Lost Keys? No Problem. This Gadget Can Locate Virtually Anything Tile is a Bluetooth-enabled device and app that lets users keep tabs on their most valuable items.
By Jason Fell
"I'd lose my head if it weren't attached to my shoulders."
You might have heard this saying before or even said it yourself. Busy entrepreneurs and others who are just a little forgetful can misplace keys, wallets, tablets, children -- you name it. Lucky for us a new tech startup is aiming to make those moments of panic few and farther between.
Enter Tile, a Bluetooth-enabled tag that users can attach to valuable items. With the Tile app, users can locate said items should they mysteriously go missing. Not only can the app show you when you're getting closer to the object (within a 50- to 150-foot range), but each Tile comes with a built-in speaker and will make a sound when you get close.
Each Tile comes with a double-sided adhesive, so you can stick a Tile on virtually anything. Maybe not your head, though. Or a child. But tablets, keys and pretty much anything else you can lose is fair game.
Users can register as many as 10 Tiles per account. The app is compatible with iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPad Mini, third- and fourth-generation iPads and the newest version of the iPod Touch.
Tile is a project that was first incubated in Silicon Valley-based accelerator Tandem Capital. It is gaining wider appeal as it recently raised $2.6 million from its Selfstarter crowdfunding campaign, TechCrunch reported.
But for all of its very cool features, Tile does have some drawbacks. One, obviously, is that it isn't compatible yet with Android or Windows devices. Another is that each Tile is only good for 12 months after being activated. After that, you have to order new ones. Bummer.
You might also think that other Tile users could potentially help you find your lost items if, say, you misplaced them in a public place. You'd be wrong. Tile says only users who are registered to specific Tiles will have the ability to locate those Tiles. It's a security thing. I guess that's a positive as well as a negative.
Another downfall: The price. A single Tile will set you back $18.95. You can purchase up to 12 Tiles for $170.55. Tile is taking pre-orders and expects to start shipping sometime this winter.
Now if I can only find all my missing socks...
