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I Prefer These Bluetooth Trackers Over AirTags. Here’s Why I’m Grabbing Even More With This Early Prime Day Deal

Apple’s AirTags are pretty great, but only if you’re an iPhone user. For Android users, I recommend the Chipolo One Point, which is down to an all-time low price right now.

Apple’s AirTags Bluetooth trackers are a popular choice among our CNET staff for tracking everything from keys to wallets, and even bikes and cars. But if you’re an Android user (like me), there’s no point in wasting money on something that’s incompatible. Luckily, Apple isn’t the only company that makes Bluetooth trackers, and I’ve found some options for Android users that are just as good. I especially like the One Point, which Chipolo released in 2024.

Amazon’s October Prime Day sale (aka Prime Big Deals Day) officially kicks off on Tuesday, Oct. 7, but our editors have already spotted some worthwhile discounts, including an early deal on Chipolo’s trackers. Right now, a four-pack of the One Point trackers is down to an all-time-low price of $62, or $15.50 per tracker. That’s 22% less than its usual list price of $79 for a four-pack. And it’s $13 less than the current sale price of Apple’s AirTags.

The One Point is a Bluetooth tracker that uses Google’s own crowdsourced Find My Device network of over 1 billion Android devices. It works in a similar way to Apple’s Find My network to help you easily locate your keys, wallet, luggage, backpack, car or other items that are easy to misplace. 

Taking advantage of Google’s tracking network means besides using your own phone to locate the One Point tracker — with the Find My Device app — you can tap into all the other Android devices around you, from friends and strangers alike (completely privately), to better track your item, no matter where it is or how far from the item you are. (For more, here’s why you shouldn’t put an AirTag on a pet and five unexpected places to use a tracker.)

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How does the Chipolo One Point tracker work?

The tiny plastic tracker, which weighs relatively nothing, is about an inch and a half in diameter, roughly the size of those old Eisenhower dollar coins (I’m showing my age). Unlike the Apple AirTag, the One Point also has a built-in keyring hole, so you don’t need to buy an accessory to clip the tracker to your item. All you need is a key ring.

Once your One Point is connected to your phone, you can check the location of your tracked item with Google’s Find My Device app. You can easily see where the tracker is on a map, and your distance from it. If you can’t find the tracker with your eyes, you can always force it to make a pretty loud sound (120db), so that you can easily hear where it is, even if it’s under a pile of clothing.

The battery life is about a year, but you can easily open the tracker (there’s a tiny hole on the side) to replace the CR2032 battery. You can buy a 10-pack of CR2032 batteries for $6, and Chipolo says that should last you a decade. If you’re placing your tracker on something shared, like a large piece of check-in luggage for you and your family, you can share the information with a loved one so that you can both keep an eye on the tracker from separate Android devices.

Taking advantage of Google’s tracking network means that besides using your own phone to locate the One Point tracker — with the Find My Device app — you can tap into all the other Android devices around you, from friends and strangers alike (completely privately), to better track your item, no matter where it is or how far from the item you are. Doing all that while saving money is just an added bonus. 

Why should you get the Chipolo One Point over the AirTag?

There’s really only one reason why you should get the Chipolo One Point tracker, and that’s if you own an Android device. The Chipolo One Point is made specifically for Android phones and tablets and works with Google’s Find My Device app. If you own an Android, you definitely don’t want an AirTag, mainly because there’s no way to connect an AirTag to an Android device.

If you’ve got a mix of Apple and Android devices, there are also a few other reasons to choose the Chipolo One over an AirTag:

  • The Chipolo One is cheaper than the AirTag. Only by a dollar, but still.
  • The Chipolo One has a built-in key ring hole. The AirTag doesn’t have a key ring hole, so you’ll need to buy an accessory, which ends up making the AirTag a more expensive purchase.
  • There is a card version of the Chipolo. The Card Point is a card tracker that’s specifically designed for your wallet. There is no AirTag card tracker at the moment.

