Latest news with #TileTracker
Daily Mirror
02-08-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Tracking tag that's cheaper and ‘more accurate' than Apple AirTags helps track suitcases on holiday
If you're worried about losing your luggage when travelling, a tracking tag is a must-have to add onto it, and we've found a great affordable option that's 'more accurate' than Apple There's no worse feeling than your plane landing ready for a week in the sun, only to discover that your suitcase hasn't actually made it. Whether it's just been delayed or mislaid completely, a missing case can completely ruin your holiday, which is why more and more people are turning to trackers to keep tabs on their luggage. A tracking tag can help you locate your suitcase in an instant, speeding up the process of finding it and hopefully getting it to your destination asap. Although there's plenty of different versions around, there's one that's been getting a lot of praise from Amazon shoppers; the Tile by Life360. The tracker is ideal for placing inside your suitcase to allow you to track its exact movements for peace of mind, not to mention you can use it the rest of the year to keep tabs on your keys, wallet or other important things. An individual Tile by Life360 is priced at £24.99, undercutting Apple's AirTag which is priced at £29 for one. Conversely, Samsung's Galaxy SmartTag2 Bluetooth Tracker is currently enjoying a massive discount, which sees it slashed from £34.99 to £12, saving you a massive 66%. However, an Amazon shopper who did the leg work wrote in the reviews: 'My husband and I have Life 360 to keep track of each other and wanted something for our kids. We've compared the Tile to an apple air tag and the Samsung tracker, too. The Tile is so much more accurate and updates its location faster than its competitors *and* our toddler can use the tile to ring us back!' Amazon also offers several colour options of the Tile tracker, with prices varying depending on the colour you choose. You can also upgrade to a two pack or four pack of tiles if you have multiple cases to track, or pick one of Tile's other designs, such as the credit card-sized one that's great for keeping inside wallets or passports. You can use the Tile Tracker to locate missing items in one of two ways. You can ring the tile itself, which will emit a loud sound and is ideal for finding lost phones or keys – even if your phone is on silent it'll make it ring – or you can use the free app to track the location of your tile, and it'll show you exactly where it's hiding. It also has a 105m Bluetooth range which makes it easier to locate it, is fully water resistant, and has a battery life that lasts up to three years, so you should have no trouble finding whatever it is you've lost. You can also use it to discreetly trigger an SOS alert to friends and family, keeping you and your loved ones safe. Shoppers have also been raving about the Tile Tracker, with one writing: 'Super easy to set up and works flawlessly with my phone. The alert sound is loud enough to hear even from another room. A simple solution that genuinely works!' Another agreed: 'Amazing. Not only does it find my keys but when activating the button on the tile itself it sends a signal to my phone and finds my phone even when my phone is on silent it turns it turns the sound on. Love this!' Some, however, found it to be a little unreliable, with one reviewer cautioning: 'I use this a long side my Life360 app, When it works its great when it has a wobble not so great!!' Another added: 'They work for the most part but will lose wifi connection in certain parts of town.' Whilst others were keen to test it out on upcoming holidays, saying: 'Haven't used this yet, but will be using it on my suitcase when I fly to the UK. Very excited to try it.'
