So an interesting package arrived on my desk while I was away on holiday a couple weeks ago. While this is not exactly an unexpected event (I get promo stuff all the time and I LOVE it!), what I found when I opened the package was.
Before I get into what was in the package, first a little back story.
When it comes to my relationship with electronics I can absolutely be classified as abusive, negligent and unresponsive. Seriously, I hate answering the phone, I have destroyed my fair share of equipment and I have a nasty habit of leaving expensive gadgets laying around where others can grab them. Either that or I just plain forget I had it with me and walk away.
While this can at times be traumatizing for me (lost contacts and data), I can’t help but wonder how my poor electronic friends deal with such abandonment and abuse. I would imagine they feel similar to how the sad lamp feels in that Ikea commercial from a couple years back.
Everybody feeling sorry for the gadgets? Great, the stage is now set. Let’s continue with the story shall we.
Opening up the package to discover . . .Phone Halo!
After carefully opening the package and removing the protective wrap, I found an awesome new BlackBerry accessory called the Phone Halo. The tagline on the package read “Keep Your Stuff”.
It was as if the universe wanted to put an end to all my destructive ways and start me on a new path of gadget responsibility. If there was one product that could help me, surely it was the Phone Halo.
What is a Phone Halo?
Well… The Phone Halo is a product that is currently in Alpha testing. To be fair, it is not actually a product just yet but rather the stellar beginnings of one.
The concept is simple. Once attached to your BlackBerry via Bluetooth, the Phone Halo keyring FOB will calculate the distance between itself and your BlackBerry. If this distance exceeds a predetermined value then both your BlackBerry and the FOB will alert you to the fact.
I will come right out and say it – I love this! With the Phone Halo attached to my BlackBerry I will never leave it behind again. not only that, but I can see it being beneficial to me from an alternate perspective.
If I am carrying my BlackBerry and I happen to leave my keys behind (also a frequent occurrence) I will be alerted in an identical manner.
So what is in the box? How does the Phone Halo actually work?
Being that the product is in Alpha I will not be digging into the minute details of battery life, volumes of alerts etc. I will be sending my suggestions along to the developers for anything of that nature that I think could be handled a bit better.
I will however give you the details you need! Here goes:
What you get in the box
When you open the Phone Halo box you are greeted with a small keyring FOB. It really is tiny, measuring in at 1.9″ x 1.1″ x 0.6″ weighing less than an ounce.
A little more digging in the box also reveals a micro USB cable, a handy quickstart guide and a product manual.
The quickstart guide walks you through an easy setup of installing the Phone Halo software on your Blackberry and pairing with the keyring FOB.
The product manual provides information on the various phone features and navigating the application on your BlackBerry.
What are your Phone Halo options?
While this list will be incomplete and some items may change over the development cycle, here is what currently excites me about the Phone Halo for BlackBerry:
- Multiple Device Connectivity: You can have the Phone Halo paired with a range of different products and assign each of them a profile within Phone Halo.
- Distance Sensitivity: You have a choice of three distance ranges for any given profile. This ensures that the Phone Halo is not beeping at all times. Distances include Very Far (30 feet), Far (20-30 feet) or Close (10-20 feet)
- Custom Profiles: You have a choice of using your default profile when being alerted to a wandering device or you can set up your own custom alert profiles so you can immediately recognize the Phone Halo alert.
- The FIND Button: A small button located on the front of the keyring FOB that will instruct your BlackBerry to sound its alert. NO MORE COUCHED PHONES!
With the above mentioned functionality, it is hard to imagine a BlackBerry accessory which would be better suited to an individual such as myself. This device could end up saving me a few bucks in the long run and would be a value no matter what the price as far as I am concerned. If you are anything like me then the Phone Halo should absolutely be on your watch list.
I will absolutely be posting more about both the comapny and their product as it gets closer to an official release.
Here is to a better tomorrow for all my gadget friends
There you have it folks, a BlackBerry accessory that can help change the gadget world for the better. One that, given time, could change the ways of evil owners like me. A BlackBerry accessory that could put an end to lost and stolen phones for good.
While the Phone Halo is still in Alpha production and needs a bit of work before it will be ready for mass adoption, there is no doubt in my mind that the company is on the right track.
I eagerly await the next mystery package from the Phone Halo team that contains a market ready sample of their wares. I have already cleared some room on my key ring in preparation.
NOTE: If you are interested in purchasing a Phone Halo unit for your BlackBerry, the Phone Halo team is taking preorders at their website www.phonehalo.com
This post originated at BBGeeks.com – home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.
Geek Review: Phone Halo for BlackBerry
This post originated at BBGeeks.com – home to all things Blackberry! Also a great source of info about AT&T BlackBerry.
Geek Review: Phone Halo for BlackBerry