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Get four of these for just $40.
TileTechnology can't solve every problem, but it can solve some of them. For example, I'm sure you know how aggravating it can be when something goes missing. Like, say, your phone or your keys.
Problem solved: Today only, and while supplies last, Best Buy has the Tile Mate tracker four-pack for $39.99 shipped (plus tax), a savings of $20. (Individually, they usually run $25 each.)
You also have the option of getting a slightly different bundle: two Tile Mates and two Tile Slims for $39.99 -- a savings of $30.
For the uninitiated, the Tile Mate is a small, square, battery-powered tile designed to live on your keychain, or maybe attached to your purse or backpack or what have you. The Slim is slightly larger, but also thinner, and therefore better-suited to slipping into a wallet or sticking to the back of, say, your tablet or even passport.
They connect via Bluetooth to your phone, establishing a full-time connection. (Yes, your phone might end up needing to be recharged a little more often. Totally worth it.)
When you can't find your phone, you double-press the button on the Tile. That makes the phone ring loudly, even if it's set to mute. Can't find your keys/bag/wallet/what-have-you? Use the locator feature in the Tile app to make the Tile itself beep.
There's also a community feature that can help you recover Tile-attached items that are really lost (or even stolen). Mostly, however, these trackers are great for "local" finding, like when you can't remember where you put your phone and don't want to turn the house upside-down looking for it.
Unlike previous Tiles, these 2018 versions let you replace the battery (which you'll need to do every year or so). They also promise better range.
I'm a fan, and for $10 apiece, you just can't go wrong.
Originally published on Feb. 1, 2019.
Update, March 31: Changed availability information.
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