Smartphone Apps for Boaters (34)

No matter which genre of smartphone you own or are thinking to buy. The apps that are available will have an influence on how happy you are with the phone. There are plenty of top quality apps that you can download. However for me There's always a remarkable sub-selection of apps that are totally free. 

The wonderfully named 'Android' phone seems to have cornered the market in the same way that VHS did with tape systems. Android's open source strategy is the main factor for its success. Being a free platform has expanded the Android device install base, which in turn has driven growth in the number of third party multi-platform and mobile operator apps available.

It has been quite a while since I last did a Smartphone Apps for Boaters.

I have come across an amazing little gadget – its called 'Tile'. We all lose or misplace items such as a wallet or keys which are almost impossible to replace without great expense. More than everything else its the not knowing. Do you need to report all your credit cards as lost – and just where are the keys for the car.

Tile is like a car key fob and the tile is water resistant. A spilled drink or a rainy day won't pose a problem. Tile works by using Bluetooth. The Tile fob casts a Bluetooth signal up to 100 feet. You attach Tile to an item such as your keys, you're really tethering the keys to your phone. There is a smartphone Android application that you can use on your smartphone. Which uses Android 4.4 or higher. The app supports up to 8 Tiles, so you don't need to make any hard choices about what you'll Tile and what you won't. The best bit is – the Tile app installed on any phone helps find your Tile, so your search range is potentially limitless.

The Tile doesn't have GPS built in, however the app does automatically record the last place your phone saw your Tile. Because if you have to retrace your steps, it's good to know where to start from. As you begin searching for a lost item, your phone tracks the Bluetooth signal strength of your Tile. As you get closer, the app's tracking system provides a clear indication of your progress. As the Bluetooth signal draws you closer, Tile will even play a tune to help you locate your keys.

If your keys are lost and the tile is out of range. Just open up the app and then tap the 'Mark as Lost' button to automatically report your lost Tile. Other applications will report instances of detecting the lost tile. Once your Tile has been found by either by you or another Tile community member, you will be notified of the item's location.

Every Tile is built to be lost in the most unforgiving of places. So while they're small, they're also made from durable materials and designed to withstand the environment. The quality components in your Tile will run for a year with zero upkeep. No batteries, no charging, no anything. After a year, you can recycle your old Tiles and replace them with the latest model.