Use this app to find your keys like you find your Pokémon
An augmented reality app turns finding lost items into a game.
We've seen Bluetooth item trackers before, like Tile and Protag's Duet, but they're usually pretty dull. Pixie, on the other hand, will curb the anxiety of losing something by turning it into a game. Like other trackers, Pixie uses Bluetooth, but it also adds augmented reality into the mix, so your phone will actually show you where the general area where your device is. Once you get in real close, it'll start pointing you left and right like a good old-fashioned game of hot and cold. You could also use it to cheat at hide and seek with your kids. Pixie has another trick up its sleeve. If you have multiple devices, they communicate with each other which helps the app know where they are with greater accuracy. The makers of Pixie claim it's a similar principle to how GPS works, but in fact there's no GPS going on here, so you'll still need to be within general Bluetooth distance from the item you're trying to find (around 40 feet). One thing I thought clever was that Pixie has made an iPhone case that has one of the trackers baked right into it. The trackers, called "Pixie points," look like a large, thick, guitar plectrum, and have approximately 12-month battery life. They're also solid little critters, with IP67 dust-and waterproofing. Ideal if you lose an item outside in the rain -- your phone might not fare so well, but at least you'll find it. Pixie comes in packs of two (including a phone case) for $49, or packs of four (again, with a phone case) for $99, and will be available starting January 25th. Just don't lose your wallet in the meantime.
