Apple announced several new products recently, including an AirTag accessory designed to make it easier for users to find their misplaced stuff.
A reader asked a great question about how this could impact the tool industry.
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André wrote:
It might be interesting to contrast Apple’s recent announcement of AirTags as a substitute for Milwaukee’s OneKey Tick. Given the greater ubiquity of Apple products, these may be much more relevant to tracking lost/stolen tool boxes/large equipment (where they could be easily hidden from sight).
Milwaukee OneKey is described as being the industry’s largest [tool and equipment] tracking network, with inventory management and location capabilities.
Learn More About Milwaukee One-Key
One Key Tick Tracker
But first, let’s talk a bit about the Apple AirTag.
Basically, the Apple AirTag sends out a Bluetooth signal that’s picked up by iPhone smartphones and similar Apple devices. The Apple device then sends the location of the identified AirTags to their systems, and you receive an update on your device.
In Apple’s words:
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Your AirTag sends out a secure Bluetooth signal that can be detected by nearby devices in the Find My network. These devices send the location of your AirTag to iCloud — then you can go to the Find My app and see it on a map.
Users will receive locations with map coordinates, and when you’re close enough, newer iPhone devices with Precision Finding tech will show you the distance and approximate heading to your AirTag.
Milwaukee’s One-Key tool tracking network operates in a similar manner. The difference here is that Apple’s iOS and Find My network is much, much larger.
The size of a tracking network depends on the number of users. How many users have the Milwaukee One-Key app installed to their smartphone or other device, compared to the number of tool users that have iPhones?
The AirTag itself doesn’t look to have any built-in mounting capabilities, and of course Apple already has an entire line of carrying accessories for their AirTags.
For this launch, Apple’s AirTag accessories consist of luggage tags, bag charms, and keychains.
How long until we see mountable accessories, such as the case that houses Milwaukee’s One-Key Tick tracker? I would bet that 3rd party accessory makers and 3D printing hobbyists are already working on different multi-attachment AirTag holders.
Apple’s press and launch materials specifically avoid language to suggest the AirTag can be used to locate stolen items. Instead, it’s for finding “missing” items, or personal belongings that are “separated” from the user.
Would it be possible for users to attach Apple AirTag trackers to their tools or hide them in tool boxes or within equipment to help police locate them if stolen? Absolutely.
Apple’s AirTag also takes advantage of a much larger user base compared to Milwaukee One-Key, even if it’s the largest tool tracking network of its kind.
But, here’s the exciting part.
At the very end of Apple’s press release, they discuss a new Find My Network Accessory Program which will be open to third party companies.
Third-party products and accessories can also add support for finding with the new Find My network accessory program. Through the program, device and product manufacturers can now build finding capabilities directly into their products using the advanced Find My network with uncompromising privacy built in, allowing customers to use the Find My app to locate other important items in their lives.
If I’m interpreting this correctly, it means that a company – such as Milwaukee – could potentially add Apple “Find My” network-compatible tool tracking accessories.
Does this mean there’s the potential for a product like the Milwaukee One-Key Tick to emit a Bluetooth signal that’s compatible with both networks?
At this time, Apple specifically talks about the potential for 3rd party hardware integrations. They say that only the owner of a device has access to its location designer and that communications are end-to-end encrypted, which suggests software integrations or cross-talk might be difficult if not outright barred.
Tool brands are likely to be reluctant when it comes to potentially utilizing or directing users to 3rd party apps, especially ones that are device-dependent. But can all this offer an enhanced user experience in any way?
It will be interesting to see if and how the AirTag is used for tool tracking, and if there’s any way for Milwaukee One-Key – or other brands’ smaller tool tracking networks – to benefit from Apple’s Find My program expansion.
At the very least, AirTag seems like a tool brand-agnostic way to add location capabilities to a whole slew of products, at least if you have an iPhone. Apple has not specified if the AirTag can be tracked or located by other devices such as iPads or Mac products.
Price: $29 each, 4 for $99
AirTag accessories are $13 and up at the Apple Store, with a couple of less expensive keychain options already popping up on Amazon.
