Once OSIRIS-REx has landed, a robotic sampling arm will perform Touch-And-Go (TAG) collection. The mission is to collect at least two ounces, or 60 grams, of rocky material. If the first TAG attempt in October does not collect enough material, OSIRIS-REx has onboard nitrogen charges to power two more attempts.

The spacecraft is scheduled to depart Bennu in 2021. It will deliver the collected sample to Earth on September 24th, 2023. While that’s still two years away, NASA has already made useful discoveries through OSIRIS-REx. For instance, NASA has spotted water on the asteroid, and we now know that Bennu is spewing particles into space. The team has also produced some of the highest resolution images of a planetary body ever. 

NASA is also trying to get its hands on some lunar dirt from the Moon, but for that, the agency will turn to private companies.

It’s still not certain when the AirTag will arrive (assuming there’s no change of plans). However, there have been persistent rumors of new budget iPhones launching in the near future. If that happens, it might make sense to unveil the tag at the same time. Not that there will be much of a rush during the pandemic — you probably don’t need a tracker when you’re not even supposed to leave home.

The security itself is relatively strong. The chip relies on elliptic curve cryptography that uses a mix of public and private keys to only reveal data to valid readers. You can’t just snoop on wireless traffic to determine which devices are involved and what’s being sent.

As is often the case, there’s more to be done before the scientists are happy. The chip has enough range to allow for a tag scanner up to two inches away, but MIT would prefer enough range that you could scan products simply by bringing them into a room. Ideally, they’d also run the chips on the terahertz signals rather than light.

The technology is already cheap and easy to make, though. If it can translate to real-world products, you could use it to tag small objects where conventional tags are either impractical or just won’t fit, whether it’s a phone component or a tooth implant. That, in turn, could make it easier to spot counterfeits and ensure that whatever you’re buying is completely authentic, right down to the littlest parts.

As we learned previously, the device will reportedly be a physical tag that users can attach to any object to track its location. It will likely link to your iCloud account when you place it close to your iPhone, similar to how AirPods are paired. When your phone moves too far away from the device, you’ll get a notification, and if the tagged item is lost, any Apple device will be able to read the linked contact info. It will generate a notification to let you know the device has been found. As Engadget’s Kris Holt wrote, that’s a clever way for Apple to take advantage of its wide net of active devices and to give its tag an advantage over competitors.

As 9to5Mac points out, there’s a chance Apple is waiting to announce this device at its iPhone release event in September. Though, given that rumors have been circulating since April, Apple might have to share its plans sooner rather than later.

What is Tag1,1? Could this be the Tile like device? #WWDC19 /cc @markgurman @stroughtonsmith @_inside pic.twitter.com/Xg6tVMXVZe

— Steve Moser (@SteveMoser) June 4, 2019

The tag is said to link to your iCloud account when you place it close to your iPhone, akin to how you’d pair AirPods. If the tag moves too far away from your phone, you can receive a notification. You should be able to set up safe zones, where you can leave a tagged item without receiving those notifications. You may also have the option to share tag locations with friends and family.

You’ll be able to store your contact details on the tag, according to the report. So, when you’ve denoted a tagged item as lost, any Apple device can read the information and you’ll receive a notification when someone has found it. That’s a clever way for Apple to take advantage of its enormous number of active devices, and give its tag a leg up over the competition.

Meanwhile, Apple is said to be internally testing the Find My Friends/iPhone replacement app, which would be available on iOS and macOS (as a Marzipan app). It reportedly includes a feature called Find Network, which will supposedly help you track devices even when they aren’t connected to WiFi or a mobile network.

Friends will apparently be able to send location-sharing requests. If a friend shares their location with you, you may be able to set up notifications for when they arrive at or leave a certain place. You’ll have the option of placing devices in lost mode within the app, or get them to play a sound if you’re having trouble finding them.

It’s not clear if or when Apple will officially announce all this. It typically reveals significant iOS news at its Worldwide Developer Conference in June, so we might hear more about the unified app then. As for the tracker, there’s a chance it could make its debut at this year’s iPhone event in September.