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Even Queen Bey ain’t safe
You’d think Beyoncé’s secret files crew would be protected by a force field of security, privacy settings and Sasha Fierce energy. But nope, real-world crime doesn’t care how many Grammys you have.
Right before her recent Atlanta show, thieves smashed the glass of a rental Jeep used by her crew and made off with two suitcases. Inside? A laptop, five thumb drives filled with unreleased, watermarked music, confidential tour plans and one very important piece of tech.
No elaborate heist, no cybercriminal with a keyboard on fire. Just your average smash-and-grab with potentially Grammy-winning consequences.
The suitcases belonged to Beyoncé’s lead dancer and choreographer. They had just wrapped rehearsals and left the gear in the car. Moments later, it was gone.
But here’s the part that made me smile and the lesson for you.
👮🏼♀️ Tech cracked the case
One of the stolen items was a pair of Apple AirPods Max. These are Apple’s $450 headphones, and fortunately, the Find My feature was turned on.
Here’s what that means. When activated, “Find My” sends a sneaky little Bluetooth signal from your Apple gadget. Then any nearby Apple device (of which there are a billion+) picks up the signal and sends the location back to you, anonymously, quietly, undetectably.
That’s exactly what happened. Police tracked the AirPods, found a suspect vehicle on surveillance video, and now there’s an active warrant. All thanks to one little toggle in your settings.
🍎 Team Apple
The Find My app is built into every iPhone, iPad and Mac. It’s how you track your Apple devices if they’re lost or stolen, and it works with AirTags (21% off), too.
Those are the little discs you can drop in your luggage, attach to your keys or even hide in your car. I’ve got one on my dogs. Not kidding.
🤖 Team Android
Android doesn’t have a built-in network like Apple’s, but you can still get the same power using Tile ($24.98) trackers.
Some products, like Skull Candy headphones ($48.99), for example, have Tile built into them.
Tile tags connect to your phone via Bluetooth and tap into the Tile Network, that is, millions of other Tile users and Amazon products like Echos and Sidewalk.
If your item goes missing, Tile works like Find My: Other users help you locate it, anonymously. Attach a tag to keys, bags, gear and anything you don’t want to lose.
You don’t have to be a celebrity to protect your things. You just have to be prepared. And now, you are.
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Tags: Apple AirTags, files, privacy, security, Tile
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