Apple says the user-replaceable CR2032 battery should provide over a year’s worth of battery life with everyday use. The AirTag has an IP67 rating and is water-, dust-, and splash-resistant.
Jared
Apple’ new gizmo strikes me as almost the same as Tile. If the Apple brand increases adoption though, so much the better.
I’ve have various Tiles for several years. They can be very handy. It would be nice if they were cheap enough to add to more things, but they’re reasonable.
I’ve never considered Tile to be a security measure though- no where near enough people actively using the app to make the “network” aspect useful. But if I forget where I last had my keys or wallet… it works great.👍
Tim D.
Unless tile has changed over the years, the main difference is tile only uses your phone’s bluetooth to track the device. So best case scenario, it tells you where the last place your phone made a connection to the device.
By comparison, the apple tag will alert you of the location when anyones apple device comes within range of it. Obviously this would provide much better info on current location, and can even help you locate the device if it moves.
Nick
Tile now uses a network as well. If you mark a Tile as lost it will send you an alert if someone who has the Tile app comes with in range of it.
X Lu
Interesting. When I read Apples announcement about the network feature, I knew these would be a total non starter for me. Privacy is simply too important. Indeed I barely even use WiFi on my phone ( periodically turn it on say once a month to download some app updates then off it goes. And I only use a very limited number of apps, generally use the browser. Become part of Apples spy network – I think not.
Koko The Talking Ape
Well, wifi isn’t a greater privacy risk than your usual 4G data connection, so leaving wifi off doesn’t help. Nor will turning of GPS. Apple can tell roughly where you are by seeing which cell you’re in, or which wifi network you’re connected to.
And the only information the Find My network could tell Apple is the location of your tools.
And it has to tell Apple, so that Apple can send you an alert when you’re outside of BT range of the tool and its Air Tag. I don’t find that a huge invasion of privacy.
And I imagine privacy experts will be examining what data is sent to Apple. They may not be able to read the data, because it will be encrypted, but they can tell WHEN the tag is transmitting. It should start transmitting only after you’ve told the network the tool is lost. That way you can be sure it isn’t monitoring your location or the tool’s location all the time.
Frank D
I think you may be a little bit under-informed as to how technology works, online privacy, using devices and networks … and what to actually worry about. You certainly skipped the details as to how Apple actively protects user privacy in this case with airtags; because this system works vastly different than you assume. There is nobody watching this. Tag IDs get randomized and a dozen other things, too long to mention.
And, you are paranoid about a few short range bluetooth AirTags while you have been carrying a cellphone for decades, can be / is tracked to within a couple feet 24/7/365.
Restricting use of public wifi networks is good – if that is what you tried to allude to, against data snooping – but you are still pinpointed and trackable / tracked just the same … and all you do on your phone still faces the same privacy issues inherent with what you do, where, etc on the internet.
If you are paranoid about the internet, and limit exposure, etc … that’s fine. But don’t throw a company and their new product under the bus, when they continue to go above and beyond to make things secure and private for their users. But maybe you have missed out on a lof the tech news surrounding that?
MM
I think you’re correct regarding the technology, but some people prefer not to use certain brands or products simply because of the fine print in the licensing agreements. For example, a company may be well known for protecting user’s privacy from third parties, but what about themselves?
I suspect X Lu’s concern might have nothing to do with the main functionality of the app but the general concerns that go along with apps in general.
Frank D
Limiting exposure, having some skepticism and general concerns about the internet and technology are absolutely fine.
I think we can all see a fair bit of that around ourselves.
But becoming part of ” Apple’s Spy Network ” … because privacy! That’s a first.
While using any cellphone that is provider tracked 24/7/365. Possibly ironically using Android + Chrome browser because you can’t trust apps. While watching Cable TV with a cable box on a tv that phones home what you watch using automatic content recognition?
