We hear a lot about the "Internet of things". One day, everything will be connected to everything else, and the world will be a better place. At least that's what they tell us, right? Well the folks at Linquet have an example, and I think they just might have it right.
They're tiny tags — slightly bigger than a quarter — that communicate with your smartphone and prevent you from losing your stuff. There are lots of gadgets that help you find your stuff, but Linquet tries to keep things from getting lost in the first place. You install the Linquet app on your phone, and set it to fire off an alarm on your phone and the tag if the two get too far apart. You can tell it how far is too far through the app, and the whole kit is customizable.
In addition, the system communicates with the cloud to help you track and find things that you did manage to lose. Maybe you were at the club and didn't hear the alarm. You can log into your Linqet account, find where the tag is, and go retrieve it — or delegate a friend to do it for you. It sounds pretty slick.
The folks behind the idea had a successful beta test, and now they're ready to go to final production. That's where they need your help. Starting today, you can pre-order a Linquet that will be delivered in December should the funding get all sorted out. You're not charged until it ships, so this is a little different from a Kickstarter campaign. The coolest part is the price. the tags themselves are free — you only pay for the monthly service at $2.99 each per month.
The system will work with Android phones that have Bluetooth Low Energy support (we've been telling you this was pretty cool) like the HTC One or the Galaxy S4, that run Android 4.3.
We've got a product video and press release after the break, and for more details you'll want to follow the link below.
More: Linquet
Linquet for Smartphones Uses the Cloud to Prevent Loss of Valuables
New iOS, Android and Bluetooth solution, powered by the Internet of Things, will end the era of “lost and found”
VANCOUVER, SEPTEMBER 15, 2013 — Linquet (https://linquet.com), an innovative product for iPhones, iPads and Android devices that promises to not just find missing objects, but actually prevent them from getting lost or misplaced in the first place, today announced the start of its crowdfunding effort.
By “linqing” possessions to the mobile app with its tiny devices, Linquet creates a fully customizable mini network for each user, connecting their most valued possessions to the “Internet of Things.” Users simply attach a Linquet to their prized possession (even a pet’s collar or a child’s clothing) and are then alerted whenever the object and the user’s phone are separated by various distances up to 100 feet. The user is immediately notified of this separation as to prevent loss in the first place.
“We’ve all been there. We always lose our phones, keys, wallets, laptops, pretty much everything,” said Pooya Kazerouni, Linquet’s president. “Now, we have a solution that is much more than a ‘lost and found.’ Linquet actually prevents your valuables from getting lost in the first place.”
Linquet is a cloud-based solution, with many amazing features like “real-time tracking”, so that if users miss any alerts, Linquet provides a time and location signature to track down objects after the fact. “Cloud-based profiles” let users personalize the experience based on your environment so the alarm won’t, for example, sound in the office. The “Trusted Friends” option lets people add trusted contacts to help them retrieve items. “Reverse Mode” will sound an alert when a linqed item comes into range (e.g. a suitcase on a baggage carousel). It also has a powerful programmable button which can even be used as a panic button or to simply activate the camera by remote control or many other things.
Linquets are available now for pre-ordering at $2.99 per month per device (there is no cost for the device itself and the app is free to download). Discounts are available depending on volume. For more information, visit https://linquet.com.
About Linquet
Part hardware, part smartphone app and part cloud technology, the innovative Linquet is designed to prevent the loss or theft of phones and other valuables. The first cloud-based anti-loss solution, Linquet gives people an effortless way to keep tabs on everything important to them by allowing them to “linq” their valuables to their smartphones. Using Bluetooth technology, Linquet can be linqed to phones via the free Linquet app. Linquet works with iOS and Android devices with Bluetooth 4.0. Its battery lasts up to 1 year, even with constant use. Slightly larger than a quarter, Linquet is so tiny it can easily be slipped into even the smallest wallets or attached to a passport cover. For more information, visit https://linquet.com, find us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Linquet, and on Twitter at @Linquet.
