Apple AirTags have become a useful item in every household, and people use them to track easily forgettable items like keys, cards, and others. Being among the largest UWB networks, Apple AirTag has become the finest choice in the Tags market. Surprisingly, the four-pack Apple AirTags price has been reduced to $67.99 on Amazon, Best Buy, and other stores.

Apple AirTags Deal Explained

The price hasn’t been this low since launch, and even during Black Friday, it has never been down to $67.99. However, a single AirTag is on sale for the price of $22.99 via Amazon and Best Buy. AirTag is the epitome of technology, that lets you find attached items with pinpoint precision. Apple’s Find My Network helps to track the AirTag securely and globally using nearby iPhones and other Apple devices.

The water-resistant AirTags and replaceable batteries make it work for a long time without any altercation. Apart from the hardware prowess, the AirTags are quickly optimized with Software to easily track, and share location with family and friends. You can even share the location with entities like airlines and others.

Other Deals

Apart from the deal on the Apple AirTags, interested folks can have a look at the Galaxy Tab S9 FE which is retailing at the price of $279.72. Featuring a 10.9-inch display, and an Exynos 1380 SoC, it could be a good choice as an entry-level tablet. A similar deal is now live on Nothing Ear for the price of $114 with an included discount of $45.

Please Note: When you buy something using the links in our articles, we may earn a small commission at no cost to you.

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Ever since its announcement, the Apple AirTags have helped many find their lost possessions which were either misplaced or stolen. However, this product has also led to a dark problem as some people have been using it to stalk others. This issue has been acknowledged by the company and it appears to be working on fixing this problem.

Apple partners with Google to combat stalking via its AirTags

According to a new report, the Cupertino based giant is teaming up with Google to deal with the stalking issue on its smart tracker. The iPhone maker is working with the Search Engine giant to bring support for the Google Rich Communication Services or RCS into iOS. This collaboration will have both companies join hands in an effort to combat the growing issue of unwanted location tracking using AirTags.

NYC just recently began donating over 500 AirTags to help deal with car theft issue in the city, which is an example of how these devices can be helpful. However, the smart tracker from Apple is also being used by stalkers by placing the AirTags on the person or one of their possessions. These stalkers then track the victim using an iPhone. Fortunately, there are some measures already in place. There have been cases where people have found a message popping up on their iPhone that notifies them that an “AirTag Found Moving With You.”

Due to this issue, Apple has even released an application called Tracker Detect that can detect these smart trackers that are far from their partner iPhone. It is also available on the Google Play Store for Android smartphones. As per an official announcement, “Apple and Google jointly submitted a proposed industry specification to help combat the misuse of Bluetooth location-tracking devices for unwanted tracking. The first of its kind specification will allow Bluetooth location-tracking devices to be compatible with unauthorized tracking detection and alerts across iOS and Android platforms.”

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New York City is apparently giving out a whopping 500 Apple AirTags for free. The city officials are making this move to help in dealing with the increasing number of cases revolving around car theft. So here are all the details.

Apple AirTags will help combat car theft in New York

NYC is giving out around 500 smart trackers made by the Cupertino based giant to help deal with the 13 percent year on year rise in auto related thefts in the city. The Mayor of New York City Eric Adams has announced that the new program last weekend which will go hand in hand with the NYPD (New York Police Department). So around 500 AirTags will be handed out to citizens in an attempt to discourage criminals and thieves that seek to steel cars.

The 500 AirTags are being donated to the citizens through a non profit organization called the “Association for Better New York.” Furthermore, Mayor Adams is calling the new Apple AirTag program as a “really amazing piece of ingenuity.” He further added that “This simple device, this simple AirTag, hidden in a car location that a person is not aware, of is an excellent tracking device. It’s easy to monitor. You can see in real time where the vehicle is located.”

Similarly, the Chief of NYPD Department has said that “The 21st century calls for 21st century policing. AirTags in your car will help us recover your vehicle if it’s stolen. We’ll use our drones, our StarChase technology & good old fashion police work to safely recover your stolen car. Help us help you, get an AirTag.”

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(Source)

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A man who went on vacation in Australia has had his expensive equipment recovered, thanks to the Apple AirTags in his luggage. The AirTag assisted the man to track his stolen possessions with the assistance of the police. This is yet another great positive story about the AirTag which has had a raft of negative news lately.

