WeTag's iFind tags communicate with iOS or Android devices using Bluetooth and do not need to be charged. As with other locator systems, a tag is placed on the item and tracked through the phone.
If the item moves out of range, the owner is alerted through the 'Rope' feature, and nearby phones can help detect the object through Bluetooth via the 'UHelp' feature. A fascinating feature for iFind is that shaking the iFind tags will cause the phone to vibrate, WeTag said.
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| Source: Kickstarter. |
The difference is that the iFind tag does not contain a battery and is powered by ambient electromagnetic radiation, WeTag says. "It recycles electromagnetic energy and stores it in a unique power bank. This exciting feature frees you
from the trouble of charging batteries or replacing them through the
manufacturer," say the makers on the Kickstarter page.
For US$16, a backer is entitled to one locator in one of a dozen colours. Overseas shipping costs US$10.
The funding campaign ends June 30. View the associated video here.
This blog has posted on two other location-based projects: Tile, and Phone Finder.
The Phone Finder does just that, and with any lost smartphone, even one that is on silent mode, and will continue to do so in a no-fuss way for the next three years. Once the Phone Finder device is clicked within a 15 metre radius, the missing phone will ring, vibrate
and flash even if it is on silent mode, so that the owner can find it. If the phone is out of range, the Phone Finder website will show where it is on a map.
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| Source: Kickstarter |
Entrepreneur Gabsow Tom chose Bluetooth 2.1 as the underlying technology for a reason. He says on the Kickstarter page: "Bluetooth v2.1 is the only Bluetooth version to
have both
forward and backward compatibility, which allows Phone Finder to work on
every Smartphone. It is not limited to an iOS or Android version. In
comparison, Bluetooth v4.0* based products only support a very limited
number of smartphone models."
Tom also promises that a Phone Finder used approximately five times a week should last up to three years. "We had to design it to
consume energy only when pressed, and only for the necessary amount of time. This
was a huge technical challenge...We manipulated Bluetooth to activate, transmit
and communicate with the phone and then shut off automatically in order to
drastically conserve energy. This way we guaranteed that if you own a Phone
Finder you never have to think about charging it or maintaining it in any way," states Tom on the Kickstarter page.
A pledge of US$25 will provide the backer with a single Phone Finder and the choice of either a keychain, magnet or a sticker to use it with. The funding request expires on June 2. The associated video can be viewed here.
*A post about Tile, which uses Bluetooth 4 to locate objects, is here.
