I’ve just spent a week playing with testing one of the newest Bluetooth gadgets to hit the market. PhoneHalo is designed to protect your phone and your personal belongings. The product consists of two parts – the PhoneHalo device and the PhoneHalo software.
Once installed on your mobile device (currently available for Android and Blackberry), you “pair” the PhoneHalo with your phone. Once the two can communicate, they’ll be in constant contact, which means they’ll let you know when they become separated.
This separation alarm is at the heart of the PhoneHalo system. When you attach PhoneHalo to your keys, the device will set off an alarm if it gets out of range, and because it also works the other way around, if your keys (or other personal item) leave your sight, your phone will set off an alarm.
Best of all, the PhoneHalo software can track the (phones) GPS position where it lost contact with your personal item – so as long as it isn’t moving, you’ll be able to track its position. For example – if you can’t find your keys, you simply open the app and check for their last location. Your phone can also send Twitter, email or SMS alerts notifying you of an alarm.
The uses for travelers are obvious – you can attach the PhoneHalo to your luggage, digital camera or other item, and if someone runs off with your belongings, a loud alarm will (hopefully) be enough to deter thieves.
On your phone, you can setup an auto-lock function, which will lock your phone if it gets out of range of the PhoneHalo.
The software is really well made – and includes a whole host of handy features. If you don’t suspect theft, but just want to set off an alarm on the PhoneHalo to track lost keys, you simply turn on the “ring device” feature. Other settings let you rename the PhoneHalo, which is perfect if you are tracking more than one.
Phone Halo charges off MicroUSB, and its internal battery is sufficient for seven days of continuous use. In other words – if you charge it just once a week, it’ll never stop working.
PhoneHalo costs $59.95, or $95.95 for two devices. Because all communications are over Bluetooth, there are no monthly fees. I’ve tested several of these products in the past, but PhoneHalo is the first to work 100% reliably every time I used it.
To learn more about this innovative product, or to order your own PhoneHalo, head on over to PhoneHalo.com.