If you’re one who always loses stuff, then you might need to get yourself a Tile.
Tile is a clever new device that can be attached to just about anything so you can locate them when lost. It is compatible with iOS devices―that is, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPad Mini, iPad 3rd and 4th generation, and iPod Touch 5th generation.
Tile uses Bluetooth 4.0 with Low Energy (LE), which is a suitable choice because built-in battery lasts around a year and doesn’t require recharging. Though GPS may be ideal, it generates heavy consumption of battery, plus, WiFi requires open hotspot access.
The Tile iOS app allows you to find a Tile by determining how close you are to it. You can actually see yourself getting closer and/or farther away from the Tile within a 50 to 150-foot range via the app. The app logs the last location it saw your Tile (via GPS), giving you a good starting point. Tile also has a built-in speaker, so you can make it to create a sound when you’re drawing near.
But what if your Tile travels out of its 150-foot (Bluetooth) range? This is what makes the Tile convincing. It uses a crowd-sourced model so that you still have a good chance of locating your Tile when it’s attached to, say, your pet or your MacBook. It’s similar to having the world help you find your lost item. You can track a Tile by seeing when it’s identified by other Tile users.
Obviously, the service needs a large user base to be effective and may not work in here in the Philippines, but if we’re talking about misplaced items inside the house or within a close proximity, Tile is definitely beneficial.
Tile will be available starting December of this year according to its developers.
Image and article source courtesy of ZDNET.