medium.com/digital-global-traveler/apple-airtag-to-the-rescue-5-non-obvious-places-to-install-smart-tags-f993411c0212

AND

http://www.komando.com/tech-tips/smart-ways-to-use-trackers/803575/

AND

http://www.cnn.com/cnn-underscored/electronics/airtags-tips-tricks

Nov 21, 2022

Apple AirTag to the rescue: 5 non-obvious places to install smart tags

Over the summer, I bought an Apple AirTag and used smart tags for my keys and to keep my luggage from getting lost on a flight. What surprised me when I learned that some air carriers are against using AirTag on board?

What was the airline’s explanation for banning gadgets, and why was AirTag allowed?

US and German air carriers have allowed passengers to carry Apple bright beacons on board. This was reported on the website of Pocket-lint.

The FFA (US Federal Aviation Administration) explained the possible ban on AirTag carriage because the electronic personal items control device contains lithium. However, because the battery cell in the AirTag contains less than 0.1 grams of lithium, the US and, later, Germany allowed the transport of activated AirTags in the luggage compartment of aircraft. However, there is no consensus in the airline industry, and AirTags are somewhat tolerated:

“An American Air representative told Macworld on Twitter rather cautiously that, “at the moment, no info indicates these devices are banned from our flights.” EasyJet said, “We do not have a policy against having Apple AirTags with you on board.” United Airlines said, “There are no restrictions with having AirTags inside your checked luggage.”

So where else would Apple AirTags be useful?

The Find My feature can even help you find your stolen car if you’re prone to losing personal items.

For instance, a car owner in Toronto, Canada, has not only recovered his stolen car with the help of Apple’s Smart Beacon but has also helped find eight other stolen cars.

Below I’ve compiled five more non-obvious places where AirTag will be helpful:

1. In a tent while camping. For example, if you want to hike a few miles in a day, you can use the “Find Me” feature to find the last AirTag location (your tent) and plot a route back to camp.

2. In your outerwear pocket. If you often forget your jacket or jacket by hanging it on a hanger or chair, then put AirTag in your pocket to know where you left it.

3. In the car in a vast car park. If this is your first time in a massive mall with multi-level parking, or you’ve rented a car in another country and forgotten where you parked it, the AirTag will help you find your vehicle.

4. In the pocket of your laptop case/bag. If you often carry your laptop with you, take precautions against theft or loss. After all, losing your computer risks losing something more — sensitive or personal information.

5. If you place the AirTag in a secluded spot on your bike or electric scooter, you can easily find it if it gets stolen.

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8 smart ways to use Bluetooth trackers like the AirTag and Tile

BY SERENA O’SULLIVAN, KOMANDO.COM

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NOVEMBER 25, 2022

You’ve probably heard all the buzz about Bluetooth trackers, from Apple AirTags to Tile trackers. Tap or click here to find out the difference between these two beloved gadgets.

Whichever one you choose, you’re buying a popular piece of lost and found software that can save your hide in times of crisis. Bluetooth trackers are most famous for helping people track down lost or stolen items. But there are a few different uses you might not have known about.

Here are some insider secrets to help you get the most out of your AirTag or Tile trackers. We’ll start with the basics.

1. Ever lost your wallet? Attach a tracker for peace of mind

You come home after a long, stressful day. Patting your pockets, you look for your wallet so you can put it away. Cold sweat breaks out once you realize it’s gone.

Just think about all the important stuff we keep in our wallets, like:

• Insurance cards.
• Driver’s license.
• Other forms of ID.
• Cash.
• COVID vaccination record.
• Credit cards.
• Coupons.
• Receipts.

When you find out it’s gone, it’s easy to go into panic mode. If someone steals your wallet, they have a goldmine on their hands. After all, private data makes big money these days.

Someone could even use the information in your wallet to steal your identity. Tap or click here to find out how a stranger could steal your government benefits with just your name and a few bucks. Even worse, someone could commit crimes in your name that can stain your record for decades.

To keep your wallet safe, slip a Bluetooth tracker into one of the pockets. They’re slim, thin and light so they won’t add any bulk or weight. Plus, it’ll give you much-needed peace of mind when disaster strikes!

2. You can also attach one to your keys

After your wallet, your keychain is the second scariest personal item to lose. After all, you can’t go home without it. You’ve probably got your parking card there. Or maybe you can’t access your workplace without the access card on your keychain.

From AirTag and Tile to SmartTag or Chipolo, there are a ton of key finders on the market. Just buy one, attach it to a smartphone app and you can track down your lost keychain from anywhere. The only problem is finding the right one!

