9to5Mac Daily
Find My expansion, chip shortages hit Apple
By Chance Miller
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Global Chip Shortage
There is a global shortage of semiconductors right now that is affecting all sorts of industries, as almost all hardware these days depends on silicon at some level. The automobile industry is being particularly affected, with manufacturers simply unable to produce as many cars as they planned to while they wait on component availability.
Find My integration
Apple today announced that its Find My network is now open to third-party accessories. In addition to earbuds from Belkin and an item tracker from Chipolo, two electric bikes from VanMoof are also adding Find My integration: the S3 and X3.
Apple officially opened up its Find My app to third-party products with the first ones including two e-bikes from Van Moof, SoundForm earbuds from Belkin, and an item tracker from Chipolo. And now we've got the launch details on the new Chipolo ONE Spot that will come with a 12-month replaceable battery, 120dB ring, and more.
Find My Opens Up
Apple may not have found the right time to launch its long-rumored AirTags locator products yet, but the infrastructure behind the scenes is expanding. Find My has historically been used for locating iPhones, iPads, and other Apple products. Now Find My can be used to locate non-Apple products that integrate with Apple's locator platform.
M1 Mac Upgradability
While the three M1 Macs released in late 2020 have been widely praised for a host of advancements, one criticism has been that the hardware is not upgradeable or repairable after purchase with the major components soldered to the board. In an interesting development, an engineer in China has reportedly discovered how to successfully upgrade both the SSD and RAM on M1 Macs – but of course, it's a very risky and difficult move.