5 ms·

> AirTags take advantage of Apple's global "Find My" network of hundreds of millions of Apple iPhones. No other tracking device has this capability. I guarante

by dijit 4y ago

> AirTags take advantage of Apple's global "Find My" network of hundreds of millions of Apple iPhones. No other tracking device has this capability. I guarantee I can find a cheaper device that does not need to use apples network and is as easy to use; it's even more perfect for stalking because there's no information on the owner and no risk that the tag notifies the person nearby. Apples devices are low power and do not have GPS trackers in them; it's pretty trivial to have a higher powered device with a GPS tracker in it. EDIT: 10s of searching, it's even magnetic: https://www.amazon.com/Tracki-Magnetic-Required-Worldwide-Motorcycles/dp/B07N4DHFZM/ref=sr_1_4?crid=VA77NH96UAJS&keywords=GPS+tracker&qid=1662384443&sprefix=gps+tracke%2Caps%2C140&sr=8-4 https://www.amazon.com/Tracki-Magnetic-Required-Worldwide-Mo...

lapcat 4y ago
Higher power is a major limitation though: "Rechargeable battery life is up to 5 days (the more it moves the lesser the days)" Whereas AirTags have a year battery life. Also: "Works with GPS satellites when outdoors as primary tracking technology and when indoors Wi-Fi as a secondary backup tracking."
- gbanfalvi 4y ago
  Should be enough to find out where you live and work :)
  - lapcat 4y ago
    Typically you don't even need a tracking device for that, just Google.
    - ghaff 4y ago
      Given someone's name and rough location, I can probably find out lots of things about them. It might take a few bucks to find their home address but probably not very hard.
wolrah 4y ago
> I guarantee I can find a cheaper device that does not need to use apples network and is as easy to use; it's even more perfect for stalking because there's no information on the owner and no risk that the tag notifies the person nearby. You missed the point about why Apple's network is a big deal. I have a few Tile brand trackers, they're functionally the same basic thing as an Airtag and have been around for years. Most places that sell electronics stock them. The trick is that if you lose something or have something stolen, it can only be detected if it comes near another Tile user who has the app installed and has given it appropriate permissions on their device to be able to scan. This obviously doesn't matter if you're just trying to find a set of keys around the house, but if your bike is stolen unless you're in a major city you're probably SOL. 10 times as many people have installed Apple Music on an Android device as have the Tile app, so that's not much. Apple's massive advantage is that every single iPhone, iPad, etc. is by default a receiver for their tracking network. That same stolen bike is now trackable by something like half of all the smartphones in the world. If it's in a place where there are meaningful amounts of people it's going to show up on the tracking network. Basically Apple's tracking network is the first time a low power solution like this has truly had critical mass. > Apples devices are low power and do not have GPS trackers in them; it's pretty trivial to have a higher powered device with a GPS tracker in it. GPS takes a hilarious amount of battery power and requires a significantly larger antenna. Beyond that you then also need a cellular service plan and the device has to remain in range of those towers. The device you linked has battery life of less than a week in an active tracking mode and in "battery save" mode can only provide a few updates a day. It'd be fine for a full size vehicle or piece of industrial equipment, but not a bike or a laptop bag.
dub 4y ago
Note that the product you linked to is larger, much more expensive (it requires a $20-per-month monthly subscription), and has much shorter battery life
xeromal 4y ago
The battery life is 5 days. How long is an airtags?

by dijit 4y ago

lapcat 4y ago

Higher power is a major limitation though: "Rechargeable battery life is up to 5 days (the more it moves the lesser the days)" Whereas AirTags have a year battery life. Also: "Works with GPS satellites when outdoors as primary tracking technology and when indoors Wi-Fi as a secondary backup tracking."

gbanfalvi 4y ago
Should be enough to find out where you live and work :)
- lapcat 4y ago
  Typically you don't even need a tracking device for that, just Google.
  - ghaff 4y ago
    Given someone's name and rough location, I can probably find out lots of things about them. It might take a few bucks to find their home address but probably not very hard.

wolrah 4y ago

> I guarantee I can find a cheaper device that does not need to use apples network and is as easy to use; it's even more perfect for stalking because there's no information on the owner and no risk that the tag notifies the person nearby. You missed the point about why Apple's network is a big deal. I have a few Tile brand trackers, they're functionally the same basic thing as an Airtag and have been around for years. Most places that sell electronics stock them. The trick is that if you lose something or have something stolen, it can only be detected if it comes near another Tile user who has the app installed and has given it appropriate permissions on their device to be able to scan. This obviously doesn't matter if you're just trying to find a set of keys around the house, but if your bike is stolen unless you're in a major city you're probably SOL. 10 times as many people have installed Apple Music on an Android device as have the Tile app, so that's not much. Apple's massive advantage is that every single iPhone, iPad, etc. is by default a receiver for their tracking network. That same stolen bike is now trackable by something like half of all the smartphones in the world. If it's in a place where there are meaningful amounts of people it's going to show up on the tracking network. Basically Apple's tracking network is the first time a low power solution like this has truly had critical mass. > Apples devices are low power and do not have GPS trackers in them; it's pretty trivial to have a higher powered device with a GPS tracker in it. GPS takes a hilarious amount of battery power and requires a significantly larger antenna. Beyond that you then also need a cellular service plan and the device has to remain in range of those towers. The device you linked has battery life of less than a week in an active tracking mode and in "battery save" mode can only provide a few updates a day. It'd be fine for a full size vehicle or piece of industrial equipment, but not a bike or a laptop bag.

dub 4y ago

Note that the product you linked to is larger, much more expensive (it requires a $20-per-month monthly subscription), and has much shorter battery life

xeromal 4y ago

The battery life is 5 days. How long is an airtags?