… 🙂
X Lu
I find these comments from Apple fans to be amusing. Apple is violating your privacy everyday while making a show of its ‘concern’. If you dig deep beyond the surface, you will learn how they ‘protect’ you from their competitors, just not from them. Perhaps Apple may be better than its competitors, just be skeptical of those who protest too much.
Notwithstanding this, there is an enormous difference between WiFi tracking that goes on in a mall and cellular technology. Once you connect a mall’s WiFi or a hot spot, you are sitting duck. Free is never free.
And why would anyone who can draw a breathe use a Google product? Chrome would be Exhibit A in privacy violations.
Jim Felt
X Lu. “there is an enormous difference between WiFi tracking that goes on in a mall and cellular technology. Once you connect a mall’s WiFi or a hot spot, you are sitting duck. Free is never free.
And why would anyone who can draw a breathe use a Google product? Chrome would be Exhibit A in privacy violations.”
Most of this is clearly common sense and has nothing to do with Apples’ stated randomized Bluetooth usage. Or for that matter Androids well known “too many vendors” syndrome.
keichan
I have installed one in my power tool. During the labour weekend, my van got broken in and the tool was stolen. The big Apple network helped to locate the tool and the police could lock down the offender.
Koko The Talking Ape
You know what would be great? If all these tool trackers worked cross-platform, so the Apple app could find Milwaukee tools, and vice versa, and also with the others (Bosch?) Then everybody’s tracker becomes more effective, instantly.
BTW, the privacy add-on Ublock Origin has suddenly started breaking this page. Enabled, it blocks the entire article, including photos. That started sometime in the last several days.
MM
I am using Ublock Origin and the site works fine for me.
Koko The Talking Ape
Thanks! I cleared the cache and now it works. (shrugs)
Kent Skinner
The Tech companies aren’t well known for working together. Try and get iMessage to work on an Android phone or a PC. It’s always possible, but I’m not holding my breath.
Koko The Talking Ape
I know. But texting actually is an industry standard, created for bandwidth set aside for maintenance and such. Apple is the sole outlier, as is often the case.
And despite their differences, tech companies have come together many times to adopt or create standards when it served their purposes. The various flavors of USB, WIFI, TCP/IP, ASCII, Ethernet and even high-level stuff like the DOCX format all work across platforms and vendors.
The annoying thing is that these trackers would all become more effective if different vendors could talk to each other. Win-win. But they don’t recognize that.
Albert
I understand how AirTags work (send a small amount of data over bluetooth to any nearby iPhone and use that phone’s data connection and GPS to send location information to Apple). But I had no idea that’s how One-Key works (any phone running the One-Key app). I always thought they paired to the owner’s phone only. I learned something today. Thanks!
Koko The Talking Ape
“Apple’s AirTag also takes advantage of a much larger user base compared to Milwaukee One-Key, even if it’s the largest tool tracking network of its kind.”
I just happened to read this article. Tile, another BT tracker, claims they have 90% of the Bluetooth tracker market. That would make them much larger than either Find My network or the Milwaukee network. (If you’re curious about how trackers work, and whether they violate your privacy, this article also has some good info.)
https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-bluetooth-tracker/
Come to that, I don’t know why you couldn’t use Tile products to track some of your tools. They might not be as rugged as the Milwaukee, but neither are the Air Tags, probably. And the real value comes from the size of the user base (since every brand only talks to its own brand.) If nobody in your network ever walks by your tool, it won’t matter how rugged the tracker is.
Stuart
26 million units is said to be a “claimed 90 percent of the Bluetooth tracker marker.” It’s unclear if this is in the USA or worldwide.
Milwaukee claims a network of hundreds of thousands.
Apple: “The Find My network is a crowdsourced network of hundreds of millions of Apple devices that use Bluetooth wireless technology.”
Hundreds of millions of Apple devices >> 26 million tracker units.
Some (many?) tile users will have more than 1 tag, and so that 26 million tracker unit claim is going to be larger than the size of their network.
Apple might not sell millions of devices off the bat (or maybe they will), but they already have a huge tracking network.
I don’t have any tracking tag, but my phone is already connected to Apple’s Find My Network.
