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Comcast’s X1 TV remote can now ping your missing Tile fobs
Comcast customers can ring their lost stuff.
Google Assistant can now say where your Tile is
Tracking gadget Tile has been a boon to the forgetful, and now it's set to get even more helpful. Previously, you could use Google Assistant to ring your Tile, so finding your keys or wallet was a matter of listening out for the beep. Now, though, it's able to give you a location of where your stuff is.
Sonos CEO will testify at a House antitrust hearing next week
A day after his company sued Google for allegedly stealing some of its speaker tech, it emerged Sonos CEO Patrick Spence will testify at an antitrust hearing. The House Antitrust Subcommittee, which is broadly investigating the market dominance of tech giants, will hear from more witnesses next week.
HP updates its Elite Dragonfly laptop with 5G and Tile tracking
HP already made waves with far-out claims about its Elite Dragonfly when it launched last year, saying things like it was "lighter than air," and the "world's first business convertible with preinstalled personal wellbeing software." But the company is here at CES 2020 with a new version that has some new unique features. It's the "world's first laptop with built-in Tile," for example, so you can find your notebook if you misplace it by using an app. The new Dragonfly also features 5G connectivity, starting first with Sprint service and other carriers to follow later. For an update that is taking place just about four months after, the next-gen Elite Dragonfly certainly seems like a meaty update.
The best Bluetooth tracker
By Nick Guy This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter. When readers choose to buy Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, Wirecutter and Engadget may earn affiliate commission. Read the full guide to bluetooth trackers. If you find that you're often scrambling to locate your keys or bag as you're heading out the door, a Bluetooth tracker can be a lifesaver. Tile Mate (2020) is the one you should attach to your gear. It has a range that's long enough to cover most homes or workplaces, a loud alarm, and a replaceable battery. And it costs a little less than the top-of-the-line Tile Pro (2020). Bluetooth trackers let you use a smartphone app to monitor the location of whatever they're attached to, and Tile as a company has become synonymous with trackers in the way Kleenex is with facial tissue. In our testing, the Tile Mate's 150-foot range didn't quite measure up to the 190-plus-foot range of the Tile Pro, but it's long enough that most people won't go out of range in their house or at the office. You can also remotely trigger a sound on the tracker to locate it when you're nearby (say, when you've misplaced your keys in your house), and the Tile Mate is just as loud as more expensive models. When the tracker is out of Bluetooth range, a crowd-finding feature allows others with the Tile app to help you locate your item, and Tile has the largest network of its kind. Tile Slim (2020) and Tile Sticker (2020) have shorter ranges and quieter alarms than the Tile Mate, and they don't have user-replaceable batteries. But they are designed to be used in different places, and they offer all of the benefits of the Tile ecosystem. The former is modeled on a credit card and designed for your wallet; the latter is tiny and can adhere to pretty much anything. The Tile Essentials (2020) bundle includes a Tile Mate, a Tile Slim, and two Tile Stickers at a discount, so it's a good starter combination.
Tile trackers will warn when you've left your bag at the coffee shop
Tile's trackers already help you find lost items, but now they might help you before the wave of panic hits. The company is relaunching Smart Alerts in beta to automatically warn when you've left a tracked item behind if it's been there for at least five minutes. If you rush out of the coffee shop without your bag, you'll ideally get an alert before you've reached your car. You'll need a Premium subscription ($30 per year or $3 per month), but it might be a small price to pay if you can't bear the thought of leaving a valuable item alone for more than a few minutes. The beta will be available in December.
Google Assistant is ready to find your Tile tracker
As promised, Google Assistant can now help find your Tile trackers with very little effort. Link the Bluetooth gadget in the Google Home app, set up Voice Match in Assistant and you can ask the voice helper to locate your trackers (and hopefully, the items attached to them) using a simple sentence rather than adding a prefix like "ask Tile to" every time. You can tell Assistant to ring your keys or find your bag.
Tile’s latest Bluetooth tracker is a tiny, waterproof sticker
Tile is so well-known for its Bluetooth trackers that it's practically synonymous with the category. But as useful as they are for finding your stuff, they can only be attached via a keychain or slipped into a pocket. Sure, you could stick them on with an adhesive, but that can be a little awkward and unwieldy, especially on smaller devices. Today, Tile has unveiled a potential solution to that with the Tile Sticker. It retails for $39.99 for a pack of two or $59.99 for a pack of four.
Skullcandy's Crusher ANC block noise while you feel the bass
Skullcandy's Crusher headphones have offered thumping bass tones that rumble your dome (literally) since 2013. In 2016, the company introduced a wireless version and followed up with "an ultra-realistic sensory bass experience" on the Crusher 360 last year. Now the company is introducing a new model in the Crusher series, and it comes with a major addition: active noise cancellation.
