Most of us have experienced the frustration of a lost phone. We put it down, then realize some time later we don’t remember where we left it. We ask a friend to dial our number, only to recall we left the phone on silent.
Tom Gabsow can relate to that plight. In fact, that was the motivating factor behind his Phone Finder, a compact bluetooth accessory that locates your phone with the press of a single button.
An engineering student at Israel’s Ben Gurion University, Gabsow set out to create a device that was small, energy-efficient and versatile. It was important that the Phone Finder be compatible with any operating system and be ready to use any time.
Gabsow’s device is nearly halfway to its Kickstarter goal, with twenty five days to go. According to his pitch, Gabsow “developed a cutting edge technology which enables Phone Finder to consume energy only when activated. Since it deactivates automatically when not in use, this translates to minimum battery consumption on both your phone and the Phone Finder.”
Gabsow chose to base his device on the Bluetooth v2.1 protocol, instead of the newer Bluetooth v4, because it is the only protocol that is both forward- and backward-compatible, and therefore functions with any phone. Although v4 is more energy efficient out of the box, it only works on the newest phones.
“In order to make sure Phone Finder doesn’t require charging, we had to design it to consume energy only when pressed, and only for the necessary amount of time. This was a huge technical challenge which required a revolutionary development. We manipulated Bluetooth to activate, transmit and communicate with the phone and then shut off automatically in order to drastically conserve energy. This way we guaranteed that if you own a Phone Finder you never have to think about charging it or maintaining it in any way – we created a product that is ALWAYS good-to-go when needed.”
Indeed, the site boasts that with an average of 5 uses per week, a Phone Finder can operate for three years on a single charge. After that, it can be charged simply using a standard micro-USB charging cable.
And what if your phone is set to silent? Not to worry, Phone Finder is designed to override silent mode enabling you to hear, see and feel the ringing, flashing and vibrating device. It can activate the phone at up to 50 feet or 15 meters away, which is about the range of sight and sound for the phone, anyway. It will also activate from another room or even another floor, as long as it is in range. If not, users can log into the Phone Finder website to locate their phone on a map.
The device is incredibly simple to set up. It comes with an app (Android version completed, iOS and Windows Phone versions in final stages of development) which allows you to pair your device and choose your preferences.
Phone Finder is a mere 1” by 2”, and is being marketed in white, red, blue or black. It comes in keychain, sticker or magnet form, so consumers can choose the format they are least likely to misplace. After all, if you lost your Phone Finder, how would you find it?
Phone Finder is just one click away!