Apple is not the only choice, but their presence in this market is going to make trackers more commonplace and also keep competitors innovating in order to compete.
Koko The Talking Ape
You’re right, I was mistaken.
Ideally, any phone could sense any tracker from any manufacturer, but Apple and others seem dead set against that, even though that would make the service much more effective.
Stuart
I’ve used Android phones for maybe 10 years – I’ve lost track – and switched to Apple/iOS a year and a half ago due to a problem at Best Buy with my order. They couldn’t fulfill my Samsung phone and I got a discount on an Apple. There are some differences, good and bad, and some benefits. The main difference is that Apple very tightly controls the experience and attempts to minimize the fragmentation. With Android, brands are all over the place and updates involve so many different factors that there’s a good chance you’ll miss out if you’re on a device more than 2 years old.
With Apple, they are opening their Find My network to 3rd party products, and it’ll likely require licensing fees of some kind and adherence to their protocol.
There *is* the potential for something similar in Android. Android phones map your location (unless you disable this) and the information helps to provide traffic data to Google Maps. On Apple, your traveling data is only send when Google Maps is active.
If Google came out with a tracking app, it could also potentially be made available to Apple users.
But, Apple won’t make an app for Android. I wouldn’t want to – you would have to support so many different products.
I sometimes export images from my photo to Google Drive for use in a post. A few months ago it started doing something weird and every image was renamed “file000” or similar. Now, it exports the image name but in .heic format I cannot open or edit on my PC. So, I open an iCloud browser and started skipping the Google Drive middle step. Accessing that image on my phone is even easier on a Mac device. I can’t tell if the issue is with iOS or Google Drive, but it’s clear they don’t play well together.
We’re not going to see any phone sense any tracker from any manufacturer, as brands don’t play nicely with each other. Well… maybe if we see different services compatible with the same trackers. Apple’s not going to share their server data with Google, and so why would Google or Android make their tech send out signals that iOS devices could pick up?
There are increasing standards in some industries – look at how USB C is a standard charging method for certain devices. (But, I had a lot of problems with my last USB C phone collecting dust in the water-resistant socket, which is probably why Apple didn’t go in that direction.) Maybe we’ll see the same for trackers, but I don’t think so. Tool brands could work together, but they won’t either. Why should other brands make trackers that send data to Milwaukee servers?
Frank D
HEIC setting is something you can turn off in settings. Camera > Format.
Then Live Photos are on/off through that circle top center in Camera view.
I upgraded to a new iphone right before a trip, and found out afterwards that all my photos were ” Live Photos ” which are .mov and then had to deal with some HEIC … fortunately there’s some batch converters to sort it out after the fact.
Scott ALKB
Irfanview (freeware PC app) will open .heic files, and allow you to edit/save them however you like.
Stuart
Thanks! Will look into it! I might have used Irfanview before, the name sounds familiar.
I ended up installing an iCloud shortcut to my desktop, and skip the Google Drive middle step. That’ll help to avoid all issues stemming from Apple and Google not playing well together.
Joseph
Why should other brands make trackers that send data to Milwaukee servers?
So that the Dewalt guy can get his tool back thanks to the Milwaukee tool owner??
Stuart
Because a fewer number of larger tracking networks is better than many more smaller ones.
BF
The size of the network is not based on number of tags sold, but is based on the number of mobile phones that have installed the app. I’d be surprised if Milwaukee’s installed user base was greater that 50k. I’d estimate Tile to be in the 1m+ range.
Frank D
While Tile may be somewhat synonymous with consumer BT trackers, users have to buy new ones every year ( battery dies, replace unit (unless it changed) ) … so how many devices are current from their overall sales number? most people have multiple Tiles … so how many users? And how many of those are in North America with the Tile app?
Meanwhile Apple has consistently been selling > 200 million iPhones alone per year since 2015 … and about 1 out of 3 people in NA has an iPhone.
Practically speaking that means a huge difference in install base and retrieval potential, when anybody with a recent iDevice can help find lost items.
