Technologies
United Airlines App Adds TSA Wait Predictions, AirTag Luggage Tracking
United will now allow travelers to share the location of lost items equipped with AirTags directly with airline staff.
Air travel comes with plenty of guesswork, especially before you even reach the gate. Starting Wednesday, United Airlines is rolling out several new features in its mobile app that could help.
The new additions are designed to help travelers gain insights into flight details, notably how long security check-ins are taking at their departure airport. That’s a particularly important addition amid the ongoing partial government shutdown, which left TSA employees unpaid and prompted some agents to quit. Some agents have begun to receive back pay.
But security check-in predictions are only the start of the changes coming to United’s app. One change addresses another frequent headache for flyers — lost luggage. United’s new platform now supports Apple’s AirTag tracker so that flyers can share item locations directly with United customer service staff.
CNET has been recommending using AirTags in checked luggage for years, so if you’re already placing AirTags in your baggage, this is a useful feature for you. It may also be showing up at other airlines. Just don’t try the same trick with your pets.
A United representative didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
«We appreciate the work and professionalism of our TSA agents, and while most began receiving back pay earlier this week, the US Department of Homeland Security shutdown continues, and people want to stay informed about expected security wait times at our airports,» Jason Birnbaum, United’s chief information officer, said in a statement.
How far is my gate?
The app also adds turn-by-turn directions to your gate, including estimated walking times and automatic in-app flight status updates.
Travelers will also have access to more self-service tools, including the option to rebook directly in the app and to receive digital vouchers received when a flight is delayed.
You’ll also find an option to receive radar-map text to see how the weather will impact your layover or destination.
Technologies
Google’s Pixel 10A Is Coming to Japan With an Exclusive Blue Edition and Special Wallpaper
This model comes with creatively designed stickers and a special look for Pixel’s 10th anniversary.
Don’t be blue: Google is releasing an Isai blue edition of the Pixel 10A to celebrate the Android phone line’s 10th anniversary, setting it apart with its own sticker set, specialized wallpaper and custom icons. But it’ll only be available in Japan.
Announced Tuesday on the Google Japan blog, the Isai blue Pixel 10A has a dark blue look and includes bonus decorations designed in collaboration with Japan’s Heralbony art company. These include an exclusive bumper case and stickers for customization.
This edition of the Pixel 10A will arrive in Japan on May 20, following the April 14 release of the Pixel 10A in its original colors of lavender, berry, fog and obsidian. The Isai blue model costs 94,900 yen, which roughly translates to $595, and includes 256GB of storage.
This makes it slightly less expensive than the US model’s 256GB edition, but it comes with a number of fun extras at no additional cost.
Google’s creation of a country-specific model for Japan may also reflect strong sales in that market. In 2023, the IDC analytics firm (via 9to5Google) reported that the Pixel 7 series accounted for 10.7% of the country’s market share, a 527% increase from 2022.
Technologies
Can’t Wait for New Emoji? Here’s How to Create Your Own on iPhone
Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhones can create custom emoji in a few easy steps.
Apple brought new emoji to all iPhones when the company released iOS 26.4 on March 24. The new emoji include «» orca, «» distorted face and «» hairy creature — or as we might normally call it, Sasquatch. According to Emojipedia, there are 3,953 emoji with more on the way, including a pickle. But there’s no emoji for a dog wearing pajamas, a plate with burgers and fries and many other things. But if you have Genmoji on your iPhone you can create these emoji and many more.
Apple released iOS 18.2 in 2024 and the company introduced its own emoji generator, called Genmoji, to Apple Intelligence-capable iPhones at that time. The Unicode Standard, a universal character encoding standard, is responsible for creating new emoji, and approved emoji are added to all devices once a year. With Genmoji, you don’t have to wait for new emoji to appear on your iPhone each year. You can just create them as you need them.
Read on to learn how to use Genmoji on iPhone to create your own custom emoji. Just note that only iPhones with Apple Intelligence, like the iPhone 17 lineup, can use Genmoji at this time.
Note: The new emoji may not display correctly for Apple users whose devices aren’t on a 26.4 software version.
How to make custom emoji
1. Open Messages and go into a chat.
2. Tap the plus (+) button next to your text box.
3. Tap Genmoji.
You can then type a description of an emoji into the text box near the bottom of your screen and tap the check mark on your keyboard to enter that description into Genmoji. You can also tap different suggestions and themes that are right above the text box. And with iOS 26 or later, you can also combine and use emoji to create others rather than describing a new emoji or using suggestions.
Your iPhone will generate a series of new emoji for you to pick from according to your description, and you can swipe through these new emoji. When you find the one you want, tap Add in the top right corner of your screen and the new emoji will be available to use as an emoji, tapback or a sticker. Now you don’t have to wait for the Unicode Standard to propose, create and bring new emoji to devices.
For more iOS news, here’s what to know about iOS 26.4 and iOS 26.3. You can also check out our iOS 26 cheat sheet for other tips and tricks.
Technologies
Save Over 20% on This Handy 10,000-mAh Anker Nano Power Bank
Keep your devices charged on the go with this Anker Nano power bank, now down to just $46.
We’ve just spotted the Anker Nano 45-watt portable power bank for just $46 at Amazon right now. This saves you $14 — a 23% discount on its list price. Though it’s $6 more than the lowest-ever price we saw during Black Friday, it’s still a solid discount when you take the rising cost of tech accessories into account. It also matches the lowest price we’ve seen in 2026. It comes in four colors: black, green, pink and white. They’re all on sale for the same price.
This Anker Nano portable charger weighs approximately 8.2 ounces and measures a compact 3.21×1.99×1.42 inches. Despite its small size, it has a retractable cable and supports fast charging in compatible Apple, Samsung, Google Pixel and other smartphones. It also has a large 10,000-mAh capacity and a smart display so you always know how much juice is left in your power bank.
The Nano can charge an iPhone 17 to up to 50% battery in an estimated 20 minutes, and is powerful enough to charge tablets and laptops. Need to charge your devices while charging your power bank? You can do so safely thanks to pass-through charging so you’ll never have to go without battery life.
We’ve also compiled a list of the best power banks for iPhones and for Android, in case this deal isn’t quite a fit for you.
Why this deal matters
If you travel, have a long commute time or are otherwise always on the go, a portable charger can help you keep your devices fully powered. This 45-watt Anker Nano power bank is compact, includes a loop that lets you keep track of it easily and has a built-in cable so you don’t have to keep up with extra cords. Amazon’s $14 discount makes this a solid deal for anyone looking for a compact power bank.
-
Technologies3 года agoTech Companies Need to Be Held Accountable for Security, Experts Say
-
Technologies3 года agoBest Handheld Game Console in 2023
-
Technologies3 года agoTighten Up Your VR Game With the Best Head Straps for Quest 2
-
Technologies4 года agoBlack Friday 2021: The best deals on TVs, headphones, kitchenware, and more
-
Technologies5 лет agoGoogle to require vaccinations as Silicon Valley rethinks return-to-office policies
-
Technologies5 лет agoVerum, Wickr and Threema: next generation secured messengers
-
Technologies4 года agoOlivia Harlan Dekker for Verum Messenger
-
Technologies4 года agoThe number of Сrypto Bank customers increased by 10% in five days
