So, how exactly do you "build your own tags"? You need Bluetooth-enabled devices that can run this software?
Openhaystack: Build 'AirTags' – track Bluetooth devices via Apple's network
101–110 of 117 posts
Re: Openhaystack: Build 'AirTags' – track Bluetooth devices via Apple's network
#102Earlier quoted context omitted.
I certainly can't claim to have ordered and received one, but there are absolutely $5 UWB devices for sale on AliExpress, and that's before any bulk discount. If Apple sells them for $20 it's highly likely some random Chinese seller can make money at $5.
Can you link me to one? I haven't found any of those.
I'm looking for a source of like ~100 UWB-only ones aiming for about 2~3 weeks of battery runtime on a pack of 2~3 AA batteries. Mostly depends on what voltage end the chips handle better: 2V low end, or 4.5V high end.
The aim is to keep track of where shared equipment is during the logistics phases of 39c3.
And, also, using the quite possibly wall-wart-piwered base station network to provide what's essentially rather precise indoor-GPS to users with sufficiently open FiRa hardware.
Re: Openhaystack: Build 'AirTags' – track Bluetooth devices via Apple's network
#103Earlier quoted context omitted.
I’ve even seen some wallets with built in “Find My” support.
Kindle cover would be extremely useful.
I wish me a budget 10000 mAh size "phone slab format/shape" power bank with like 18W output at 9~12V kind of "fast charge" style, and a built in Google air tag.
They already have a button and a battery and a case; only need to add the BLE and the Google-mandated buzzer.
I'd pay 5 bucks more than for the competition without the integrated tracker. That should easily cover the cost, right?
Re: Openhaystack: Build 'AirTags' – track Bluetooth devices via Apple's network
#104Can someone point me to something I saw earlier? Apple alerts users to "tags that might be following you". Someone made an implementation that used a KDF to rotate the mac address or private key or something, but it was predictable in a way you could track each derivation of the of the mac/private key. There is a really obnoxious petty theft problem where I live, and the time it takes to constantly get my windows fix…
You can buy GPS cellular trackers. Then just get a really cheap or even free IOT sim. Alternatively you could probably just walk to your nearest drug addict hangout with case of bottled water and ask them to stop breaking into your stuff.
Can you though? Every time airtags come up here someone is like "you can get GPS trackers already! they're cheap!" but I actually looked and actual GPS trackers that don't require a subscription or have various other flaws seem to be very difficult to find.
If there's a GPS tracker that uses an eSIM and isn't sketchy af and has decent battery life and isn't £100 let me know! I would love that for my bikes.
Re: Openhaystack: Build 'AirTags' – track Bluetooth devices via Apple's network
#105Earlier quoted context omitted.
Here's my 8.5 lb calico cat with the AirTag* she's had on her collar since she was a 3-month old kitten: https://imgur.com/a/r9EGSOc *Photo taken a moment ago with Meta Stories glasses
Kind of a weird flex by mentioning the meta glasses. Nice looking cat * Wrote this on my cell phone. ;-)
>Kind of a weird flex — I love this! So HN.
Because once when I posted an imgur photo here with no camera provenance, a commenter asked "What camera was used to take that photo?
FunFact: it's MUCH easier to take a photo of your cat with glasses than a phone — hands-free is the future IMHO
Re: Openhaystack: Build 'AirTags' – track Bluetooth devices via Apple's network
#106Earlier 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…
The problem is they don’t have accurate positioning via UWB, so you only get a map pin and a beep, not an arrow and an exact distance. The $5 tags are comparable to tile or google tags, but miss the key feature of airtags.
Another thought: these $5 tags still seem as good or better than a DIY tag using the current version of OpenHaystack, right? Unless OpenHaystack supports UWB?
Re: Openhaystack: Build 'AirTags' – track Bluetooth devices via Apple's network
#107Earlier quoted context omitted.
You can buy GPS cellular trackers. Then just get a really cheap or even free IOT sim. Alternatively you could probably just walk to your nearest drug addict hangout with case of bottled water and ask them to stop breaking into your stuff.
Can you though? Every time airtags come up here someone is like "you can get GPS trackers already! they're cheap!" but I actually looked and actual GPS trackers that don't require a subscription or have various other flaws seem to be very difficult to find. If there's a GPS tracker that uses an eSIM and isn't sketchy af and has decent battery life and isn't £100 let me know! I would love that for my bikes.
Yup, usually $20-30 per month is what I found. It would be cheaper to just use an old phone and use a cheap pay as you go cell service
Re: Openhaystack: Build 'AirTags' – track Bluetooth devices via Apple's network
#108Earlier quoted context omitted.
> From what I've heard Google made their version pretty bad I have one on my keys. The one time I tried to use it, despite refreshing multiple times, it gave me a bubble with a quarter mile radius. It turned out to be in my bag right next to me.
So, you're saying it was correct? ;)
Lower your expectations until they're already met. Go team, we did it!
Re: Openhaystack: Build 'AirTags' – track Bluetooth devices via Apple's network
#109I 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.
I think that's the wall in Apple's walled garden here. From reading the official Apple spec. for partners a while back, as part of the pairing process, something is signed by the device with a cert/key that apple issued to that developer (after coming to an agreement i.e - $$) - and, crucially, is different from the keypair that the device will use to actually broadcast. This is then validated by apple and thus allow…
This isn't actually the case. Apple supports 3rd party trackers - see https://mfi.apple.com/ and https://developer.apple.com/find-my/
Re: Openhaystack: Build 'AirTags' – track Bluetooth devices via Apple's network
#110Earlier 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…
The problem is they don’t have accurate positioning via UWB, so you only get a map pin and a beep, not an arrow and an exact distance. The $5 tags are comparable to tile or google tags, but miss the key feature of airtags.
I have seen modified AirTags on Etsy that enable the uwb to work
Have almost pulled the trigger and bought one multiple times but I keep just losing my wallet instead
Source: https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/1318724878/modified-3-mm-sli...