Apple AirTags.

[abarth]

Anyone purchase? I didn't intend to buy them as anti-theft trackers because they're not great at that. I use them as "I forgot where I parked" devices as I'm parked on a different block every day that I drive into work. Though a lot of YouTube videos are now demonstrating that they can be pretty effective as an anti-theft device if you notice it's movement early on.

 

[Dashmellow]

I'm waiting for delivery of one and am looking forward to checking it out. Initially, I plan to put one in a camera bag for when I shoot on location which has sometimes been a concern. For years, I've had a small device that emits a loud alarm sound when it detects light and there's no way to shut it off unless you know where the switch is, so if someone grabs the bag or equipment case the alarm goes off as soon as they open the lid. That will remain in service. I would assume that if the Airtag is hidden it would help track down where a stolen item ended up, especially if you realize fairly quickly that it is missing. Other than that I sometimes misplace my keys and recently I walked all the way out to a truck in a big parking lot that looked exactly like mine, except that it wasn't my truck and I stood there scratching my head looking around this vast lot wondering where the hell I parked, so I can see where these things could be pretty handy.

 

[SawMaster]

These would be very interesting and sad to say useful in my business, where sometimes several crews are working together when something comes up missing, so you really don't know who took it nor can you accuse everyone or search every vehicle. With one of these hidden in or on a tool and pointing to someone's truck, not only could there be no question of where it is that it shouldn't have been, but also who took it. Our culture tends to utterly hate tool thieves- there would be much instant justice for the guilty one It would also make it easier to find which pawnshop the fool took the tool to if they got away- just drive by, no stopping to ask, and no question about it being your property either

BTW, I'm given to understand there is an app which lets these work on Android systems too so I imagine sales will be humungous in scope

Phil

 

[Nigel]

BTW, I'm given to understand there is an app which lets these work on Android systems too so I imagine sales will be humungous in scope

You can access Apple's "Find My" from a web browser, so I assume any computer or even TVs to locate your Airtag.

However it seems to need to be close to any Apple phone before it can send the location updates, which seems a bit limiting for stolen stuff?

 

[Dashmellow]

You would need an iCloud account to use a web browser to access Find My. To use Find My on a TV you would need an Apple TV device.

If AirTags are more than 30 feet from your phone, they leverage Bluetooth connections with strangers' Apple phones to tell you where they are. Theoretically, this should work up to 100 meters but in the real world I understand it should be around 45 meters. Apple says that these connections are end-to-end encrypted and nobody, not even Apple, knows the location or identity of any AirTag. The Find My network is built up by nearly a billion devices, plus they are supposed to work with Andriod phones as well if you mark an item as lost, so the chances of your Airtagged item being within range of somebody's device are fairly high. Apple explains that in lost mode, every NFC-enabled cell phone, including Android smartphones, (most are NFC-enabled) can read the owner's contact information from the AirTag and so that the AirTag owner can locate their device.

These are pretty sophisticated devices. There is a technology Apple calls Precision Finding, which uses a lot of advanced technology to help you get find your item. It’s uses Bluetooth, U1 (Apple's ultra-broadband chip), ARKit (Apple’s augmented reality software) along with your iPhone’s gyroscope and accelerometer all working in tandem. You're presented with the distance away, in feet/meters and see an arrow on-screen pointing you in the right direction. The Airtag can beep and you can tap the flashlight on your phone to help finds things in the dark, plus Siri can talk you through it with a game of "hot or cold" or simply guide you "left or right" to steer you to the lost item.



All of this has been more or less been around for years for finding, locking and swiping lost laptops, iPhones, iPads and Macs but the Airtag brings the existing network to a new level in a tiny device. Actually, Find my already worked with Airpods which is an even tinier device. I'm looking forward to actually seeing what it's like to use one of these things.

 

[abarth]

I’m sure it’ll happen at some point but I’d like logging and notifications when a tagged object is moved.

 

[jokiin]

a lot of the retailers here withdrew them from sale so not easy to find right now

 

[Dashmellow]

I’m sure it’ll happen at some point but I’d like logging and notifications when a tagged object is moved.

Yeah, notifications could be a big plus!

 

[Dashmellow]

I see a lot of people are putting Airtags on dog and cat collars which should prove to be a pretty good use for these things.

 

[Nigel]

Apple explains that in lost mode, every NFC-enabled cell phone, including Android smartphones, (most are NFC-enabled) can read the owner's contact information from the AirTag and so that the AirTag owner can locate their device.

You would need to put it in “lost mode” before it looses communication with the Apple network for other NFC enabled devices to be able to see it? (That is put it in “lost mode” before you lose it.)

 

[Dashmellow]

You would need to put it in “lost mode” before it looses communication with the Apple network for other NFC enabled devices to be able to see it? (That is put it in “lost mode” before you lose it.)

Who in his right mind would put a device in "lost mode" before they lose it? You obviously don't know how the technology works.

If you have an Android phone and happen to find a lost item with an AirTag attached, you can scan the AirTag as long as your Android phone is equipped with NFC , all you need to do is read the AirTag by placing it near the back of your phone.
Once the tag is scanned, an alert will pop up on your screen that includes a web link, or your phone's browser with its own network will automatically open to an information page about the tag. If it's marked as lost, you'll see instructions on how to contact the rightful owner and get the item back to them. AirTag doesn't need Apple's network to send NFC data to an Andriod phone with NFC capabilities.

