 Under Construction.
Find lost things (TV remote, keys, wallet, smartphone, ...)
These devices use bluetooth LE (Low energy) to communicate with your smartphone.
They use the GPS in your smartphone to record the location last seen.
Most have these features:
You can tell you how close you are to the device as long as you are within bluetooth range.
You can cause to device to emit an audible sound.
You can see a map of where your lost item was last recorded.
Some signal if someone else with the same device walks by, and that person's app will ping the map to alert you of its location.
Some can cause your smart phone to beep if it is lost and in range.
Source: Best Key Finder 2016 - Tracking Devices for Lost Things | Toms Guide
| Item | Price | Smart-
phone | Range (ft)1 | Geo-
fence2 | Battery3 | TG4 | Amazon |
| Tile | $25.00 | iOS, And | 80 | n | n | 8 | 4.2 (1,070) |
| Duet by Protag | $30.00 |
iOS, And | 70-80 |
y | y | 8 |
1.9 (132) |
| Pally | $25.00 |
iOS, And | 60-70 |
y | y | 8 |
3.8 (7) |
| TrackR by Bravo | $29.00 |
iOS, And | 70-80 |
y | y | 7 |
1.9 (36) |
| Hippih Hipkey | $32.00 |
IOS | 60-70 |
|
Rc | 7 |
3.6 (211) |
| Pebblebee | $24.00 |
iOS, And | 50-60 |
y | y | 6 |
3.9 (145) |
| Elgato Smart Key | $38.00 |
iOS | 30-40 |
y | |
5 |
|
| Zomm | $40.00 |
none | 30-90 |
|
|
5 |
|
| XY Find It | |
iOS, And | 30-40 |
(y) | |
4 |
3.3 (103) |
| Kensington Proximo Fob | $32.00 |
iOS, And | 40 |
|
|
4 |
3.6 (210) |
| Lassotag ibeacon | $20.00 |
|
25-30 |
|
|
4 |
|
| Aware | $13.00 |
|
|
|
|
|
3.1 (15) |
Items which work without without a smartphone:
They have a separate transmiter which sends a radio signal causing the object to beep.
|
| Click n Dig | $20.00 |
|
60 |
|
|
|
3.9 (583) |
1 - Range - Average - most would do more in ideal situations
2 - Geofence (Perimeter Alert)- Alarm when you get out of range of device
A Wi-Fi Zone feature on the duet keeps those alerts from sounding when both your Duet and your phone are connected to the same Wi-Fi network. Sadly, there doesn't seem to be a way to disable those alerts when your Duet is in a secured location -- say, inside a backpack that you have in the trunk of your locked car as you walk away to run errands -- other than dismissing the alerts your phone sends to you once you walk out of range.
3 - Battery: y-replicable, Rc-Rechargeable
4 -TG - Tom's Guide Rating
Review:
I can't find this review on the web now.
They say, "To conduct our range tests, we went to a busy public park that was largely free of electronic interference. In two separate tests, we put the sensors down on a bench and walked to places at various distances. Those tests gave us both an average range for each key finder as well as the maximum distance we were able to reach while still maintaining a connection with our proximity sensor.
See the tile page for more tests.
In addition, we noted whether any alarms or alerts were audible in both the public park and at home when we buried each sensor under a pile of laundry. We also used the devices around a home to see how they performed in a space with walls, doors and other electronics within range.
It's worth noting that key finders, even the top-rated ones, receive wildly mixed reviews from users on ecommerce sites like Amazon. We chalk this up to vagaries of Bluetooth connectivity, where other electronic signals and physical barriers can interfere with the link between your keyfinder and your phone."
GPS Trackers
These items have a built in GPS and can be used to track people, cars or other objects by sending the location over a mobile network or via a satellite connection.
They cost from $125 plus a $12-15/mo. data plan
or $250 with a 2 year data plan.
Two year costs can range from $200 to $500 or more.
See:
The Best GPS Trackers of 2016 | Top Ten Reviews
5 of the Best Personal GPS Tracking Devices | Gadget Review
Links:
Best Key Finder 2016 - Tracking Devices for Lost Things | Toms Guide
The Best Bluetooth Tracker | The Wirecutter, Oct 2016
16 Devices to Help Find Lost Objects | TrendHunter.com
Finding the Best Lost-Item Trackers: Tile, TrackR and Duet Reviewed - WSJ
How to Find Your Wallet, Keys and Smartphone - Techlicious
Lost and found: 5 best tracking devices to find misplaced items - TODAY.com
Devices:
Tile
last updated 2 Jan 2016
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Technology