Daily Authority: 👀 Google's "Grogu" tracker

🥶 Good morning, and welcome to Tuesday’s Daily Authority! Yesterday was Blue Monday, officially the most depressing day of the year — and we had snow in Scotland which still hasn’t melted. Luckily today’s a bit cheerier as it’s Terrific Tuesday (ok, so that’s not official, but I’m going with it).

Google’s “Grogu” AirTag competitor

A leak suggests Google could be working on a tracker to rival Apple’s AirTag:

• According to leaker Kuba Wojciechowski, the codename for this product is “Grogu” — the real name of “Baby Yoda” from The Mandalorian. Cute!
• The purported tracker would supposedly include a speaker and come in multiple colors.
• It may even pack support for Bluetooth LE and ultra-wideband (UWB).

Google’s included UWB tech in its phones since the Pixel 6 series but hasn’t really utilized the tech properly to date.

• This tracker could be Google’s opportunity to use the tech to provide owners with ultra-specific location data for their tracker (and anything it’s attached to).
• There’s no word yet on the real product name or when it could launch, but we’re assuming Google could announce it at Google I/O in the Spring, launching it in October at its annual hardware event.
• We’ll have to wait and see!

Pixel Fold dummy reveals dimensions and more

• We’ve already seen leaked renders, but this dummy’s supposedly made for case manufacturers
• Though the model doesn’t contain any hardware, its dimensions are allegedly accurate.
• That means the hinge design, bezels, camera positioning, and so on, are the same on the model as on the actual Pixel Fold.

What else do we know?

Roundup

😲 Samsung accidentally confirms One UI 5.1, which phones will get it (Android Authority).

👀 And here’s your first look at official Galaxy S23 cases, including silicone cases, clear cases, and more (Android Authority).

📷 In other Samsung news, the company details what could be the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s 200MP camera sensor (Android Authority).

🌍 Also, you can experience the Galaxy S23 before anyone else at these global locations (Android Authority).

📅 Google Discover prepares for the Pixel Tablet with new three-column layout (XDA Developers).

🔐 Pixel’s Security & privacy showing erroneous ‘Add a screen lock’ alert (9to5Google).

🎥 A Galaxy S22 Ultra shot this short film from Oscar-winning filmmaker Charlie Kaufman (Android Authority).

🧟‍♀️ Enjoying The Last of Us on HBO? There’s an official companion podcast with Troy Baker (who played Joel in the games) and co-creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, going behind the scenes of the show (h/t Mashable).

🎮 In the market for a new gaming phone? This could be one of the cheapest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 phones around (Android Authority).

😢 Xiaomi is taking away home security camera features you paid for (Android Authority).

🐦Twitter may have deliberately cut off third-party clients like Tweetbot (Engadget).

⚡ Calm in the chaos: Lasers used to guide lightning strikes to a safe target (Ars Technica).

Tuesday thing

If your January has been all positivity and resolutions so far, why not mix things up a bit with a good old curse?

• On Japan’s leading flea market site, Mercari, you can order damnation direct to your doorstep, with great deals on curses.
• Business is apparently booming, with the deals trending on Twitter.
• Seller Jujutsushi Mukuro (“Dark Arts Master Corpse”) offers a wide range of options, from cursing those who’ve wronged you to bouncing back from money woes or even wooing a crush in time for Valentine’s Day.
• Just tell the seller the names of the people involved and what you’d like done, and you’ll receive an “ofuda,” or sacred paper talisman, in the mail a couple of days after the ritual is complete.
• Other spooky items for sale include Cursed Black Salt, which supposedly causes the target to feel as though they’re being watched while they sleep, and “Wara Ningyo”, the Japanese version of voodoo dolls.
• Hopefully, your January’s going well enough that you don’t need to resort to such extreme measures, and the site also sells “Curse Returns” in case you think somebody has cast an evil eye on you.
• Then again, if you think that, maybe you just need to get better sleep…

Have a great day!

Paula Beaton, Copy Editor.