Need to track down a missing iPhone? The Duet can do it

I have a friend whose iPhone is always running away and hiding. At least that’s what my friend says. The more jaded among might claim that she’s the one who misplaces it, drops in a glass of water, and, well, you get the idea.

My friend needs Protag’s US$29.99 Duet, a Bluetooth device designed to help you keep track of your smartphone. It automatically alerts you when your phone gets outside a 32-foot range of the device.

The Duet is compatible with both iOS and Android devices. It’s a small tag that attaches to your keychain, bag, wallet — or slips into your pocket.

The Duet works both ways. Thanks to an app that you can download from the Apple App store, the Duet goes beyond a range of 32 feet from the phone that’s with you, the phone will sound a notification that the Duet is missing. You can track up to 10 Duets from one phone, which is very handy for a multi-iPhone family such as mine. 

Another nice touch: you can also press a button on the device to ring your phone.

Still another nice touch: the Duet’s battery can be easily replaced. In fact, each unit comes with two replacement batteries. 

To improve the odds that you’ll find your iDevice, the Duet boasts a tracking system that enables all mobile devices and tablets to be tracked by the user at the same time on the mobile phone. It works with the Protag Online Trace account in the event you’ve lost your phone and can’t find it. You can view your lost belongings on the map from any laptop. 

True, the Duet is handy at helping you recover an item that’s been misplaced, but then so does Apple’s own Find my iPhone feature. The gadget is great at making sure you don’t lose your iDevice to start with. Sounds like a good birthday present for my friend.