Smart Finder item locator review

Lose stuff often? Perhaps this is the answer

18 November 2006 0:00 GMT / By Stuart Miles

We all lose things from time to time including our mind sometimes and while the Smart Finder can't promise to help with getting back your marbles, it does promise to help you find stuff you've tagged and then lost around the house.

We've seen locators before, firstly with the whistle keyring that saw you walk around your house whistling like a dwarf from Snow white to the Loc8tor that included a LCD screen so you could hone in on your gadgets (read lost items) just like Sigourney Weaver and the Space Marines did in Aliens.

The Smart Finder sits in the middle of both. Priced at £30 you get four tags and a remote to track them down. The tags, the size of a small matchbox attach you to your keys, bag, shoes or whatever else you are expecting to lose and via a lanyard. Colour coded blue, orange, green and red, the remote has the same corresponding colours on it.

Press the button on the remote, and yes that’s right, the tag beeps back at you. It's that easy and that simple.

Technically, the remote control transmitter can send a radio signal through walls and floors to activate the 85 decibel alarms on the receiver, locating items up to 25 metres away.

Grumbles, the tags although including a beeper so you can find them are still rather large and although you might get away putting one in a bag we wouldn't want to have it permanently attached to a set of keys or the TV remote.

Verdict

If you are prone to losing stuff this will help you find it. It's a bit basic and doesn't come with the host of features the Loc8tor does, but then it’s a third of the price.

Mrs Pocket-lint has already used it to find her handbag and that has to be a good omen. Although we suspect that the size of the tags will put most people off.

Score

Review Recap

Price as reviewed: £29.99
The good: Easy to use, includes batteries in the box
The bad: Tags are large, apart from beeping when you press remote does nothing else
Quick verdict: If you are prone to losing stuff this will help you find it, it's just a bit basic
Score