Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Apple Introduces AirTag

apple.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

531–540 of 966 posts

Re: Apple Introduces AirTag

#531

Post by psychomugs »

rcpt wrote: post #475

Once I started using Tile it became impossible for me to remember where I put my keys. There just wasn't any pressure to stay organized since the beeping would always save me. But whenever the battery was out or the Bluetooth wasn't connecting oh boy. Same kind of thing happened with GPS. I used to pay more attention to maps and really learned streets but now I just expect the phone to solve everything for me. I'm lo…

Technology extends but also amputates.

https://stream.syscoi.com/2019/05/30/marshall-mcluhan-extens...

Re: Apple Introduces AirTag

#532

Post by person_of_color »

john_payette wrote: post #171

This tag has an U1 chip using Ultra Wide Band (UWB) which means that iPhones 11 and above also equipped with those chips will be able to locate those tags from 80m away with a +/-30cm accuracy. U1 UWB uses short pulses at 6.24GHz and 8.2GHz and positioning is done by combining time of flight (ToF) and angle of arrival (AoA).

So UWB trades off accuracy for range. But the range issue is rendered moot by the fact there's a huge iDevice network. Nice..

Re: Apple Introduces AirTag

#533

Post by calsy »

ghaff wrote: post #528
calsy wrote: post #527

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes there is, that ABC article is especially painful to read. The number of parents holding pictures of these kids most no older than 4 who have died from these batteries. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-02-15/button-batteries-land... https://www.accc.gov.au/media-release/accc-welcomes-safety-a...

People are not going to stop using small replaceable batteries.

And kids will continue to die from them, if you want to be that absolute about the topic.

Re: Apple Introduces AirTag

#534

Post by gumby »

These airtags have a couple of nice features: AR finder and the ability for anyone to adopt the protocol in their bluetooth stack. But I already have a bunch of tiles so I'd have to use both apps and know which one to use.

The big benefit is there are more people with iPhones than there are people with iPhones+android who are running the tile app.

Tile also has two useful form factors: a wallet-sized flat one and a tiny button for things like TV remotes.

If Tile didn't have replaceable batteries this would be a bigger threat (if you have to replace your tag, there's an opportunity to switch vendors).

Still, I do expect them to crush tile in the long run. Then again I've been surprised Tile has made it this far at all, so they might figure it out.

Re: Apple Introduces AirTag

#535

Post by Rapzid »

rurp wrote: post #489
crazygringo wrote: post #71

I thought one of the big use cases for this was to track stolen items, like a backpack or maybe even a bicycle. But the "anti-stalking" feature will notify someone if an AirTag they don't own appears to be traveling with them. Does this render it useless for anti-theft, then? Since it will just notify a thief that the bike they just stole is being tracked, and they can look for the AirTag and throw it in the nearest…

So if a friend lends me some keys with one of these attached and I don't have the right kind of phone on me, the keys will start beeping incessantly? That seems pretty darn annoying.

Just tape over the air holes it needs to transmit the sound waves.

Re: Apple Introduces AirTag

#536

Post by lylecheatham »

shuckles wrote: post #81
crazygringo wrote: post #71

I thought one of the big use cases for this was to track stolen items, like a backpack or maybe even a bicycle. But the "anti-stalking" feature will notify someone if an AirTag they don't own appears to be traveling with them. Does this render it useless for anti-theft, then? Since it will just notify a thief that the bike they just stole is being tracked, and they can look for the AirTag and throw it in the nearest…

Vanmoof seems to have adopted the Find My spec and integrated it into their bike hardware itself. AirTag is for lost items. Hardware manufacturers can build Find My support into their product to defend against stolen items. I’d guess that’s the strategy.

I still think Tile lost out on a gigantic market by not making it easier for hardware manufacturers to integrate into their ecosystem.

They should have been practically begging oems to embed it.

Re: Apple Introduces AirTag

#537

Post by SilverRed »

SllX wrote: post #530
SilverRed wrote: post #459

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thats good, stops parents tracking their kids without notifying them

Parents just equip them with an iPhone or Apple Watch instead.

You still can tell if someone is tracking you. I'm not aware that Apple allows in any way for an apple watch or iphone to monitor the location without making the holder aware.

Re: Apple Introduces AirTag

#538

Post by ghaff »

calvinmorrison wrote: post #411
adamlett wrote: post #353

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Lol, what flak? AirPods are to a close approximation loved by all reviewers and by all evidence they are a smash hit among consumers.

I got knock off ones. Yeah, they nice. I lost them in about 3 weeks. First one bud, then the other. Shame but I'm 5 years into my Bose over ears and I don't think I'll lose them.

Over ears are pretty much a non-starter for a lot of people who travel.

Re: Apple Introduces AirTag

#539

Post by slimsag »

snailmailman wrote: post #395
andiareso wrote: post #365

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"+/- 30cm" ?

Compared to a dot on a map that usually just narrows it down to an entire building? If the sound is muffled and you can’t hear it, this sounds like it could narrow it down to a specific room or maybe even area of a room. Which is a huge improvement. I haven’t personally used a Tile before, but my impression was “you get what building it’s in, then have to search everywhere til it’s in earshot”

Tile trackers are accurate within +-90cm based on some empirical tests I did for using them to monitor my cat's activity throughout my house.

So Apple's +-30cm does seem to be a fairly major improvement, if true.

Post reply on HN