I left my AirPods in a Hertz rental car at the Atlanta airport. I registered them on the lost & found website and using the same tech as an AirTag, I watched them sit at the rental car terminal for weeks. Once (after*) the 30 day lost & found period expired, they went to one nearby house and then to a second nearby house. The second looked abandoned on Google street view. I had blocked them with Apple’s “Find My” app and reported them missing, so anyone trying to connect would see they were reported missing and also see my contact info. I even sent an email to a person at the first house, found with some Internet searching, and offered a reward. Over the weeks, the AirPods were being charged. Eventually they went off the “radar” and I had to replace them.
If anyone had cared, it’s possible those houses were full of other “lost” items from airport travelers.
I recently received a phone call telling me they had found an iPad I lost several years ago in another country. The person who called found it in a lost and found plugged it in and saw my number.
Somehow the place where I left it couldn’t be bothered for all those years until this person came along.
Sometimes people are malicious, other times they’re just lazy.
I wish Apple could lock AirPods to your Apple ID, would instantly make them worthless for stealing. Same as they do for iPhones with activation lock. If you tried to pair them to another user's iPhone, it should immediately say the headphones are stolen and your location has been transmitted to the owner.
To be fair, when you lose something, you're not only at the mercy of the person who finds it (if they do), but you're also asking a complete stranger to do something for you.
If I have time I could drive across town to deliver something to you, if I don't I'll leave it there.
> I watched them sit at the rental car terminal for weeks
Do you mean that the car rental office actually did find your AirPods and kept them in their office for 30 days? It sounds like that's what you mean since you say that the AirPods moved only after "the 30 day lost & found period expired".
So if that's the case, why wouldn't they mail them back to you? Did they deny having them? If they were intent of keeping them, why would they bother holding them at the car terminal for 30 days?
A while ago, my friend's bag got stolen at a coffee shop. The security camera showed an old woman who just picked up his bag and left. The shop owner and the police didn't cooperate. At this point you might be waiting for something about AirTags saving my friend's ass, but nope, he didn't have one in the bag and his stuff is forever gone.
Moral of the story: Beware of the seemingly harmless people in public.
> A while ago, my friend's bag got stolen at a coffee shop.
Traveller tip: loop the bag's shoulder strap around your leg when sitting down at a table in places like that. Extra credit: reinforce the strap with a steel cable so it's harder to cut. I do #1 but not #2. Definite benefit of #1 is that it's saved me from forgetting to take the bag with me.
A friend had his laptop and bag stolen from only a few feet behind him at a coffee shop. He had his back to the table he was using for only a minute or two as he placed an order from the counter. There were a few other people in the shop and no one remembers seeing anything.
-- Just wish apple would make an elongated airtag - I'd like to keep one in my wallet but it's bulgy - wonder if there is a reason it needs to be so thick or if they could spread the same components out across a wider surface instead --
I’ve got one of these [1] and it’s not bad. It doesn’t have the local find my functionality you get with AirPods and AirTags but works well with the rest of find my.
As someone who has been one bagging for four months now I can’t recommend having an air tag enough.
I have an air tag that stays locked in the same part of the bag that keeps my passport, alternative bank cards, laptop & kindle.
Definitely helps lower anxiety as I stay in hostels, hotels or travel in busses etc. Havent ever had to use it but have used it to see if the bag is still in the bus and moving with me or in the hostels locker while I’m having lunch.
I had a break in at my house a few months ago, and one of the items they took was my passport wallet with an airtag in it. So I could see where they were. However, the address located was a multi-unit building, and the find my device was unable to pinpoint it to a single unit, and police apparently aren't allowed to get a search warrant for multiple units (understandable), but I wasn't allowed to trigger the sound to narrow it down further...
The air tag moved one morning, and it was found thrown over the fence...
> If someone else’s AirTag finds its way into your stuff, your iPhone will notice it’s traveling with you and send you an alert.
So, if you want to avoid being tracked by a worldwide private corporate mesh network - you can just give $500+ to that corporation. Bonus points: you will become a part of said network!
Good job, Apple! Nicely planned and brilliantly executed.
Tiles and now, AirTags are an exciting thing. They are tiny, light, cheap, and work almost all the time. The best part is that the battery footprint is small enough not to worry when dropping it anywhere. I had tiles before, but unfortunately, they do not work so well in India. AirTags works pretty well.
Like other comments, I bought a bunch when they were released and have them in all bags/suitcases, kids' school bags, and of course, keys. I've never lost a wallet or keys; heck, wake me up from a slumber, and I will tell you exactly where a particular key or an object in our home should be. But I love these things -- tiny trackers, phone calls on your Apple Watch -- growing up with Star Trek in the 80s/90s will do that.
