O'Grady's PowerPage

  • Leaked code highlights several improved features for the next-generation AirTag

    Leaked code highlights several improved features for the next-generation AirTag

    While a second-generation AirTag is inevitable, a leaked document has highlighted some important new features as to the AirTag 2.

    According to Macworld’s article on Wednesday, leaked code in iOS 26 has highlighted the following forthcoming changes:

    • An improved pairing process
    • Enhanced Precision Finding
    • Detailed battery level reporting
    • ”Improved Moving,” which might improve tracking while AirTag 2 is moving
    • More accurate tracking in crowded places

    These features were all discovered as part of a “leaked internal build of iOS 26 seen by Macworld.”

    The report also mentions that these upgrades include a “2025AirTag” internal designation. Thus, it seems Apple was at one point planning to launch AirTag 2 this year—and technically still might.

    The report also indicates that a new HomePod mini is in the works, and could be powered by an S10 chip.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via 9to5Mac and Macworld

  • Google begins to introduce Gemini AI features into iOS and iPad builds of its Chrome web browser

    Google begins to introduce Gemini AI features into iOS and iPad builds of its Chrome web browser

    This could come in handy.

    Google has begun integrating its Gemini AI into its Chrome web browser for iPhone and iPad, a move that brings AI feature parity with its web and desktop builds.

    The company had teased Gemini-in-Chrome functionality for iOS back in September, and the feature has begun rolling out gradually across the United States. The Gemini AI feature requires Chrome 143 or later, so you’ll want to make sure your copy of Chrome is up to date, the browser language is set to English, and the app isn’t in Incognito mode.

    If all the above conditions are met, the Google Lens logo on the left-hand side of the address bar will change to a Gemini icon. Tapping the icon shows options for two “Page tools” that let Gemini search your screen or for you to ask the chatbot a question.

    The Gemini interface offers shortcuts for functions such as summarizing a website or creating an FAQ about a topic. Other possible queries can include creating study guides, sorting through bullet points on complex topics, or creating recipes or a gym routine as needed. Gemini’s responses to queries appear in an overlay that floats on top of the webpage.

    Chrome 143 for iOS also adds biometric checkout support, new Chrome tips on the New Tab Page, and general stability improvements.

    If you’ve had a chance to try the new Gemini features in Google Chrome, please let us know about your experience in the comments.

    Via MacRumors and 9to5Google

  • Rumor: Next-gen Apple Studio Display expected in 2026, will feature A19 chip, ProMotion, and HDR support

    Rumor: Next-gen Apple Studio Display expected in 2026, will feature A19 chip, ProMotion, and HDR support

    Sometimes it’s the leaked code that shows the cool stuff that’s en route.

    Per Macworld’s Filipe Espósito, a leaked developer code segment has highlighted three expected features in the next-gen Apple Studio Display, which is expected to launch in 2026.

    Based on code findings, the report highlights three new Studio Display features:

    • A19 chip
    • ProMotion 120Hz refresh rate
    • HDR support

    Espósito says that HDR in particular is “a strong indication that Apple will replace the LCD panel with better technology, such as Mini-LED that can achieve higher brightness levels.”

    The current Apple Studio Display features an A13 Bionic chip, 60Hz refresh rate, and SDR only.

    It’s rumored that the updated Studio Display will launch next year alongside high-end M5 MacBook Pro notebooks, or slightly later with the M5 Mac Studio and Mac mini.

    Bloomberg has also reported that a second Mac display is coming next year too, though no details are currently known. It could be a Pro Display XDR successor, or perhaps a second size option for the Studio Display.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via 9to5Mac and Macworld

  • Rumor: Next-gen iPad may feature A19 chip, break away from trend of using previous-generation processors

    Rumor: Next-gen iPad may feature A19 chip, break away from trend of using previous-generation processors

    The next-generation low-cost iPad may skip a processor generation and use Apple’s A19 chip.

    Per Macworld, an “internal Apple code document” that leaked provided information about the company’s 2026 iPad lineup. According to prior documentation discovered by MacRumors it had been suggested that the ‌iPad‌ 12 would be equipped with an A18 chip, not an A19 chip. The A19 chip was just released this year in the iPhone 17, and it would be unusual for Apple to use a current-generation chip in the low-cost ‌iPad‌ due to cost.

    Apple’s low-end iPad has not had a current-generation chip since the iPad 4, which came out when Apple was still crafting AX chips for its tablets. The ‌iPad‌ 5 that came out in 2017 used the A9 chip that was originally introduced in the 2015 iPhone 6s, and since then, the ‌iPad‌ has been equipped with an A-series chip that’s a generation or two behind the chip in the most recently released ‌iPhone‌.

    The current iPad 11 model, which was released in March 2025, uses the A16 chip, which first debuted in the iPhone 14 in 2022. Subsequent iPad models have used chips from earlier iPhones as well.

    The model numbers listed in Macworld’s report are also unusual. It says that J581 and J588 are the codenames for the upcoming 12th-generation ‌iPad‌, but codenames are typically sequential. Apple generally uses codenames to reference unreleased devices in its software.

    In addition to the A19 leak report, the Macworld article suggests that the next-gen iPad Air will use an M4 chip, and that both the next-gen iPad and iPad Air will feature APple’s N1 networking chip. The N1 chip is an Apple-designed Bluetooth and Wi-Fi chip that’s more energy efficient than chips designed by third-party companies.

    Apple is expected to release the new ‌iPad Air‌ and ‌iPad‌ models early in 2026.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

    Via MacRumors and Macworld

  • iFixit announces AI-powered FixBot, looks to make finding the right directions and parts easier

    iFixit announces AI-powered FixBot, looks to make finding the right directions and parts easier

    If you’re fond of iFixit’s wares and services, you might like this.

    The cool cats at iFixit have announced the launch of FixBot, the company’s AI-powered “repair helper” that can be used to help fix broken devices or appliances. With FixBot, users can describe a problem by voice or text, and FixBot will respond like a skilled technician. Users can then ask follow-up questions and narrow the issue down to possible causes, with FixBot offering a step-by-step process toward a likely fix.

    The FixBot app leverages iFixit’s extensive knowledge base, which comprises over 125,000 repair guides, service manuals, community Q&A, teardown documentation, schematics, and part-compatibility data. The app can also use computer vision and identify a device via a photo or model plate or part, and then retrieve the correct repair instructions or part numbers as needed.

    iFixit has offered the following limitations as to what it can and can’t do:

    • FixBot’s knowledge is limited to what’s in iFixit’s database — not every obscure device or old appliance may be covered. If a model’s not documented, FixBot will try to find similar devices or use manufacturer docs, but might not match the precision of a fully verified guide.
    • As with any AI, mistakes are possible. iFixit warns that FixBot might not always get it right — though it’s built to rely strictly on documented facts, not guesses.
    • For now, FixBot is launching as a free service for everyone, but some capabilities (like voice control and document uploads) may eventually move behind a paid tier with usage limits.

    FixBot can be found at https://www.ifixit.com/fixbot and please let us know what you make of it if you have a chance to test it out.

    Via iFixit