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Bluetooth key fob for Tesla Model 3 spotted in FCC pictures
Among the quirks of the Tesla Model 3 is that unlike most cars, it doesn't come with a traditional key or key fob at all. Instead, it relies mostly on a Bluetooth Low Energy link to its owner's nearby iPhone or Android device, with keycards available as a backup system to start and unlock the car. Electrek reports that some people have had issues with this system, and spotted a Tesla BLE device making its way through the FCC filing process. Now the documents have been updated with photographs which clearly show the device (as well as its internals and the manual), which is shaped like a Tesla sedan and labeled "Model 3." In real life it will likely look a little slicker than in these unglamorous shots, and it already closely resembles the units available for the Model X and Model S. While Tesla isn't walking back decisions like its center-mounted console in the Model 3, it's definitely taking hints from owners on at least this small part of the experience. Whenever it becomes available, we'd anticipate the newly strengthened security elements will be included, and that other manufacturers working on Digital Keys are taking notes.
TiVo's voice-controlled Bluetooth remote has a Netflix button
The TiVo peanut-style remote has only changed slightly over the years, but ZatzNotFunny points out that a new revision is close to release. Labeled S6V, this Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) connected remote popped up in FCC filings, while a clearer image appeared in an earlier leak along with a trademark for TiVo Bolt Vox and TiVo Mini Vox. TiVo will hardly be the first company to put a microphone inside its remote, as the Apple TV control is built around Siri and even Comcast has a version already available. The manual included in the filing describes a two-button pairing process with the TiVo and back buttons, for the company's first Bluetooth unit since the TiVo Slide keyboard-equipped remote.
Smart Cube turns any drawer into a Bluetooth-controlled lockbox
One of the latest devices to go from crowdfunding to CES is this Bluetooth-connected lock from Smart Armor. The Cube uses Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) to pair with your phone, and can unlock whenever it's in range (or from further away, if you have a Bluetooth router or other device to control it). Simply mount the device in a drawer or box that you'd prefer remain closed to prying eyes, fingers or other appendages, and it can tighten closed. Even if someone tries to tamper with the device, it will send out an alert. Mounted with double-sided tape, it can stand up to 100 pounds of force, or owners can mount it with the provided holes.
Google's Eddystone serves up location-based info via Bluetooth beacons
Using low-energy Bluetooth beacons to serve up location-based info to customers isn't a new development. We've seen more than a few implementations of Apple's iBeacon tech. Google has a new project that employs a similar setup, and it's called Eddystone. How does it differ from Apple's Bluetooth initiative? The effort is a "new and open format" that "anyone" can implement. In addition to working alongside a mobile app to beam info to your phone or tablet when you're in a specified location, Eddystone can also broadcast a URL when an app isn't an option. Rather than missing out, a company can choose to send a web link instead. And it works with both Android and iOS devices, too. There are also two location options, meaning developers can choose one of two APIs that will either find and ping a nearby beacon (like in a museum) or send info when you visit a specific location (e.g., latitude/longitude).
