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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

#701

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not your fault for leaving your property in your car. Wild to say that.

Lived in the Bay Area for over two decades. Yeah, leaving a visible item in your car is just bait for the smash-and-grab crowd. It sucks but once you know it, it would be like thinking you can just leave your wallet sitting on a counter.

For what it's worth, everything was in a locked truck with no visible way of seeing any items.

From what I heard from others, apparently the thieves have a device that allows them to detect electronics (I had two laptops, cellphone, and a few other devices). I'm not sure how accurate this is, but i'm not sure why my car was the only one on the street that was targeted as there were no visible signs of valuables in the car (nothing visible from windows etc.) Funny part is a few weeks later nothing was found except for my Kindle which a kind citizen found and returned to me. Apparently thieves don't like to read?

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

#702
post #640

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not on Earth, no. It would be if stalking happened at the same frequency as property theft, but the rates are ridiculously lopsided. So much property theft happens that we don't bother reporting almost any of it.

Frequency isn't really an issue here. I don't care that much if someone steals my luggage. I'd be a little mad if someone took my bike, but I have redundant protection for it, along with other things of more importance, or I keep them on me. But I'd really, really not like to find out someone was following me around.

Now try traveling with $30k of equipment in your luggage, like millions do every year.

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

#703
post #613

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Tbf, it's not the case that they are more worried about wrongthink because they're just not worried at all by petty theft - or almost any other instance of micro-criminality.

Would you believe me if I said the police aren't worried about it because even if they put in the effort and catch thieves, they won't be prosecuted very hard. Since 2014, "low-value shoplifting" (under £200) in England and Wales can only be tried in the Magistrate's court and have a maximum sentence of 6 months (now ~1 year since 2024), no matter how many summary offenses you're convicted of. So if you steal under £…

I don't disagree, and I would add that the court system is so clogged up that one might not even end up behind bars at all - because by the time the hearing is finally scheduled, the perp might well be on another continent.

Still, the public would appreciate some effort - if anything to actually get some of their stuff back, if not to inconvenience thieves.

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

#704
post #519
post #443

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It 100% is if you live in or operate in a high crime area known for vehicle break-ins. Like OP of the comment.

Sure but in a less broken society thieves would be apprehended and theft risk would be low. Instead the police do nothing and honest people live like a school of fish trying not to stick out for fear of the nearly-authorized property theft rampant in SF. In many parts of the world, including major cities, it would be okay to leave your belongings in a locked car.

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

#706
post #519

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sure but in a less broken society thieves would be apprehended and theft risk would be low. Instead the police do nothing and honest people live like a school of fish trying not to stick out for fear of the nearly-authorized property theft rampant in SF. In many parts of the world, including major cities, it would be okay to leave your belongings in a locked car.

Cool, leave your MacBook on the front seat then.

Shared this in another comment, but my luggage was in a locked truck, nothing visible from the back windows. They broke in by smashing the windows, unlocking the door and using the latch to fold the back seats down to expose the trunk.

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

#707
I have about 4 or 5 Airtags and haven't actually had any practical use for them, but just having them on my keys and expensive camera backpack is a nice peace of mind. My sister however, was able to track down her suitcase which the airline supposedly "forgot" to load and got compensation for it.

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

#708

It sounds like the external dimensions are going to be exactly the same or nearly so. I'm hoping the battery compartment is also identical so that third-party mounting and extended battery packs continue to work. I recently picked up a few of these extended battery packs and it would be nice to eventually upgrade the AirTag if the extended range turns out to be meaningful. They're pretty neat, you remove the battery…

Elevantionlab is weird as they don't really sell outside of the US. Canada and UK, that's it. Don't they want people's money or what's the business case here? They DID ship here a long time ago, I owned their aluminium docks and a few other things.

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

#709

I'm curious whether the improved range is actually going to make the product worse for my particular use case, which is being alerted when I've left my bag somewhere (this has happened to me at least 5 times over the years). My understanding is that the item left behind notifications are triggered when your phone loses contact with the AirTag, so increased range can potentially take me from being notified as I step o…

It triggers within a certain radius that you can change in the settings to be wider or narrower. It's not specifically when it loses contact with the device.

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

#710
post #610

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As opposed to the UK police, who can't do anything once it's... anywhere.

Yeah, or the police in my state capital, who, when I got confirmation that my stolen phone was being sold on eBay, by a seller who lived near me, whose eBay profile contained nearly 100 phones, and 50-60 laptops, all 'without chargers/accessories", some "activation locked", etc., as well as the strong implication of theft on eBay (I was actually contacted by someone who'd bought my phone from him, and when he discove…

This is why I never understand the expansion of surveillance tech and how people believe it will make us safer. So many people have these types of stories and how does expanded surveillance solve those problems? The police already know a crime has been committed, who did it, where they are, and we need more surveillance?!
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