Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2018/06/10/this-key-sleeve-has-tile-track.html
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And unlike Tile, it’s actually rechargable so has a lifespan of more than 12 months.
That tiles have to be thrown away after 12 months is preventing me from replacing mine as they start to die.
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The one thing that stops me from getting one of these key ‘sleeve’ things is this:
The ‘keys on a bolt’ gadgets all seem to assume everyone has only flat keys.
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Yeah literally only ONE of my keys is flat. Everything else would be dangling off the end.
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Have you started getting the passive aggressive emails from Tile demanding you buy new ones? They were sufficiently obnoxious that I’ve decided never to buy any more.
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“This key sleeve has Tile tracking built-in so you’ll never lose your keys”
Challenge accepted.
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The tile devices never worked well enough with our phones to justify buying more.
Not emails - but I do get persistent nagging reminders in-app. It bothers me even more that the app actually has no idea if the battery is nearly dead or not, only that it has a year’s active service - so I’m being asked to bin active electronics that have an indefinite amount of serviceable use in them, just because of Tile’s designed-in obsolescence. I’m not happy about it, I’d far rather carry around a slightly bulkier and pricier rechargeable version (like this one, though micro-USB ugh).
I only really use Tile like one of those whistling keyrings tbh - perhaps I should go back to that.
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I checked on the website for the tile application. So basically, the app monitors your position in real time and keeps the bluetooth connection open to check whether the keys are in range. It stores the last position where the keys were in range and you have access to “a network of millions users” to find your keys if you misplaced them.
What could possibly go wrong?
It must be legit, because it is sold on a website which regularly publishes articles on how bad the safety of “internet of things” is.
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I also decided to ditch my Tile after the e-mails and app alerts about how my Tile was dying got too annoying. I don’t need to add another annual bill to my long list of bills.
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I have one of these and the battery life initially lasted 30 days. After 3 months it now lasts 3 days.
Pretty much every car, motorcycle, and bicycle lock key made in the past 20 years that is worth having won’t fit in one of those things. Really makes you wonder what they even put in them for the pictures, and what the people who design them are using.
Boing Boing: Beware: Corporations and governments are tracking your every move with technology!
Also Boing Boing: Buy and walk around with this tracking device. Only $40!
My tile emails have begun again. The tile app disapproves of me anyway - I have background activity turned off and usually don’t run the app until needed. I will probably look around again for something better and see what comes up and if it works for what I need.
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