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A 10-Year Battery for AirTag

(www.elevationlab.com)
673 points dmd | 1 comments | 18 Dec 24 18:17 UTC | HN request time: 0s | source
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TuringNYC ◴[19 Dec 24 21:42 UTC] No.42465986[source]▶
Nice solution, but the bigger problem is how AirTags can basically be turned off, which makes it poor for many use cases.

Of course, I get it from Apple's perspective, they dont want AirTags to be used to tail others. However, that precludes it from being used for theft tracking.

For example, I use an AirTag on my bicycle. If someone steals the bicycle, they are literally informed "an air tag is following you" https://support.apple.com/en-us/119874

There are a lot of things I'd love to put long-term AirTags on (luggage, snow-blower, childrens' backpacks) but if theft isnt really deterred, then the case for a bulkier AirTag is quite reduced.

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unsupp0rted ◴[19 Dec 24 21:50 UTC] No.42466060[source]▶
Theft-tracking is sort of an "off-label" use for AirTags, from Apple's perspective.

They'd rather make AirTags less generally useful than make them both more generally useful + open to stalking occurrences and lawsuits.

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1. giarc ◴[20 Dec 24 15:37 UTC] No.42472003[source]▶
I bet it's less about lawsuits and more about reputational harm if every week there is a news story about a murder facilitated by an AirTag.