Robotics

ZDNETAn Apple AirTag can help you keep track of your most important items like keys, wallets, remotes, and even bicycles. However, bad actors can misuse AirTags to track people without their consent, casting a shadow on their use.Apple has made significant changes to how AirTags can be used. The company now provides clear disclosures to AirTag owners, reiterating that these trackers are only for tracking belongings and never for unwanted tracking of others. Both iOS and Android devices now alert their users when an unknown Bluetooth tracker is found moving with them, as well.Also: The best AirTag walletsIn this guide, I’ll explain how to identify unwanted trackers, whether it’s an Apple AirTag or another Bluetooth tracking device. You’ll learn how to receive alerts, locate the trackers, and disable them, with helpful tips for both iOS and Android users.How to tell if an AirTag is tracking youWhat you’ll need: To get help locating an unwanted AirTag, you’ll need an iPhone or an Android phone. I discuss in detail below what it looks like on an iPhone when an AirTag tracks you, but this guide has information for Android users, too. If you suspect someone is tracking your movements without your permission using an AirTag or Bluetooth tracking device, your iOS or Android phone should automatically alert you. But be sure to contact law enforcement if you feel you are in any danger.[embedded content] More

Nassau Hall, oldest building on Princeton campus, 1754, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA. Barry Winiker/Getty Images At the end of 2023, the state of New Jersey and Princeton University announced plans to establish an AI Hub in collaboration with the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) to drive regional job growth and advance AI developments. […] More

Kerry Wan/ZDNETBefore there were smartwatches that could call 911 or smart rings that predicted illness, there was the Fitbit, which clipped onto clothing and counted steps and calories.The device launched in 2007 and instantly became a hit among early adopters and fitness enthusiasts. Back then, if a user wanted to view their data, they had to sync the device to a computer to see it on the Fitbit website.Also: The best fitness trackers in 2025: Expert tested and reviewedThat’s worlds different from the fitness and health tech circulating today that automatically captures our heart rate and variability as it beats and displays them on a graph with instant insights and recommendations — or notifies us about our stress levels and then offers breathing exercises to reduce them.The second decade of wearable health techWhile the first decade of wearable health tech was marked by deployment and accessibility — getting the devices onto as many wrists as possible — this second decade is more concerned with tracking far more health metrics than ever before and creating more discreet biotech that blends into the background of our day-to-day lives. We see this most poignantly with the dawn of the smart ring, an unburdensome and screenless alternative to the clunky smartwatch that tracks our sleep, activity, and stress, all with a battery life that lasts days longer than most watches.We’re two years away from the 20th anniversary of the Fitbit, the first mass-market wearable fitness tracker that fundamentally changed the health tech industry. So, what major improvement will wearable tech’s third decade be marked by? These brands give us a few clues. More

<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways Satechi’s Mini NVMe SSD Enclosure is on sale for $60. It’s a handy travel accessory for moving large files between multiple devices quickly However, getting the most from the device can be an expensive endeavor. more buying choices Data transfer is a large aspect of my day-to-day life. I’m constantly moving […] More

Stephen Emlund/Getty Images If you’re a government employee with a .gov email address, you can get a free year’s use of a popular AI tool. Perplexity is offering a free one-year subscription to Perplexity Pro to anyone with an official email address ending in .gov. This applies to not only federal employees, but state, county, […] More

NurPhoto/Getty Images On Thursday, French lab Mistral AI launched Small 3, which the company calls “the most efficient model of its category” and says is optimized for latency.  Mistral says Small 3 can compete with Llama 3.3 70B and Qwen 32B, among other large models, and it’s “an excellent open replacement for opaque proprietary models like […] More

<!–> ZDNET’s key takeaways The Arctis Gamebuds are available now on Amazon for $159. Once you get the EQ just right, these earbuds are a great option for gamers that switch between their phone and a console. It would be nice if it had a custom EQ option on the mobile app and didn’t require […] More

Kyle Kucharski/ZDNETZDNET’s key takeawaysDell’s XPS 13 Copilot+ PC More