The man is named Graham Tait and the incident happened a few days back in South Australia. His car was broken into in the night and several valuables with an estimated value of $7,000 were taken away. The items included a Sony camera, a notebook, a wallet, and a GoPro. Luckily for Tait, he had been an active user of his AirTags which were attached to the laptop back and Sony camera. Using the Find My app, Tait was able to track down the items.

Tait had lodged in a hotel when the incident happened and the items were tracked to another room in the hotel. Police were called in and his stolen possessions were returned back to him. The Police are now dealing with the alleged thief, according to the report. The name of the suspect alleged to have stolen Tait’s possessions has not been released yet.

This news is another positive and original use of the Apple AirTag and it is satisfying. Criminals have continued to use the AirTag for negative purposes including stalking and robbery. Apple has also made stringent efforts to safeguard the privacy of AirTags owners. There are also measures to ensure that users are notified when a foreign AirTag is in range.

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(source)

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Apple has made a lot of efforts to educate AirTags owners on measures to take to enhance their security and safety and prevent being stalked by someone using the AirTags. One of the important features that come with AirTags is the in-built speaker that beeps when it is separated or far away from its paired iPhone. A retailer briefly put out AirTags with disabled speakers for sale in Etsy and eBay, although its stay was brief, as the product was quickly taken down.

Although the seller insisted that the AirTags with disabled speakers are not meant for stalking, it raises lots of questions given the negative uses that the AirTag has been put to by criminal minds. It may then become an easy tool for stalking when the speakers of these devices are then disabled.

One of the product listings seen on Etsy and eBay was Silent AirTag, which was priced at $77.50 before it was removed. The seller also issued a statement that indicated that the intent of the AirTags with disabled speakers was to cater to requests of buyers interested in fitting an AirTag to their bikes, pets, or power tools, hence the display. An eBay listing also stated that the disabled speaker will reduce the chance of a thief being notified of its hidden location, but this also gives a leeway for it to be used for criminal purposes.

whoah, it's actually modified hardware, not just a sticker covering the speakerhttps://t.co/Vz0WWh0mw7

— Will (@ws) February 2, 2022

In addition to the beeps, AirTags will also send automatic notifications if an unwanted device is following the user, in addition to the updated Personal Safety User Guide released by Apple recently. It remains to be seen how the AirTag can be deployed as a tracking device without it being transformed into a tool for easy deployment by criminals.

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The Canadian Police have alerted residents of York that a syndicate is using the Apple AirTags item tracker to aid their theft of luxury cars. A press release from the York Regional Police has warned residents of the area that the police have discovered a new method being used by criminals to track and steal high-end cars across the region.

The York Regional Police says the current trend began in September 2021when the police department started investigating the use of small tracking devices on high-end automobiles that were placed there by thieves to help them track and steal the cars later. The police specifically mentioned the AirTags which are placed by the criminals in hidden locations of the car when parked in high-traffic areas or a parking lot. The vehicles are subsequently tracked to the owner’s houses, where the tech-savvy criminal syndicate will then use a raft of devices to gain access into the vehicles and drive them out of the parking lot. To gain entrance into the car, the thieves first use a screwdriver via the driver or front passenger door.

The York Police department is therefore putting an advisory to help secure vehicles from being stolen by criminals. These suggestions apply to other areas apart from Canada and could be useful. They said you should park your vehicle in a locked garage, as most of the incidents were related to vehicles parked on driveways. A manual lock for the steering wheel is also a good deterrent, as well as putting a lock on the data port, which will prevent reprogramming of the onboard computer. Video surveillance is also encouraged, as owners are advised to make sure the camera is set to monitor the car both day and night.

New features on the iOS 15.2 (currently under testing) by Apple make it possible to manually track AirTags that do not belong to you, and this feature will help to identify a hidden tag on your car and alert police. It is not clear whether the owner/ user of the intercepted AirTags can be easily identified. This could help the police to identify the criminals, although the investigation is ongoing.

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(via)

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Apple’s recently released enhanced tracking device dubbed AirTags has had a pretty strong reception in Australia since its introduction into the Australian market. The Apple AirTags is a smart device with several impressive features that makes it very easy to locate tagged objects. It can also interface seamlessly with other smart home devices, through Voice Assistant compatibility.

Australian retailer Officerworks has taken the decision to remove Apple’s AirTags from its stores across the country due to potential hazard concerns relating to its button battery. Several sources in Australia have confirmed that indeed the retailer has removed the device from its shelves, including a Reddit user who reported requesting the product from Officerworks. The removal from the stores was due to observed safety risks with the accessibility of its lithium button-sized battery. A statement credited to Officerworks says that the product will be unavailable from its stables until further direction is provided by the regulator, Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.