Sennheiser Momentum Wireless review
Sennheiser's Momentum line has been a popular headphone choice for years now. It first debuted in 2012, then went wireless in 2015. Despite stumbling out of the gate with some connectivity issues, the Momentum Wireless is still a solid choice. At IFA 2019, the company debuted the third generation of the headphones. And while this new $399.95 over-ear model is improved, there are still some headaches that could've been avoided.
Google Assistant will help you find Tile trackers
You don't want to lose an item tagged with a Tile Bluetooth tracker, but you'll at least have an easier time finding it in the near future. Tile is planning Google Assistant support that will let you directly ring your tracker from any device that supports the AI helper, making it just a matter of a quick voice command. You could find your keys just by asking your Nest speaker while you're frantically searching between the couch cushions.
Apple’s tracking tags will reportedly use ultra-wideband for precision
While we've known for a while now that Apple is working on a Tile-like tracking device, what hasn't been clear is how the company plans to differentiate the product beyond its usual ecosystem tie-ins. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has a solid track record on rumors, and claims the answer is a technology called ultra-wideband (UWB) that will allow the tags to perform better than currently-available competition. With the help of Bluetooth LE, current tags can help a person pinpoint the location of an item to an area of about 16 feet. With UWB, by contrast, that area is narrowed down to less than a third thanks to the fact the technology allows two compatible devices to precisely calculate the time it takes for a signal to travel between them.
The best Prime Day 2019 deals so far: PM edition
This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter. When readers choose to buy Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, Wirecutter and Engadget may earn affiliate commissions. that support its work. Read Wirecutter's continuously updated list of Amazon Prime Day deals here.
iOS 13 beta mentions Apple’s Tile-like tracking device
It appears Apple left one item out of its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) yesterday: its Tile-like tracking device. Earlier this spring, we learned that Apple is supposedly working on a tracking tag, but the company didn't mention it amidst news of its updated operating systems, Mac Pro and HomeKit security improvements. However, in the iOS 13 beta, developers spotted an asset package for a device with the product type "Tag1,1." As 9to5Mac reports, that type of asset package is used for pairing devices by proximity -- like AirPods and HomePod. It's more evidence to support rumors that Apple is working on a tracking device.
Apple may be developing a Tile-like tracking tag
Apple might be preparing to move into Tile's territory, as it's reportedly developing a physical tag you'd be able to attach to any object to track its location. It's also working on an app that will essentially merge Find My Friends and Find My iPhone, according to 9to5 Mac.
Tile partners with chip makers to bring stuff-finding power to everything
Tile's Bluetooth trackers have been a godsend for forgetful types. Many a lost wallet or set of keys have been located using the Tile Platform, which last year expanded beyond a mobile app to voice and video controls. The company had also previously announced partnerships with a number of companies, including Bose and Samsonite, to help you keep tabs on other things, too. Now, the company has revealed it's teaming up with major BLE (Bluetooth low energy) chip companies, so Tile's stuff-finding power could feasibly be integrated into almost anything.
Tile's new Bluetooth trackers come with replaceable batteries
Tile has been a household name in Bluetooth trackers for awhile now, with over 15 million Tiles sold over the past six years. But the one complaint that many customers have had about Tile trackers is that you couldn't replace the battery; instead, you had to swap in new Tiles every year or so when they ran out of juice. Today, however, Tile is announcing its latest line of trackers will finally have replaceable batteries. Plus, the company is rolling out a new Premium service that promises, among other features, free battery replacements every year.
Comcast makes ‘sizable’ investment in Tile
Comcast has made a significant investment in Tile, TechCrunch reports, and the two companies will work together on products and marketing going forward. Though numbers aren't being disclosed, someone with knowledge of the deal told TechCrunch the investment was "sizable." The deal follows a move earlier this year that made Tile's tracking technology accessible through Xfinity Home.
Tile brings video and voice to its trackers with help from Comcast
Tile's Bluetooth trackers help people keep tabs on their keys, wallets and other items they don't want to lose, and today the company is making it a little easier for some to keep track of their important objects. Tile is teaming up with Comcast so that Xfinity customers with an X1 Voice Remote can simply ask where their item is. All they'll have to do is say something like, "Xfinity Home, find my wallet," or, "Xfinity Home, where are my keys?" And the last known location of the Tile associated with that object will be displayed on their TV screen.
Tile’s item-finding technology is being built into Bose earbuds
Ever lost a pair of earbuds? Or your luggage at the airport? Or worse, your inhaler? Starting this year, Tile will partner with companies like Bose, Samsonite and Propeller Health to help you find those things, to name just a few examples.
