Apple AirTag detector for Android

AI Thread Summary
A new open-source Android app has been developed to detect Apple AirTags, with indications that it may also identify Tile tags and other Bluetooth-based item finders. The app utilizes Bluetooth networks to help locate lost devices, relying on user participation for effective tracking. The functionality of these networks is enhanced by the number of active users, particularly on Android, as iOS apps have limitations in scanning for Bluetooth devices in the background. Research has highlighted privacy and security concerns associated with various key finders, including Tile, which operates within a limited Bluetooth range, making real-time tracking of individuals impractical. Overall, the discussion emphasizes the growing interest in Bluetooth tracking technologies and their implications for privacy.
Computer science news on Phys.org
Does it detect Tile tags and others as well?
 
jedishrfu said:
Does it detect Tile tags and others as well?
Klaatu Barada Nikto
It appears so, (subject to confirmation by more more knowledgeable sources).
The last paragraph mentions "Tile".

2.1 Bluetooth Device Finders
Many Bluetooth-based item finders, or key finders, are now using
finder networks aiding to find lost or misplaced trackers [8, 35 ].
Those networks are generally based on apps from item finder man-
ufacturers. Any user of the app helps to find lost or stolen item
finders. In principle, whenever an item finder is discovered via
Bluetooth with the app, the app automatically reports the current
location to the manufacturer, who then sends a notification of the
discovered device to the item finder’s owner. The ability to locate
lost devices and the accuracy of reported locations mostly depends
on the number of Android app users. iOS apps cannot scan for
Bluetooth devices in the background, limiting the functionality of
the finder network.
This area has gained much new attention since Samsung and
Apple have created their Bluetooth item finders. Both companies
created enormous finder networks that utilize active smartphones
as finder devices [31].
Several researchers analyzed key finders from manufacturers like
Tile, TrackR, and Nut for privacy and security. Two new privacy-
preserving and end-to-end encrypted key finder protocols have
been proposed [19, 36].

It does seem Tile uses the Bluetooth network so minute by minute tracking would be unreliable without the BT signal.

Here is the take from a random user generated content open source outfit.
https://foundation.mozilla.org/en/privacynotincluded/tile-mate/

A search on the subject brings up this.
"You cannot use a Tile Mate to track a person. The Tile Mate has a short range in comparison to how far a person could travel even if it is by foot. By the time a person reached 200 to 400 feet of distance, you would not be able to locate them as they’d be out of Tile’s Bluetooth range."
 
Last edited:
I came across a video regarding the use of AI/ML to work through complex datasets to determine complicated protein structures. It is a promising and beneficial use of AI/ML. AlphaFold - The Most Useful Thing AI Has Ever Done https://www.ebi.ac.uk/training/online/courses/alphafold/an-introductory-guide-to-its-strengths-and-limitations/what-is-alphafold/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AlphaFold https://deepmind.google/about/ Edit/update: The AlphaFold article in Nature John Jumper...
Interesting article about an AI writing scandal at Sports Illustrated: https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/29/opinions/sports-illustrated-ai-controversy-leitch/index.html I hadn't heard about it in real-time, which is probably indicative about how far SI has fallen*. In short, the article discusses how SI was caught using AI and worse fake reporter photos/profiles to write game summaries. Game summaries are the short articles that summarize last night's Phillies game. They are so formulaic that...
Back
Top