Keep tabs on your kids (or rather, a tag), with Samsung’s new Connect Tag, which is said to be the first mobile product that leverage narrowband network technology (NB-IoT) to track your loved ones and possessions. In order to connect Internet of Things devices, narrowband networks use cellular communication bands. Such bands are meant for devices that don’t need much data or power, but do need to be securely connected to the internet for location services. And that’s where the Samsung Connect Tag comes in.
The little tag claims to provide location data whether you’re inside or outside using GPS, Wi-Fi based positioning, and cell ID. But more impressively, the tag is said to last a whopping seven days on a single charge. So even if you go several days without noticing that you’ve lost your wallet (or your child), rest assured — you’ll still be able to track your dearly beloved.
Samsung envisions users attaching the tag to a backpack, to a dog collar, to your purse, or just about anything else whose location you’d want to stay aware of. You can also activate the tag’s geofence feature so that you’re made aware anytime your child, pet, or object goes (or is left) beyond predetermined limits. Alternatively, you can set the tag to send a notification anytime the tracked individual enters a certain location — that means you’ll know exactly when little Jimmy walked into school this morning. You can also request the tag’s location at any point by way of your smartphone, or set up notifications so that the tag regularly alerts you as to its positioning.
Promising to be both dust and waterproof, the tag is quite diminutive at just 1.19 cm thick and 4.21 cm wide. You’ll be able to see the tag in person if you attend Samsung’s developer conference later this week, and the unit is expected to go on sale in Korea before making its international debut over the next few months. Pricing has yet to be announced.
