Industry Standard for Detecting Unexpected Location Trackers

Apple and Google announced an industry standard for “detecting unintended location trackers” in May 2023, and the new standard is officially in place with the release of iOS 17.5, while Google will provide the same functionality for Android devices running Android 6.0 and above. The new standard will alert iOS and Android users if someone else is tracking them with a Bluetooth tracking device. If an unknown Bluetooth tracking device is found moving with the user, the user’s smartphone will receive a new alert regardless of platform. The system currently supports AirTag, and Apple and Google have indicated that it will be expanded to support more manufacturers in the future, including Chipolo, eufy, Jio, Motorola and Pebblebee.

Setapp App Store Launches in Europe

App developer MacPaw has announced the launch of Setapp, a third-party app store for the iPhone in European Union member states that will offer a wide variety of “hand-picked apps” covering productivity, design, lifestyle, utilities and more. Apps released through other app markets must go through a notarization process to ensure they are free of malware, as required by Apple, but Apple has no restrictions on content, so apps that don’t qualify for the App Store can be released in other ways.

Apple Vision Pro has Passed 3C Certification

According to the China Quality Certification Center’s website, two Apple devices passed the country’s 3C quality certification on May 13, one model numbered A2117, which is manufactured by Li-Chai Precision and called “Wearable Computer,” also known as the Apple Vision Pro, and the other model numbered A2781, which is a new mobile power supply that is the companion battery for the Vision Pro. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman previously reported that the Apple Vision Pro headset will soon be available for purchase outside the U.S., and that retail store employees from around the world have been flown to Cupertino for a four-day Vision Pro training program.