Apple AirTags

[Ready]

Apple announced their long anticipated Air Tags today. The technology has been available from other companies for years but I haven't paid much attention to it. But as we begin to think about traveling again, I think I like the idea of planting a tag in my luggage so that if it gets lost I have some way to keep track of it. And I'm always losing my wallet, so I think I'll keep one in there too.

Has anyone else been using this technology from other companies? How reliable are they?

 

[audreyh1]

Tried to order some today, but have to wait until the 23rd!

My keys are the main thing.

 

[Katiek]

I've used a tile on my key ring for some time now. Mostly I don't need it, but when I do it's great to have.

 

[Ready]

I’m still learning how the technology works, but it appears that Apple has a big advantage over Tile based on the way it identifies its location when your item is lost.

With Tile, you have to be within Bluetooth range to find your item. So if someone steals your wallet and drives off with it, you are out of range. Your only hope at that point is that the Tile comes within close proximity of another smartphone running the Tile app, which will share its location with the tile tracker.

But with the Apple Airtag, it can pick up location data from any Iphone that happens to be nearby. So you have a much greater likelihood of the airtag reporting location data if it gets far away from you.

It looks like Tile is actively fighting Apple and claiming unfair competition over this feature. I can understand why.

https://techcrunch.com/2021/04/20/tile-bashes-apples-new-airtag-as-unfair-competition/

 

[camfused]

What I am unclear about is if whenever a tag comes near your phone, does Apple gather its location data and transmit it to some server, using your phone? If so, lets say you are in an airport where there are hundreds of these tags. Is my battery and data plan going to suffer from all these transmissions? If the transmissions are only done for tags that are being actively seeked, Apple has to broadcast that fact to all the iPhones in the world, so they know which ones to look for. Or, am I missing something?

 

[GalaxyBoy]

Apple is apparently giving some thought to privacy issues.

From https://mashable.com/article/apple-airtags-abuse-privacy-concerns/

iOS devices can also detect an AirTag that isn't with its owner, and notify the user if an unknown AirTag is seen to be traveling with them from place to place over time. And even if users don't have an iOS device, an AirTag separated from its owner for an extended period of time will play a sound when moved to draw attention to it.

No details yet on what constitutes "an extended period of time" or what the sound will be, but it's interesting.

 

[Ready]

I still have a lot of questions about how that works though. Le’s say I spend the entire day with the same person who has an Air tag in their bag. Will it eventually warn me that an unknown Air tag is following me?

 

[mpeirce]

I still have a lot of questions about how that works though. Le’s say I spend the entire day with the same person who has an Air tag in their bag. Will it eventually warn me that an unknown Air tag is following me?

No, since the airtag is "near" the owner.

A little more info:

“AirTag is also designed with a set of proactive features that discourage unwanted tracking, an industry first,” Apple also says. “Bluetooth signal identifiers transmitted by AirTag rotate frequently to prevent unwanted location tracking. iOS devices can also detect an AirTag that isn’t with its owner, and notify the user if an unknown AirTag is seen to be traveling with them from place to place over time.”

“Even if users don’t have an iOS device, an AirTag separated from its owner for an extended period of time will play a sound when moved to draw attention to it,” Apple says. “If a user detects an unknown AirTag, they can tap it with their iPhone or NFC-capable device and instructions will guide them to disable the unknown AirTag.”

I doubt it's perfect, but they've put a lot of thought into this.

 

[mpeirce]

What I am unclear about is if whenever a tag comes near your phone, does Apple gather its location data and transmit it to some server, using your phone? If so, lets say you are in an airport where there are hundreds of these tags. Is my battery and data plan going to suffer from all these transmissions?

It's a trivial amount of data. I can't imagine it'll have any impact whatsoever.

 

[MissMolly]

I wonder if this will have any type of workable application for tagging pets that may tend to roam?

 

[mpeirce]

I wonder if this will have any type of workable application for tagging pets that may tend to roam?

Sure. People are ALREADY selling a "Pet Airtag Case With Clip Holder"

https://www.alibaba.com/product-det...offerlist.normal_offer.d_title.3e4664c8hkwczy

 

[Ready]

It could work for pets as well as small children. Anything you want to track.

 

[Ready]

No, since the airbag is "near" the owner.

OK, that makes sense. Thanks!

 

[Chuckanut]

It has a replaceable battery. Very good.

Maybe Tile will lower it's prices a bit.

 

[misanman]

Have used tile on my keys for several years but haven't lost or misplaced keys so haven't really had an opportunity to make use of it. I think the batteries ran out a year or so ago so probably just need to take them off and store in a drawer until I eventually throw them out.

