As I write this, I’m travelling in Europe with my wife. Tough life, I know, but as you can see, I’m still working.
Have you ever sat on a plane and wondered whether your bag made it on board? And if it didn’t, which happens more often than you’d like, where is it now? I once flew from the US to Sydney, only to be told my bag had been sent to London by mistake. The Roam smart tracker may be just the thing to give you peace of mind.
The Roam smart tracker is about the size of a 50 cent coin, just over 1 cm thick, and weighs 4 grams. You attach it to something you want to find if it goes missing, such as your car keys or your luggage. It’s IP67 rated, so dust, rain and even a short dip in a puddle won’t stop it working.
Unlike many smart trackers, the Roam isn’t tied to a single ecosystem. It works with either Apple Find My or Android Find Hub, so you don’t need to worry about giving one as a present, only to find out you bought the wrong one.
It runs on a standard CR2032 coin-cell battery, which is easy to find, and lasts about a year before it needs replacing. Your phone will tell you when the battery is running low, with no special app needed, and there are no ongoing subscriptions.
How the Roam smart tracker works
When you first activate the tracker, you choose whether to set it up with Apple or Android. Once it’s activated, it can’t work with both.
The Roam sends out a Bluetooth signal that nearby iPhones or Android phones, depending on which you chose, detect and use to report its location. Location reports are encrypted, so only you can see where your tracker is. In effect, you’re using the billions of smartphones around the world to find your lost item.
It comes with a key ring loop and an elastic strap, so you can attach it to all sorts of things. To find your item, open the Apple Find My or Android Find Hub app and select your Roam tracker. Your item’s last reported location will appear on a map. Travellers can also share that location with more than 50 airlines to help them find a lost bag.
If you lose your keys somewhere in the house, you can use your phone to make the tracker play a sound. And when you’re out and about, there’s one more layer of protection. The Roam has a QR code printed on it, so if someone finds your tracker and scans the code, they’ll see how to contact you, such as by email or phone.
The Roam can track lots of things, including your pet. What would you track?
Putting the Roam luggage tracker to the test
So far, so good. I haven’t lost my bags. I have one tracker hidden in a backpack with my laptop and camera, and another visible on the outside of a large clothes bag. I’ve been able to track our checked bag during our flight, and even see it approaching the baggage carousel. Hopefully I won’t need it to recover stolen goods, but if bad luck strikes, I’ll share the story.
The Roam smart tracker costs $43, with discounts when you buy more than one. My wife can even track me and my backpack, because I’ve shared access with her. Now I can roam as far as I like and still get found.
The post Roam smart tracker: a luggage tracker for iPhone and Android appeared first on GadgetGuy.
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