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So will it start beeping like crazy then while attached to (or inside) the suitcase? And will the luggage handler, who happens to have an iPhone, get a popup that an “unidentified” AirTag is near them?
That would be the best case scenario. I'd be worried that the bomb squad would be called.
 
From what I could find online, the AirTag is 32mm in diameter, and 6mm thick at it's thickest. The Tile Pro with replaceable battery is 42x42mm, and 6.5mm thick.
 
Ummm iPhones do that already, as they can tell that you stopped travelling quickly and then started walking. Doesn't your "parked car" location already show up on your phone?
Yes and No, at least for me. Sometimes it works, but I'd like a consistent experience where I know it will always work.
 
If you choose to you can enable it so that they'll get your contact info and can then get a hold of you. But you don't have to do that.
That sounds like a bad idea. I would hate to loose my keys , some random person finds them, and the dang tracker tells them where I live so they can get into my house and drive away with my stuff in MY car. 😁
 
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That sounds like a bad idea. I would hate to loose my keys , some random person finds them, and the dang tracker tells them where I live so they can get into my house and drive away with my stuff in MY car. 😁
Well duh, you don't give your address. You can make it pop up with a "reward for return -- phone xxxxxxx" message.
 
You may be able to drill a small hole in one for a lanyard. Silly you have to do that but it is an option.
Yep I don't think it will be long before there are you tube howtos on exactly where to drill and what size. I guess the alternatives are very cheap clips, and small tags you can glue on
it does seem like a monumental failure to me.
 
The more I learn about the Airtags the less interesting they seem. :( The one thing that would really interest me is a "you're leaving your item behind" alert, but that doesn't seem to be possible.
 
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It will also make noise to let random strangers know that you left your purse/keys/whatever behind, which could be good, or very bad.
After three days, I think it is. If you go and retrieve your thing within the 3 days, no sound is made. If you leave your item in an insecure place for 3 days, then it wasn’t all that worth tagging in the first place?
 
Seems like people really want another tracking device.
Yeah. There are several good ones out there that do all those things they want. How much you want to bet that Apple entering the market raises the fortunes of all the “other” tracker companies?
 
Every single new product thread is filled with people like this. People who create their own expectations, based off of zero information, that nobody but them expected. And then they proclaim their disappointment. If you thought that then you weren't paying attention. Every single rumor for the last year plus has said that it would work exactly the way Apple described today.

Chill out dude
 
I think a worry about stalking caught Apple off-guard. Well my guess anyway 😄
I tend to agree with this ... especially considering just days before 420 event Samsung was reported to be releasing a security fix to prevent secret stalking/tracking of their tag product and infrastructure.


Looking at Rene Ritchie's interview with Apple engineer and exec ... lots of great questions and insight.
Seems I was COMPLETELY wrong with Apple adding more value than what Tile and other competitors have.

Most specifically:
- randomly changing unique identifiers that are NOT ever re-used - keeping identity of device and owner and finder of AirTag's annonymous.
- ^ I don't like the latter because what if:
the person that found the AirTag actually stole the item you've listed and set in AirTag's as lost? Only alerting you of it being found because you're alert mentions an award?
- Any device with NFC can scan AirTag's and then a website is loaded so the person even on Android can see your message and contact details that YOU have chosen to input into the lost notifier.


The REAL AirTag's challenge is not on technology ... it's US ... people.

Japan has a great record of people finding things and reporting to police fully intake so the owner can be contacted or reach out to police on lost items for pickup. People have lost thousands of dollars in bags/briefcases and not a penny was taken when found. Incredible common courtesy, decency and respect of their citizens.

N. America ... ROFLMAO .. you'd be lucky to loose a knapsack with 1 dollar (coin or bill Canada/USA respectively) still in the bag when reported as found. Our society is nowhere close. So to increase the power of your AirTags ... place a reward if found.
 
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This is very relevant to me since I will be using it to locate my dog which occasionally wanders off in my extremely rural, hilly and tree covered area.
I think Apple would expect you to buy and bury (in sealed boxes) iPhones at regular intervals around your property. Oh, and you’d have to make it so that you can pull them up and recharge every so often :)

BTW, what is iBeacon doing these days?
 
- randomly changing unique identifiers that are NOT ever re-used - keeping identity of device and owner and finder of AirTag's annonymous.
- ^ I don't like the latter because what if:
the person that found the AirTag actually stole the item you've listed and set in AirTag's as lost? Only alerting you of it being found because you're alert mentions an award?
What? If a finder's phone automatically reported the finder's identity that would be a massive breach of privacy, especially since it's apparently not possible to opt out and prevent your iPhone from reporting tags it detects. Essentially, you could place a tag somewhere and record the identities of all iPhone users that walk by in Bluetooth range.
 
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+ another 30 for any kind of holder to actually attach it to anything??
Have you seen the Hermès collection? Apple is just a parody of itself at this point.
 

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Have you seen the Hermès collection? Apple is just a parody of itself at this point.

Indeed, only Apple could keep a straight face by saying pay $29 for the actual device but accessorize it with a $449 holder. Note it says 'from' $449.

I am ordering 4 of them, I will get 4 holders from Amazon for under $29.
 
The more I learn about the Airtags the less interesting they seem. :( The one thing that would really interest me is a "you're leaving your item behind" alert, but that doesn't seem to be possible.
Why not. I imagine this would come, along with “your laptop bag is moving away from you”
 
What? If a finder's phone automatically reported the finder's identity that would be a massive breach of privacy, especially since it's apparently not possible to opt out and prevent your iPhone from reporting tags it detects. Essentially, you could place a tag somewhere and record the identities of all iPhone users that walk by in Bluetooth range.

Hmm.

It may sound, or come across as breach of privacy ... however Rene Ritchies interview (featured in todays news on front page specifically) stated Apple already tracks Apple AirTags to the owner if it moves with the owner (with U1 / or B LE connection) so that it’s not going to beep and knows it’s moving with the owner .

To me that’s tracking ... and essentially at a basic level Still matches your view for breach of privacy.

My example was to highlight, as an example if your MBP was stolen ... you report it, it’s moving and the thief gets wise/chickens out, chooses to report it as ‘found’, how is that any different than using FindMy to track your iPhone in real time and reporting it to the police? Hmm.
 
Hmm.

It may sound, or come across as breach of privacy ... however Rene Ritchies interview (featured in todays news on front page specifically) stated Apple already tracks Apple AirTags to the owner if it moves with the owner (with U1 / or B LE connection) so that it’s not going to beep and knows it’s moving with the owner .

To me that’s tracking ... and essentially at a basic level Still matches your view for breach of privacy.
Apple can't track any tags, and neither can anyone else except the owner. Basically, the position reports by finder devices are encrypted with a public key sent out by the tag, and the corresponding private key is only known to the owner of the Apple ID that the tag is associated with. If the tag is close to the owner, the owner's phone detects it's BT/UWB signal directly, which again doesn't disclose the location to Apple.

If you want to know the technical details, they are described in this paper:

My example was to highlight, as an example if your MBP was stolen ... you report it, it’s moving and the thief gets wise/chickens out, chooses to report it as ‘found’, how is that any different than using FindMy to track your iPhone in real time and reporting it to the police? Hmm.
You said a finder of a tag shouldn't be able to stay anonymous, that's what I disagree with. Sure, sometimes it could perhaps help to identify a thief. But in many more cases it would compromise the privacy of innocent people who happen to be near enough to the tag that their phone can detect it.
 
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