 

[Ready]

It has a replaceable battery. Very good.

Replaceable and non-proprietary. They can be purchased anywhere for about $1 and they last a year. It’s very un-Apple like. In fact, I think it’s the first Apple product in history to use a non-proprietary easily replaceable battery in one of it’s devices.

 

[mpeirce]

Replaceable and non-proprietary. They can be purchased anywhere for about $1 and they last a year. It’s very un-Apple like. In fact, I think it’s the first Apple product in history to use a non-proprietary easily replaceable battery in one of it’s devices.

While I take your point, earlier wireless keyboards, mice and trackpads used AA batteries.

 

[Lsbcal]

I am suggesting this for DS's Mother's Day gift.

Could be useful to attach to a car of someone who is a threat. I don't have a need for that but maybe we will hear of news stories in the future. Battery lasts for about a year.

 

[mpeirce]

Could be useful to attach to a car of someone who is a threat. I don't have a need for that but maybe we will hear of news stories in the future. Battery lasts for about a year.

Sigh. These aren't for stalking people...

It's for tracking your stuff, not other people or other people's stuff.

1. iOS devices can detect an AirTag that isn’t with its owner and notify you if an unknown AirTag is seen to be traveling with you from place to place over time. That addresses concerns about the Find My network being used to track people without them knowing.
   
2. If you detect an unknown AirTag, you can tap it with an iPhone or other NFC-capable device, and instructions will guide you through disabling the unknown AirTag.
   
3. An AirTag separated from its owner for an extended period will, when moved, play a sound to draw attention to itself. It’s probably best that it be a sound and not a little voice calling out, “Help me!”

 

[Ready]

Sigh. These aren't for stalking people...

It's for tracking your stuff, not other people or other people's stuff.

1. iOS devices can detect an AirTag that isn’t with its owner and notify you if an unknown AirTag is seen to be traveling with you from place to place over time. That addresses concerns about the Find My network being used to track people without them knowing.
   
2. If you detect an unknown AirTag, you can tap it with an iPhone or other NFC-capable device, and instructions will guide you through disabling the unknown AirTag.
   
3. An AirTag separated from its owner for an extended period will, when moved, play a sound to draw attention to itself. It’s probably best that it be a sound and not a little voice calling out, “Help me!”

Agreed, they were not developed to be used for stalking. But no matter how much Apple tries to protect people from their devices being used this way, there is no full proof solution.

If you were to hide one of these devices inside the hood of an automobile, it might be possible for someone to use it to track a person without their knowledge. They need a smart phone to receive notifications from the Air Tag. Not everyone, and especially elderly people, use smart phones. And the audible warning it emits likely is not loud enough for someone to hear it if it’s buried deep inside the car.

So I think we will likely see these being used nefariously in limited situations.

 

[Lsbcal]

Sigh. These aren't for stalking people...

It's for tracking your stuff, not other people or other people's stuff.

1. iOS devices can detect an AirTag that isn’t with its owner and notify you if an unknown AirTag is seen to be traveling with you from place to place over time. That addresses concerns about the Find My network being used to track people without them knowing.
   
2. If you detect an unknown AirTag, you can tap it with an iPhone or other NFC-capable device, and instructions will guide you through disabling the unknown AirTag.
   
3. An AirTag separated from its owner for an extended period will, when moved, play a sound to draw attention to itself. It’s probably best that it be a sound and not a little voice calling out, “Help me!”

Drat, I guess I cannot use that idea in my next spy thriller novel.

 

[mpeirce]

Just use a special purpose tracker. This one is just $50 and it'll give you real time updates over the cellular network. It's is also an audio bug.

https://logistimatics.com/product/m...ping&msclkid=d0a3d559360e1ddc4934b5d99ec10caa

This type of thing has been widely available for a long time.

 

[Lsbcal]

Nice!

 

[Ready]

Just use a special purpose tracker. This one is just $50 and it'll give you real time updates over the cellular network. It's is also an audio bug.

https://logistimatics.com/product/m...ping&msclkid=d0a3d559360e1ddc4934b5d99ec10caa

This type of thing has been widely available for a long time.

Interesting product but there is a monthly fee for the cellular service and the battery only lasts ten days. So not as convenient as the Air Tag. But it does avoid the privacy protections of Air Tag.

 

[Lsbcal]

Interesting product but there is a monthly fee for the cellular service and the battery only lasts ten days. So not as convenient as the Air Tag. But it does avoid the privacy protections of Air Tag.

I thought mpierce was referring to my spy novel requirements.