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Air tags, tiles, gps tracking

TopCat

TopCat

Putin fanboy
Hi all. Why do AirTags cost a lot and similar looking stuff off of Temu cost pennies? I want a tracker for my cycle. Recommendations gratefully received .
 
I'm guessing the stuff off temu doesn't have the service attached.

Edited to add.

Ok air tags use Bluetooth to ping all other apple devices and all those devices used data to report back to home base.

I'm guessing temu stuff will want a sim card and some sort or server to communicate too. Either you need to set up that system of pay for it over and above the device price.
 
Silas Loom said:
If you have the opportunity to help a random stranger find their car keys, surely you would want to take it every time? Especially in a genuinely secure ecosystem like Apple’s?
Click to expand...
I did once have that opportunity in a forest in Suffolk, he'd dropped his keys whilst working his dog - I hadn't spotted any on my walk, offered to drive him home (his sister had spare car keys) but he was determined to keep on looking - neither of us had the technology on us - a personal failure for both of us.
 
Silas Loom said:
If you have the opportunity to help a random stranger find their car keys, surely you would want to take it every time? Especially in a genuinely secure ecosystem like Apple’s?
Click to expand...

Why would I want to help people avoid the consequences of their own stupidity? That's just enabling them to continue failing at trivial tasks without ever learning anything. It'd actually be more cruel to help them, in the long run.
 
I have two AirTags. One on my flat keys and another for checked airline luggage. I mostly don't think about them but I like what they do.
 
I started with a Chipolo for my keys, but it was annoying with too many alerts. I think it wasn't updating its location quickly enough so thought it was where I was 10 minutes ago. It was therefore telling me my keys were lost when they were with me.

I switched to Apple Airtag and it's better (though more expensive). I've got one on my bike.
 
skyscraper101 said:
I have two AirTags. One on my flat keys and another for checked airline luggage. I mostly don't think about them but I like what they do.
Click to expand...
Airtags are... not great with luggage. It depends on where it's been lost. A lot of the cargo facilities are effectively big Faraday cages and you obviously won't get anything if it's on another aircraft.
If you're paranoid about luggage, some sort of dedicated GPS tracker.

A lot of people have found that even if you can tell them, for example, "the bag is at Schipol" the airlines don't really give a fuck what you think and still go through their own locating systems.
 
Chz said:
Airtags are... not great with luggage. It depends on where it's been lost. A lot of the cargo facilities are effectively big Faraday cages and you obviously won't get anything if it's on another aircraft.
If you're paranoid about luggage, some sort of dedicated GPS tracker.

A lot of people have found that even if you can tell them, for example, "the bag is at Schipol" the airlines don't really give a fuck what you think and still go through their own locating systems.
Click to expand...

Aye but when you're waiting for your bag to come out on the carousel, you can rest easy while everyone else is craning their neck and jostling for position and use the Find My app, to guide you with arrows and precise distance exactly how far away your bag is :cool:
 
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SpookyFrank said:
So if you're walking around with an iphone some random stranger could be using it to find their car keys?
Click to expand...
Yes but only if their car keys are within bluetooth range of your phone (about 30ft under ideal conditions), If you wish to be petty minded then you can opt out by disabling 'Find My Device' on your iPhone but then if you lose yours you can't find it either
Chz said:
A lot of people have found that even if you can tell them, for example, "the bag is at Schipol" the airlines don't really give a fuck what you think and still go through their own locating systems.
Click to expand...
No matter how sophisicated technology gets it will never be a match for a disinterested jobsworth who just wants you off the phone as soon as possible.

We or rather Mrs Q (since she has an iPhone and I do not) have 5 AirTags, one concealed in each car, one attached to each set of car keys and one in her handbag. They have proven to be excellent aids, as well reporting in their location, once you get close enough the iPhone will tell you how far you are and you can command them to beep to help locate them.
.
 
TopCat said:
Ok. A lot less than I thought. Are they easy to use? I have an iPhone
Click to expand...
Very place it next to your iPhone pull out the tag that prevents the battery making contact and the iPhone will detect it so you can set it up/
 
So airtag fans.

How easy are they to set up.How long does a battery charge last?

How does it work. Do you get a map showing you where the thing is? And once you are, say, in the same room as the tag, how close will it get you (I.e, will you it show you the tag is in a house, a room or a drawer?

Thinking of getting some for my inlaws who have taken to hiding stuff and forgetting where they hid it (Alzheimer's journey).

Thanks tag team.
 
Very easy. They pretty much connect as soon as you pull the plastic tag off the packaging and acknowledge with your iphone.

They work by pinging other iphones and connected apple devices to pinpoint a location. You can then see that location on your iphone and it can be accurate to within centimetres. I think the battery lasts a year or so? I haven't had mine run out yet and I've had it around that long.
 
We have two Tile tags - similar thing - they set the fucking alarms off at Sainsbury's every time we go in and out. A few other stores too.
Speaking to the security bloke confirmed that Yes, they sometimes do that :rolleyes:

It got on my wick so much that I've taken the fucking thing off my keyring.

Are Apple ones any better / don't do this - anyone? I use Android at present - can anyone suggest tags of some sort that don't do this?
 
Throbbing Angel said:
We have two Tile tags - similar thing - they set the fucking alarms off at Sainsbury's every time we go in and out. A few other stores too.
Speaking to the security bloke confirmed that Yes, they sometimes do that :rolleyes:

It got on my wick so much that I've taken the fucking thing off my keyring.

Are Apple ones any better / don't do this - anyone? I use Android at present - can anyone suggest tags of some sort that don't do this?
Click to expand...
I've got Tile tags on various bags and keys and have never tripped any alarms.
 
skyscraper101 said:
Very easy. They pretty much connect as soon as you pull the plastic tag off the packaging and acknowledge with your iphone.

They work by pinging other iphones and connected apple devices to pinpoint a location. You can then see that location on your iphone and it can be accurate to within centimetres. I think the battery lasts a year or so? I haven't had mine run out yet and I've had it around that long.
Click to expand...
They're great, we have four; two on our keys and two spare for when we travel. No more lost luggage ever!
 
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