If there’s one thing Apple does very well, it’s making products that are already on the market popular. For example, many companies have been producing and selling various tracking devices for years. However, after the introduction of AirTag, the popularity of trackers increased tremendously. However, the increase in usage has also led to increased security concerns. In response, Apple and other manufacturers have added anti-stalking features to AirTag. However, when this feature was exploited, Tile decided to follow a completely different path. Here are the details…

Tile Adds Undetectable Anti-Theft Mode to Tracking Devices, With $1 Million Fine If Used for Stalking

It seems that there is no right or wrong solution when it comes to tracking devices. For example, it was understood that AirTag was being used for stalking shortly after it was released. Taking immediate action, Apple developed a solution, but this also led to other problems. This time, thieves started to discover tracking devices and steal things more easily using these methods. Tile, a company that produces tracking devices, has announced the addition of an Anti-Theft Mode to its devices.

The Anti-Theft Mode is designed to make Tile accessories undetectable by the anti-stalking Scan and Secure feature, which was previously implemented by Tile to prevent stalking. Scan and Secure was introduced to allow iPhone and Android users to scan for and detect nearby Tile devices to prevent them from being used for stalking purposes. Unfortunately, the feature undermined the anti-theft capabilities of Tile as a stolen device’s Tile could be located and removed. Similarly, AirTags, a competitor product, also had a similar security feature, which could locate and remove stolen AirTags.

The Anti-Theft Mode introduced by Tile disables the Scan and Secure feature so that a Tile device cannot be located by someone who doesn’t own the tracker. However, to prevent stalking, Tile has stringent usage terms, including registering using multi-factor identification, and agreeing to the usage terms, which include a $1 million fine if the device is used to track a person without their consent. The Anti-Theft Mode option is intended to make it easier to locate stolen items by preventing thieves from knowing that an item is being tracked.

Unlike other Bluetooth trackers on the market, Tile does not notify nearby smartphone users when an unknown Bluetooth tracker is traveling with them. This feature makes Tile devices more useful for tracking stolen items than AirTags. Apple has added alerts for nearby AirTags to prevent them from being used for tracking people.

However, the proactive notifications found in the Bluetooth tracker industry were designed to prevent stalking. These anti-stalking measures have been criticized for being insufficient for victim protection, as they can make Bluetooth trackers easily identifiable by thieves. To enable Anti-Theft Mode, users must link a government-issued ID card to their Tile account and undergo an advanced ID verification process that uses a biometric scan to detect fake IDs. This measure is meant to deter people from using Tile trackers for stalking or other nefarious purposes. Tile states that any individual convicted of using Tile devices to illegally track another individual without their consent will be fined $1 million, which is in the Tile terms of service.

Tile is also taking a “highly collaborative stance” with law enforcement, and users who turn on Anti-Theft Mode acknowledge that their personal information “can and will” be shared with law enforcement officials in cases of suspected stalking. Tile claims that these usage terms are “progressive safety measures” that will protect people from being stalked with Tile devices.

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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).

UP NEXT: Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro key details and pricing leaks ahead of launch

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This week, U.S. and China officials are meeting to discuss the ongoing trade war. But two U.S. companies aren’t waiting around to see if these two superpowers make amends. Fitbit, as well as Tile (maker of the Bluetooth-enabled location tracker), have confirmed that they will be moving their manufacturing units out of China.

By January 2020, all of Fitbit’s manufacturing operations will be outside of China. The main reason for this shift is to avoid the heavy tariffs being subjected to the goods originating from China. This announcement comes well before the next round of tariffs that goes live from December 15 affecting an additional $300 billion worth of Chinese imports.

Duties on gadgets like smartwatches and Bluetooth trackers with low margins will seriously affect their competitiveness in the U.S. market. And considering how the relationship between the U.S. and China has been deteriorating recently, it makes sense why these companies would want to mitigate their risks.

Fitbit recently unveiled the Versa 2 smartwatch in the U.S. featuring an OLED display, NFC, Spotify, and Alexa for $199.

UP NEXT: U.S. Companies could soon get the green-light to sell to Huawei

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