Apple introduces new AirTag with longer range and improved findability • Hacker News Board

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

#671

Post by adolph » Tue, Jan 27, 2026, 4:16 PM UTC

MengerSponge wrote: post #375

jsheard wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Building an attachment point into the tag itself is still beyond current technology though. We just don't know how to do it.

My father-in-law is a builder. It is difficult to get his attention in a magnificent space because he is lost in wonder. We were in an Apple Store together years ago and I asked him what it would cost to build an attachment point to the tag itself. I will never forget his answer… 'We can’t, we don’t know how to do it'

Its interesting to see "turbo encabulator" get love that "builder ... don't know how" doesn't get anymore, even though the former is a much more intrusive copypasta. Maybe its a function of recency and "builder" has had more recent use in various places than "turbo?"

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

#672

Post by Salgat » Tue, Jan 27, 2026, 4:21 PM UTC

trollbridge wrote: post #357

helloguillecl wrote: post #99

Airtag is the reason of why I stil have my favourite hand luggage. I had just sat down on the train from Zurich to Basel. Suddenly, someone sat down in front of me. He looked suspicious, but I didn't pay much attention. Just before the train departed, he picked up what I thought were his belongings and left. Twenty minutes later, already on the way to Basel, I looked toward where I had left my suitcase. It was gone.…

I need to applaud the efficiency and moxie of the Zurich / Swiss police service. In America, the UK, Canada, etc they'd tell you to fill out a report that nobody would ever read, and also advise you it's probably unsafe to go pick it up yourself.

If they had said this happened in the US I would absolutely not believe them.

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

#673

Post by moduspol » Tue, Jan 27, 2026, 4:22 PM UTC

u8080 wrote: post #546

Why everyone is so okay with wearing a tracking device? Usually there is a crowd who will bring NSA in every possible discussion, but apparently not for this worldwide functioning meter-precise tracking service?

It also happened with doorbell cameras. If you'd have asked people ten years ago if it seemed reasonable for nearly every home to have an Internet-connected camera on the front facing the street (and neighbors' houses), I think you'd get pretty universally negative responses. Yet here we are.

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

#674

Post by subscribed » Tue, Jan 27, 2026, 4:23 PM UTC

jml7c5 wrote: post #372

subscribed wrote: post #340

Awesome. Time for me to buy my first iPhone then. Sincerely, f** Google. I've been android user since I had to abandon Symbian, and their impotence in this one thing is staggering.

Ironically, one of the reason Google's offerings are (were?) worse is because Google prioritized privacy and required pings from multiple phones to count a tracker as seen.

I don't know.... Phones are not identified to the tracker owner and trackers are not identified to phone owner.

But basically this means that only items in the high traffic areas can be found.

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

#675

Post by ghm2199 » Tue, Jan 27, 2026, 4:24 PM UTC

Metromile insurance — now Lemonade — had a fantastic feature going to way back in 2015 AFAIR, that allowed you to track your car to bill you per mile. As a bonus they gave you location tracking history. This feature helped me nail down my olden beater which the thief stole not knowing what was in the ODB.

The car was used to commit a crime and the location tracking history was used by the detective at the local PD to nail a professional ring with additional evidence targeting certain cars. The car was totaled but I got insurance money back.

Metromile's app now only shows you your car's live location — that too only after several years of the acquisition — but no location history, which is sad. I _think_ law enforcement can actually ask them with warrants and they would have to give that data if they have it. Don't say you delete the data because of privacy, because we all know its not true: let me store the data in my phone. (Google already does this with its location history tool in maps) Pretty please?

To Metromile: You are already using a location stack from apple/google's Location Provider with a permission modal in the app. Its like nothing in LoC with a local storage and an opt in/out setting.

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

#676

Post by notatoad » Tue, Jan 27, 2026, 4:26 PM UTC

ornornor wrote: post #490

notatoad wrote: post #353

Earlier quoted context omitted.

i thought so too, but in practice i've been getting much better battery life from the official airtag on my keychain, than i do from the "atuvos" trackers that see much less use. high-precision UWB finding and half as many coin cells used makes the airtag an easy choice over the cheaper trackers for me. the card-shaped one i've got in my wallet isn't going to be replaced by an official airtag any time soon though, th…

There is a lot of variance amongst third party/clone tags. I had some grey plastic losanges for a while they were junk and all ended up in the trash. Now I have a bunch of Hoco tags and they’re decent (especially for the price) Would love to know what card tag you’d recommend, I’m after one.

i've got the"ATUVOS Air Tracker Tag Card Wallet Tracker", purchased november 2023 and it's still going strong.

but i think there's some available now in the card form factor that have rechargeable batteries, and that's what i'll buy when i have to replace this one.

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

#677

Post by collinmcnulty » Tue, Jan 27, 2026, 4:26 PM UTC

mock-possum wrote: post #487

slg wrote: post #336

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Considering theft is a property crime and stalking is often a prelude to much worse, I think they made the right choice.

Hard disagree. I am not and would not use an AirTag for stalking, and yet I am being punished for others doing it. It’s not fair to me.

Have you even considered the possibility that you or someone you love could one day be the victim of stalking?

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

#678

Post by subscribed » Tue, Jan 27, 2026, 4:27 PM UTC

RankingMember wrote: post #635

subscribed wrote: post #340

Awesome. Time for me to buy my first iPhone then. Sincerely, f** Google. I've been android user since I had to abandon Symbian, and their impotence in this one thing is staggering.

I bought my first a years ago after some awful customer service experiences with Google re: Pixel phones. While iOS is not without its faults, most of the "just works" marketing has thus far turned out to be true in my experience. Their software feature set isn't on the cutting edge for a lot of things (my iPhone 13 couldn't even display the weather on the lock screen when I first got it), but they do generally get t…

I remain incompatible with iOS and there's near zero chance of me using it on my handset (I had one for 2 years as company phone), but I applaud the utility of "find my".

Ironically, in the light of your post, I migrated my main phone to Pixel (with GrapheneOS due to the additional functionality), but admittedly I dread my potential clash with Google service -- you can't even chargeback them if you're not ready to losing access to EVERYTHING related to Google.

I'd like another way but no other Android vendor offers secure hardware :(

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

#679

Post by lostlogin » Tue, Jan 27, 2026, 4:28 PM UTC

justinator wrote: post #510

boingus wrote: post #473

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In Japan, there's so little crime that they make an effort to crack down on things like creepshots. The desire to tackle stuff like that is more than most countries do, where it's swept under the rug and ignored. In America, you can proudly say you grope and molest women and it's considered presidential behavior.

Love to live there but chances they'll let me are roughly 0%. It's convenient (for them) that racial discrimination isn't a crime in Japan.

The way ethnic minorities are getting treated in the US at the moment implies a race to the bottom.

How many days is it since the last state sanctioned shooting?

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

#680

Post by ghm2199 » Tue, Jan 27, 2026, 4:28 PM UTC

What's the non-apple solution for someone who runs a homenas with their own maps server, home assistant, self hosted website? Any one had luck with a better solution that is more efficient with this closed we-will-make-you-fork-999$-per-year and wall garden your data behemoth.