Losing small and important items can be a huge pain in the neck. Scrambling in the morning to find your keys, wallet and smartphone or finding yourself at the office without the notebook you live out of can create havoc.
Luckily, technology available from our smartphones has enabled us to organize our lives in a more effective way. Key finders are a simple and practical way to solve the issue of having to remember where you drop your valuables throughout the day and are incredibly convenient, too.
How do key finders work?
Key finders are typically no larger than a standard sized key chain. So drop them in your work bag, attach them to important folders, to your key rings or anything you deem necessary! These transponders are compatible with your smartphone and trackable using the manufacturer’s app.
Types of key finders
The standard key finder works as a GPS tracking system for your important items. Synced up with the smartphone app, you’ll be able to track your lost valuables in a hurry. There’s also another version which will alert you if you’ve gone too far from any of the items you’ve synced to your device. This can be especially helpful if travelling and are about to walk out of your hotel room minus your briefcase or if you’re leaving your house without your wallet.
Use at work
Often times, businesses will allocate certain electronic devices to their employees. Just like changing the locks when those individuals leave the company or if they’re out of touch for long periods of time (think long term sick leave or vacation) you’ll be able to track down company assets without having to contact out of touch or long gone staff. Electronics are expensive so developing a tracking system is crucial. Key finders are a simple and effective way to accomplish this.
Key finders are useful when tracking items that maybe aren’t on par with expensive electronics but are replaced so often they’re starting to cost the same as a tablet! Sync up bathroom keys and office supplies to cut down on your repurchasing frequency. That stapler may only cost you $10, but replace it ten times per year and that starts to add up.
Key finder technology
Key finders come in two basic types of technology: RF (radio frequency) or Bluetooth. RF devices require you to affix a transponder to the item you wish to find and are usually good for up to about 100 feet. To put this into perspective, it works much like a cordless phone. If you recall, cordless phone docking stations always had a ‘find’ button if you couldn’t locate the cordless phone. You’d press the button and the phone would start beeping to alert you to it’s location. This type of technology is best used in your home for items like house keys, shared family devices or even your pets.
The Bluetooth technology is what you want if you’d like to track via a smartphone app. Most applications will alert you when you’re close to the lost object when you come within 50-100 feet of it. There’s generally an audible sound which comes from the transmitter to make finding it much easier. Unfortunately, key finders won’t help if you’re locked out of your house and the keys are inside, but they’ll definitely go a long way in preventing you from getting in that situation in the first place.
Alternative to key finders
If you’re just sick and tired of keys in general, there are other ways to get in and out of your house without relying on keys. Smartphone enabled locks work by locking and unlocking your home or business straight from your smartphone. While we don’t recommend using these locks instead of keys, they’re a good alternative to using a key finder.
No matter what you use, make sure that it’s a system that works for your home or business. Lost your keys and need help getting into your home or business? Contact Kenny’s Lock and we’ll help you out!
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