Like most people, I first tried bluetooth keyboard and mouse. They worked on Windows and Mac but since I prefer to use Ubuntu linux primarily (that is whole another topic) I had to get a logitech 2.4GHz usb stick and it worked great.
Then I tried using garmin GPS with bluetooth to send addresses to Garmin for Navigation. That worked until I paired a 2nd phone to it. Then it got confused. Garmin was relevant when Google Maps could not navigate when offline. Now that is changing. Also, that is whole another topic.
My wife tried bluetooth headphones for the car. Battery drain on the phone and the need to remember to charge the bluetooth headset killed off that use case. To be fair to bluetooth, one of my sons swears by his bluetooth headset but I to have to strain to hear him when he calls. May be it is just a not so sensitive microphone.
Then I tried a device called Automatic connected to obd2 port of my minivan. It pairs with the phone and reports fuel economy, speed warning (you can set it) and in future may report more info about the car. It worked well in the minivan. The app automatically runs in the back ground and connects when in the car. However, in a different car, when the speed reached the set limit, the 2 or three beeps became a continuous beep and I had to disconnect it. Sad thing is I now lost it. $100 wasted.
I funded a kickstarter company called Pebblebee which uses bluetooth low energy device attached to the keychain with a button on it. Push the button and an app on the phone is supposed to sound an alarm tone for you to find it. Use the app on the phone and you could beep the keys or flash to find them. First they said that Android 4.3 or better is required. Then they said Android 4.4 or better is required. Now even with Android 5.0 on a Samsung Galaxy Note 3 running the standard T Mobile version of Android, the app stops running in the back ground and therefore you can never find the phone using keys but you can find keys using phone. I wanted this company to do well but they are small and may be they will get it right...
Update June 27th: The support team and tech lead worked hard with me to get to the bottom of the issue why Pebblebee Hive App on Android cannot stay running so that it can interact with the Pebblebee bluetooth device. The heart of the problem was that the App seems to require persistent connection to internet rather than use Internet to authenticate and when connected to the server, send status. I think this is a classic example of how IoT (Internet of Things) has gone too far to need connection to internet. Even the cheapest phones has enough compute power to handle connection to a bluetooth device. Requiring connection to internet to function seems too extreme. I had a couple of hubs which connect to my router for connection to internet while they interact with devices in the home. Initially they were looking for the server too often and failed. Now they do not connect as often. I think they still do connect more often than they need to. If there is internet outage, home security and automation must still work over Wifi. Even if there is power outage and the router is connect to UPS WIFI can work.
Having said all this I am told that most of Pebblebee's users are always connected to internet and so offline feature is a plan for the future. Until then, if you want to find your phone just use the method offered by Google or Apple.
I look forward to updating this review when the offline feature is implemented by Pebblebee and it works.
Then I tried using garmin GPS with bluetooth to send addresses to Garmin for Navigation. That worked until I paired a 2nd phone to it. Then it got confused. Garmin was relevant when Google Maps could not navigate when offline. Now that is changing. Also, that is whole another topic.
My wife tried bluetooth headphones for the car. Battery drain on the phone and the need to remember to charge the bluetooth headset killed off that use case. To be fair to bluetooth, one of my sons swears by his bluetooth headset but I to have to strain to hear him when he calls. May be it is just a not so sensitive microphone.
Then I tried a device called Automatic connected to obd2 port of my minivan. It pairs with the phone and reports fuel economy, speed warning (you can set it) and in future may report more info about the car. It worked well in the minivan. The app automatically runs in the back ground and connects when in the car. However, in a different car, when the speed reached the set limit, the 2 or three beeps became a continuous beep and I had to disconnect it. Sad thing is I now lost it. $100 wasted.
I funded a kickstarter company called Pebblebee which uses bluetooth low energy device attached to the keychain with a button on it. Push the button and an app on the phone is supposed to sound an alarm tone for you to find it. Use the app on the phone and you could beep the keys or flash to find them. First they said that Android 4.3 or better is required. Then they said Android 4.4 or better is required. Now even with Android 5.0 on a Samsung Galaxy Note 3 running the standard T Mobile version of Android, the app stops running in the back ground and therefore you can never find the phone using keys but you can find keys using phone. I wanted this company to do well but they are small and may be they will get it right...
Update June 27th: The support team and tech lead worked hard with me to get to the bottom of the issue why Pebblebee Hive App on Android cannot stay running so that it can interact with the Pebblebee bluetooth device. The heart of the problem was that the App seems to require persistent connection to internet rather than use Internet to authenticate and when connected to the server, send status. I think this is a classic example of how IoT (Internet of Things) has gone too far to need connection to internet. Even the cheapest phones has enough compute power to handle connection to a bluetooth device. Requiring connection to internet to function seems too extreme. I had a couple of hubs which connect to my router for connection to internet while they interact with devices in the home. Initially they were looking for the server too often and failed. Now they do not connect as often. I think they still do connect more often than they need to. If there is internet outage, home security and automation must still work over Wifi. Even if there is power outage and the router is connect to UPS WIFI can work.
Having said all this I am told that most of Pebblebee's users are always connected to internet and so offline feature is a plan for the future. Until then, if you want to find your phone just use the method offered by Google or Apple.
I look forward to updating this review when the offline feature is implemented by Pebblebee and it works.
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