Daily Mail
22-06-2025
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Wheels of justice: How Londoners are having to find their own stolen cars themselves and take them back - because the Met Police are 'too busy'
Beleaguered Londoners are increasingly having to turn 'vigilante' to 'steal' back their cars from thieves because the Metropolitan Police 'refuse to step in' and help. Gangs of thieves are seemingly acting with impunity across the capital, brazenly snatching luxury motors or rare vehicles from driveways, garages and off the street. However, victims claim that even when they have trackers installed in their cars showing where crooks have left them, that police are apparently unwilling to step in. Owners, frustrated with the 'lack of support' are now turning into detectives - and risking their own safety to find their stolen vehicles and take them back from gangs. And when victims then do eventually recover their cars, they have claimed officers 'don't have time' to investigate despite a 'slam dunk' of potential forensic evidence. The Met is now facing increasing pressure to tackle the car crimewave blighting the city, which has surged in London, with 33,530 offences last year - up 1.6 per cent. Among those to have put their own safety at jeopardy to take back their stolen property is John Howard. The 58-year-old's cherished Volkswagen Golf R32 was taken by 's***bag' thieves outside his home in the Lloyd Park area of Walthamstow, north-east London. Fortunately his motor, now a much-sought after collectors' item by petrol heads, had a Tile tracker hidden inside - which pinged the car's location hours later in a 'dodgy council estate' in Leyton, a couple of miles away. However, when Mr Howard called the Met saying he was about to try and pick up his car, he was left 'disappointed' by the force's in-action. 'I didn't know what I would find when I got there,' Mr Howard told MailOnline last night. 'I didn't know if there would be a gang there or if there would be someone who wanted to stab me. I just wanted police there to support me but they never did.' Entrepreneur Mr Howard, who runs maritime filter business Water Freedom, claimed when he found his car, there was a potential treasure trove of evidence in it that could have helped detectives catch those responsible but that officers didn't investigate. 'I was very disappointed by the police's lack of support,' he said. 'They were going to come and take fingerprints but they never did. They didn't bother to investigate. 'The thieves had stopped to get coffee somewhere and left a coffee cup on the back seat. They had also bought a pastry of some sort and the car stunk of weed. 'I was like, 'come on, you have loads of potential DNA evidence here'. But there was no interest from police.' Mr Howard - who spoke out last night for the first time about the theft on October 30, 2022 - said he was astonished officers didn't even turn up when he pleaded with them to do so as he tried to collect his VW. 'I bet if I had said "I'm going to take a baseball bat and beat the thieves to death if I found them", the police would have been there in a second,' he added. 'I understand police are under-resourced but there are certain things or events you would think they would take more seriously. 'An ordinary member of the public going to a situation that has a high probability of them being exposed to significant risk, you think would be worth going out to. But clearly not.' Mr Howard said he is now so worried about the potential of thieves coming back and stealing his beloved grey VW that he has armed himself in case he needs to tackle them. 'I do keep a baseball bat,' he admitted. 'If I did go out on the street I wouldn't want to do it unarmed. 'All things I wouldn't and shouldn't have to contemplate if our criminal justice system didn't equate to a cart blanche for these s***bags to make a living.' Mr Howard's story came after it was revealed another of the capital's residents had been forced to recover their own motor after falling victim to brazen car thieves. Mia Forbes Pirie and Mark Simpson discovered their car had been snatched from near their west London home in Brook Green on Wednesday morning. The pair had it fitted with an AirTag locator meaning they were able to track the vehicle to an updated location in Chiswick at 10.30am. But police informed them after dialling 999 that they did not know when they would be able to investigate and so could not offer immediate assistance. The couple took matters into their own hands when Ms Pirie, 48, discovered the AirTag had last pinged on the road outside their home at around 3.20am. The Jaguar E-Pace - a model that sold for about £46,000 new in 2024 - also had a 'ghost immobiliser' fitted which required the right buttons to be hit on the car's control unit before it could start. Mr Simpson, 62, was nervous as he made the four-mile journey with his wife to the car's new location. The pair discovered the vehicle on a quiet back street with its interior and carpets ripped apart by thieves who had attempted to access its wiring. Forbes Pirie, a former solicitor and now an award-winning mediator, and Mr Simpson, a commercial barrister, had installed a series of additional security mechanisms on the car after previously experiencing the theft of a vehicle. They said they thought the theft operation on their Jaguar must have been 'reasonably sophisticated' and likely involved a tow or flat-bed truck. Neighbours later reported they had heard unusual noises at night. In a post to LinkedIn, Ms Forbes Pirie admitted it was 'kind of fun' stealing back the car but questioned 'why we should have had to do that'. She added: '[Is] it right that the police seem to have no interest in investigating what is likely to have been a reasonably sophisticated operation involving a flat bed truck… if there are no consequences, what is the incentive for people not to do more of this?' But speaking to The Times afterwards Ms Forbes Pirie said she thought it was a lack of resourcing that had affected the Met's ability to respond. She said: 'The police are under-resourced and it's a shame. But if there aren't any consequences to people stealing cars or a lot of the other crimes where there aren't any consequences, then I don't really see what the deterrent is to stop people from doing it more.' Leading vehicle crime experts have insisted police are doing all they can to tackle the gangs. However, they warned sophisticated organised gangs of crooks were likely behind many of the thefts. Steve Whittaker works at vehicle recovery firm Tracker as the company's police liaison manager and said the scale of the thefts was alarming. 