38 13 - 26 November 2019
What is Tile?
Tile (www.thetileapp.com) is a series of
Bluetooth tracking devices that bring
smart technology to everyday ‘dumb’
devices such as keys, wallets and bags.
Available in various shapes and sizes,
these tags allow you to pinpoint the
location of lost items using a smartphone
app or digital voice assistant. They can
also be used to find your phone, making
them a blessing for the more absent-
minded among us.How do Tiles work?
As well as harnessing the location
capabilities of a smartphone, the trackers
use Bluetooth low-energy, otherwise
known as Bluetooth LE. When you
physically place a Tile on an item and
activate it, it becomes discoverable, while
using the lowest possible power
consumption. Should you end up losing
the item it’s attached to, you can open
the Tile’s Android or iOS app (or ask
Google, Alexa or Siri) and try to establish
a connection. If the Tile tracker is in
range, it will make a noise, so you can
follow the sound to find the item.WhatdoTileslooklike?
WhenTilefirstlaunchedonthebackofa
successfulcrowdfundingcampaignsix
yearsago,it resembleda keyfobwithaloop. This still exists in the form of the
Tile Mate but, like the entire range, it has
been updated. As of October this year,
Mate now has a range of 200 feet and a
one-year replacement battery. There’s
also a Tile Pro (see main image), which
offers twice the range and a louder ring,
and a revised Tile Slim, which
now resembles a credit card
and gives you a 200ft range
as well as a three-year, non-
replaceable battery life. This is
particularly ideal for wallets.Are they stickable?
Those Tile products are not,
butthecompanyhasjust
releaseda newproductcalled
theSticker(bit.ly/sticker488)
thatweighsjust5g.Createdin partnership with adhesive experts 3M,
it can be stuck to any item or device you
want, giving a range of 150 feet. Tile
suggests placing Stickers on a TV
remote, a bike or a camera, and reckons
the adhesive will last the duration of its
three-year built-in battery life.What if my lost item
is out of range?
Tile can determine the last
place an item was registered- assuming the app was
open and running in the
background at the moment
the item was lost. For
example, suppose you leave
your keys at the gym. This
location would have
been recorded so
that, when you
subsequently moved
out of range, you’d
be able to see its
FAQ
Everything you need to know about the most
interesting new technology trends and events
If you often mislay your keys, wallet or phone, Tile tracking tags can
locate them in a jiffy. David Crookes explains how they work
Our guide to Tile
You can track down lost items using the Tile
app on your Android or iOS deviceThe Tile Slim resembles
a credit card and works over
a range of up to 200 feet