[ad_1]
Test drive: 2021 Ford Mustang Mach 1
The 2021 Ford Mustang Mach 1 is the latest in a line of high-performance Mustangs dating back to 1969 and very different from the brand’s other “Mach” model, according to Fox News Autos editor-in-chief Gary Gastelu.
The Apple AirTag was designed to help people keep track of things like keys and wallets, but it doesn’t matter how big those things are.
(Daniel Acker / Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The little piece of technology taps into the Bluetooth network created by millions of Apple products to monitor its location and can be located no matter what it’s connected to.
Fox News Autos recently tested its utility as a stolen car tracking device alternative to products that cost hundreds of dollars and require service contracts and found it to be very effective.
Fox quietly placed it in several different places in a variety of vehicles and moved them around urban and rural environments.
It worked perfectly in all cases, giving a general location of where the vehicles had been parked. Granted, a network connection is required, so it’s possible to take it to the middle of nowhere and out of reach, but any iPhone that comes close will pin its location.
The AirTag is equipped with an anti-harassment feature that emits a short beep when it is moved and not within range of the phone it is paired with, but it is quite quiet and can easily be drowned out by a noisy outdoor environment. The system will also eventually alert all nearby iPhone users that there is an unknown AirTag nearby with a pop-up message on their screen and repeat the sound alert, but at least a real example of its use as a Vehicle tracking device indicates that crooks may be too busy to notice or easily duped.
Dan Guido, CEO of cybersecurity firm Trail of Bits, this week recounted an incident in which he used AirTags to find his stolen $ 800 Ninebot electric scooter in Brooklyn. Guido did not respond to a request for comment, but a spokesperson for the New York City Police Department confirmed key account details to Fox News Autos to be correct.
Guido had in fact hidden two AirTags on the scooter, one in the wheel arch as a decoy and the other in the handlebar stem, both covered with thick black tape.
He was quickly able to locate it to a building, but had to leave town before he could investigate further. When he returned a few days later, it was in the same place, so he asked the local police to help him.
He said officers were unfamiliar with the product and needed to be convinced, but when they returned to the scene, they noticed that there was a used electric scooter store in the area.
Sure enough, the scooter was inside and retrieved using the more precise locate feature available to iPhone 11 and 12 users. Security camera footage captured the person who sold it to the scooter. store, but they completed the transaction anonymously and were not found.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Guido said the damage to the scooter indicated the thieves were looking for the second AirTag, likely because it made the warning sound, but to no avail.
One missing feature is an alert for the AirTag owner that lets them know that a tag is moving, which would give them an alert that their vehicle has been stolen. Guido notes that you really need to act quickly before the beacon is discovered, or hope it isn’t.
If you use an AirTag in this way, keep in mind that many federal and state laws make it an offense to track other people or their property with electronic devices. It should therefore only be used on personal vehicles.
[ad_2]
Source link