How to set up your Chipolo One Point tracker

Right out of the box, all you need to do is press in your Chipolo One Point (you’ll hear a pretty loud sound coming from the tiny device) and then place the tracker next to your phone. Your Android device will automatically detect the tracker, as long as you have the Find My Device app downloaded.

The pop-up on your screen will walk you through all the instructions for setup, which includes linking the device to your email account, agreeing to be part of Google’s Find My Device network and enabling recent locations for offline devices.

All in all, the setup takes under a minute. And then you can keep track of your item from the comfort of your phone. Just don’t lose your phone.

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Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Tuesday, Oct. 14

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Oct. 14.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.


Today’s Mini Crossword has an odd vertical shape, with an extra Across clue, and only four Down clues. The clues are not terribly difficult, but one or two could be tricky. Read on if you need the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: Smokes, informally
Answer: CIGS

5A clue: «Don’t have ___, man!» (Bart Simpson catchphrase)
Answer: ACOW

6A clue: What the vehicle in «lane one» of this crossword is winning?
Answer: RACE

7A clue: Pitt of Hollywood
Answer: BRAD

8A clue: «Yeah, whatever»
Answer: SURE

9A clue: Rd. crossers
Answer: STS

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Things to «load» before a marathon
Answer: CARBS

2D clue: Mythical figure who inspired the idiom «fly too close to the sun»
Answer: ICARUS

3D clue: Zoomer around a small track
Answer: GOCART

4D clue: Neighbors of Norwegians
Answer: SWEDES

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New California Law Wants Companion Chatbots to Tell Kids to Take Breaks

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the new requirements on AI companions into law on Monday.

AI companion chatbots will have to remind users in California that they’re not human under a new law signed Monday by Gov. Gavin Newsom.

The law, SB 243, also requires companion chatbot companies to maintain protocols for identifying and addressing cases in which users express suicidal ideation or self-harm. For users under 18, chatbots will have to provide a notification at least every three hours that reminds users to take a break and that the bot is not human.

It’s one of several bills Newsom has signed in recent weeks dealing with social media, artificial intelligence and other consumer technology issues. Another bill signed Monday, AB 56, requires warning labels on social media platforms, similar to those required for tobacco products. Last week, Newsom signed measures requiring internet browsers to make it easy for people to tell websites they don’t want them to sell their data and banning loud advertisements on streaming platforms. 

AI companion chatbots have drawn particular scrutiny from lawmakers and regulators in recent months. The Federal Trade Commission launched an investigation into several companies in response to complaints by consumer groups and parents that the bots were harming children’s mental health. OpenAI introduced new parental controls and other guardrails in its popular ChatGPT platform after the company was sued by parents who allege ChatGPT contributed to their teen son’s suicide. 

«We’ve seen some truly horrific and tragic examples of young people harmed by unregulated tech, and we won’t stand by while companies continue without necessary limits and accountability,» Newsom said in a statement.


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One AI companion developer, Replika, told CNET that it already has protocols to detect self-harm as required by the new law, and that it is working with regulators and others to comply with requirements and protect consumers. 

«As one of the pioneers in AI companionship, we recognize our profound responsibility to lead on safety,» Replika’s Minju Song said in an emailed statement. Song said Replika uses content-filtering systems, community guidelines and safety systems that refer users to crisis resources when needed.

Read more: Using AI as a Therapist? Why Professionals Say You Should Think Again

A Character.ai spokesperson said the company «welcomes working with regulators and lawmakers as they develop regulations and legislation for this emerging space, and will comply with laws, including SB 243.» OpenAI spokesperson Jamie Radice called the bill a «meaningful move forward» for AI safety. «By setting clear guardrails, California is helping shape a more responsible approach to AI development and deployment across the country,» Radice said in an email.

One bill Newsom has yet to sign, AB 1064, would go further by prohibiting developers from making companion chatbots available to children unless the AI companion is «not foreseeably capable of» encouraging harmful activities or engaging in sexually explicit interactions, among other things. 

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