8 ms·

I got rid of all of my tile devices a while ago due to privacy concerns. Airtags are a vast improvement, and it's sad that google hasn't shipped an equivalent.

sixothree 5y ago
You mention privacy concerns and wanting to use Google in the same paragraph.
- notRobot 5y ago
  Google is definitely no champion of privacy. But at least they don't sell your precise location data.
  - pueblito 5y ago
    Because they purchase it
    - blacksmith_tb 5y ago
      But they don't need to purchase it, they've already got it. I think the idea is they aren't willing to sell it as it's key to their business, and they'd rather not make a little more off selling it and risk their competitors leveraging it.
  - Tempest1981 5y ago
    Do they use it to target ads directly? Also check your cellular carrier's privacy settings, like CPNI. https://www.inc.com/jason-aten/verizon-is-tracking-iphone-users-by-default-theres-nothing-apple-can-do-how-to-turn-it-off.html https://www.inc.com/jason-aten/verizon-is-tracking-iphone-us...
    - judge2020 5y ago
      The privacy tradeoffs someone is willing to make will vary person-to-person. For many, Google only using precise location data for Ads and (probably) not shipping it off to random data brokers is a good tradeoff for powering and using the many products they offer - eg. YouTube, Maps, email/calendar, etc. Even for life360, it's very likely more than 50% of their userbase is fine with this given the features Tile and Life360 provide them.
  - HPsquared 5y ago
    Also, if Google already knows where I am at all times, then having them also handle some location tags would entail no further loss of privacy.
  - sixothree 5y ago
    First sentence says it all.
- renzo88 5y ago
  I didn't mention wanting to use google. I do think it's unfortunate that android users don't have a privacy protecting item tracking solution. Airtags are a wonderful product.
tyingq 5y ago
The tiles do have that audible ding feature that's nice for keys, like stuck in the couch, for example.
- hazebooth 5y ago
  AirTags also have an audible sound that can be played, I use this feature for when I lose my keys
  - tyingq 5y ago
    Ah, thanks. I had assumed they didn't based since there weren't any visible holes for a speaker.
    - dag11 5y ago
      It's actually a really cool design, the entire white half of the shell _is_ the speaker diaphragm!

sixothree 5y ago

You mention privacy concerns and wanting to use Google in the same paragraph.

notRobot 5y ago
Google is definitely no champion of privacy. But at least they don't sell your precise location data.
- pueblito 5y ago
  Because they purchase it
  - blacksmith_tb 5y ago
    But they don't need to purchase it, they've already got it. I think the idea is they aren't willing to sell it as it's key to their business, and they'd rather not make a little more off selling it and risk their competitors leveraging it.
- Tempest1981 5y ago
  Do they use it to target ads directly? Also check your cellular carrier's privacy settings, like CPNI. https://www.inc.com/jason-aten/verizon-is-tracking-iphone-users-by-default-theres-nothing-apple-can-do-how-to-turn-it-off.html https://www.inc.com/jason-aten/verizon-is-tracking-iphone-us...
  - judge2020 5y ago
    The privacy tradeoffs someone is willing to make will vary person-to-person. For many, Google only using precise location data for Ads and (probably) not shipping it off to random data brokers is a good tradeoff for powering and using the many products they offer - eg. YouTube, Maps, email/calendar, etc. Even for life360, it's very likely more than 50% of their userbase is fine with this given the features Tile and Life360 provide them.
- HPsquared 5y ago
  Also, if Google already knows where I am at all times, then having them also handle some location tags would entail no further loss of privacy.
- sixothree 5y ago
  First sentence says it all.
renzo88 5y ago
I didn't mention wanting to use google. I do think it's unfortunate that android users don't have a privacy protecting item tracking solution. Airtags are a wonderful product.

tyingq 5y ago

The tiles do have that audible ding feature that's nice for keys, like stuck in the couch, for example.

hazebooth 5y ago
AirTags also have an audible sound that can be played, I use this feature for when I lose my keys
- tyingq 5y ago
  Ah, thanks. I had assumed they didn't based since there weren't any visible holes for a speaker.
  - dag11 5y ago
    It's actually a really cool design, the entire white half of the shell _is_ the speaker diaphragm!