Firstly, the Tile Pro has a loud alarm and a range of 400 feet. The blaring sound will cut your search short when you’re ambling around your home, opening drawers and lifting curtains. That means you can get out of the door ASAP.

Plus, you don’t need to buy Tile Premium for it to work well. Even better, the Tile Pro, Chipolo and SmartTag all come with built-in holes. This allows for easy attachment to your keychain.

Discerning shoppers may be especially attracted to the SmartTag. That’s because it can connect to other smart devices so you can automate your routine. You’ll need Samsung’s SmartThings app to access your smart home features, but it’s as easy as pressing a button.

Unlike the other item trackers out there, Apple’s AirTag doesn’t have any openings you can use to attach it directly to a keychain. That’s intentional: Apple wants you to spend extra money on accessories like colorful leather key rings. Refusing to be milked dry, one iFixIt writer drilled a hole into an AirTag and showed you how to do it, too.

However, many customers love that it doesn’t come with built-in holes. They like the creativity of picking out an accessory that matches their aesthetic. Customers love the way it works, too.

There is another reason why customers love AirTags. Earlier, we mentioned that Tile trackers have a range of 400 feet. Apple AirTags don’t have a range in the same way since they work on Apple’s Find My network.

That means you can track your items as long as your tracker is in the Bluetooth range of any iPhone or Apple device. Cool, huh? Tap or click here for the full Komando scoop on AirTags.

3. Luggage

Vacations are about relaxing, but losing luggage can sink a torpedo into any zen state you hoped to achieve. Luckily, GPS trackers can help you find your lost luggage. So when you’re carting your bags around the airport or the hotel, slip a Bluetooth tracker into a pocket for that extra peace of mind.

Then again, exposing the tracker instead of hiding it inside the bag might be better. You don’t want anything to block the signal.

You can slip it into an outer pocket or attach it to the zipper with a small key ring. If you went so far as to buy a combination lock, you could wind the tracker around that as well.

4. Keep track of your pets

That’s right — Bluetooth trackers aren’t just for your gadgets. They’re also a great way to keep track of your furry friends. Kim put one of these bad boys on her dog, Abby. (It’s the black attachment to her pink collar.)

One Amazon reviewer bought a silicone case for her AirTags and attached it to her dogs, who she says love to escape for wild adventures around the neighborhood.

“This way I can find my dogs before I get the nasty messages that the dogs are loose,” she said. “I can track them right from my iPhone and set up was so simple. Worth the money and no monthly subscription needed like other pet trackers.”

5. Cars

Do you always forget where you parked? Try slipping a tracker into your glove compartment. Or maybe, instead of fuzzy dice, you can slip a tracker on a ring underneath the rearview mirror.

Then, all you have to do is open up your smartphone app. Follow the coordinates and you can find your car. Thanks to your tracker, you just saved yourself 15 minutes of wandering around in the hot sun.

As a side note, a Bluetooth tracker won’t work if you want to track someone else who is driving. Maybe you’re suspicious of a cheating spouse or want to watch over a kid who just learned how to drive. Bluetooth trackers typically have a range of around 200 feet. You should look into a GPS or GSM tracker instead.

Did that make you afraid someone could slip a tracker into your car? We’ve got you covered. Tap or click here to find a hidden GPS tracker on your car.

6. Motorcycle

Don’t have a car? Bluetooth trackers also work for motorcycles. You’ll just have to find a good place to attach it since you have less space to work with.

ABC7 reports that one motorcycle owner lost his ride for three days. Since it was a rare Italian motorcycle, he stashed a Tile under the seat ahead of time in case someone snatched it. His worst dream came true: One day it went missing, so he reported it to Tile as stolen.

Three days later, he received a notification that it had been discovered. There were no arrests … but the bike had 300 extra miles. So if you own a fancy ride you don’t want to lose, do what he did and insert a tracker. It’s better to be safe than sorry!

7. Guns

That’s right — you can also use these gadgets to keep track of valuables like a gun. Attach one to the bag or case where you keep a rifle, shotgun or pistol. 

If anyone ever gets their hands on it, a tracker can help you find its location immediately before anything dangerous happens.

8. Elderly parents

If you live with your parents, you’re probably worried about them falling down and not being able to get up. Maybe your older parent likes to putter around in the garden and has lost their balance in the past. Either way, asking them to put a tracker in their pocket could help them stay safe if they get hurt.

Caring for aging parents or relatives is a huge responsibility that can often feel daunting. Luckily, tech can go a long way in reassuring you that your family member is safe. From medical alert systems to smart assistants, many tech gadgets can help you keep a digital eye on your loved one.

