Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Apple Is Releasing a Find My AirPods Feature (theverge.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the peace-of-mind dept.

For those of you worried about losing an AirPod or two, you may soon be able to find some peace of mind. According to The Wall Street Journal, Apple is adding AirPods support to the Find My iPhone app with the release of iOS 10.3, which will be released in the coming weeks. The Verge reports: Inside the app, AirPods owners will be able to see either the current or last known location of their headphones (although it seems like Apple will determine that based on where the case was last seen, not the actual earbuds). That location data is going to be pretty broad, so it'll really only be good for confirming whether your AirPods are at home or got left behind at work or a coffee shop -- it's not granular enough to say where within your home they might be. To help out with the trickier issue of locating missing headphones that have been separated from their case, Apple is able to blast sound out of each earbud (so long as it has some remaining power). That's by no means an assurance that you'll find a lost earbud, especially if you drop it outside, but it could be pretty helpful if one goes missing around the house.

50 of 98 comments (clear)

  1. It dosen't matter by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    If it doesn't have a headphone jack then I am not buying an iphone.

    1. Re:It dosen't matter by Mikkeles · · Score: 1

      It also makes it easier to know where your headphones/earbuds are. (They're attached to your phone!)

      --
      Great minds think alike; fools seldom differ.
    2. Re:It dosen't matter by DickBreath · · Score: 1

      Even if you lose them, conventional headphones / earbuds are likely to be considerably cheaper to replace if lost.

      --

      I'll see your senator, and I'll raise you two judges.
    3. Re: It dosen't matter by Joce640k · · Score: 1

      When I was a kid my mum sewed my gloves on pieces of elastic and attached them to my coat.

      --
      No sig today...
  2. I guess we now know... by thesupraman · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Why they pulled the app a few weeks ago that allowed you to track down a lost airpod..

    How is this NOT anticompetitive?
    Apple use their control of the app store to remove an app, and then release similar (although by the sound of it only distantly similar) functionality a few week later.

    I hope the creator of the pulled app knows a good lawyer..

    1. Re:I guess we now know... by SeaFox · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Why they pulled the app a few weeks ago that allowed you to track down a lost airpod..

      How is this NOT anticompetitive?
      I hope the creator of the pulled app knows a good lawyer..

      Maybe he should ask that guy who wrote the notification app that was copied by iOS7 (iirc?) how much of a case he has.

    2. Re:I guess we now know... by soksabay9499 · · Score: 1

      it all depends on how that app was going about doing what it was doing. Apple's app no matter what would swamp the first one no matter how good it (the Original) was.

    3. Re:I guess we now know... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

      What the hell Tim Cook's sexual orientation have to do with anything?

    4. Re: I guess we now know... by ArmoredDragon · · Score: 1

      Either way, Tim Cook seems more like a salesman than an inventor. Same problem Microsoft had with Steve Ballmer.

    5. Re: I guess we now know... by TheFakeTimCook · · Score: 2

      Stop injecting your prejudices into the discussion. The commenter just referred to him as 'that gay guy.' No implication was made that his gayness had anything to do with the rest of the comment. Stop acting like calling somebody gay is a pejorative. It's no different than saying ' that redheaded guy.'

      You don't actually believe what you are saying, do you?

    6. Re:I guess we now know... by ArmoredDragon · · Score: 1

      Maybe he should ask that guy who wrote the notification app that was copied by iOS7 (iirc?) how much of a case he has.

      These guys should probably patent these things and then just stick it to Apple's ass (i.e. charge really steep royalties, say $10 per device) if they decide to remove the app in favor of their own. Maybe not for the notification thing (prior art on Android and all,) but certainly for the method of syncing itunes (proprietary) over wireless, and this find my airpods thing, both of which were likely patentable and Apple just yanked from the store when they decided to make a competing product. In fact it may not be too late to file a patent for the later.

    7. Re:I guess we now know... by Enzo1977 · · Score: 1

      You mean Comex? He wanted to work for Apple. Interned with them, I think even later interned with Google.

      http://www.idownloadblog.com/2...