Potentially, because this of course will not stop somebody from stealing a backpack, suitcase, … cut the tag of, or go through it looking for trackers and pitching them.
Koko The Talking Ape
The new versions of the standard Tiles have replaceable batteries. (The ultra thin and adhesive ones don’t.)
And you’re right to challenge that number. and to point out Apple’s huge phone sales.
Do we know if ALL those phones will sense and report Air Tags?
Kent Skinner
The number of iPhones that are out in public *instantly* makes this a larger tracking network than anything else. The number of tiles, tags, or whatever they get called is irrelevant.
A tech blog I read (can’t find the article now), gave one to an employee and took away *all* of his tech items. They dropped him off at a random street corner, and asked a different employee to find him. He was quickly located, while walking around a sparsely populated area of a city.
Koko The Talking Ape
That’s true, but do we know if all iPhones can or will track Air Tags?
I wonder how they found that guy!
Frank D
From the announcement it sounded like all iPhones, iPods and iPads that are running iOS 14.5. Which would be iPhone 7 and up. Super precision finding is limited it iPhone 11 and 12 series.
Kent Skinner
They found him because people driving by with an iPhone detected the tag in his pocket, and reported the location back the the owner of the tag. As long as iPhones are in the area, it works – which is why it’ll be so much more robust than the Milwaukee tags.
That’s what makes the Apple system so huge. Any iPhone can detect any tag, and report back to the owner. Same tech allows you to find a lost or stolen Apple product – watch, computer, laptop, phone, tablet, etc.
Frank D
PS: According to Forbes 1.5 million people use the Tile app monthly.
Andy
I agree, if milwaukee can make their product work with Apple’s “Find My” network, that would be a HUGE game changer. Dewalt with their tag could do the same as well. Sadly I own 80% Dewalt (OK first world problems – haha) and about 20% Milwaukee. I say that only because I feel Milwaukee’s tick is MUCH better executed on mounting on their tools. If the integration does go to Apples Find My network, I’ll definitely order some ticks. Heck, for the price they go for, would be MUCH cheaper than an airtag as well!
Nate B
I tried both a Tile and Trackr, to see how they’d perform as a stolen-gizmo-finder. I handed them to a friend who volunteered to help test. She left them in her car for a few days while driving around to various work sites, then took them home for a while. After the first day, I “noticed my items were missing” and flagged them as such in their respective apps.
Over the course of two weeks, I got zero pings from either network. Either the back of a Mazda is a freakin’ faraday cage, or there just isn’t nearly enough adoption in our area for the network to do anything useful.
You better believe I’m picking up an Apple tag to try out ASAP.
MM
If she put it in the trunk then yes, it is a Faraday cage.
Jim Felt
Aka pretty useless for a “tracking” device with such limited sensors as Tile presently offers. Probably Milwaukee as well.
Jim V
I’ve done experiments similar to Nate B where I’ve given a tile and Milwaukee tracker to someone going on a road trip to see how many locations reports would be shown (they didn’t have either app on their phone). The Milwaukee had one where as the tile had many. It was interesting that it appeared to be picked up by other cars on the highways as they were driving. It was enough to let you. Know it was on the move, but it was very spotty.
In the pre-C19 days, I flew out for work nearly every week. I kept both a tile and Milwaukee tick in my car, parked in the airport lot, and in my luggage. Both worked ok for knowing my luggage was on the plane. The tile was best to see when it was about to come around the carousel.
The trackers in my car were similar, the tile received a good number of hits from other tile users driving by. But interestingly I tried to locate my car, after being parked a week or two, using nothing but the apps. While the tile had lots of hits, the location information was so bad that it could never lead me close enough to the car for my phone to ping it. The Milwaukee app had its location with one or two car spaces.
My conclusion is that the tile is good for knowing approximately where something is, but its hardly good enough to lead you anywhere close enough to find it if say someone accidentally took your toolbox. While more limited, the Milwaukee was great in letting you know the last place you used something at a job site. The other thing to keep in mind is how useful the Milwaukee app is for inventory management. It’s a very good product but you need to keep in mind whaat it can and cant do. I think Milwaukee hasn’t done a great job of communicating that.
