nio Bluetooth security tag review: your phone's new muscle
By Richard Lai 
posted Oct 14th 2009 12:08PM
posted Oct 14th 2009 12:08PM
We'll admit: the review didn't start off all that well. When we expressed our interest in testing the nio with our iPhone, the Edinburgh-based company broke news that they are not yet Apple compliant and pointed us to its compatibility list. A little further digging taught us that they are simply waiting for Apple to allow background apps, but they do have a semi-baked solution in the workshop. Fair enough, so we wiped off the dust on our Nokia E51 and started charging up the gear. Here's our unboxing video:
Hardware
While the minimalistic nio has a fair form factor and build quality, we were annoyed by the lack of buttons or a switch; these would eliminate the need of carrying a paper clip for the reset pinhole all day long, in case you want to pair the tag up with a different phone, or even just for the times when things go pear-shaped with Bluetooth. After all, this thing does cost a dear $77.95 (or £42.40 for local buyers), and we're quite sure that Mr. Clippy isn't worth that much. We also think that a native battery indicator would be nice, as opposed to just the indicator icon in the software, although they do claim with two hours of use per day it can last up to two weeks on one charge. Not bad.
Configuration and Performance
According to nio's website, their app supports the Windows Mobile platform and most of the latest Blackberry devices, provided they are Bluetooth-enabled of course. There's also a list of supported phone models and series of the big names, just no mention of Apple, Palm or any Android devices. Rest assured though, as we have word straight from TenBu's Director, Ben Hounsell, that both Android and Palm Pre versions "are in the product pipeline and may be released before Christmas."
Installation of the client software on the phone was a breeze, all done in a couple of clicks on nio's download page (in the phone's browser). Likewise with connecting the phone to the tag, although somehow we did hit a bug: throughout the early stages of the review the nio struggled to connect, but the software didn't complain and whistled along, leaving us slightly confused and irritated. Eventually we bypassed that problem by starting up a new tag profile. Once we got in, we were offered a variety of customizations for up to five connected tags simultaneously. Most notably, there are three levels of security zones that you can choose for each, starting from around 25 meters for "Low Risk" (e.g. for forget-me-not alerts) up to 1 meter for "High Risk". We also like the "Locate" feature which makes the tag beep out "SOS" in Morse code, revealing the most awkward locations of your lost keys such as under your keyboard or in your poor dog's gut.
As an advanced option you can also set the tags to be triggered by motion, but our unit didn't respond well to that. We also tried the "Schedule" function which lets you set different security zones for different times and days, but sadly you cannot expect this to run fully automatic on the Nokia; 100% of the time it insisted on asking the user to allow the Bluetooth access. Still, it's better than going through the tedious menu with this one-click process.
Below is our video walkthrough of setting up a "Medium Risk" tag, followed by a field test:
Conclusion
Despite the few drawbacks on both the hardware and software aspects, we see great potential in the nio. Sure, the experience does vary from one phone platform to another, so we can only admire the concept of the perfect security model while TenBu optimizes their code. Now the question remains is whether this device will actually prevent the loss of your beloved gadgets? To answer this, we recruited the other half of our UK crew, Vlad Savov, and put it to the test.
On this bombshell, we can conclude that: one, you'll need to be a good sprinter to make the most out of the nio; and two, Vlad's trousers are guaranteed to fall off while running.
So, all a keen prankster needs to do is steal the nio and then hilarity ensues.
This thing is lame. Most criminals on a subway aren't going to rip you off, and leave immediately! They use the confusion of the group to misdirect your senses. If they are still standing 2 feet away after they pick-pocket you, how will you know until the subway stops and everyone gets off? You going to corral the 30 people in your immediate vicinity to see if they took your phone?
FAIL
This is why I pay a homeless guy a dollar to scream obscenities in anybody touches my stuff as I sleep on the subway, and I'm not talkin' about my phone. I've been touched. Down there. And it wasn't pleasant.
Any of you guys interested in making a dollar?
If one is so determined to sleep on a subway, then I'm sure you don't have much dignity to lose. Just buy a pair of pants with zipper pockets or something.
So all it does is set a perimeter and if the phone gets to far away the app makes an alarm...
This has to be one of the most useless device ever created...
Looks like someone just lost their bag.
The guy already hauled ass halfway down the road by the time the other guy figured out. If you plan on buying this, buy a treadmill too.
>Nokia E51
Fucking awesome.
oh man, we need customized .wav file alarms, "i'm a piece of shit thief! guess i better drop this before the severe electric shock in 5 ... 4 ... 3 ..."
And if someone steals your bag with the Nio its not like anybody keeps their phone in their... oh wait...
I've just lost my bag with my wallet, keys, phone, AND my $75 Nio.
--What a useless crapgadget--
..oh yeah, and I just missed my stop. I really need to stop falling asleep on the subway.
you could wear the Nio on you neck - like a lanyard. Still seems a bit useless. Maybe a Cool Classy watch with this service would be better - it vibrates when you walk far from your phone and then rings the alarm when very far. For example (1 meter - vibrates; 6 meters ring - as an hypothesis).
It does need to be a device that is not carried along the cellphone - is not on the same environment, but external to it.
I like Kaspersky Security for my WinMo phone. Ones it does missing I sent it a message that destoyrs all data on the phone. YOu can also lowjack it.
I suppose you could wear it around your neck... that is if you want to get your ass kicked before having your stuff stolen.
http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/cellphone/9e31/
The concept is cool for lost but not for theft. Imagine someone runnign really fast or in a bike, the things beeps when the thief is way too far. Here is my idea: Add a Taser like system on the phone that in addition to beeping, would attack the thief, thus, letting us recover the phone. I mean I won't run into traffic and die in a chase like that.
I could never imagine a scenario where someone would be "running" away on a bike -- you just blew my mind...
I retract my above comment -- I read tikiteko's comment incorrectly. -1 for me...
I can't think of a time where I've not had my keys in my pocket without my phone in other. If they reversed it to detect when you didn't have your keys it would be at least somewhat useful.
Phones go in pockets that's why they are designed so small.
Well that's what the nio does!
the touch
the feel
the fabric of our lives!
O snap, someone stole my bag
LOL! I also had that song alreayd on my head. It is like at the end of every single engadget video. I just learned it that you can mute it to be able to continue with the next video right away without the song overlapping the sound.
this has already been done in the various cheap $20 bluebooth bracelets... see here for an example: http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.25723
moving on..
though i should mention it's vibrating notification instead of audible.
I have an insatiable desire to buy lots and lots of cotton now.
Junk, just junk - this is a bad idea, badly executed and I resent the fact that I spent time reading this article.
I bet the company in particular are about to go bust and need to throw 'whatever' they have in R&D out the door.
Darwins theory should prove true in this case. Die slug company, die.
you guys don't get the idea-your'e supposed to keep it on a keychain in your pocket. and stop sleeping on the subway. (or pay a homeless guy like cronick :)