Two New Ways to Find Your Stuff
Modern day inventors have finally tackled a problem that’s common to nearly every human. Yesterday we published a review of two new products that help people recover precious things that they mistakenly lose. I am somewhat surprised that this has taken so many years, but now there are many different ways you can get your stuff back. Why didn’t I think of this?
The first is called the Travel Lost & Found Kit by Findercodes, and it’s a set of durable stickers and laminated labels you can either affix or attach to your iPhone, camera, laptop or suitcase. On the tags, there is a QR code, those little boxes of gibberish that can be read by a reader on many devices. If someone finds your phone, they can shoot a quick photo of that symbol and then it takes them to a website where your phone number and address can be found. Then the owner gets a text message and an email explaining that something of yours has been found, complete with a map dotted with its location. $19.99 for 4 stickers and 3 labels.
The second product is called My Stuff Lost & Found, and this one is a set of sturdy 1/4″ x 2″ steel labels with a code and a website listed on them. The also sell stickers with the same info, these can be attached or stuck to your stuff and it does something similar. You register the products and then if someone finds them they can find you. No need to shoot a photo of the symbol, just instructions to visit their site. These cost either $19.95 for 6 stickers or $19.95 for a set of four labels with tough steel wires to keep them in place.
Both of these clever products are taking advantage of the crowd. By counting on the goodness of human nature, it’s assumed that people would want to get your stuff back to you, and with the ubiquity of iPhones, most people don’t want to keep yours, since it won’t work for them anyway.
Apple has their own solution, called Find my phone, that will set up a loud beeping noise on the phone when you log in to your computer and click on the app. It also provides a detailed map with a dot that shows where you left your phone or your laptop. This solution doesn’t require anyone else’s goodwill, and has been used by police to recover stolen iPads and other Apple gear.