A friend of ours sent us Tiles as a gift for the holidays. Here’s what it is, and how we’re using it.
Tile is a little piece of plastic, about 1-1/2” square, with technology inside. And there’s an iPhone app to go with it (there’s an Android app too).
You link the white plastic tile to the app with a secret button, over Bluetooth. Once they are linked, you can pinpoint the last known location of the tile (and whatever it’s attached to, of course).
Attach it on your keyring. If you lose your keys in the house, open up the iPhone app, and instruct the Tile to make some noise so you can find it again!
Or if you’re not sure if you left your keys somewhere, you can use the iPhone app to see the last place your Tile checked in.
Other ideas of where to attach it:
- Put one in your wallet.
- Put it into your backpack or handbag.
- Attach it to your fancy camera.
- The website even shows one stuck to a remote control, so if the remote gets lost in the cushions you can find it again.
My observations:
- I find the Tile to be a bit bigger than I hoped. It’s pretty substantial in a wallet or on a keyring.
- It provides a sense of security, even though I don’t lose things that often.
- I can see it being very useful for finding my keys when I’ve left them in a pocket somewhere in my home. The “make some noise” feature (they label it “Find”) is fantastic.
- I’m concerned about the potential for tracking somebody else. This is possible if 2 people are using the same Tile account—therefore you must choose a good password, so nobody can log into your Tile.
Cost: $25 per Tile; price comes down substantially if you buy a few at once (up to a 40% discount, if you buy 12 Tiles). The app is free.