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Openhaystack: Build 'AirTags' – track Bluetooth devices via Apple's network

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Re: Openhaystack: Build 'AirTags' – track Bluetooth devices via Apple's network

#61

Post by WinstonSmith84 »

sorenjan wrote: post #56

I wish there was a good option for non Apple users. From what I've heard Google made their version pretty bad, as expected. They rate limit how often you can search for your own tags, they won't show the location until a tag has been seen by multiple phones, there's poor coverage. One test I saw showed that Samsung's network was better, which makes no sense since Samsung phones should be a subset of all Android phone…

It's hard to believe how Google could mess up their network so badly. Apple network shall be totally dwarfed.

As a nomad-traveler, the Apple network is not particularly relevant to me, I don't travel to the wealthiest cities with a lot of Apple phones, but to the "rest of the world" where Android market share is close to 90% dominance. But even there, it still seems that Apple is doing better than Google (...)

Re: Openhaystack: Build 'AirTags' – track Bluetooth devices via Apple's network

#62

Post by Tajnymag »

_ink_ wrote: post #60
sorenjan wrote: post #56

I wish there was a good option for non Apple users. From what I've heard Google made their version pretty bad, as expected. They rate limit how often you can search for your own tags, they won't show the location until a tag has been seen by multiple phones, there's poor coverage. One test I saw showed that Samsung's network was better, which makes no sense since Samsung phones should be a subset of all Android phone…

There is a setting, where you can disable that it needs to be seen by multiple phones.

No, that's the whole point of the fiasco. That setting is not for the tracker but for the tracking devices. For Google Find My trackers to behave similarly to AirTags, every single android user would have to go to their Find My settings and explicitly change, how sensitive their phone is.

Re: Openhaystack: Build 'AirTags' – track Bluetooth devices via Apple's network

#64

Post by Havoc »

rahimnathwani wrote: post #25
dalemhurley wrote: post #3

This is amazing. I love Apple AirTags but they are so bulky and an odd shape. I would love a AirTag the shape of a credit card to go into my wallet. I would love a smaller AirTag to go on my cats collar.

You can buy third party "Find My" compatible tags for about $5 from Temu or Aliexpress. Although they're about the same size as regular Airtags, they're: - easier to take apart (if you want discard the casing), and - cheaper I took one of the ones I have out of its casing to see what could be made thinner, and I found that most of the thickness was due to: - The batter holder (CR2032) - The speaker - The button The s…

Guessing those are missing ultra wide band?

Seems doubtful to me that someone implemented all three frequencies at 5 bucks

Re: Openhaystack: Build 'AirTags' – track Bluetooth devices via Apple's network

#65

Post by suddenexample »

sorenjan wrote: post #56

I wish there was a good option for non Apple users. From what I've heard Google made their version pretty bad, as expected. They rate limit how often you can search for your own tags, they won't show the location until a tag has been seen by multiple phones, there's poor coverage. One test I saw showed that Samsung's network was better, which makes no sense since Samsung phones should be a subset of all Android phone…

It's actually hilarious that whoever was in charge of Google's finder network decided to cripple the product's one and only function by prioritizing privacy.

In this tradeoff, Google gained a handful of articles mentioning the "innovative" privacy improvements (before the writers had a chance to test how terribly the network actually performs). For that, they sacrificed the chance to compete with Apple in this category, which outside of device revenue also weakens Android/Pixel ecosystem and market share. You really can't make up this level of incompetence.

Re: Openhaystack: Build 'AirTags' – track Bluetooth devices via Apple's network

#66

Post by emsixteen »

solarkraft wrote: post #38

I wish it had a way to integrate with the Find My app instead of having to go through their own (wonky) process to retrieve locations. The chinese clones can do it (even with their own branding), so it must be possible somehow.

The clones are limited though, are they not? Like, they don't have the directional stuff and all that do they? I may be misremembering what I've read elsewhere.

Re: Openhaystack: Build 'AirTags' – track Bluetooth devices via Apple's network

#67

Post by nguyenkien »

solarkraft wrote: post #38

I wish it had a way to integrate with the Find My app instead of having to go through their own (wonky) process to retrieve locations. The chinese clones can do it (even with their own branding), so it must be possible somehow.

The "chinese clone" are official supported, here is how: https://developer.apple.com/find-my/

Re: Openhaystack: Build 'AirTags' – track Bluetooth devices via Apple's network

#68

Post by tommoor »

sorenjan wrote: post #56

I wish there was a good option for non Apple users. From what I've heard Google made their version pretty bad, as expected. They rate limit how often you can search for your own tags, they won't show the location until a tag has been seen by multiple phones, there's poor coverage. One test I saw showed that Samsung's network was better, which makes no sense since Samsung phones should be a subset of all Android phone…

Seems like they should just piggyback on FindMy also

Re: Openhaystack: Build 'AirTags' – track Bluetooth devices via Apple's network

#69

Post by alphan0n »

pyronik19 wrote: post #13

Would there be a way for the bluetooth device to rotate its broadcast keys in a predictable way to avoid the iphone notification of "unknown airtag close by" messages? Seems like this could be exploited for surveillance.

Yes, the FindYou project [0] has shown this to be possible.

[0] https://github.com/positive-security/find-you

Re: Openhaystack: Build 'AirTags' – track Bluetooth devices via Apple's network

#70

Post by ceejayoz »

Havoc wrote: post #64
rahimnathwani wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can buy third party "Find My" compatible tags for about $5 from Temu or Aliexpress. Although they're about the same size as regular Airtags, they're: - easier to take apart (if you want discard the casing), and - cheaper I took one of the ones I have out of its casing to see what could be made thinner, and I found that most of the thickness was due to: - The batter holder (CR2032) - The speaker - The button The s…

Guessing those are missing ultra wide band? Seems doubtful to me that someone implemented all three frequencies at 5 bucks

How much do you think a $20 AirTag costs to actually manufacture?
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