This is the Connect Tag, a new tracking device from Samsung.
SamsungDon’t use those creepy babysitter-monitoring dolls to keep tabs on your children and pets.
Instead, Samsung has a slightly smaller and less sinister-looking device than a Teddy Ruxpin lookalike. It’s called the Connect Tag, which Samsung claims is the first to employ narrowband network technology, optimising data and battery usage for a week-long lifespan before needing a charge.
The device uses a combination of GPS, Wi-Fi-based positioning and Cell ID to track location. It measures in at 4.21 centimetres in length, and at a thickness of 1.19 centimetres it’s smaller than your average Tamagotchi. It’s also waterproof.
Compatible with Samsung’s SmartThings ecosystem, the Connect Tag uses GPS to put up a geofence around your house, setting off lights or the TV when you, wearing the tag, arrive, or alerting you through the Android Samsung Connect app when a person or item has left the set virtual zone.
This has the potential to be a cheaper option than the other tracking tech out there. The Apple Watch Series 2 can track loved ones over Wi-Fi, but sets you back $369, £369 or AU$529. You can GPS-track your luggage using connected carry-on suitcases from Bluesmart, for example, coming in at $270 on Amazon. Whistle is the leader in canine-companion tech, with its latest GPS device, Whistle 3, coming in at $100 on eBay.
There’s no price yet, with the Samsung Connect Tag set for sale in South Korea before hitting other countries, which Samsung says will be soon.
