Any Experience with TILE - Bluetooth finder and locator?

[leehljp]

In another thread, there was a discussion of not being able to find things recently used. My mind went to "Tile" that I recently saw on Amazon.

Has anyone used it? Or another small "tracker" for finding keys, wallet, purse, phone etc?

I have an Apple Watch and it has a icon button that makes the phone ring even when it is muted. That is wonderful. I need something like this for my keys, AND for LOML's keys and purse.

Curious if any of you use anything like this.

 

[magpens]

You seem to be assuming that we all have the same problem !!

Well I certainly do, so will be following this thread and doing some research ... but I don't have a cell phone so that's one less thing to find ... and lose !!

Thanks for this thread, Hank !! .

Here's an ad for Tile on Amazon Canada if anyone up here is interested:

Amazon.ca : key tile finder

www.amazon.ca

 

[SpiritRider]

My wife and daughter both have a Tile and have found it to be very useful. I don't know anything else about it though

 

[darrin1200]

I tried these once, for my dog. I was concerned if she chased a squirrel while we were walking in the bush.

Unfortunately, for my purpose, it didn't work, as it was only good out to about 20ft. They are a bluetooth device, so when you are using it with your phone only, its only got the range of the bluetooth on your phone. If you are just looking for your keys in the house, it should be fine.
Where these products shine, is in a more densely populated area. The app connects to all the other users that have the app. If any of their phones pick up the signal from your tile, it will alert you. So it really depends on how many people are in the area and have the app. In the big city, it could be great for a stolen bike or a lost dog.
Unfortunately, we just don't have that many people around us, so I have to keep a close eye on the dog.

 

[monophoto]

Several years ago, I was involved in an annual continuing education program for engineers that was organized by a local professional engineering society. The event attracted 800-900 participants and was held at a local hotel/conference center. We charged a nominal fee for participation, with the proceeds used to support STEM programs in local schools. Our tradition was to give each participant a 'registration gift' that somehow related to technology - so over the years we gave away cell phone battery packs, flash drives, etc. One year, someone suggested giving away these tile tracking devices.

These are basically bluetooth-connected devices that can be attached to key rings or other things that tend to wander away from their owner. The ones we gave away had rechargeable batteries that could be recharged using a USB cable. The primary operating mode was that you could trigger the tile device from the linked telephone to sound an audible alarm that you could use to locate the device and the misplaced item to which it was attached.

But there was an alternate mode of operation whereby you could press a button on the tile that would cause your phone to ring. One of the other members of the organizing committee for the event was an instructor at a local college who said that he used that feature to get rid of nuisance students hanging out in his office - when he got tired of listening to them whining about how hard his courses were, he would discretely press the button to make his phone ring, and then tell the student that it was an important call that he had to take, thereby inviting the student to leave.

We sourced ours through a company that sells custom-imprinted promotional stuff - pens, coffee mugs, notebooks, as well as technogadgetry.

 

[magpens]

@monophoto

LOL ! ..... This is quite hilarious ....

"But there was an alternate mode of operation whereby you could press a button on the tile that would cause your phone to ring. One of the other members of the organizing committee for the event was an instructor at a local college who said that he used that feature to get rid of nuisance students hanging out in his office - when he got tired of listening to them whining about how hard his courses were, he would discretely press the button to make his phone ring, and then tell the student that it was an important call that he had to take, thereby inviting the student to leave."

I was in the position of that instructor many years ago, before the advent of "blue-tooth" or anything related !!
(I was going to say ... before semiconductor technology ... but that might have been "dating" myself a little inaccurately !! )

Would have been handy !! . LOL !

 

[leehljp]

I look forward to more comments from others, but you guys have helped quite a bit. I am going to give these a try.

Louie: Love that idea too! If I order any, I will have to remember that one! I get into those situations on occasion with a few people that I have learned not to ask a question to them - A question to them gives license to a 10 - 15 minute monologue, and subsequent questions add even more!

 

[Gregf]

I have one. Best thing ever. Use it more to find my phone, I'm pretty good at always hanging up my keys. Left my keys in pants one time, could not find them. I had put pants on washer. Can also be used as a pet finder. Put one on collar.