Duet Bluetooth tag helps alert iPhone owners as soon as they lose their device
iPhone owners have a new option to ensure that their handset stays by their side with the Duet, a small Bluetooth-connected device that can be attached to a bag or keys and sounds an alarm if it moves more than 10 meters from a paired smartphone.
Duet is a 1-inch-by-1-inch square that communicates with an iPhone or Android device using Bluetooth Low Energy. In addition to the automatic alarm, a button on the Duet will cause the paired device to begin playing a sound, similar to features available through Apple's Find my iPhone system and a boon for those who frequently misplace their handset.
The concept also works in reverse, allowing users to find the item the Duet is attached to using a companion app on their phone. Up to 10 Duets can be tracked at once, and users can make the Duet play a sound or locate it on a map, helping find lost wallets or bags.
"We use our phones to connect, build relationships, store memories, keep track of our schedules, and so much more," Rick Tan, managing director for Duet's parent company, said in a release. "In talking with our customers, it became clear that people's emotions upon discovering they have lost their smartphone are panic, followed by worry and frustration when it can't be found. We created the Duet to address this -- the best way to minimize panic and worry is to take preventive steps to not lose your phone in the first place."
The company says Duet will last up to 6 months on a single coin-cell battery with "normal use," and users can replace the batteries themselves. The device comes with a 3-year warranty.
Duet is available individually for $17 for the first 200 buyers -- rising to $19 later -- from the company's page on crowdfunding site Indiegogo. At press time, the group had raised nearly $16,000 -- more than $10,000 more than its initial goal -- and expects to begin shipping units to customers in May.
Duet is a 1-inch-by-1-inch square that communicates with an iPhone or Android device using Bluetooth Low Energy. In addition to the automatic alarm, a button on the Duet will cause the paired device to begin playing a sound, similar to features available through Apple's Find my iPhone system and a boon for those who frequently misplace their handset.
The concept also works in reverse, allowing users to find the item the Duet is attached to using a companion app on their phone. Up to 10 Duets can be tracked at once, and users can make the Duet play a sound or locate it on a map, helping find lost wallets or bags.
"We use our phones to connect, build relationships, store memories, keep track of our schedules, and so much more," Rick Tan, managing director for Duet's parent company, said in a release. "In talking with our customers, it became clear that people's emotions upon discovering they have lost their smartphone are panic, followed by worry and frustration when it can't be found. We created the Duet to address this -- the best way to minimize panic and worry is to take preventive steps to not lose your phone in the first place."
The company says Duet will last up to 6 months on a single coin-cell battery with "normal use," and users can replace the batteries themselves. The device comes with a 3-year warranty.
Duet is available individually for $17 for the first 200 buyers -- rising to $19 later -- from the company's page on crowdfunding site Indiegogo. At press time, the group had raised nearly $16,000 -- more than $10,000 more than its initial goal -- and expects to begin shipping units to customers in May.
Comments
So what happens if you lose the tag?
So this is the Tile, but opposite?
Hated the video, but I'd like to see more options for this kind of device. Maybe tie it to a variety of different sensors?
Early Alzheimer's test: 10 phones lost in 3 years.
The Duet also provides a nice personal tracker.
Me, too. This is one of the primary features I want with an iWatch, as well the ability for the iWatch to lock/unlock my iPhone, iPad and Macs when I'm within a certain range.
Right?! It felt like a show geared towards toddlers. I was waiting for some felt animal to come out and teach me about the value of sharing.
Might be nice to have one of these attached to my tv remote though
It seems to me the tile is much better, also a longer range.
As perviously noted they are pretty much opposites. Duet lets you know when you're expensive iDevice is gone and Tile is added to a valuable device so you can track it with your phone. The downfall of Tile is that it only works when devices have the app installed and it's actively listening for Tile devices. Not too helpful when it's your phone that's lost or stolen and no other device around you is listening for Tile devices.
I have had it with so called "crowd funding". Sell me the crap when it is ready, otherwise go get a job.
The phone would let you find it. You just shouldn't lose both. It's actually better if you lose the tag because the phone can help you locate it. The tag really just let's you know that you no longer have a phone and hopes you aren't so far away that you can't do something about it.
I can just see it now, the latest fashion accessory, piercings with these tags attached!
Also, what's with the screen shots showing what appear to be iOS 6 software coming from an Android device. I like attention to detail and that missed detail there (combined with the stupidly dumb sounding voice) turns me off from this product.
How does it help retrieving if the phone was moved to different place?
couldn't finish the ad.. i got irritated by the phone they used in the ad, and using iOS interface screen to match with it.
Allow me to track (actually loss-prevent) 2 dozen iPads in a busy waiting room.
I need 25-30 meters of range, and an alarm to go off if it walks out the door towards the elevators. There are some great standard loss-prevention systems, but they would 1/2 as much as the iPads themselves, making the ROI quite long.
The bluetooth devices are decent (we tried the Proximo & a couple others) but the range is a little too random, as we only have 3 meters from our office door to the elevators.
That being said, we have had more people go home with their paper charts than their iPad "chart" so it is more for extra peace of mind.