Fun anecdote: right now, I have tagged my father-in-law with an AirTag while he is in town for his medical check-up. He is notorious for just taking off trying to find an audience to speak with, ever since the family barred him from accepting speaking invitations to conferences. Recently, we tracked him talking to a bunch of Bangladeshis at a hospital about why they should learn the basics of English.
First, I'm really sorry for the lack of the full context. Everyone worried about privacy and empathy for my father-in-laws; thanks a lot. He is 80+. Nonetheless, he insists we do some form of tracking (his phone or otherwise) so he does not get lost in a massively big community that we live in, in a big city (he comes from a tiny town). He himself makes sure that he carries the AirTag to make sure we can find him, just in case.
Thanks everyone for the concerns. I'm very aware of implications of privacy and what not. I usually try my best to go beyond my ways to make others happy, and be better.
For the anecdote part: he was at a hospital recently, and he ended up helping translate between the nurse and a few other patients. He then suggested them to learn some key English words that helps.
> Fun anecdote: right now, I have tagged my father-in-law with an AirTag while he is in town for his medical check-up. He is notorious for just taking off trying to find an audience to speak with, ever since the family barred him from accepting speaking invitations to conferences. Recently, we tracked him talking to a bunch of Bangladeshis at a hospital about why they should learn the basics of English.
That is a horrifying abuse of privacy and this technology.
I recently used one to figure out where a stray cat that was dumped in our neighborhood had kittens. She showed up on our porch multiples times per day to eat, and let us hold her - so I put a collar on her with an AirTag.
An hour later I walked around the neighborhood with my iPhone in my hand until her position updated. She was under a fallen pine tree and very well hidden.
>Fun anecdote: right now, I have tagged my father-in-law with an AirTag while he is in town for his medical check-up. He is notorious for just taking off trying to find an audience to speak with, ever since the family barred him from accepting speaking invitations to conferences. Recently, we tracked him talking to a bunch of Bangladeshis at a hospital about why they should learn the basics of English.
you say it's a fun anecdote, but it reads like horror.
> He is notorious for just taking off trying to find an audience to speak with, ever since the family barred him from accepting speaking invitations to conferences.
Why would you admit you did this on a public forum?
Regardless of the whether your father-in-law needs to be put on a leash as your family believes, this is unethical if not illegal (at least in liberal parts of the world).
Unless he is a danger to himself or others, as determined by an independent professional, what is your family's justification for unilaterally deciding he should be banned from talking to people?
I also stopped using my AirTag because of this. The battery drain is just to big. Even with the latest Firmware the problem is still there.
The is a still ongoing discussion and no fix from Apple. Sadly the only real solution is disabling Bluetooth or removing the AirTag
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/unusual-find-my-backgro...
Would love to know more about your battery being halved with FindMy turned on. Have never experienced this nor has anyone I know with it turned on. Although to be fair I don't think I've ever disabled it, so hypothetically my normal battery could be half its potential if your claim is true.
I urged my tech-unsavvy aunt to get AirTags for her suitcases because the lost/misplaced luggage situation at airports has gotten so dire due to the lack of qualified staff post-Covid. I never told her it could be used to find stolen bags because I assume the first thing thieves would do is search bags for AirTags or other trackers and ditch them.
Apple's stance on air tags is ridiculous. For one thing, you will only know if someone is criminally tracking you if you are an apple user. Android users have no luck.
Secondly if this is true and you stole a bag, all you need to find the air tag would be to hold an iphone close to it for a few minutes. So what's the point of it then?
Not sure at all what you are talking about, it certainly isn't the article where the airline package handler was stealing things from people's bags. This isn't a case of something lost, it's a case of something being stolen.
[+] [-] philshem|3 years ago|reply
If anyone had cared, it’s possible those houses were full of other “lost” items from airport travelers.
[+] [-] alphabettsy|3 years ago|reply
Somehow the place where I left it couldn’t be bothered for all those years until this person came along.
Sometimes people are malicious, other times they’re just lazy.
[+] [-] Androider|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] wonderbore|3 years ago|reply
If I have time I could drive across town to deliver something to you, if I don't I'll leave it there.
[+] [-] computator|3 years ago|reply
Do you mean that the car rental office actually did find your AirPods and kept them in their office for 30 days? It sounds like that's what you mean since you say that the AirPods moved only after "the 30 day lost & found period expired".
So if that's the case, why wouldn't they mail them back to you? Did they deny having them? If they were intent of keeping them, why would they bother holding them at the car terminal for 30 days?
[+] [-] behnamoh|3 years ago|reply
A while ago, my friend's bag got stolen at a coffee shop. The security camera showed an old woman who just picked up his bag and left. The shop owner and the police didn't cooperate. At this point you might be waiting for something about AirTags saving my friend's ass, but nope, he didn't have one in the bag and his stuff is forever gone.
Moral of the story: Beware of the seemingly harmless people in public.
[+] [-] yawnxyz|3 years ago|reply
They didn't want to track down the bag and worse, told him they'd arrest him if he'd tried to steal / get the bag back.
