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Apple introduces new AirTag with longer range and improved findability

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Re: Apple introduces new AirTag with longer range and improved findability

#201

Post by _verandaguy »

retired wrote: post #60
_verandaguy wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maybe a hot take, but I don't think this is as awful for e-waste as many other things. I've had a set of airtags for a good few years now (shortly before Covid, I think?) and they mostly just kinda work. They don't insist upon a need to upgrade, the only part that ever goes bad is the battery -- which is a standard, user-replaceable CR2032, and while batteries going into the garbage isn't fantastic, there's really on…

Please don't put your CR2032 in the garbage. Use battery disposal points for that.

I use the terms interchangeably when it comes to batteries; I do use battery disposal bins, but I don't have any faith that the actual process behind the scenes is much less impactful for the environment.

It's like when I learned that many paper recycling programs end up combining paper with regular garbage, or finding out that plastic recycling is comically ineffective in its outcomes.

Re: Apple introduces new AirTag with longer range and improved findability

#202

Post by fragmede »

throwfaraway4 wrote: post #73
prodigycorp wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Apple of late is a mystery. Their software and hardware product quality is wildly inconsistent and, yet, with the most simplest of hardware like AirTags and AirPods, they're like magic. iPhones, I could hardly care less about. These new airtags? Insta buy!

I'm not convinced AirPods are that "simple" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PB_8dGKh9JI

Airpods are a great example of good UX making things seem simple. There's a ridiculous amount of engineering that goes into making them work as well as they do.

Re: Apple introduces new AirTag with longer range and improved findability

#203

Post by gruez »

plingamp wrote: post #194
seanmcdirmid wrote: post #115

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thankfully you were in Switzerland rather than the states, I just never see American police caring about that.

My car got broken into in Oakland, California. Multiple pieces of luggage stolen (yes, my fault for leaving it in the car in the first place). Luckily I had an AirTag that showed the exact location of the stolen items. I called the police but they said they couldn't do anything. Apparently, even if I had the location the thief would have to invite them in. Regardless, I was put on a waiting list, they finally called…

>Apparently, even if I had the location the thief would have to invite them in.

I mean, isn't that good? 4th amendment, warrants from a judge, and all that.

Re: Apple introduces new AirTag with longer range and improved findability

#204

Post by apparent »

joezydeco wrote: post #100

The new AirTag requires a compatible iPhone with iOS 26 or later, or iPad with iPadOS 26 or later. Oh come the fuck ON . I'm not installing your silly fuzzy UI, Apple. Get over it.

For real. This just went from insta-purchase to "guess I'll have one someday, but not anytime soon".

I use these to help keep track of my kids, but I'll probably get them AWs before I upgrade to 26 in all honesty.

Re: Apple introduces new AirTag with longer range and improved findability

#205

Post by swe_dima »

etchalon wrote: post #81
gusgus01 wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Russia does pretty widespread GPS jamming and spoofing both in their country as well as across the Baltics and Nordics (and others). If a phone is receiving bad GPS data when it reports sensing the tag, the tag location will reflect that bad GPS data and not reality.

Thanks for explanation. I had absolutely no awareness GPS jamming was a thing, let alone at scale.

my runner friends hate it, suddenly your Garmin can't show your pace and distance properly. (I am very much aware it's a 1st world problem to have in times of war)

Re: Apple introduces new AirTag with longer range and improved findability

#206

Post by kube-system »

retired wrote: post #97
somehnguy wrote: post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would assume the inaccuracy is due to the various phones that pick up the airtag pings GPS being jammed, reporting AirTags nowhere near where they actually are.

Makes sense. Would be pretty cool if Apple could find a way to correct GPS jamming using accelerometers and some logic. If your GPS location jump 50 kilometers in 2 minutes, ignore GPS and use cell tower + accelerometer. Maybe create some sort of mesh network, using other phones and nearby SSIDs to get a makeshift location positioning. That does come with the risk of Tim Cook falling out of a window.

Most current phones already use these techniques (and more) just simply to account for poor signals, which have long been an issue with GPS because signal strength and SNR are inherently very low.

Re: Apple introduces new AirTag with longer range and improved findability

#208

Post by insane_dreamer »

plingamp wrote: post #194
seanmcdirmid wrote: post #115

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thankfully you were in Switzerland rather than the states, I just never see American police caring about that.

My car got broken into in Oakland, California. Multiple pieces of luggage stolen (yes, my fault for leaving it in the car in the first place). Luckily I had an AirTag that showed the exact location of the stolen items. I called the police but they said they couldn't do anything. Apparently, even if I had the location the thief would have to invite them in. Regardless, I was put on a waiting list, they finally called…

[flagged]

Re: Apple introduces new AirTag with longer range and improved findability

#209

Post by fragmede »

pjerem wrote: post #190
kwanbix wrote: post #143

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maybe I got lucky, but I never had issues with my Bose, Shokz, or even with my Soundcore headphones and bluetooth. I don't use in ear, so I can not comment on that.

Yep but with AirPods, you are listening music or watching a video, on your Mac, your iPhone rings (on your AirPods), you accept the call, and now the video is paused on your Mac and your AirPods are already connected to your iPhone. Any time any of the registered devices needs to emit sound, the AirPods instantly switch to this device (and both devices will show an unobtrusive notification to reverse the auto switch)…

That is a great point. Airdrop on my iphone currently has this weird bug where if I try and airdrop directly to a target (eg my laptop) it doesn't work, but if I go into airdrop and select the exact same target, works fine. This is even weirder because it's followed me between phones (I restored from icloud backup). Yet, yeah, my airpods are fine at switching.

Re: Apple introduces new AirTag with longer range and improved findability

#210

Post by insane_dreamer »

logicalfails wrote: post #6

> The new AirTag is designed with the environment in mind, with 85 percent recycled plastic in the enclosure, 100 percent recycled rare earth elements in all magnets, and 100 percent recycled gold plating in all Apple-designed printed circuit boards. The paper packaging is 100 percent fiber-based and can be easily recycled. I'm no material scientist, but this seems pretty impressive to me that Apple's economy of scal…

but then the fob also costs $30 :/
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