the tileapp

[MikeBjerum]

How many of you have looked at the tileapp  www.thetileapp.com and thought about it?

It sounds like a cool thing for people who would loose their head if it weren't screwed on, but do you want tracking tiles attached to more than we already have that tracks us daily?  Also, consider how somebody else can now plant this little tile on your stuff and track you.  It looks like it is about one inch square and an eighth of an inch thick.  It has a clip on it, but can be thrown under the seat of a car, and you know were your friend or enemy is going.

I've got more red flags flying every time I think of this and try and list the pros and cons of the product and service.

What do you think?

[tombogan03884]

These tiles are a great idea !
If you lose your stuff you can call NSA and they will tell you where you left it.

[Big Frank]

Having the lost and found function on the bike looked like a good use of the app. But I don't know anyone who keeps misplacing their stuff and would need it on a regular basis.

[cooptire]

The main thing I see a use for would be to put in my kids' backpacks or attach to their phones (when they get one) and allow me to be able to keep an eye on their stuff in case they lose it at school or some where.

[JLawson]

The FAQ said that the range of a tile is 50-150 feet depending on environment.  As a "lost and found" device beyond those distances, it's success will depend on how many people buy the product.  If you're the only tile user in a given area then it won't be very useful.  As a security device, it's value will depend on your ability to hide the tile in the object you want to secure.  Stuck to the lid of a laptop would be useless... the thief would just pop it off and walk away.

I wish 'em well... definitely an interesting idea.

[Sponsor]

[mkm]

The FAQ said that the range of a tile is 50-150 feet depending on environment.

I didn't even look at the link until I read your post. I have extensive experience with radio telemetry using much more powerful transmitters and receivers. The antennas alone on the transmitters were at least 18 inches. On a really good day, you might could get a beep out of them from a couple of kilometers away; however, it was virtually impossible to get a reliable location from that far out. You really needed to be within a few hundred yards to get a reliable location. Even then, it took some combination of skill, art, and voodoo to do it right. Terrain, vegetation, direction the transmitter was facing, height/depth above/below ground all played significant roles. I find most movie style tracking devices laughable at best. This device here probably needs you to be within sight of the "lost" object to even work. Even most GPS devices won't get you close enough to find a small object.

[alfsauve]

My take after reading their web site is that Tiles only have GPS, and Bluetooth 4.

Using Bluetooth they communicate with the Tile App and also share info with each other.  Then through the Tile App they upload all  data to the "Tile Cloud".  Users can only access their Tiles' data (location).

The only way to find a missing Tile is to be within 50-150 feet of it and activate it's beeper via Bluetooth.  The "cloud" stored GPS coordinates will help get you it's last known location.   Obviously it your tile is more than 150 feet (out of Bluetooth range) from your iPhone or any other Tile then it will remain lost as it has no way to communicate.

Sealed unit.  You must buy a new one each year when the battery dies.

WiFi might be better, but most are WiFi's require passwords, plus the huge battery drain makes it impractical.

Might make an interesting study though to release some hidden in common objects (teddy bear, umbrella, etc)  and see where they travel over a period of a year.