      I see your point, but if we're talking about Comex (I could be wrong), he's not the best example, but a brilliant kid none the less.

      --
      I hate all sigs, even this one.
    8. Re: I guess we now know... by Marxist+Hacker+42 · · Score: 1

      Exactly. Though in this case, there is a bit of "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" mentality that seems to be going on.

      --
      SJW: a person who perceives an injustice, and while correcting it, commits a greater injustice.
    9. Re:I guess we now know... by Marxist+Hacker+42 · · Score: 1

      "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy"

      Supposedly, the stereotype I was trying to reference is that gays are awesome at fashion and appearances, but that once you scratch beneath the surface, you find broken psyches.

      Similarly, Apple is wonderful at making innovative cases that people like to look at, but the technology inside is, well, outdated.

      --
      SJW: a person who perceives an injustice, and while correcting it, commits a greater injustice.
    10. Re: I guess we now know... by Marxist+Hacker+42 · · Score: 1

      He had a good point, but it's not true in this case.

      I see the gay culture as being FABULOUS on the outside, BROKEN on the inside.

      Thus I was trying to draw an analogy to a computer company that is great at making cases people want to use that contain outdated technology.

      --
      SJW: a person who perceives an injustice, and while correcting it, commits a greater injustice.
    11. Re:I guess we now know... by GuB-42 · · Score: 1

      The app store has a policy against duplicating built-in functionality. Many apps have been rejected for this reason.
      Apparently, it includes future functionality.

    12. Re: I guess we now know... by TheFakeTimCook · · Score: 1

      He had a good point, but it's not true in this case.

      I see the gay culture as being FABULOUS on the outside, BROKEN on the inside.

      Thus I was trying to draw an analogy to a computer company that is great at making cases people want to use that contain outdated technology.

      ORLY?

      What's "Outdated" in the iPhone 7? It has the fastest CPU and GPU in the industry, industry-leading water-resistance, iron-clad Security, etc.

      What's "Outdated" in the 2016 MacBook Pro? It has the latest-generation QUAD-CORE Mobile Intel CPUs; perhaps the ONLY 5k Display in a laptop; industry-leading SSD Speeds; DOUBLE the I/O bandwidth of the next TWO closest laptops COMBINED, and a unique-in-the-industry, multifunction, multitouch input device, not to mention the world's best trackpad.

      Those are HARDLY "outdated".

      As for their Desktop lineup, now that Intel has gotten off their behinds, you will see those updated here in just a couple of months (likely March or April). In fact, even the Mac Pro is likely to get an update, as will the iMac and hopefully the Mac mini.

    13. Re: I guess we now know... by Marxist+Hacker+42 · · Score: 1

      The iPhone 7 contains no technology at all that didn't already exist in Samsung, Asus, and LG phones.

      The 2016 Macbook pro is no different than any other Intel based laptop of the same class and half the price.

      Face it, it's just sparkle you're paying for with the apple tax these days. Fabulous looks and specs, nothing innovative underneath.

      --
      SJW: a person who perceives an injustice, and while correcting it, commits a greater injustice.
    14. Re: I guess we now know... by TheFakeTimCook · · Score: 1

      The iPhone 7 contains no technology at all that didn't already exist in Samsung, Asus, and LG phones.

      The 2016 Macbook pro is no different than any other Intel based laptop of the same class and half the price.

      Face it, it's just sparkle you're paying for with the apple tax these days. Fabulous looks and specs, nothing innovative underneath.

      Depends on the definition of the nebulous term "technology", now doesn't it? If you mean "It didn't have a built-in Transporter", then no. But having the world's fastest CPU and GPU and the best Security is certainly "Technology that doesn't exist" in other brands. As I said, it all hinges on the definition of "Technology". Too bad you had to resort to a bullshit catch-all term to try and prove your sad little point.