I doubt that the Milwaukee trackers will be able to use the apple system, at least at first. But, it may provide a motivation for Apple to get with other mobile device makers to come up with a cross platform standard just as it seems the industry is doing with home automation. While I very much appreciate Apple’s privacy first approach, I wouldn’t mind clicking some check boxes to give a little bit of that up if that was the only way to get increased capabilities for tracking some items.
Plain grainy
I wonder if this could lead to insurance discounts? You could have an AirTag in your vehicle, then track it down?
Frank D
I think that it would require a different solution for vehicles.
It can’t hurt, but how would insurance agencies track that you have a tag on your devices, mode of transportation, … I’m not sure there would be any crime prevention ( hidden tracker ) or higher recovery rate of stolen items that could lead to discounts. Unless there’s a big number of claims for people losing personal stuff, and in that regard less people losing stuff, making less claims?
Back to vehicles.
The tile is supposed to start beeping when it is not in proximity of the owner / put in lost mode … and it was stated people will get alerts on their devices should a tracker that is not theirs, follow their presence. So, hiding an AirTag in the car just got a bit harder. Would the person ditch the tag? or ditch the car? …
Certainly worth exploring, and I hope that Apple will set the cost / licensing low, so many other manufacturers would want to opt into Find Me, as a value add.
And perhaps there’s another mode needed: device lost (with beeps, transmit location), device stolen (no beeps, just transmit)
Plain grainy
Thanks for the info.
MM
I could see that the presence of a tracker might help for auto theft recovery, perhaps? So if your car is insured against theft then the rate might go down? I’d think that might already be a thing on the market though I admit I haven’t done any research on it. For several years now many if not most new cars have come with built in GPS and sometimes cellular devices too. Those can already be used for tracking. So does anyone know if you get an insurance discount if your car has a feature like that?
drewmcdan1
USAA offers a discount on that. How much I am unsure of. Of course, the vehicle I have, a 2018 Toyota Highlander is “dropping” this service later this year due to them using a 3G cell chip. So Toyota didn’t know that in 2018 they had to use a 4G cell chip? It also happened to their 2019 models.
Doc John
I need a location, not a street address. How can i locate my surgical headlamp in a massive hospital campus with a street address- i would think that is the same as a tradesman.
Lets get real equipment location. These assets cost real money
Frank D
Have you ever tried Find My?
Did you watch the presentation?
Or maybe wait for some detailed reviews in the next few weeks.
BF
A couple points:
1) Apple’s Find My network works without having an app installed or running. So, there are over a billion devices that are helping locate lost items. How big is Milwaukee’s install base? 50k?
2) Apple explicitly states that AirTags are not for tracking stolen items, only lost or misplaced items. After an AirTag is separated from a owner for a configurable amount of time, it will notify nearby Apple devices that there is a tag traveling with them. This is to prevent the tags from being used to invade privacy and create the worlds cheapest and most effective spy network. I’m guessing there are also legal issues that might arise that Apple wants to avoid here.
3) Find My is usable by third parties. Prior to the announcement of AirTags, Apple announced several companies making Find My capable items, including another tag and a scooter. I imagine that the parameters for notifying devices nearby post-separation (and thus nullifying tracking stolen items) are configurable and the scooter, for example can be tracked if stolen. This is because no one is going to surreptitiously slip a scooter onto an individual to track them and invade their privacy.
All this to say that yes, Milwaukee (or another manufacturer) could probably build Find My enabled products, but I seriously doubt they will, despite its potential effectiveness. Secondly, AirTags are probably not a great substitute for Milwaukee’s key, as theft-prevention is probably the most important aspect for power tools.
Stuart
2) AH – that’s what they mean by deactivating tags that have been separated from their owner for too long. Just in case someone discretely puts a tag in your bag/pocket/vehicle/etc.
I would think Apple’s server measures separation time and stranger-contact duration. But what happens if that person doesn’t have an AirTag, does it set off a siren saying “find me?”
