[photo1902]

Originally Posted by davephan

The Airtags aren’t stealth at all, and alert the criminal who steals the car that they being tracked, and even makes a sound to identify the location of the Airtag, to assist the criminal to quickly find the Airtag. That makes it totally worthless to use to track a vehicle if it’s stolen. Perhaps Apple thinks it’s more important to assist and protect criminals than honest citizens.

The Tile could track a stolen car in a stealth manner. But the Tile would be dependent on other Tile users than anonymously assist in the tracking in a stealth manner.

There’s a YouTube video that tests using the Tile to protect a stolen bicycle. They attached a Tile to a bicycle and left the bicycle in a place where it could be stolen. It took about one week for the stolen bicycle to be found, until another random Tile user happened to pass near the stolen bicycle.

Using Tile is a cheap way to track a stolen car, but not very effective. If you need to be able to track a stolen car more reliably, then you’d need to attach a real GPS tracking device to that car, and pay for the GPS tracking monthly subscription cost.

They do make GPS tracking devices for medium to large dogs that could be used to track humans. Those GPS tracking devices could be placed in a jacket pocket, but wouldn’t be very stealth.

Another idea would be to give the elderly person with memory problems an iWatch. They could use the iWatch as a watch, and you could use their iWatch to track them. The situations where there are Silver Alerts for missing elderly people could have quickly be ended without issuing a Silver Alert, if the elderly person had been wearing an iWatch that could be tracked.

The privacy issues might be a concern. But millions of people are currently being spied on and tracked now by cellphone applications by companies like Google and Facebook, without your knowledge or consent. Those companies might also be eavesdropping on your conversations when you are talking, when not making phone calls. So, right now, most people don’t really have privacy.

AirTags weren’t designed to track stolen items. They were designed and marketed to help locate lost items.

Your statement about Apple thinking it more important to assist criminals is ludicrous, to say the least.

[davephan]

There’s some truth about Apple caring more to protect criminals. Just look at the history of Apple refusing to assist the police when the police needed Apple to help them in criminal cases. Apple cares more about the privacy of the criminals, than the honest citizens and victims of crime.

We use the Tiles to easily find things like keys, wallets, purses, and other important things around the house. The Tiles pay for themselves very quickly from avoiding the frustration of looking for things for a long time.

But most frequently, we use the option on our iWatches that makes the cellphones ding loudly. It’s very quick to find the misplaced iPhone around the house, using our iWatches!

The huge breakthrough in tracker is making them small enough to embed them inside of eyeglasses. That’s an idea worth billions of dollars. Eyeglasses get misplaced around the house all the time!

[DAVES]

Originally Posted by DavidCovid

Apple just announced a new tracking device called AirTag which is the size of a coin, can be attached to almost any item and allows an Apple user the ability to track the exact location of the AirTag and the item it's attached to.

The next time my mother-in-law stays with us here in The Villages and since The Villages is so large and confusing, I strongly suggested to my wife to attach the Apple tracking device to her mother since her mother is in her 70's. In the past, I used to slip an old I-Phone inside my golf cart when my mother-in-law traveled by herself and used the location finder app to at least track the golf cart when she traveled solo.

My wife believes this is an invasion of privacy and I believe its a safety issue.
Any suggestion to convince my wife ?

These devices are not new. Apple has just made it available to the mass market.

As to marriage counseling I do not do that.

However, to quote my dad-If, you understand your wife you are wrong. Even if you are right, it will change before you realize it. You can try yes, dear. But to her you said you agree. Reality, you said stop bothering me with this ...............

[allsport]

Perfect for dementia patients that get out of their homes unnoticed.

[DavidCovid]

Originally Posted by Petersweeney

Just use the phone silly - why give apple more money for an app you already have?

Thank You for your reply -
I have previously used an old i-phone left in the golf cart when my MIL leaves on her own in the golf cart, but the new Apple tracking device is very small, easily concealed and doesn't require daily charging like an iPhone does.

Not to upset anyone with their conspiracy concerns, but my main objective is the safety of the individual who requires additional help. Unfortunately, we all will become old one day and unfortunately memory lost is "SOMETIMES" one of the drawbacks that comes with older age.

[kanoa1kale2]

Originally Posted by tvbound

Without approval of the human being tracked, stalking is still stalking, regardless of the contrived reasoning.

I think there are instances where approval should not be required. I've seen a number of early onset dementia cases where this would come in quite handy for safety reasons. In those cases, approval by those being tracked is really irrelevant since they likely won't remember giving permission anyhow.

[stebooo]

Is your mil senile? If not shame. How old are you 70 is not old.

[Triplesmobility]

invasion of privacy yes... but its a great safty tool. I don't think she really has anything to hide... or does she? I would do it but of course tell her.

[bluecenturian]

I caution you to get the persons permission first. In Florida it is a Felony to place a tracking device on anything in possession of another without permission. This includes phones you own but are under the normal control of another.

[Gulfcoast]

Originally Posted by Road-Runner

Only with their permission. Ask her, she might appreciate your concern about her well-being!

This. "Mom this is a big place and it's easy to get turned around here. Why don't you put this in your purse and that way if you get turned around it'll make it easier for us to find you."

[photo1902]

Originally Posted by bluecenturian

I caution you to get the persons permission first. In Florida it is a Felony to place a tracking device on anything in possession of another without permission. This includes phones you own but are under the normal control of another.

Second degree misdemeanor, but I get your point. There are provision in the law that allow for tracking devices to be used for people who are elderly or disabled, with a doctors certification.

[GrumpyOldMan]

Originally Posted by mlmarr1

You trust apple tracker.....anything from apple is not trustworthy

I would be interested in why you say this. What is it based on?

I have been re registered developer with Apple since 1985, and I can say that I have never seen anything negative about Apple.

So, not trying to be argumentative, just curious about what has happened to you personally that would make you take that position.

[DavidCovid]

Originally Posted by bluecenturian

I caution you to get the persons permission first. In Florida it is a Felony to place a tracking device on anything in possession of another without permission. This includes phones you own but are under the normal control of another.

I'll take my chances.

Whats the old saying. I'd rather go to trial with six jurors rather than my MIL be carried by six at her funeral because she fell into a ditch, lake or hit by a car in traffic as she was lost and confused.

[GrumpyOldMan]

Originally Posted by davephan

There’s some truth about Apple caring more to protect criminals. Just look at the history of Apple refusing to assist the police when the police needed Apple to help them in criminal cases. Apple cares more about the privacy of the criminals, than the honest citizens and victims of crime.

I am sorry you feel this way, would it matter if it was YOUR phone that Apple was giving access to the police?

Apple's position has been clear and public, not just criminals, everyones privacy matters. Other companies take much more cavalier attitude with YOUR data and privacy. So far, no one has demonstrated that Apple has a leaning toward protecting criminals more than anyone else

Oh, and there is this little think about innocent until proven guilty. The cases where Apple refused to work with the police or FBI, were cases where the person had NOT been convicted yet.

Funny how when the FBI goes after a presidential candidate with only circumstantial evidence it is a conspiracy, but when the FBI wants access to citizens private data, well that is okay.

[nevjudbaker]

With the kidnapping & human trafficking in todays world I would put a tracker on my kid. I wouldn't tell them because if they put themselves in a unknownly dangerous position they might take it off prior to the unknown danger so their parents can't see where they went. Then danger hits & they are screwed.