[+] [-] cmeacham98|3 years ago|reply
It sounds like they did cooperate, given that you know what was on the security footage? What else could they have done?
[+] [-] throwaway81523|3 years ago|reply
Traveller tip: loop the bag's shoulder strap around your leg when sitting down at a table in places like that. Extra credit: reinforce the strap with a steel cable so it's harder to cut. I do #1 but not #2. Definite benefit of #1 is that it's saved me from forgetting to take the bag with me.
[+] [-] tjpnz|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] geoffeg|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] colecut|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] dijonman2|3 years ago|reply
The real problem is that police have given up on fighting crime. The public outrage against the police hasn’t helped.
When it comes to collecting taxes, however, there seems to be no problem with enforcement.
[+] [-] pigtailgirl|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] kylehotchkiss|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] MrSourz|3 years ago|reply
[1] https://chipolo.net/en/products/chipolo-card-spot
[+] [-] break_the_bank|3 years ago|reply
I have an air tag that stays locked in the same part of the bag that keeps my passport, alternative bank cards, laptop & kindle.
Definitely helps lower anxiety as I stay in hostels, hotels or travel in busses etc. Havent ever had to use it but have used it to see if the bag is still in the bus and moving with me or in the hostels locker while I’m having lunch.
[+] [-] sharpy|3 years ago|reply
The air tag moved one morning, and it was found thrown over the fence...
[+] [-] zeristor|3 years ago|reply
I assume he didn’t appreciate what the point of an AirTag is.
Quite a strange thought perhaps he was drawn to the Apple logo?
[+] [-] michael1999|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] tedmiston|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] SergeAx|3 years ago|reply
So, if you want to avoid being tracked by a worldwide private corporate mesh network - you can just give $500+ to that corporation. Bonus points: you will become a part of said network!
Good job, Apple! Nicely planned and brilliantly executed.
[+] [-] innocenat|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] futuroptimist|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] 238475235243|3 years ago|reply
I'm happy to run it for fun but don't know what to run.
[+] [-] LeoPanthera|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] Brajeshwar|3 years ago|reply
Like other comments, I bought a bunch when they were released and have them in all bags/suitcases, kids' school bags, and of course, keys. I've never lost a wallet or keys; heck, wake me up from a slumber, and I will tell you exactly where a particular key or an object in our home should be. But I love these things -- tiny trackers, phone calls on your Apple Watch -- growing up with Star Trek in the 80s/90s will do that.
Fun anecdote: right now, I have tagged my father-in-law with an AirTag while he is in town for his medical check-up. He is notorious for just taking off trying to find an audience to speak with, ever since the family barred him from accepting speaking invitations to conferences. Recently, we tracked him talking to a bunch of Bangladeshis at a hospital about why they should learn the basics of English.
[+] [-] Brajeshwar|3 years ago|reply
Thanks everyone for the concerns. I'm very aware of implications of privacy and what not. I usually try my best to go beyond my ways to make others happy, and be better.
For the anecdote part: he was at a hospital recently, and he ended up helping translate between the nurse and a few other patients. He then suggested them to learn some key English words that helps.
[+] [-] closewith|3 years ago|reply
That is a horrifying abuse of privacy and this technology.
[+] [-] Ancapistani|3 years ago|reply
An hour later I walked around the neighborhood with my iPhone in my hand until her position updated. She was under a fallen pine tree and very well hidden.
So... does anyone want some kittens? :)
[+] [-] serf|3 years ago|reply
you say it's a fun anecdote, but it reads like horror.
[+] [-] barry-cotter|3 years ago|reply
Why would you admit you did this on a public forum?
[+] [-] eevilspock|3 years ago|reply
Unless he is a danger to himself or others, as determined by an independent professional, what is your family's justification for unilaterally deciding he should be banned from talking to people?
[+] [-] noncoml|3 years ago|reply
Also despite having it disable, my phone keeps reminding that my AirPods max are travelling with me and someone may be using the to spy on me…?
[+] [-] txr|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] wfme|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] unknown|3 years ago|reply
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[+] [-] fmajid|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] londons_explore|3 years ago|reply
They'll get to sell the contents of the bag for cash whether or not there is a tracker in there, and they know the police will never come after them.
[+] [-] unknown|3 years ago|reply
[deleted]
[+] [-] jxcole|3 years ago|reply
Secondly if this is true and you stole a bag, all you need to find the air tag would be to hold an iphone close to it for a few minutes. So what's the point of it then?
[+] [-] samueldr|3 years ago|reply
- https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.apple.trac...
[+] [-] CodeWriter23|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] dominotw|3 years ago|reply
Entitlement on this thread is off the charts. Its not some random person's fault that people are careless with their stuff.
[+] [-] joshstrange|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] b3nji|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] Rackedup|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] katbyte|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] acheron|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] colordrops|3 years ago|reply