      As for the MacBook Pros: Name me one other laptop of ANY brand and at ANY price that has 80 Gbps of available orthagonal, multifunction I/O bandwidth. Name me one other laptop of ANY brand and at ANY price that can potentially break-out its four Ports of I/O into up to FIFTY-TWO "legacy" I/O Ports (yes, I realize that is ridiculous; but it is theoretically possible). Name me one other laptop of ANY brand and at ANY price that can drive TWO external 5k Displays (in addition to its internal 5k), or FOUR external 4k Displays (in addition to its internal 5k). Name me one other laptop of ANY brand and at ANY price that has the Touch Bar (regardless of whether you think it is worthwhile or not).

      I'm waiting...

    15. Re: I guess we now know... by Marxist+Hacker+42 · · Score: 1

      I've seen all of this at Intel. Other people make the hardware, Apple's just a packager. LG has a five-in-one that can do all of that and then some. The Apple 5k display is actually an LG product to begin with.

      --
      SJW: a person who perceives an injustice, and while correcting it, commits a greater injustice.
    16. Re: I guess we now know... by TheFakeTimCook · · Score: 1

      I've seen all of this at Intel. Other people make the hardware, Apple's just a packager. LG has a five-in-one that can do all of that and then some. The Apple 5k display is actually an LG product to begin with.

      Duh! You truly are an idiot.

      Apple doesn't claim that LG display; just that they worked with LG on it. It is LG-Branded, and looks NOTHING like an Apple product.

      Apple, however, is MUCH more than a "packager".

      Where did they buy that Touch Bar display and custom SoC from? Whose parts catalog can you point to?

      Where did they buy that TouchID and custom SoC in the new MBPs from? Whose parts catalog can you point to?

      Where did they buy the custom SSD controller in the new MBPs from? Whose parts catalog can you point to?

      Where did they buy the A11x (and all other Axx) SoCs in the iOS devices from? Whose parts catalog can you point to?

      Where did they buy the W1 chip from (yes, I know they bought a company...)? Whose parts catalog can you point to? And that's just a few recent examples off the top of my head.

      And don't EVEN try to hide behind the fact that Apple has people like Samsung, Sharp and TSMC FABRICATE some of these parts. That makes those other companies "Foundries", not "Designers". BIG, BIG difference!

      EVERYONE buys CPUs, GPUs, RAM and SSDs from the same few sources. So what? Does that make EVERYONE a "Packager"? I guess by your definition, it does.

    17. Re: I guess we now know... by Plumpaquatsch · · Score: 1

      Either way, Tim Cook seems more like a salesman than an inventor. Same problem Microsoft had with Steve Ballmer.

      Funny - you guys said the same about Steve Jobs until he died. Then he suddenly became the one true inventor that kept Apple alive. "Due already Apple, you should have imploded the second now that Steve died."

      Have you ever considered that not understanding Apple when Jobs was still alive is no good reason to believe you understand Apple after Steve died?

      --
      Of course news about a fake are Fake News.
    18. Re:I guess we now know... by Plumpaquatsch · · Score: 1

      More importantly, did the original developer remember to file a patent on the process of locating wireless speakers through the use of signal analysis?

      Only on Slashdot can people in seriousness claim somebody should get a patent on "finding wireless headphones" by simply displaying Bluetooth signal strength. Which at best finds you the room the headphones are in, not the headphones themselves.

      --
      Of course news about a fake are Fake News.
  3. Or they could have left the plug by H3lldr0p · · Score: 1

    alone in their "brave" design and not had to deal with this particular mess which keeps coming back to bug them.

    But what do I know? I'm not an exec trying to make their quarterly projections.

    1. Re:Or they could have left the plug by DickBreath · · Score: 1

      Stop bitching about Apple removing the headphone jack! It's a smart business decision.

      It's called: Knowing your customer base.

      Apple removed the headphone jack to prevent users from molesting the phones.

      Some other phone brands don't seem to believe their users physically capable of this and thus kept the headphone jack.

      --

      I'll see your senator, and I'll raise you two judges.
  4. I wish I could pay but I lost my wallet by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Does apple have a feature to find my wallet so I can pay them whatever they want for this brand new (innovative, non-android) feature??

  5. A fool and his money... by damn_registrars · · Score: 1

    I don't have any real pity for someone who dishes out that kind of money for headphones and can't keep track of them. They should consider putting their money into something else.