The packaging of the Apple AirTags did not comply with the Australian rules that specify that warning symbols should be provided on the packaging and product instruction for such products when button batteries are used. The deadline for compliance with the country’s new Information Standard is June 2022.

While we can confirm that Officerworks has indeed pulled out the AirTags from its scores of stores across Australia, the device is still available in multiple channels in the country. It is expected, however, that with the decision of Officerworks to pull the device off its shelves, the regulator, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission will provide some guidance on what other retailers can do on the issue.

In an e-mail response to Gizmodo, an Apple representative disclosed that the AirTags was designed to comply with international child safety standards, including those in Australia. The Apple rep clarified that the device requires a two-step push-and-turn mechanism to access the user-replaceable battery. Apple also stated that it is monitoring the situation closely and will continue to work to ensure its products meet or exceed new standards, including those for package labeling, well ahead of the timeline required. Apple is expected to update the packing to include a warning about button batteries in the packaging before June 21, 2022, based on the new information standards in the country. We expect the tech giant to roll out new packaging soon.

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(source)

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The name Jon Prosser may nor ring a bell but for us in the tech industry, we remember the tipster and his bunch of accurate details of the iPhone SE2, Apple’s next-generation mini smartphone released last year. The tipster has now come out with a juicy detail about the Apple AirTags. According to him, Apple AirTags will be released in March this year and that date doesn’t look like what will change.

Apple AirTags first leaked online in August last year via a patent filing, with the leak detailing the basic functionality of the device. It is location tracking device and is expected to pair seamlessly with a host smartphone or tablet. Appple had placed an emphasis on the functionality of the multi-interface transponder (MIT) device in the patent.

The multi-interface transponder (MIT) device is described as a portable and compact gadget with a simple processor, light and motion sensors, radio stack, and power core. It can even be attached to various objects like wallets, keys, and IDs. In other words, it’s a small location tracking device that can track down your important belongings or even smartphones when paired with an iPad or iPhone, for instance.

AirTags are still on for March.

Haven’t heard of any further delays this time.

— Jon Prosser (@jon_prosser) February 12, 2021

The functionality includes connectivity, communication with nearby electronics, power affordances, and more. Furthermore, the patents also outline a special power management feature that enables “intelligently boosting beacon transmission depending on determined location and proximity to nearby devices.”

Recall that Samsung recently announced the SmartTag and SmartTag+, a tile-like Bluetooth-LE tracker will help you find your lost objects. The Samsung model carries a starting price tag of $29. Going by Apple’s patent filing for the AirTags, we can conclude that it far eclipse the features of the Smart Tag, especially in the aspect of transmission.

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For many months, Apple has been rumored to be working on AirTags — a device that can allow users to track any object it is attached to using the company’s Find My system. While it has been leaked a few times, we now have more information.

Ming-Chi Kuo, a well-known and reputable Apple analyst, claims that the Apple AirTags could get launched this year, along with a number of other products, including an unnamed Augmented Reality (AR) device. This was reported by MacRumors.

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The Apple AirTags first reported in April 2019 and since then several reports have claimed different launch schedules. Even Apple itself had confirmed that the company is working on it. However, the product still remains unannounced and there’s no information available about its launch date.

Recently, an alleged Apple AirTag carrying accessory was leaked online, which looks like a small leather sleeve for the device that can allow users to easily place it within the leather cover, which is attached to the stainless steel keyring.

Kuo has revealed that apart from AirTags and AR devices, Apple is also set to launch new AirPods, more Apple Silicon-powered MacBooks, along with the fist Mini-LED display panel featuring iPads and MacBooks.

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Samsung is working on a Galaxy Smart Tag and the trackers have already received Indonesia Telecom Certification. Now, an exclusive report by 91Mobiles shows the first-look of the Smart Tag.

According to the report, tipster Ishan Agarwal has found a GIF(Graphics Interchange Format) of the Galaxy Smart Tag. This lossless image file appears on the latest APK file of the Samsung SmartThings App. If we recall, the South Korean giant unveiled a new SmartThings Find feature on the App to help locate our devices(when offline).

Anyway, the image shows a device with a rounded-square design. As you can see below, when titled it does look like a diamond shape with tapered edges. Although Samsung hasn’t departed too much from the ubiquitous design, the edges do look a bit more curved than others like Tile Trackers.

