Testing GPS Tag (Tile)

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Brian Rhodes
•Published Jun 26, 2014 04:00 AM

$** *** * ****** **** **** find *** ********* ** **** ** stolen *******. ****'* *** ********* ** a *******,****, **** ****************** **** $*.* ******* ***** ** orders.

** **** *** ** *** ***** backers / ********** *** ******** ******** *** Tiles.

 

*** ***** ***** ***** ***** *** ******* behind ****:

Product ********

***** *** ***** *** *****. ***** ideal ** **** ******* * ******* or ******** ** * ********** ******, they *** **** ** ******** ******* like **********. ***** *** ***** ******** ** the ***** *****:

***** **** **** *** *** ******-***** adhesive **** ****** *** ******** *** tags ***** **** *******, ******** *** aesthetically *** *** **** ********* *** leave ******** ****** **** *******. 

******* ***** **** * ****

**** *** ** ******* ** * coin **** ******* *** ******* ****** will **** ***** * ****. *** battery is *** ***** *********** *** *** **** is ******, *******. ***** **** ** a *** ********, ** **** ***** the **** ********** *** ****** ******* dust *** ****.

*** *****:

**** **** ********* *.* (* ********* *** ****** ********) ** ********* *** ********. *** app ************ **** **** *** *** ******** ******* different ******* - ***** ******** ** handled ******** ******* *** **** *** the *** (** ** ~*** ****) over *********. *******, ** *** **** is *** ** ***** ** *** app, ** ****** ** ***** ****** users ***** **** *** *** ** ********* **** Tile. *** *** ***** ** *** Tiles ** *****, ********** ** *** owns ****, *** ********** ***** ******** to ***** ****** **** ** *** are*** ****.

***********

** *** ***** *****, ** *********** the **** *** *** ** ***** with *** *** ** ******** ******** through *** *********, ************ (**: '**** is within ***'* ******'), *** ******* ******:

*** ******** ******** ***** ** ****** if **** ***** *** *** ** a ****** ****** **** **** ***** in ******* ********* *****. *******, ***** users *** ***** ****** ***** **** just ***'* ******* ***** **** *** units ** **** ** **** ****** range ** ***** **********.

** *** **** ****, *** **** instructions (***** *****) **** ********, *** the *** *** ********* **** ****** inaccurate, ********* ******* ********* ** ***** away **** *** ****** ******.

Issue #1: *********** ****

**** ** ******* ** ** *** cost ** ********* ***** ***** *** year, ** *** *** ** *** ***-*********** battery's ****. ** ***** *********, *** company ********** **** ******** ***** ** managed ** *** ***, *** *** company ***** **** * ***-**** ******** to **** **** **** ***** *** new ****.

*******, *** ******* *** *** ******** the **** ** ********. ***** *** company *** ****** *** *********** **** may ** ********** *** *** '***' price ** $** ****, ** **** "**** ************ *** ****** ** ** discounted *** *********, *** ***** ** are ***** ** *********** ***** *** ***** **** ** not *** **********."

*** ******* ******** **** ******** **** ***** ***** be, *** **** ** ********* ********* would ***** ** ** *******, *** they **** **** **** *** ***** for ***, ******* ******* ****** *** exchange.

*** ****** **** ******: **** **** not ** * ***-**** ********, *** the **** ** ***** ****** *** pricing *** ******** **** **** ****** off.

Issue #2: ***** ****

** *** ******* ****, *** **** App ** **** ********** **** *** devices. ***** ***** ********* **** ******* **** '**********' ******** **** **** **** *****, **** *** *** ******* approved ** *********. *** ******* ***** the ***** ******* ******* **** *** support *** ******** ************** ** ********* 4.0 *** **** *** **** ****** the ******* ******* ** ******-*** *************. 

*** ******* ****** ******* ******* ** road ****** *** *** ******, *** no ******** ******** *** **** *****.

Limited ***********

**** ***** ***** *** ****** *** absentmindedly ******** ****** ****** *** **** like *** ****, *******, ** **** TV *******. *******, **** *********-***** ***** tracking *******, **** ** *** ****** for *****-**** ** ********** *** *** tracking ****** **** ****** ********, ********, or ******* ********. 

