CloudTalkin

sdw2001 said:

Rayz2016 said:

dewme said:

Interesting to see this here today because I got an email from Amazon about this earlier. 

Before everyone gets their skivvies is a twist, this is very likely an Amazon precursor to what Apple will do with AirTags. Amazon Sidewalk is all about providing a very low cost, low bandwidth, highly distributed, mesh network (using BTLE and 900 MHz) for locating and discovering identification tags and exchanging a few bits of data with simple sensors . It uses a small slice of each participants' WiFi bandwidth (1/40th with a hard monthly cap) as a backhaul to bridge sensor/tag data up to the cloud through your WAN connection. By meshing together all of the participants' data feeds they can achieve area wide coverage, i.e., several square miles.

There's nothing inherently nefarious about what Amazon is doing, and if you don't like it, don't use it. When Apple rolls out their wide area coverage for AirTags you'll be able to decide whether you trust Apple more than you trust Amazon, and sign up with Apple to help facilitate the same sort of service. Or not. Nobody has to do anything they are not comfortable doing. Until we have some sort of third-party or governmental infrastructure in place to support these kinds of services, companies like Amazon, Apple, and Amazon (and others) will try to utilize whatever connectivity opportunities are available to them. Amazon Sidewalk is just the first of the opportunists to hot the street, or should I say, the sidewalk.

Except that people have to opt out rather than opt in. 

I think that's the biggest point of contention.  This feature is fine if its transparent and opt-in.  When I buy Apple AirTags, for example, I know what I'm signing up for.  But if I buy a Ring product, I don't think I'd consider that a feature that uses my WAN to backhaul mesh data from others (even if a small amount) would be on by default.  And I've been into consumer-level tech for decades.  Imagine the lack of transparency for Joey and Jenny 6-Pack, who own a Ring and an Alexa.  

WTH said:

CloudTalkin said:

Curious.  Why are you trying to turn AirTags in to anti-theft devices when they are obviously not anti-theft devices.  If they were, and they're not, they would rank among the poorest anti-theft devices available.  Anti-theft devices are for preventing theft.  An AirTag could no more prevent theft than a Band-Aid could stop blood from hemorrhaging from a gaping chest wound caused by a pack of wild dingos mauling you.   What I think you want is a theft recovery device.  In that capacity the AirTag may be only slightly more useful.  

I really can't tell what your end game is here.  In a world where myriad dedicated theft prevention devices exist you want to go out of your way to make one out of a device that is in no way designed to perform that function.  It literally makes no sense.  But by all means, you do you.  I'm just not really sure why you want to do you.

The focus of stalking possibilities is so on Apple because Apple made anti-stalking safety a part of the marketing of the AirTag.  No other vendor did that previously so it was never a focus for anyone.  For any vendor, if they claim their product can prevent, cure, enhance, or otherwise improve what's already available, scrutiny is going to come.  The more popular the vendor, the more scrutiny there will be.  

You can argue the semantic difference between "anti-theft" and "theft recovery" to your heart's content, but regardless I want a way of locating my bike or my car if someone steals it, and the AirTag is a great way to do that as long as the functionality isn't crippled.

I don't see why you think that an AirTag "is in no way designed to perform that function".  On the contrary, the "Find My" network makes it ideal.  It's a poor man's LoJack, and a great many people are going to use it that way.  Apple (or you) saying that the AirTag is not designed to track stolen items isn't going to change the fact that it most certainly can track stolen items.  If you put an AirTag into your computer bag and I steal it, you'll be able to find me.  A location tracker is a location tracker.  Apple just happens to have built a very good one.

Incidentally, I suspect that the tracking functionality of the AirTag is going to be incorporated into CarPlay in short order, followed by other high value items (e.g. motorcycles, bicycles, etc.).  At that point, it most certainly will transition to an "anti-theft" device once thieves know that their loot will be broadcasting their location.

mike1 said:

AppleInsider said:

Current AirTag anti-stalking measures cause the accessory to play an alert when separated from their owner within three days. Now, it'll play at a random time window that's between eight and 24 hours, CNET reported Thursday.

That seems problematic. So, the tag in my suitcase that is stored in a closet could start to play an alert if I am away for as little as 8 hours?! That would be every single work day. My wife will hit me over the head with the suitcase after she tracks down the annoying sound and I get home from work.

Beats said:

Apple needs to jump on this with an exclusive deal. Android runs games like sh** anyway.