I’ve been a big supporter of these Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) trackers for items for a while. The idea of them is that everyone seems to have a cell phone, and have their bluetooth on the cell phone enabled. When they are in the area of a BLE item, the cell phone will notice the item. And if it is running a App, it can report the location to a central tracker.
The most popular of these BLE trackers was Tile. It works on Android and Apple, but you need to have the App running for it to report locations.
In 2021 Apple released it’s own version of the idea called AirTags, which doesn’t need an App running in the background. It uses Apple’s really cool FindMe network, which has allowed Mac, iPhone, AppleWatch and iPad owners to keep tabs on their devices. Anyhow, it is transparently running in the background of all Apple devices, meaning the number of devices that can report locations is huge. Huuuge.
AirTags are, however, sorta expensive. Plus they need a case. But……Apple did create a “Find My Network Accessory Program” and one such device to come from this is the Chipolo One Spot. This $28 device works perfectly on the Find My Network, and it has a little hole in it to put on a keychain or luggage tag.
So……..basically, get one. Put it in your case. Your gig bag. IF……and I hope it is a IF……something ever happens, like you forget it somewhere, misplace it, it gets STOLEN. You have a chance of getting it back. There are a NUMBER of stories of people being able to use AirTags to get items back.
I think for $28, it’s a no-brainer, especially if you are a Apple device person. I have one in my case (along with a Tile), my accessories bag, portable PA, etc.
#chipolo #airtags #apple
