Nio is a new Bluetooth based security solution, which launched yesterday.  It works by establishing a Bluetooth connection between your mobile phone (not all devices are supported, and some are supported, but the app must remain in the foreground) and the nio device, and then, should the two become separated, both will sound an alarm.

Ever left your mobile in a taxi / on a train?  Ever lost your keys and wanted to find them?  In both cases, this device can help; as well as both devices sounding an alarm if they go greater than a set distance apart, you can also use the application on the mobile to locate the tag.

If you buy multiple tags, you can track them all within the application (and configure different alert tones for each tag), and even specify times as to when the monitoring should be turned on (eg during your commute by public transport you may want to turn it on automatically to ensure you don’t get separated).  As well as visual and audible alerts, you can even configure a vibration alert.  Tenbu, the comany behind the Nio claim you should get around a 20m connection between the devices.

In terms of the phone ranges supported, they prominently feature BlackBerry devices in their marketing, but also support Nokia N-Series, E-Series, and a whole range of devices via their Java client.  They also list Windows Mobile 5.0 and 6.1 as compatible.  No iPhone or Android devices at present though.

The nio features a rechargeable battery, which they say should last a few weeks, although whether this duration is only achievable with only using the connection for a few hours a day isn’t clear.

Each device currently costs £39.95 (RRP £59.95) and is available direct from the manufacturer here (and they accept Paypal if you are nervous of giving them your credit card).  This looks an interesting way of ensuring you don’t lose your valuable gadgets, yet manages to be a gadget in it’s own right too.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 9th, 2009 at 9:48 am and is filed under Gadgets. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.