    --
    Damn_registrars has no butt-hole. Damn_registrars has no use for a butt-hole.
    1. Re:A fool and his money... by SeaFox · · Score: 1

      I don't have any real pity for someone who dishes out that kind of money for headphones and can't keep track of them.

      Maybe they should get a string, or wire of some sort to keep them from getting away.

    2. Re:A fool and his money... by Oyjord · · Score: 1

      Ah, yes, telling a stranger how to spend their money, always a good rhetorical strategy. /facepalm

    3. Re:A fool and his money... by damn_registrars · · Score: 1

      To be fair, I did say "should consider". If they want to flush money down the toilet buying several pairs of airpods only to lose them and buy them again, I don't really care as they are wasting their own money. Similarly if they want to keep buying each new incremental release of the iPhone because they will feel like incomplete human beings if they don't, I don't care. I have other things that I prioritize my own spending on but they can do as they like with theirs.

      --
      Damn_registrars has no butt-hole. Damn_registrars has no use for a butt-hole.
    4. Re:A fool and his money... by tlhIngan · · Score: 1

      I don't have any real pity for someone who dishes out that kind of money for headphones and can't keep track of them. They should consider putting their money into something else.

      AIrPods are actually quite cheap. Even among wireless headphones.

      You can buy wired headphones that cost more - much more. Sennheisers, Beats, Bose, etc., all make wired headphones that cost more than AirPods. They also make wireless ones, also which cost more. Granted, they are much larger, so instead of losing them, you're more likely to leave them behind, or break them.

      And we've only covered the $500 and under segment of headphones. There's a whole set of them costing $1000 and up. There are in-ears that cost more than $1000 too. (It is also this segment who doesn't care as much about the headphone jack since they generally will need to dongle in a DAC and amp, both of which are far bigger than said iPhone).

  6. Re:Typical Apple by Roger+W+Moore · · Score: 4, Informative

    It will use the last place seen rather than have them emit a sound. Yup.

    No, according to the summary (you didn't even need to read the article!) it will do both...at least until some idiot does this while wearing the airpods and goes deaf at which point I expect the feature will be pulled.

  7. Re: Typical Apple by jxander · · Score: 1

    Just have it start quiet and crescendo.

    --
    This signature is false.
  8. Could be done better by wbr1 · · Score: 2
    Based on last location of case? Junk.

    If they are paired you can have them emit sound.
    While connected you can use GPS and a small table to record the phones location every minute. Round robin it for maybe an hour. Stop writing table when unpaired.
    Then when you need to find them you can backtrack from where you were last paired, up to an hour before that. You can even map it.

    Most likely they are within 30 feet the last paired location, or someone at that location picked them up. This is NOT rocket surgery. Come on Apple have some courage.

    --
    Silence is a state of mime.
    1. Re:Could be done better by omnichad · · Score: 1

      While connected you can use GPS and a small table to record the phones location every minute. Round robin it for maybe an hour. Stop writing table when unpaired. Then when you need to find them...

      Then when you need to find them...your phone's battery is dead.

    2. Re:Could be done better by tginouye · · Score: 1

      They have courage, remember? They used it to remove the headphone jack. Or maybe they used it up.

    3. Re:Could be done better by TheFakeTimCook · · Score: 1

      Based on last location of case? Junk.

      If they are paired you can have them emit sound. While connected you can use GPS and a small table to record the phones location every minute. Round robin it for maybe an hour. Stop writing table when unpaired. Then when you need to find them you can backtrack from where you were last paired, up to an hour before that. You can even map it.

      Most likely they are within 30 feet the last paired location, or someone at that location picked them up. This is NOT rocket surgery. Come on Apple have some courage.

      The AirPods themselves don't have GPS or WiFi, IIRC.

      If they did, don't you think Apple would be using it? In fact, Apple would likely have the AirPod start calling for help when it detected an increasing distance between itself and whatever it was last paired with. But they simply can't add GPS to AirPods without sucking some serious battery life.

