Can't find your keys? Forgot to take them with you? If only the keys could call you and fix this daily mess. Well, if you have a smartphone, all you need is one of these cool gadgets to remind you of your keys and find them if they're missing.
Item finders are a new hot market. These are little devices that you can stick on your keys or cycle through your key fob, or anything else you lose often, like your remote. Using Bluetooth technology, the device communicates wirelessly with your smartphone to beep or guide you to where you are. Many of them require the new Bluetooth 4.0 standard, which has a longer range and lower battery consumption; but some also work on older Bluetooth devices. Ideally, you should check if your smartphone has Bluetooth 4.0 or not before buying one of these.
hipKey is a keychain that pairs with your iPhone and lets you know when your iPhone and keys are too far apart. Five centimeters in diameter, it tracks the distance between the two elements and allows you to set the activated range from short, medium or long (from 2 to 5 meters up to 50 meters) via the smartphone app. You can also designate 'safe zones' such as home or office where normal alarms will be ignored. With one tap on the smartphone app, you can find your hipKey; and also be notified if the hipKey moves while in move mode. And hipKey has a button to locate your phone, in turn.
Proximo by Kensington, a company known for its security solutions, works like hipKey but with one big difference:it has one main remote and the option to pair multiple tags. The remote is what you attach to your keys, for example, so that it always tracks its distance to your iPhone, triggering an alarm if it crosses a certain perimeter. To find one, press the button on the other and they will beep. Additional Bluetooth tags allow you to track up to four other items, which also come with a GPS feature to find your last known position.
For a cross-platform solution, Cobra Tag seems to be a worthy option. It works on older Bluetooth devices, so it's compatible with iOS (5+), Android (2.1+), and BlackBerry (OS 4.5+) devices. With a range of up to 30 feet, it triggers an alarm when the link between the smartphone and the keys is broken, and you can find the device manually by pressing one button on the other. The rechargeable battery usually lasts 7 days and you can use other Bluetooth devices on your phone along with the Cobra tag. However, the Cobra tag can only be connected to one smartphone at a time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YeOVLK7gK_w
The ZOMM Wireless Leash Plus is just like the hipKey and Kensington Proximo, but with one big difference:a microphone. With this, you can turn the Wireless Leash Plus into a hands-free device and also press the one-touch button to call 911 in the US in case of an emergency. The Wireless Leash Plus has an iPhone app, while Android users can purchase the same.
It hasn't shipped yet, but Tile promises to be the best accessory you can buy. About 1/3 the size of a credit card, each Tile ships with double-sided tape to stick to your keys or use the hole to make a loop on your keychain. Once it's paired with your smartphone or other device, you can have it play a sound to track the item, find it with a meter that tells you how close or far it is, and even mark an item as "lost" so when there is another user with a tile near him, he will receive an alert with the GPS coordinates. Currently only works with iOS devices.
Like Tile, the Button TrackR is another promising concept. Unlike Tile, it works with Android devices too. About the size of a coin, the Button TrackR can be attached to objects with double-sided tape or attached to items with the provided strap. Once paired with your smartphone, it can alert you when you're leaving it behind and can be tracked with the app or by emitting a customizable tone. In turn, click the button on the TrackR and your phone will ring, even if it's on silent. The TrackR button stores your last GPS position when you go out of range and can communicate with other TrackR devices to update your position. According to their website, the estimated delivery date is October 2013 with no indication of the date of shipment. However, you can make a reservation if you are interested.
Of all these options, I'm most excited about the Tile and Button TrackR. I love the idea of these little gadgets that stick to objects to find them whenever you want and forget about them for the rest of the year. Unfortunately, neither is available at the moment, but I'm willing to pre-order and wait.
What's wrong with you? Which of these key search engines do you fancy? Will you wait for the tile?