******** ***** *** ********* ************ **** need ***, ** *** ***** *** something **** ****. ******* *** *** tracking **** ********* ******, **** ***** panels ** *********** ****** *****, ** just *** ******* **** ** ****** tools ** *********, ***** ** ******** in ***********, ************* ******* ******** ****.

*************, ****** *** **** *** ******* and *** ******* ** **** **** the ****-***** *** ************, *** *** be ************. **** ************ **** ********** ** ***** *** ****** ******, ***** *** **** range ***********, ** *** ** ***** **********/ fundraising ***** **********.

Comments (12)
JH
Jim Hall
•Jun 27, 2014

While ideal to loop through a keyring of sticking to a television remote

Is it justa case of an 'of' that shoulda been 'or' ?

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Brian Rhodes
•Jun 27, 2014
IPVMU Certified
In reply to Jim Hall

Thanks Jim. Fixed.

UI
Undisclosed Integrator #1
•Sep 05, 2014

Hi Brian,

What is the longest distance you have tried tracking between the Tile and the app with say few walls in between them?

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Brian Rhodes
•Sep 05, 2014
IPVMU Certified
In reply to Undisclosed Integrator #1

When the unit's batteries were fresh, I could read at about 175' (50M).

Now, after about 8 weeks of sporadic use, this range is about 80' (25M).

I am able to connect through two brick and 4 or 5 drywall sheathed inside walls at these lengths.

I also updated my iPhone to 7.1.2 during this time, and one of the systems the update addressed is the BLE module, so I am not sure if this affected range also.

UI
Undisclosed Integrator #1
•Sep 06, 2014
In reply to Brian Rhodes

Thanks for the update. I dont think I will buy ones given how fast the range degraded over a few weeks

RW
Rukmini Wilson
•Sep 06, 2014

Android does not support the standard implementation of Bluetooth 4.0...

Bluetooth 4.0(LE) supported in Jellybean 4.3 as of a year ago.

Avatar
Brian Rhodes
•Sep 07, 2014
IPVMU Certified
In reply to Rukmini Wilson

Tile does not support Android. Whether this is because Jellybean's BLE implementation is 'not standard' (as Tile has claimed in the past), or whether Tile is just slow in supporting it, the bottom line is they have not released an Android app yet.

From Tile's Blog:

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Attila Szűcs
•Mar 19, 2018

An update with the new devices and features would be nice. :)

(1)
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Brian Rhodes
•Mar 19, 2018
IPVMU Certified
In reply to Attila Szűcs

Which aspect of the "Pro" series are you interested in?

Tile claims to have expanded range to 200 feet and increased the tag's beeper volume.

Have you seen Jiobit Child GPS Tracker Tested?  I can see cheaper GPS tags becoming very popular, and given the range restriction goes away, ultimately more useful.

(1)
Avatar
Attila Szűcs
•Mar 19, 2018
In reply to Brian Rhodes
I just read the articles (Jiobit and this) and thought that it would be nice to read the "new' things like android app, etc. This is almost a 4 years old article, and a new reader would appreciate the update. That's it :)
Avatar
Brian Rhodes
•Mar 19, 2018
IPVMU Certified
In reply to Attila Szűcs

Tile claims to have improved the app UI (including android support like you mention) and the tag designs to be smaller and modestly longer range, but fundamentally the biggest gripe/criticism of Tile remains: you have to buy replacement tags at least every year.

I think it is the inconvenience of replacing the whole tag and enrolling new/uninstalling old is a hindrance.  A field-replaceable battery would be great, but that would disrupt Tile's business model.

(1)
Avatar
Attila Szűcs
•Mar 20, 2018
In reply to Brian Rhodes

I think it's not completely valid. As far as I know tile replacement is very easy. On the other hand 10 million unit was sold and the community search tool is nice as well.