'Vehicle crime has moved on from the youths who would steal a car from the estate and then dump it... it's organised crime at an industrial level,' he warned last night. 'Lots of vehicles are taken to chop shops or hidden in containers and being shipped abroad.' Former police officer Mr Whittaker insisted it was incredibly rare for victims of crime to have to recover their own vehicles without police support. 'This is very few and far between, it's extremely rare,' he added. 'I'm not saying it doesn't happen, but at Tracker we have a 95 per cent recovery rate. 'I'm not saying police don't send them them out. But police know the risks of that. You could be sending someone to the deepest darkest south London at the middle of the night. There's all sorts of risks with that. 'What members of the public have to be aware of is that there are a lot of competing demands facing the police. 'If there are 20 phone calls about a firearms incident, collecting your own car will be bottom of the list.' His company works closely with the police, who recover vehicles fitted with the firm's sophisticated VHF trackers. The tech is immune to GPS jamming kits used by sophisticated car crime crooks, which can block satellite signals, effectively hiding the vehicle. The tracking devices are reportedly visible even when cars are parked underground, in shipping containers or overseas in Europe. They can also be seen by police forces, who can then recover them. So far the company has boasted of recovering almost 29,700 with the tech leading to more than 3,150 arrests. Its latest set of figures show that in April, 150 vehicles were recovered - including a £28,000 Lexus that had been hidden in a shipping container at Felixstowe Port. And a £22,000 Toyota Rav4, fitted with the kit, was reportedly found in a Salford 'chop shop' garage on false plates just five hours after being stolen. All in all, a staggering £3.36m of vehicles were recovered in April alone. Restaurant critic Giles Coren found himself in the crosshairs of the capital's car theft gangs after he had his £65,000 Jaguar I-Pace stolen - for a second time. The TV presenter first had the eco car snatched in April 2021 but claimed The Met did not have the 'manpower to investigate'. Then, just months later in July, Coren's car was snatched again, prompting the furious food critic to go out by himself to try and find his missing Jag. He told his followers on social media: 'Heading off now, down into Camden to the housing estate where the car was last pinged. It's probably been stashed in the car park there. 'I'm travelling on my bicycle with the added incentive of course that if I don't find my f***ing car, I'm going to be travelling around on this b*****d for the rest of my life.' In May 2023, plucky car owner Jo Coombs managed to get revenge on the crooks who snatched her Land Rover Discovery. She had her luxury SUV pinched from her private parking spot outside her home in Battersea before setting out trying to take it back. After reporting the incident to police, quick-thinking Jo then realised she might be able to use the GPS tracker installed as part of her insurance deal to find it. 'I could see that my car was taken at 4.34am, driven a mile away. Parked for 40 minutes. Driven again another mile. Parked,' she told The Sun. 'This continued a few times until eventually it was parked 1.9 miles from home. And it hadn't moved since. 'I called the police again. They told me to get my keys and go and reclaim my car. I had thought they would go, but no apparently it was quicker if I did.' When she eventually found the Land Rover, crooks had been quick to install fake number plates in a bid to conceal it. She added that police eventually arrived at the scene about 30 minutes.' It's believed organised crime gangs are targeting luxury motors and family cars to order from suburban streets before then shipping them across the globe. Leading vehicle theft experts have warned how Britain's love for high-spec cars could be fuelling the epidemic as ruthless crime bosses know there are 'rich pickings to be had' in the UK. In plots which echo the film Gone in Sixty Seconds, where a gang target luxury cars, crime lords are ordering their henchmen to prowl the streets for motors before pouncing in the middle of the night while families are sleeping. Mother-of-two Sarah has told MailOnline how her £35,000 Toyota RAV4 was stolen during a 4am raid on a suburban street in south east London. The family car was later seized in a shipping container - moments before it was about to leave the country. The 37-year-old architect previously had been staying with her husband and two children at her father-in-law's house in Lewisham, when their car was nicked while they were asleep. She immediately reported the theft after discovering the car, filled with the couple's expensive belongings, had been stolen when she went to grab a pushchair from the boot in the morning. Weeks later, Sarah was informed that the thugs had raced across to an east London dockland in the middle of the night, where it was seized by police before it could be exported to Eastern Europe or Africa by a criminal enterprise. She told MailOnline: 'I was fuming that someone had the gall to steal my car in the middle of the night. 