, Extreme, and Time Capsule. Then, in 2018, Apple decided it would discontinue its Wi-Fi routers and dissolve its AirPort division. Since then, Apple's AirPort routers have started falling behind when compared to the modern competition. Today, I'm sure many users have a plan to replace them. But, could they still be useful? Let's find out and take a brief look at its history.

https://youtu.be/FnN_UkkbIF4

Before looking at the state of AirPorts today, let's first go back to where it all began. 

As the story always goes, we return to 1997, Steve Jobs' has returned to Apple and is trying to turn around the failing company. One of his groundbreaking announcements, and what leaped Apple back into the mainstream, was the release of the original iMac and Apple's new focus on highlighting the power of the internet. Jobs' also introduced a four-box grid with consumer and Pro on one axis and desktop and portable on the other. Altogether, there were a lot of devices of different form factors Apple was trying to take online. It was only fitting that Wi-Fi came along as a convenient way to bring the internet to all these devices. Then, to help push the technology along Apple felt the need to enter the Wi-Fi router market themselves. Hence we had Apple's line of Wi-Fi routers they called AirPort.

The AirPort line first launched in 1999, with two products, the AirPort Base Station and the AirPort Card. The unique dome-shaped Base Station was Apple's first attempt at making a Wi-Fi router. And, after five iterations, the AirPort Extreme would replace the Base Station in 2007. Along with a new name came a slim, square design that later transitioned into a tower with a smaller footprint. But, since the beginning, the Base Station and Extreme were Apple's high-end routers in the lineup, featuring multiple ethernet ports, better WiFi antennas, and later a USB port that could be used to network in a printer or for AirPort Disk, a feature that allowed you to create a network file server, also known as a NAS, by connecting an external drive.

The AirPort Card, on the other hand, was an optional add-on for Macs that gave them Wi-Fi connectivity. You could crack open your compatible Mac, slide the card into the designated slot, and that's how you would get Wi-Fi. (This was back in the day when users could open their computers and make modifications when needed. That's not to say it was always an easy process, just that it was possible.) The add-on card, sold separately, would become obsolete by 2009 due to Wi-Fi becoming a standard feature built into Macs. 

Then along came the AirPort Express in 2004, a super slimmed-down low-end version of the AirPort Extreme that only received two updates after its initial launch, first in 2008 and again in 2012. The first two generations looked like a MacBook power adapter with a single ethernet port for connecting the adapter to the internet, a USB port to network connect a printer, and an aux port for AirTunes, the precursor of AirPlay. By the second generation, the design of the Express transitioned into a scaled-down AirPort Extreme, with all the same ports as the previous Express, other than an additional ethernet port to connect one device. 

The last router introduced was the AirPort Time Capsule. The Time Capsule was an AirPort Extreme featuring an internal drive with a capacity of 500GB, 1TB, or 2TB, depending on the model. You could then access that storage from any computer over your local network. Its primary purpose was to serve as a backup drive for your Mac using the Time Machine app bundled with macOS Leopard.

 Losing your Apple device can be an expensive mistake. Luckily Apple has some solutions to help you keep up with your Apple devices, and it just recently got expanded with new features and hardware. So, let's take a look at the Find My app and make sure you know how to find your lost devices.

https://youtu.be/LszpIBC1BKQ

In the beginning, Find My iPhone was a simple way to track your iPhone when you've left it behind and leave a message on it. Today, Find My goes beyond just tracking your iPhone. Now you can track your iPad, Apple Watch, AirPods, Beats, Mac, and more. The only problem is most of these devices don't have a cellular connection. So, how do you securely track a device that was left behind and has no way of connecting to the internet? I don't know, but Apple figured it out. And, in April 2021, Apple launched the Find My network and allowed third parties to take advantage of the "crowdsourced network of hundreds of millions of Apple devices" to locate other missing things. In Apple's news release for this announcement, they highlighted "VanMoof’s latest S3 and X3 e-bikes, Belkin’s SOUNDFORM Freedom True Wireless Earbuds, and the Chipolo ONE Spot" as examples of upcoming third-party devices you can locate through the Find My app. 

If you're familiar with Tile, Apple's modern Find My network works the same way just on a much larger scale, thanks to the ubiquity of Apple devices and the rollout of the Find My network. Here's how it works. Every Apple device, for almost 15 years, has had Bluetooth built-in and is automatically enabled. This wireless connection is constantly broadcasting and looking for new connections. On Apple devices, that Bluetooth connection is also broadcasting an encrypted anonymous key that gets accepted by other Apple devices and is used to relay the location of your missing device back to you. Apple claims (quote) "The entire process is end-to-end encrypted and anonymous, so no one else, not even Apple or the third-party manufacturer, can view a device’s location or information."

This comes right after Apple announced their latest product the AirTag, their competitor to the Tile, a similar object tracking device that's been around since 2014.

And, let's stop and take a look at the Tile for a bit. First of all, you definitely get a bigger selection of trackers. They have stickers you can put on anything, a card you can slide into your wallet, and two options for keychain trackers, the Mate and Mate Pro. The prices range from $25 for the Mate up to $55 for the sticker. Everything you want to track, Tile has an answer for you. That is until you actually need to find something. That's because, unlike Apple, Tile has a relatively small user base unless you live in a bigger city. They claim to have 40 million Tile devices across 195 countries. In the grand scheme, that's not much, especially when compared to Apple's billion active iPhones around the world. The one place the Tile does excel is in their cross-platform support with apps on iOS, Android, and even Windows. You can even use an Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant device to ping your Tile. The AirTag, on the other hand, only works within the Apple ecosystem. So, if you're an Android user who needs help keeping up with their wallet, I would look more into a Tile. Otherwise, let's take a closer look at the AirTag. 

On the surface, the AirTag is a little coin-sized disk with a plastic cover on one side that can be engraved when purchased through the Apple Store.