5 ms·

I feel that if the stalker is buying dedicated stalking gear online there are “better” options - you can get actual compact GPS trackers that report over cellul

by 542458 5y ago

I feel that if the stalker is buying dedicated stalking gear online there are “better” options - you can get actual compact GPS trackers that report over cellular for $10-20.

stefan_ 5y ago
Stop comparing AirTag to GPS trackers, it's absurd. GPS is an incredibly faint signal that is entirely attenuated in any indoor spaces and most clever hiding places you could come up, all the while being very obviously inferior to the multitude of strategies smartphones use to determine their position.
culi 5y ago
Can you really? I live in a place with a lot of coyotes so we bring our cat inside every day an hour or 2 before sunset. We bought a Tile (AirTag competitor) for her, but it's really not lived up to what we were hoping and I'd love for the possibility of getting an actual GPS device Even if it's just for a few days so we can get a sense of what her typical route are so we could know where to look for her other days But we couldn't find any such GPS device that was anywhere near the pricepoint of an Airtag or Tile unless it came with a really pricey subscription
- bombcar 5y ago
  For your use case wouldn’t something that has a GPS receiver and just records position every minute or so be fine? You can download the map offline later, no need for continuous cell signal.
bigiain 5y ago
Not with anything like the battery life or small sizes as an AirTag. Those sort of devices are a reasonable choice for mounting in your own vehicle, where you can provide relatively unlimited power (and many of them have the ability to implement engine kill). But you aren’t going to slip one of those into someone’s pocket unobtrusively as you bump into them going past. Or attach it to their car in a car park.
- quantumduck 5y ago
  More than battery life or small size, I think the most important cost is the cellular plan. With AirTag, the find my network acts as the communication backbone and it tracks the AirTag in literally every country, at no cost. On the other hand, cellular is expensive AF.

by 542458 5y ago

I feel that if the stalker is buying dedicated stalking gear online there are “better” options - you can get actual compact GPS trackers that report over cellular for $10-20.

stefan_ 5y ago

Stop comparing AirTag to GPS trackers, it's absurd. GPS is an incredibly faint signal that is entirely attenuated in any indoor spaces and most clever hiding places you could come up, all the while being very obviously inferior to the multitude of strategies smartphones use to determine their position.

culi 5y ago

Can you really? I live in a place with a lot of coyotes so we bring our cat inside every day an hour or 2 before sunset. We bought a Tile (AirTag competitor) for her, but it's really not lived up to what we were hoping and I'd love for the possibility of getting an actual GPS device Even if it's just for a few days so we can get a sense of what her typical route are so we could know where to look for her other days But we couldn't find any such GPS device that was anywhere near the pricepoint of an Airtag or Tile unless it came with a really pricey subscription

bombcar 5y ago
For your use case wouldn’t something that has a GPS receiver and just records position every minute or so be fine? You can download the map offline later, no need for continuous cell signal.

bigiain 5y ago

Not with anything like the battery life or small sizes as an AirTag. Those sort of devices are a reasonable choice for mounting in your own vehicle, where you can provide relatively unlimited power (and many of them have the ability to implement engine kill). But you aren’t going to slip one of those into someone’s pocket unobtrusively as you bump into them going past. Or attach it to their car in a car park.

quantumduck 5y ago
More than battery life or small size, I think the most important cost is the cellular plan. With AirTag, the find my network acts as the communication backbone and it tracks the AirTag in literally every country, at no cost. On the other hand, cellular is expensive AF.