BF
I’ll just note that the “someone slipped an AirTag in my bag” and “Someone stole my bag with my AirTag in it” are indistinguishable events from the perspective of the system.
What happens? The individual who is near the AirTag gets a notification and then has options to play a sound on the tag (to physically locate it) or disable the tag. https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212227
I don’t think Apple has commented on the timing of this event, but it only starts after both a) separation from the original paired device for X, and b) Y concurrent time next to another device.
Obviously this is just for AirTags themselves. Other items integrated into Find My might have other parameters.
Todd N
Tile is already pushing Congress to punish Apple for unfair business practices, monoply-like activity. Apple is restricting 3rd party Find My manufacturers to Apple’s network. They are not allowed to use their own or outside networks. It will be interesting to see if Tile and Apple come to an agreement but Tile is VERY unhappy about Apple’s entry into the market.
Stuart
That’s unsurprising. It probably wouldn’t greatly affect their current user base, but Apple’s entry in this market will surely decimate their growth potential.
The government probably won’t step in unless there are unfair foreign factors, such as with what happened when Waterloo complained about import products benefitting from uncompetitively high foreign subsidies.
In other words, the solution for Tile is to innovate and fast, or start showcasing any existing competitive advantages their products and network might offer.
Todd N
Tile is piggybacking on anti-monopoly concerns that Apple is already scheduled to address with Congress. Questions will likely be asked.
I’d like to see Apple and Tile work together but I’m sure Tile won’t give up their existing network. It would remove support for all Android users. I use Tile but I expect I’ll switch to Apple when I find a suitable deal. Being directed to the exact location of the device is a game-changer.
Paul
Let’s face it at this point most contractors probably have at least a dozen power tools on their service vehicles. Some cost hundreds to thousands while the vast majority are in the $100-$150 range. Batteries alone are in the $100 range, and those add to the number of tools. At any given time I may have 2-3 tools on my service truck that cost thousands but they’re not small and I pretty much know exactly where they are at all times. Leaving aside anything that “walks” the big use case is so that at the end of a long day I can pull up the app and check to make sure that my dozen+ tools are all on board. Sort of a virtual “socket strip” check.
Sure at any given time I might be carrying 1-4 tools that cost well over $10,000 for high end specialized testers. Well guess what we’ve never lost one of those accidentally or had one stolen. It is fairly easy to steal and do something with a drill/driver or a tool battery. It is quite another to steal a $25,000 vibration analyzer when most people wouldn’t even know what it is or how to use it. The tools that are over $250 or so are what these things are targeted for, but there is generally a lot less hassle with those. Look at all the rental companies that don’t feel the need to install trackers despite their huge fleets of manlifts and other very expensive tools.
The problem is that with a dozen tools and paying $25 a piece for tags and considering the number of items that cost $100 or more on my service van, I’d need about $500 in tags. If I lose one tool a year considering the life of the tags, it’s awful hard to justify buying into any of these systems right now If the price drops to $10/tag,, I’ll take 2 dozen please. Due to the price barrier I think it will remain a niche market. I’ve also looked at RFID tags in general and “make your own”. It seems like active tags (BT or Wifi style) aren’t going to come down in price. Even BT LE isn’t very cheap.
Datura
I purchased and esp8266 for less than $2 and powered by my dewalt battery, and it connects to wifi.
I purchased a CJ730 relay for my generator that connect to 3G for $26, and $10 for the sim card that gives me 10 years of service with 250 sms & 500mb of data
Datura
A new problem is that in order to use Apple’s Find My, a stolen device needs to ask the thief for permission to use their iPhone to notify the owner of the device.
Using an AirTag to tell the owner it’s location by using an iPhone, also let’s the recipient know where the iPhone is.
Using 3G, LTE, etc would not need any iPhone user’s permission.
Using the Milwaukee app, although a smaller network, already has the owner’s permission.
Using Amazon’s Sidewalk, also does not require a per-device permission, the owner can allow all devices to relay through their connection.