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9 AirTag tips and tricks to help you get the most out of your Apple tracker

Matt Cabral, CNN Underscored

Updated 10:26 AM EST, Thu December 22, 2022

Apple AirTagJacob Krol/CNN

Thanks to my small army of Apple AirTags, losing my car keys and misplacing my wallet are inconveniences of the past. Leaving the house no longer includes that annoying ritual of pointlessly checking my pockets for a few seconds before frantically setting off to search for my lost items.

But like many early AirTag adopters, I’ve long been spoiled by the gadget’s ability to save me time and make me look far more organized than I actually am. Thankfully, the tracker can do much more than simply pinpoint your essential stuff before a Starbucks run. Here are nine tips and tricks to help you get the most out of Apple’s game-changing gadget.

Pinpoint a lost item’s location

Jacob Krol/CNN

The AirTag separates itself from the item-tracking competition with its Precision Finding feature. Like other similar devices, Apple’s take on the tech alerts you to the general area where your lost item was left. But Precision Finding, activated in the iPhone’s Find My app (and compatible with iPhone 11 and higher) offers more specific directions, complete with navigational arrows and a distance tracker. The feature is especially handy in loud areas, where an audio alert may be drowned out, or if there’s a possibility your tracked article is covered and/or simply not lying in the open waiting to be discovered.

Check the battery

Amazon

The AirTag can feel like an absolute lifesaver in situations where you’d otherwise be at a complete loss to track down an important, misplaced item. But a depleted battery can deflate that same life saver if you’re not careful. You probably won’t have to worry about replacing a dying cell for at least a year. Once you reach that 12-month milestone though, you’ll want to monitor the power source’s juice via the Find My app on a pretty regular basis.

Protect your AirTag from the elements

TagVault

AirTags are water-resistant and fairly durable, but you may not want to test those qualities with your most valuable items — especially when you’re traveling. If you’re an outdoor enthusiast or someone who works outside full–time, you may want to consider some extra protection for your tracker. The tank-like TagVault fits the bill and then some, encasing your AirTag in a rugged, waterproof stainless steel shell that’ll stand up to the elements…and possibly a nuclear blast.

Related: Why AirTags are a perfect school supply

Emojis are fun and functional

CNN

If you’re using multiple AirTags, you’ll want to assign each item a specific name to differentiate them from one another. But it’s also helpful to further distinguish each tracked item with emojis, easily assigned under “Rename AirTag” in the Find My app. Brightly colored emojis, representing everything from keys and backpacks to your favorite pet (see next tip) make each item pop with its own cartoon–y personality.

Keep track of your pets

TagVault

Attaching an AirTag to your pet’s collar is a great way to keep tabs on them. Whether you’ve got an especially curious house cat that gets into every nook and cranny or a dog with a penchant for wandering the neighborhood, this option provides loving pet owners some additional peace of mind. That said, you’ll want to ensure you’re attaching the tracker in a way that’s safe for the animal. With that in mind, it’s worth looking into the various collar and harness mounts — like TagVault’s waterproof version — specifically designed for this purpose.

Recruit Siri to find your stuff

CNN

If your love of AirTags has seen you attaching them to anything that’s not nailed down, you’ve probably noticed your Find My app is becoming a bit busy. Rather than scrolling through a long list — or even relying on your iPhone, for that matter — you can simply give Siri a shout on any device within your iOS network. Just give the AI assistant the name of the lost article and she’ll get to work.

Don’t be afraid to use Lost Mode

CNN

If your tracked item is truly lost, the AirTag’s last–ditch feature could still help you find it. With Lost Mode enabled, anyone who stumbles across your valuables can acquire your contact information — and hopefully use it — by tapping the found AirTag to their device. Within the Find My app, where you’ll enable Lost Mode, you can also choose what contact info to provide (phone number or email address) and activate notifications so you’ll be immediately alerted if a kind stranger tries to reunite you and your AirTag.

Stick an AirTag anywhere

Pelican

AirTags are most commonly attached to key rings, wallets and backpacks, and there’s absolutely no shortage of aftermarket accessories designed to support those uses. But what if you want to put one on your favorite coffee mug, video game controller or that eternally missing TV remote? Pelican’s adhesive AirTag mounts have got your back — or your front, or pretty much anywhere you want to stick the tracker. These versatile cases are also great for hidden or discreet placement, like under a bicycle seat or in a toolbox.

Functional and fashionable

Disney

Most AirTag adopters think of the tracker as a solely functional item. And while its ability to locate your lost loot is its primary function, it can also be dressed up a bit to express your personality and style. Whether you want to pony up for a pricey Gucci holder or pop one into a pair of Mickey Mouse ears, there’s an entire market dedicated to making the AirTag as fashionable as it is functional.