Wallet TrackR may be the next great way to safeguard your wallet
Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) is one of the overlooked heroes of iOS. Part of Bluetooth 4.0, it offers a low-power way to wirelessly connect sensors and other short-range devices to applications that can, with Apple's blessing, run in the background. That means, your phone can track and monitor systems without you having to keep an application open full-time and it won't run down your battery. Still an emerging technology, lots of BLE projects are just ramping up. I recently had a chance to try out a prototype of Phone Halo's Wallet TrackR system. Small enough to fit in your wallet, the Wallet TrackR uses BLE to virtually tether valuables to your iPhone. It works like this. You slide the TrackR into your wallet or connect it to your keychain. Once paired with your phone, a background process connects to the unit and makes sure that it stays close. Should you move too far away, your phone alerts you -- and shows you the TrackR's last known location on a map. You won't have to worry about getting up from the table at that restaurant and accidentally leaving your wallet behind. %Gallery-171414% That's not all the TrackR does. Its press-to-find system lets you activate an audio alert, so you can find items that have slid down between cushions. A "cold and hot" indicator tells you how physically close you are to the device. So how does it work in the real world? Keeping in mind that I only had a chance to test a prototype, pretty well. The final unit will be quite flat, about 3.8 mm thick. The design is based around two CR2016 batteries, the CR2032's flatter little brother. You can pick these up for a buck or so apiece at the corner grocery or grab a five-pack with free shipping at DealExtreme for about $1.50. It feels like a slightly thicker credit card and is quite light. The developer says the two batteries should offer up to a three-year battery life (their marketing materials, however, only promise 18 months) due to BLE's low-duty cycle. You should be able to (as he put it, riffing on Ron Popeil), "set it and forget it." The company has tested the power draw off the prototypes to come to this conclusion. In use, I found the audio alert to be adequate. It's fairly tinny and high-pitched, so it was a bit hard to track down under normal family conditions -- with the TV on and kids yelling, but once they were hushed, I did quite well finding it in all the places my kids had hidden it. I paid them to play hide and seek with the test unit, to see how well the audio signal worked. We found that it was quite easy to degrade the signal a bit by putting the unit in the pantry behind a closed door, shoving it under couch cushions, and so forth -- but that for a normal home, the alert worked well enough for the device to be found. I also tested the "abandoned object" functionality, which provides the device leashing. Once I moved far enough away from the dongle, my phone vibrated and sounded, letting me know I had forgotten to take the dongle with me. This worked, as promised, even when I had other apps open -- such as Mobile Safari and Mail. Aside from a few minor early prototype bugs, I also noticed that the software did drain my iPhone 4S battery slightly faster usual. The developer says this is due to developer tools that will not be in the final release. The Wallet TrackR represents an evolution in development, dating back to an original 2009 Bluetooth-based design. Because regular Bluetooth has much different power consumption characteristics, the initial system had only a one week battery life. "It was really a big black ugly thing," explained developer Chris Herbert. "We got it to market and had some initial success, but BLE was the tech we were waiting for." Phone Halo plans to ship units in April 2013. They will cost US$49.95 per device, although you can pre-order now for just $19 each in a sort of non-Kickstarter Kickstarter campaign. Herbert explains that the company will not charge cards until the units are ready to ship.
Cobra Electronics unveils Cobra Tag G5 ahead of CES
In advance of the official start of CES 2012, Cobra Electronics has introduced a follow-up to its Cobra Tag dubbed the G5. The latest iteration of the Tag, which is a bluetooth device that pairs up to your phone and triggers alarms of your choosing when the two items become separated, now takes advantage of the Bluetooth 4.0 Low-Energy standard. This means the Tag will now offer more than six months of use before requiring another charge, and is interoperable with the Bluetooth 4.0-capable iPhone 4S in addition to its usual list of Android devices. Cobra expects to begin shipping the G5 sometime in Q2, and will maintain its predecessor's asking price of $60. Look below to read the full press release.
Broadcom announces Android support, three-pack of chips to make your phones more awesome
Chip maker Broadcom has unveiled no fewer than three new mobile-themed hunks of silicon this week in preparation for MWC in just a few days' time. You ready for this? Alright, first up we've got the catchily-named BCM20751, which performs the rather ordinary tasks of GPS, Bluetooth, and FM radio management but also throws in an audio processor to offload some work from the phone's primary CPU, which the company says can reduce battery consumption enough to improve playback time by up to 100 percent in some situations. Next up, we've got the BCM4751, a GPS receiver that Broadcom's confident is going to set a new benchmark for mobile location-based services; a complete setup takes less than 30 square millimeters of precious board space and is claimed to be a guru at picking up weak signals all the while sipping power. Finally, the BCM2049 supports Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, FM (both transmitting and receiving), and Bluetooth Low Energy -- something that was recently adopted for standardization in Bluetooth 4.0. All three should be on display at the show next week. That's not all, though -- the company is also announcing comprehensive support for Android across much of its product range, which seems like a pretty prudent business decision all things considered.