      In fact, I wonder if Apple could monitor the BT strength from the AirPods in a background process running on the Paired Device(s). Once a second shouldn't affect battery life too much. and popup a notice when the signal drops below a threshold, suggesting the user turn around and look for their "lost" AirPod (or dismiss the notice). THEN, chirping the AirPod would likely be more effective, since you would likely be within 100 ft of the lost AirPod. In the "find" mode, Apple could also show signal strength of the Lost AirPod while in "find" mode, so someone could use that, along with the sound, to help head them in the right direction, too.

      It might be easier or lower-power to have the AirPods monitor the BT "beacon", and the. Have the AirPod call for help when the Paired Device's signal started to Fade. Apple would have to prototype both schemes, and see which one impacts AirPod battery the least, while still providing enough Notice that the user can't wander so far away that the chance of finding a dropped AirPod starts becoming a problem.

    4. Re:Could be done better by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      No need to keep track of the location constantly, wasting battery power on GPS. Just do one reading every time they unpair. If they are paired they are close by.

      The real problem is that this won't help you at all if one of the pods falls out of your pocket while turned off. The short battery life means you will want to turn them off when not in use. This is probably by design, Apple can make a fortune selling replacement earbuds.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
  9. How about a different option? by surfdaddy · · Score: 2

    How about a "Find my Headphone Jack" feature?

  10. Sombitches ... by CaptainDork · · Score: 1

    ... were right there in my ears all along.

    --
    It little behooves the best of us to comment on the rest of us.
  11. Re:Find my iPhone App by omnichad · · Score: 1

    First you find your phone using icloud.com, then use the phone to find the airpods. Though I suspect that you might find both on the web site.

  12. Bluetooth trackers by safetyinnumbers · · Score: 1

    If they're lost nearby, why can't they work like those keyfinder tags? The phone sends a BT command that turns them into a bluetooth beacon. An app then shows the signal strength and you get to play "hotter or colder" while waving your phone around.

  13. I don't need an app by gachunt · · Score: 1

    Mine are always are the end of a wire.

  14. Re:Typical Apple by DickBreath · · Score: 1

    Or, it could emit a sound.

    Loud enough for you to hear across the room.

    And then 'accidentally' do this again while you're wearing the earbuds / headphones.

    --

    I'll see your senator, and I'll raise you two judges.
  15. Re:Find my iPhone App by DickBreath · · Score: 1

    Apple will market another feature allowing you to find your lost phone using your earbuds / headphones.

    --

    I'll see your senator, and I'll raise you two judges.
  16. Even better by JustAnotherOldGuy · · Score: 2

    Wow, an app to help you find your earbuds!

    You know what would be even better? What would be even better is if you didn't need an app to find your own fucking earbuds.

    The lack of an earphone jack is one key reason that I'd never buy an iPhone. Mostly I like Apple gear, but this "fuck the users, we'll do what we want" attitude is just unbearable. Branding the "fuck you" attitude as "courage" is even more insulting.

    --
    Just cruising through this digital world at 33 1/3 rpm...
  17. Re: Typical Apple by dfenstrate · · Score: 1

    My two year Plantronics headset can sense when it's being worn. I imagine the air pods have the same features, and that the designers worked it into the program.

    --
    Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms should be the name of a store, not a government agency.
  18. Re:Find my iPhone App by sexconker · · Score: 1

    I'm waiting for the "Find Your Ass" app. In-app purchases include 2 hands and a map!

  19. Why does this even need an app? by bob4u2c · · Score: 1

    Instead of an app, why is there not a reminder setting?

    This setting could be triggered if the phone has a set of airpods paired with it, they become disconnected, and the phone moves more than say 100 feet since it disconnected? Once triggered, the phone rings/vibrates and alerts the user that the airpods may have been left behind.

  20. Re:Typical Apple by TheFakeTimCook · · Score: 1

    It will use the last place seen rather than have them emit a sound. Yup.

    No, according to the summary (you didn't even need to read the article!) it will do both...at least until some idiot does this while wearing the airpods and goes deaf at which point I expect the feature will be pulled.

    Doubtful, since AirPods know when they are in your ears.