There is a ring shape at the center and a cut-out at the top which could either be a button or a hole for Lanyard. Also, just like the previous leaks, this reveals the Smart Tag in Black and White(Oatmeal) Colors. A small animation also depicts the Tracking(Bluetooth) functionality of the tracker.

In case you don’t know, Smart Trackers(like Tile) are the devices that use Bluetooth LE(Low-Energy) and Battery to help find essential objects like Keys, wallets, remote, earbuds, Smartphones etc. Samsung has already launched a similar product called SmartThings Tracker in 2018.

That said, the new Tracker should bring improvements like Bluetooth 5.1, UWB(Ultra Wide Band), interfacing with NFC, and RFID. Besides, the naming of ‘Smart Tag’ does sound a bit familiar to Apple’s rumored AirTags.

Earlier this month, a trademark filing at EUIPO revealed Samsung Smart Tag with a model number EI-T5300. The same has been spotted on Bluetooth LE and South Korean certifications. With the new Tracker, Samsung will probably take on the competitors in US, Europe.

The company will likely launch it alongside the Galaxy S21 series on January 14 and price it around EUR 15(₹1,344).

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Apple has been rumored to be working on a new product named AirTag that will allow users to track any object the device is attached to using the company’s Find My system. Now, the upcoming Apple AirTag accessory has been leaked online.

The leak, coming from Fudge, showcases an alleged Apple AirTag carrying accessory. It looks like a small leather sleeve for the AirTag which can allow users to easily place them within the leather cover, which is attached to the stainless steel keyring.

Potentially AirTag carrying accessory in Saddle Brown.

Looks a lot like this previously reported patent, but take it with a bit of salt though since something similar is easily reproducible in China. pic.twitter.com/HHRi2p4Cyu

— Fudge (@choco_bit) November 9, 2020

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Further, it has the text “Designed by Apple in California” and “Assembled in China” written over the ring. The leather used for this product seems to the same Saddle Brown color that Apple introduced for the official iPhone 12 Leather Sleeve.

However, the leaker also cautioned to take this information with a pinch of salt as it may not be an official Apple product but a Chinese replica based on Apple’s schemes.

The Apple AirTags has been a bit of a mystery. The product was first reported in April 2019 and since then several reports have claimed different launch schedules. Even Apple itself had confirmed that the company is working on it. However, the product still remains unannounced and there’s no information available about its launch date.

Apple is holding a launch event today (10th November) but the company is unlikely to reveal anything about AirTags. It is expected to launch the highly anticipated MacBooks powered by the ARM-based Apple Silicon chipset.

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Apple hasn’t announced the AirTags yet. However, the small tracking device has been out in the wild before. Now, an old patent from Q3 2019 reveals the use-case scenarios and designs of the AirTags.

First spotted by Patently Apple(via Pocket-lint), the patent shows two major designs – “Mounting base for a wirelessly locatable tag”. “And fastener with a constrained retention ring”. Apple has filed it at the USPTO(US Patent and Trademark Office) which got published recently.

For the unware, AirTags is a small battery-powered Tile-like Puck tracker that can locate an object wirelessly by sending a signal to a receiver like the iPhone. And just like we use GPS to find location, the signal is used to detect the object. Methods mentioned in the patent include localization techniques such as time of flight, received signal strength indication, triangulation, etc.

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Find objects, display maps of a building

Some of the use-cases mentioned in the patent are tracking the location of keys, purse, backpack, clothing, or any other suitable personal item. So if one of these is lost, they can easily find them, probably using an iPhone.

Additionally, the AirTags can also trigger actions on devices like smartphones when nearby. For instance, if the tag is attached inside a building. And if an individual enters its threshold distance, the smartphone detects the tag. Following this, it can display the map of the building on the device.

Further, the patent says, AirTags’ ultra-wideband technology could help locate the device with an accuracy of a feet or less. In turn, the tags can produce audible sound/haptics to find them. However, if you are not within a certain range, it can transmit data through other people’s devices as well.

1 of 2

Posture measurement, Motion Tracking

However, this is not the only intended scenario. The patent filing shows designs of various use-cases like measuring a human posture, control a character on screen by sticking it onto your body. For instance, to facilitate AR experience, it can be used as an in-game piece. A game of chess can be played with each Tag piece representing a chess piece in the game. Also, other examples include exercise, where a trainer can track and evaluate the movements performed by the trainee with AirTags attached to him via the TV.

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That being said, the patent shows a lot of illustrations which will be more exciting to use, and experience only when Apple brings it to the stores.

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