By Ron Benvenisti. A new gadget called the Cobra Tag and it uses your phone to keep tabs on your valuables. The Cobra Tag is a small device resembling a keychain fob. Attach it on your keys or anything else (even your kids!) It works via a Bluetooth link between the device and your Android or BlackBerry.
But here’s the first problem: Bluetooth is limited by a 30 foot distance.
But even with the 30 foot limitation, it’s great for notifying you that you left your kid in the car! To me that makes the product a no brainer at twice (or more) the asking price of 60 dollars.
Here’s how it works: When its sync’d, the free Cobra Tag app measures the distance between your phone and the Cobra Tag. If the two become separated by more than 30 feet, it sounds an alarm on your phone.
Even if you don’t notice the alert, the app automatically logs the device’s GPS coordinates and the time and date when it becomes separated from the phone. The data is stored within the app itself on the phone. What’s really cool is that the app can text or email the info out to certain people like LCSW or the LWPD or even have the app post the details on Facebook or Twitter!
Let’s say you can’t find your phone! Well, it works in reverse. By pressing a button on the tag it will sound a pretty loud alarm on your phone.
(But the Android Lookout Security app can do this from anywhere in the world, not just 30 feet away, and the Lookout app is free, but only screams on your phone!).
Cobra promises seven days’ worth of use per charge and the device charges from any standard USB port or power adapter which leads us to…
Problem two: the Android app runs as a service in the background so there’s no way to quit the app when you’re finished using it. You have to do a manual force-close to stop it. So your seven days’ use will be affected by whatever other apps are running, especially the Bluetooth requirement which sucks up battery power.
My take is that while it’s a useful gadget to have around the house or office for the absent-minded among us, because its two-way communications and tracking system (limited of course by the 30 feet limitation) could eliminate the always last-minute panic search we have all had on occasion.
And here’s (at least to me) problem three is: the Cobra Tag will cost you 60 bucks, a little to steep for the average budget IMHO.
The Cobra Tag might be useful for those items or kids nearby but I’d like to see it be able to find your car or other stuff if it moved more than 30 feet away. By using the GPS technology it already has and losing the Bluetooth for a real Wi-Fi network would do just that and take it to another league. Then you would know if your car was stolen and see exactly where it is and even have the device notify whoever you want in anyway you want to notify them.
Even though the Cobra Tag doesn’t have Lo-Jack fangs, it definitely could save your kid’s life. And we all know how much that’s worth.
but this will not help in cases where the parents intentionally leave their kids in the car while they go run into the store.
How do you connect a Rotory Phone???
how do you tag your kids? surgical implant?
Many people don’t have smartphones. They’re lose in this situation I guess!
I think the Backseat Minder by CSO is a better option not to forget the kids in the backseat.
Here is how it works:
It senses when your car’s rear door is open for three seconds or more. Once you start your car, the system is activated.
After you drive and as soon as the ignition is shut down, a distinct chime will sound, reminding you of someone in the backseat. The chime can only be turned off by pressing a button located on the inside of the car’s rear doors.
If you don’t push this button by opening the back door and reaching in and turning it off – the car horn will begin to sound.
let’s buy somethinmg to remind us we have kids in our car since we are to stupid to remember it ourselves. that makes total since the the system might not work
The CSO solution is good solution also but you have to remember to set it properly if you have adults in the back, have groceries or other stuff in the back. Same with the Cobra, remember to have Bluetooth on. If you’re the forgetful type, abd sometimes we all are. Train yourself to get into the habit of looking in the rearview mirror and looking in the back everytime you get out of your car! (Unless perhaps your mother-in-law is there).
There’s no better technology than “SEICHEL” (common sense). In other words, your amazing G-d given brain – it’s free, no installation necessay, batteries included. The manufacturer loves when it’s used properly. Double lifetimes warranty when used as directed.
why does anyone need a reminder that their CHILD is in the back seat…it’s called “responsibility”. Ill say it slower…RE-SPONS-E-BIL-I-TY. Wow! Then again there is no easy solution to lack of common sense or bad parenting.
what if you don’t have a blackberry of any other phone that works with this product. what good is it.
The same reason people needed a reminder in that article today about shopping carts. Do we really need to tell people to not let kids hang off the side of shopping carts? apparently so!
Listen to yourselves!! did you ever forget to lock your front door at night or your car doors? what if your child fell asleep while in the car and you had a thought on your mind and Cvs forgot they were there. It happens we are human beings. That doesnt excuse the fact that people dont use comment sense but lets not bash people about responsibilities. We all love are kids and dont want anything bad to happen to them. These devises are a great way for people to have an extra reminder in case they cvs forget.
How do you forget your kids are in the car? How do you forget your kids anywhere? Pathetic!
#8… I feel the same way.
If you don’t have a car, don’t buy tires…
to #8 I could not agree with you more, you remember to put your baby into the car, how can you forget to take the baby out of the car.
How do u forget a human life in the car. It’s a person not an object.
Omega 3 fish oil works great too!!