AFTER you lose your AirTagged item you tell Find My that you lost it at which point you can enter a custom message with your contact information. Obviously, you need the network to be able to report the item as lost so the AirTag can receive the required info. And chances are that you will always be or will soon be within range of another Apple mobile device, however an AirTag doesn't need to be connected to the Apple network full time to communicate with an Android device via NFC to convey data.

 

[Dashmellow]

This is a decent overview/review of the AirTag. At 8:44 you'll see a brief demonstration of how to scan a found AirTag with an Android phone followed by how to do the same with a found AirTag on an iPhone.

 

[Nigel]

AFTER you lose your AirTagged item you tell Find My that you lost it at which point you can enter a custom message with your contact information.

If you want people to return a found item then it would be sensible to put the message in it before you lose it, because they may have given up trying to read it by the time you realise that you have lost it!

Or just write your phone number on your item using a marker pen...

Who in his right mind would put a device in "lost mode" before they lose it? You obviously don't know how the technology works.

It appeared from what I read that the NFC reading is disabled until you put it in lost mode, for security reasons, making it undetectable, thus if it ends up in the possession of an Android user then you may not be able to turn lost mode on and they have no way of reading it; but maybe that article was misleading and you can always see any AirTags in the vicinity using any device with NFC? Then you would be able to scan your possessions to check if anyone is tracking you using a hidden AirTag, but that is something the article says that you can't do...

 

[Dashmellow]

If you want people to return a found item then it would be sensible to put the message in it before you lose it, because they may have given up trying to read it by the time you realise that you have lost it!

Or just write your phone number on your item using a marker pen...


It appeared from what I read that the NFC reading is disabled until you put it in lost mode, for security reasons, making it undetectable, thus if it ends up in the possession of an Android user then you may not be able to turn lost mode on and they have no way of reading it; but maybe that article was misleading and you can always see any AirTags in the vicinity using any device with NFC? Then you would be able to scan your possessions to check if anyone is tracking you using a hidden AirTag, but that is something the article says that you can't do...

As far as I understand, Apple is using their own implementation of "NFC bootstrapping" which can leverage Bluetooth, WiFi networks and Samsung's reprogramable NFC Tag app tech to perform their magic to enhance what they can do with NFC.

Obviously, Apple doesn't happen agree with you that it would be sensible to put the message into the Tag before you lose it because they prefer to offer the cool and useful option of composing a message spontaneously that is appropriate for the unique circumstances under which you may have lost your item.

As for your fatuous comment about writing your phone number on your item, if you bothered to watch the video I posted you might have seen the reviewer's mention of how the AirTag is like the 21st Century version of an analogue luggage tag. But you are obviously not being serious with any of this. I suspect your post is simply another example of you attempting to engineer another gratuitous petty pissing with me over nothing, for no good reason.

 

[jokiin]

If the contact details were loaded before you lost it wouldn't that become some sort of security risk, someone with bad intentions could go looking for personal details to exploit

 

[kamkar]

They just arrested some guys here, already having terror convictions, and already skimmed Danes from millions via our so called "easy id", again they was found in possession of 6500 Danes SSN.
Worst part is this was long ago and no one of the 6500 Danes have ben told they have been compromised
Once you have access to a Danes easy ID you can divert his bank accounts into your own, and you can funnel 100 of bank acounts into one account, as thats not at all sospicious here,,,,,,,, i swear it is a clown world up here.

 

[Nigel]

If the contact details were loaded before you lost it wouldn't that become some sort of security risk, someone with bad intentions could go looking for personal details to exploit

Only difference appears to be that the thief needs to steal your item to get you to provide details instead of just using RFID while it is still in your possession. Using a pen would mean they would need to get their camera in visual range but not need to steal your item.

What Apple needs to do is provide an anonymous message exchange service, then you can arrange for the item to be left in a convenient and secure location, such as the local police station, could also provide an anonymous reward service, with security checks to make sure nobody is making a living from stealing items for reward!

 

[Dashmellow]

It's just a phone number and whatever message you wish to post. You don't even need to give out a name. Your message could simply ask the finder to leave the phone at the reception desk of your hotel or wherever, or meet you in a public setting, or text you.

 

[Dashmellow]

They just arrested some guys here, already having terror convictions, and already skimmed Danes from millions via our so called "easy id", again they was found in possession of 6500 Danes SSN.
Worst part is this was long ago and no one of the 6500 Danes have ben told they have been compromised
Once you have access to a Danes easy ID you can divert his bank accounts into your own, and you can funnel 100 of bank acounts into one account, as thats not at all sospicious here,,,,,,,, i swear it is a clown world up here.

I thought EasyID was a temporary identification system like in a wrist band for hospital patients, newborn babies or people entering a venue like an amusement park. I'm surprised to hear of it used in a way that could give access to a SSN or bank account.

 

[richx]

I see a lot of people are putting Airtags on dog and cat collars which should prove to be a pretty good use for these things.

I'm looking forward to an affordable cat collar for this (not a collar that costs as much as the device itself!). I'm feeding some strays in my porch (and yes I've just managed to spay both of them) - it'd be interesting to see where they roam. I've contemplated GPS trackers, but they're much too big for a cat and battery life is only 5-7 days if it sends hourly beacons. If it sends a beacon every 5 minutes, it'll only run for 1-2 days.