Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2019/04/25/this-keychain-has-tile-trackin.html
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When the battery runs out after a year, can you drop in a new one?
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It’s USB chargeable. The claim is “up to 3 months on a charge”
Ah thats much better than a regular tile.
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Is this one of those shitty “IOT” things with no encryption that allows people to possibly track you that I have heard so much about from, checks notes, BoingBoing?
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Tile is a tracking protocol with a track record, so at least it’s not a one-off. If you turn on “find by community” then Tile will have lots of data on the location of this keychain (and presumably, the people carrying it). If this particular implementation of that protocol is safe, I don’t know.
The Tile protocol is basically a device screaming “I’m unit #12345” into the Bluetooth void. It can also beep when requested. That’s about it. If you want that, buy this device.
Thanks to user pushback, new Tile units run on a replaceable watch battery.
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I have had three of this brand (no electronics, just the basic one). The each broke in a few weeks. The quality of the build was terrible. I later found one made in Savannah GA as opposed to overseas firm. The one i now have is titanium. It’s lasted years now. Keysmart is really not a quality product, so why should the electronics be secure.
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It’s not. It’s a bit more than a month.
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My friends have been making fun of my seemingly weird habit of knocking my pockets whenever I am getting up and ready to leave anywhere. Like thumbs on the front pockets and fingers on the back pockets in a characteristic 1-2 … 3-4 sequence 
Now guess who is the only one* who virtually never loses his keys (front left), lighter (front right), wallet (back right) and phone (back left) - unless I am wearing this silly west with a thousand pockets that always makes me think I’ve lost something.
*the same person that had lost his newly bought guitar picks before even leaving the music store.
There is a song for you to help you remember:
“Phone, wallet, keys.”
No - it’s one that stalkers can slip into your trunk.
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That’s why I switched to wearing a purse / fancy leather fanny pack. Keys, wallet, phone, pocket knife, earplugs, all in one place that closes with a snap so things don’t fall out.
It seems like it would not be much help for stalking. It is Bluetooth - so its usable distance is measured in yards. The only way to find a lost or otherwise distant Tile is to have someone who also uses the Tile app pass by the Tile.
So it would only work if you have your phone with you?
It would only work if you had your phone and stayed within yards of your subject. If you’re that close, you can see them - no need for a Tile.
I mean, you can also keep your bluetooth scanning open on your phone too.
Love mine, but never use the Tile stuff. I just found it unreliable, with false positives and false negatives.
And just not necessary. The basic trick of turning your keys into a swiss knife means they don’t jangle, aren’t tangled up in other things in your pocket as you extract them, and don’t gradually saw their way through your pocket material. So I pop it back in my pocket before the door’s even open. Never would have used the Tile thingy if I’d set it up.
The USB battery also runs a tiny light for seeing the lock, but is powerful enough to find the stuff that you just kicked under the couch.
Most significant point. I never thought of that. I’d prefer less crappy pants but those seem to be a thing of the past.
I have the ‘Unholy Trinity’ chant of “Purse, keys, mobile” before I leave. If things do get lost then I blame pixies.
