Silenced AirTags with disabled speakers are popping up for sale online • Hacker News Board

Re: Silenced AirTags with disabled speakers are popping up for sale online

#401

Post by resoluteteeth » Sat, Feb 05, 2022, 8:37 PM UTC

withinboredom wrote: post #354

rtpg wrote: post #335

Earlier quoted context omitted.

True! I believe the unique paring here with the Apple tags is that the device is very small and piggybacks off of iPhones, and has a year+ battery. I don't believe GPS + cell devices can get there on the battery department, but I might be wrong. Putting something in someone's car once is a lot easier than putting something in someone's car and then recharging it once every couple of days.

You can write firmware that puts it in a low power state (like the airtags) when it isn't broadcasting. My custom door-unlocker uses bluetooth and wifi, it has a single 18650 battery and lasts about a year (with locking/unlocking daily) before needing to be recharged. I assume if you didn't have a giant servo, you could wire up a modem and it'd easily last years on a single charge, checking in every 10-15 minutes. It…

Having to use both gps and cellular instead of just Bluetooth uses MUCH more power

Re: Silenced AirTags with disabled speakers are popping up for sale online

#402

Post by resoluteteeth » Sat, Feb 05, 2022, 8:39 PM UTC

riversflow wrote: post #283

myself248 wrote: post #147

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Tile didn't work well enough for stalking. I bought some Tiles and Trackrs and gave them to friends who agreed to help me test their usefulness, pretending that they had "stolen" these items from me. I would see if I could locate them a few days later when I "noticed them missing". I got one ping from a Tile once when the friend had apparently stopped for gas, but none from their house. And zero at all from the Track…

> Apple has built a find-me network that actually works. Therefore it also works for stalking. Therefore Apple is getting the criticism. Isn’t this criticism a bit like arguing that binoculars/telescopes are bad because they allow people to peep into other peoples windows or cars deserve criticism because they allow you to tail someone(or run from authorities)? Tools can basically always be misused.

It would be like criticizing a company for making a new type of telescope that is massively easier to use to spy on people

Re: Silenced AirTags with disabled speakers are popping up for sale online

#403

Post by withinboredom » Sat, Feb 05, 2022, 8:54 PM UTC

resoluteteeth wrote: post #401

withinboredom wrote: post #354

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can write firmware that puts it in a low power state (like the airtags) when it isn't broadcasting. My custom door-unlocker uses bluetooth and wifi, it has a single 18650 battery and lasts about a year (with locking/unlocking daily) before needing to be recharged. I assume if you didn't have a giant servo, you could wire up a modem and it'd easily last years on a single charge, checking in every 10-15 minutes. It…

Having to use both gps and cellular instead of just Bluetooth uses MUCH more power

You can cut power to those systems if you’re not actively using them. Especially if you don’t have any command/control.

Re: Silenced AirTags with disabled speakers are popping up for sale online

#404

Post by resoluteteeth » Sun, Feb 06, 2022, 2:39 AM UTC

withinboredom wrote: post #403

resoluteteeth wrote: post #401

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Having to use both gps and cellular instead of just Bluetooth uses MUCH more power

You can cut power to those systems if you’re not actively using them. Especially if you don’t have any command/control.

You're still not going to get a year of battery life.