Can’t find your keys? Forgot to take them with you? If only your keys could call out to you and fix this everyday mess. Well, if you have a smartphone, all you need is one of these cool gadgets to be reminded of your keys and find them if they’re missing.
Object-finders are a hot new market. These are little devices that you either stick onto your keys or loop through your keyring — or anything else you lose often, like the remote control. Using Bluetooth technology, the gadget wirelessly communicates with your smartphone to either emit a beep or guide you to where it is. A lot of them require the new Bluetooth 4.0 standard, which has higher range and lower battery consumption; but some work on older Bluetooth devices too. Ideally, you should check whether your smartphone has Bluetooth 4.0 or not before you buy one of these.
hippih hipKey ($89.95)
hipKey is a keychain that pairs with your iPhone and lets you know whenever your iPhone and your keys are too far apart. Five centimetres in diameter, it tracks the distance between the two items and lets you set the triggered range from short, medium or long (from 2-5 metres up to 50 metres) through the smartphone app. You can also designate ‘safe zones’ like home or office where normal alarms will be ignored. With a tap on the smartphone app, you can find your hipKey; and also be notified if the hipKey is moved while in Motion Mode. And hipKey has a button to locate your phone, in turn.
- Works with Bluetooth 4
- Supports iPhone 4s and up; iPad Mini & iPad (3rd gen and up); iPod Touch (5th gen and up)
- Rechargeable battery; lasts 2-4 weeks
- Built-in speaker for sound
- Supports GPS
- Motion sensor
- Availability: Now
<Kensington Proximo ($59.99)
Proximo by Kensington, a company known for its security solutions, works much like hipKey but with one big difference: it has a main fob and the option to pair several tags. The fob is what you attach to your keys, for instance, so that it always tracks its distance to your iPhone, setting off an alarm if it crosses a certain perimeter. To find one, hit the button on the other and they’ll emit beeps. Additional Bluetooth tags let you track up to four more items, which also come with a GPS function to find its last known position.
- Works with Bluetooth 4
- Supports iPhone 4s and up
- Replaceable watch cells; lasts 6 months
- Built-in speaker for sound
- Supports GPS
- Price: $43.10 (on Amazon)
- Availability: Now
Cobra Tag ($69.99)
For a cross-platform solution, Cobra Tag seems like a worthy choice. It works on older Bluetooth devices, so it supports iOS (5+), Android (2.1+) and BlackBerry (OS 4.5+) devices. With a range of up to 30 feet, it sets off an alarm when the link between the smartphone and keys is broken — and you can manually find the device by hitting a button on the other. The rechargeable battery typically lasts for 7 days, and you can use other Bluetooth devices on your phone alongside the Cobra Tag. However, the Cobra Tag can only be connected to one smartphone at a time.
- Works with Bluetooth 3
- Supports devices on iOS 5+, Android 2.1+, BlackBerry 4.5+
- Rechargeable battery; lasts 1 week
- Built-in speaker for sound
- Price: $43 (on Amazon)
- Availability: Now
ZOMM Wireless Leash Plus ($79.95)
The ZOMM Wireless Leash Plus is just like the hipKey and Kensington Proximo, but with one major difference: a microphone. With this, you can turn the Wireless Leash Plus into a hands-free device and also hold down the one-touch button to call 911 in the US in the event of an emergency. The Wireless Leash Plus has an iPhone app while Android users can buy the identical Wireless Leash.
- Works with Bluetooth
- Supports devices on Android and iOS
- Rechargeable battery; lasts 2-3 days
- Built-in speaker for sound
- Noise-cancelling microphone
- Availability: Now
Tile
It hasn’t even shipped yet, but Tile promises to be the coolest accessory you can buy. About 1/3rd the size of a credit card, each Tile ships with double-sided adhesive tape to stick it on keys or use the hole to loop your keychain. Once paired with your smartphone or other device, you can have it emit a sound to track down the item, find it with a meter that tells you how close or far you are, and even mark an item as “lost” so that when there’s another user with a Tile close to it, you’ll get an alert with the GPS coordinates. It currently works only with iOS devices.
- Works with Bluetooth 4
- Supports iPhone 4s and up; iPad Mini & iPad (3rd gen and up); iPod Touch (5th gen and up).
- Non-replaceable battery lasts 1 year.
- Built-in speaker for sound.
- Supports GPS.
- Price: $19.95
- Availability: Spring 2014
Button TrackR
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 stuck 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 are leaving it behind and can be tracked down 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. Button TrackR stores its last GPS position when you go out of range, and can communicate with other TrackR devices to update you of its position. According to their website, the estimated delivery date is October 2013 with no indication of shipping date. However, you may place a reservation if you’re interested.- Works with Bluetooth 4
- Supports iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPad 3, iPad 4, iPad Mini, New iPod Touch, Samsung Galaxy S3, Samsung Galaxy S4, Samsung Note 2
- Replaceable standard coin cell, lasts for 2 years in normal use
- Supports GPS
- Price: $25
- Availability: Not updated
