You can set it to update location every minute, hour, ten seconds etc. Then just check the app for last known location. I have excellent telecom coverage where I live, and it can ping for wifi networks as well as gps, so I have personally never lost signal as long as it’s charged.

The frequent charging might be the biggest downside for tracking a bike, for my pet I can just do it every night when they stay indoors and don’t need it.

My pet tracker can be set up to only send location when asked for it. It uses a SIM card (pre paid), plus you can call it to listen to the surroundings or have it blink or make noise through the app.

The app requires the phone numbers of the people who are allowed to query the tracker.

I don’t know what trackers are available in your country. I found several who had subscription-type deals to have the tracking actually work. I hate subscriptions, so will always choose to pay more upfront to control my usage and cost. It’s a lot more expensive than any sort of air tag.

With the one I have I can delete the app after setup and only text the number to get gps-coordinates when I wish, but the app works great for my needs.

It also triangulates with WiFi etc to give a more accurate reading. All such settings can be changed in the app.

Can’t speak for privacy aside from it can be set up to only send info when queried and only to preselected numbers. Kinda depends what you mean by privacy respecting.

It does need to charge (varies greatly depending on weather, queries, settings etc) often.

Well… YOU could read papers. YOU could look up from your phone and notice the flyers.

The possibilities are there. There are other ways to get info about local events than from fb. You don’t have to wait for everyone else to pick up a paper.

Ps. I have plenty of friends and involvement, which most of my current social circle I gathered after moving alone to a new city, without using social media. I lost a lot of acquaintances by leaving fb, but none that I actually miss. My friends are the ones I put effort into keeping in touch with.

People exist offline. We’ve done so for millennia, and still do.

I have a local newspaper subscription that often have articles/info and/or ads for local shows and festivals - one can even go to the library to read it every day for free if paying isn’t in one’s budget (but I like paying for it, it’s a lot of fluff but sometimes they dig up something about how my city is being managed or mismanaged, and they have shone a light on a few desperately needed changes in local government).

I also know most venues in the area that host small bands and can check their website or get their newsletter through email.

There’s also flyers being taped up at the store, library and on maintenance boxes and poles around town for current events and activities (that’s how I found my knitting club!).

There are probably ticket vendors where you can flag certain bands or venues or maybe genres and get an email when something is booked in your area.

Just walking my city, talking to people, looking in shops and venues, and being present outside I get a ton of info about local events. I don’t miss FB. I don’t need a global mega-site to tell me what’s happening outside my own door.