smarttag
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Amazon throws in a free SmartTag when you buy Samsung's Galaxy Buds 2
Get a free Samsung SmartTag Bluetooth tracker when you buy the Galaxy Buds 2 at Amazon.
Samsung's Galaxy Note 20 series is up to $400 off at Amazon
Samsung's Galaxy Note 20 smartphone series is up to $400 off at Amazon.
Samsung SmartThings update helps prevent unwanted tag-based tracking
Samsung has unveiled an update to its SmartThings platform that includes Bixby voice control and a clever new feature that can detect if someone is tracking your location.
Samsung's SmartTag+ Bluetooth tracker is finally available for pre-order
More than two months after it was announced, Samsung's SmartTag+ Bluetooth item tracker is finally available to pre-order ahead of an April 12th release date.
Tommy Hilfiger tracks, rewards you for wearing its smart clothes
How do you convince everyday people to serve as unofficial ambassadors for a fashion brand? Make smart clothes, apparently. Tommy Hilfiger is launching a Tommy Jeans Xplore garment line that uses embedded Bluetooth smart tags (connected to the company's iOS app) to provide "one-of-a-kind rewards and experiences" to buyers. The more you wear the clothes, the more points you earn -- basically, you're getting a handful of perks for becoming a walking billboard.
Samsung’s cellular smart tag lasts for a week on one charge
Smart products have given us the tools we need to track personal items, and even loved ones. Want to know where your kids are? Buy them a custom smartwatch. Worried about losing your suitcase? Grab some connected luggage. Looking to keep a watchful eye over your pet? Get a webcam-integrated smart toy. But, as useful as they may be, they're still restricted by their category. Sensing a gap in the market for a versatile product that can do all of the above, Samsung is releasing the Connect Tag.
Google expands NFC check-ins, clutters more restaurant windows
Google's love affair with NFC continues to blossom, and QR codes are starting to feel like a neglected stepchild. After a successful trial run in Portland, the once-upon-a-search company is expanding its NFC check-in program to four new cities, slapping RFID "Recommended on Google" stickers on windows in Las Vegas; Madison, Wisconsin; Charlotte, North Carolina; and Austin, Texas. The company wants to be the best in the location-based service market, and NFC is its crane kick. While Foursquare and Facebook users are forced to do silly things like track down the right business in an endless list of nearby results or try and focus their cellphone's camera on a dimly lit QR code, you could simply be swiping over a sticker, scoring discounts and moving on. Provided, of course, you happen to have one of the few NFC-equipped phones on the market (such as the Nexus S), live in one of Google's five testbed cities and really want your friends to know you hit Planet Wings for lunch -- again. Full PR after the break.
Walmart to add RFID tags to individual items, freak out privacy advocates
Walmart's been pushing RFID for years now, using it to better manage the company's vast inventories and understand where products are and how fast they're approaching. Now, the mega-retailer is about to take things to another level, and it just might push competitors into getting with the program. As of now, there's limited consumer-facing benefit to tracking pallets in transit, but a Wall Street Journal report suggests that Wally World will be placing radio-frequency ID tags on individual clothes. The initiative is slated to kick off next month, and it's expected to help apparel managers know when certain sizes and colors are depleted and need to be restocked. In theory, having this ability will ensure that consumers never see their desired size or hue as sold out, and if the clothing trial is successful, the tags could be rolled out to a near-infinite amount of kit. Of course, privacy advocates are all wound up about the idea, though it seems as if most sniffing concerns could be dealt with if the tags were removed as customers departed the store. Unless you're leaving in a hurry, that is...