'It really makes you feel violated, because you pay for a car with money that you've earned and worked hard for.' She added: 'We're really at a loss through no fault of our own... the whole thing was infuriating.' Police forces have revealed how criminals are packing several vehicles into individual shipping containers and hiding high-end cars such as Range Rovers behind mattresses and sofas to avoid being caught. Many vehicles are snatched and shipped out of the country before the owners even wake up, with Africa, Eastern Europe and the Middle East common final destinations. Since the war in Ukraine, Russia has also been flooded with Western cars as the country battles with strict sanctions. Mike Briggs, an insurance industry veteran who is now UK executive director of the International Association of Auto Theft Investigators (IAATI), told MailOnline: 'The organised crime gangs are pushing ahead here in the UK. Not just here in the UK, it's now a global phenomena. 'Everything is being shipped wherever money can be made or the vehicles can be exchanged for drugs, weapons or used in human trafficking and things of that nature. 'It's really increased and the more we get into this century, the bigger the change to organised crime and the more developed they're becoming.' Mr Briggs said that every country is being targeted by crime bosses, but he added: 'The thing about vehicles in the UK, we always want the highest spec here and we tend to get that high spec. 'If you bought a Mercedes in Germany itself, it would not be the same spec as the one here in the UK. We'd have the higher spec, so it's more valuable. 'Organised crime seems to know this as well. They do their homework and so there's rich pickings to be had.' Mr Briggs, who also owns Vehicle Security Solutions Consultant (VSST), said it was 'very difficult for police and law enforcement' to crack down on this theft because of the more developed equipment being used. He explained: 'Some of the equipment that's being used doesn't look like theft equipment. The little GameBoy devices that can be switched and programmed over to actually being used for theft of vehicles. 'I would say that more enforcement has really got its work cut out.' A Metropolitan Police spokeswoman told MailOnline: 'Every incident of vehicle theft is carefully assessed to identify and pursue possible lines of enquiry, including forensic evidence and available footage.
Gizmodo
09-06-2025
- Gizmodo
Tile Bluetooth Trackers Are Now Almost Free Each in This 4-Pack Deal on Amazon, a Direct Rival to AirTags
If you set a goal this summer to take better care of your stuff, there is a product out there that can help you achieve your goal. The Tile by Life360 Pro. If you are someone who is always misplacing their keys or their wallet, a Tile Bluetooth tracker can be be a lifesaver. This Tile bundle (4-pack) comes with four keychain Tile trackers in two different colors. It's normally priced at $100, but right now in this limited time deal you can get the set for 20% off. That brings the price down to $80, saving you $20. A Tile Bluetooth tracker can be helpful in a variety of scenarios. Back in college, one of my roommates would always recite a little ritual before we left the dorm. Many other may be familiar with this 'Keys, phone, wallet!' chant you do as you pat down each of your pockets. I've even adopted doing this myself to ensure I never leave without them. However, if you don't actually have them on you, you still need to remember where you set them down. See at Amazon Never Lose Your Stuff This Tile tracker bundles comes in a pack of four, with two black and two white. Within it, you'll receive four of the Tile by Life360 Pro trackers—Tile's most powerful tracker. The little loop on the edge which can be placed on any keychain. You can also stick on inside the pocket of a bag or attached to the side of a wallet or phone case so you can always know where your stuff is. To solve this, just keep a Tile tracker on your keys and wallet. The companion app for your phone will allow you to push an alert to the Tile tracker so it rings. Whether you are an Apple or Android user, you'll be able to access the app to keep track of all your stuff. Each works in reverse too. If you happen to have your keys which has the Tile tracker on them, but don't know where you phone is, just press the button on the center of the Tile tracker. It will sent a signal to your phone so it rings and you can then locate it nearby. Ahh, under the couch cushions again. Of course. The same feature can even be used to discreetly send an S.O.S. alert to friends or family in unsafe situations. The Tile tackers work within up to 500 feet for its Bluetooth range and the battery can last up to a year. They are also water resistant with an IP68 rating, which will keep them working if they accidentally get wet. Get the bundle of four Tile by Life360 Pro trackers today for just $80.
Gizmodo
21-05-2025
- Gizmodo
Tile's 4-Pack Bluetooth Trackers Now Beat Apple's AirTags on Price and Function, Shape Variety Included
If you know someone who is always misplacing their keys or their wallet, a Tile Bluetooth tracker can be be a lifesaver. This Tile bundle is normally priced at $75, but right now in this limited time deal you can get the set for 20% off. That brings the price down to $60, saving you $15. In the bundle, you'll get three different types of trackers which all serve a unique purpose whether its to keep tabs on your car keys, your wallet, or perhaps a bag or purse. A Tile Bluetooth tracker can be helpful in a variety of scenarios. Back in college, one of my roommates would always recite a little ritual before we left the dorm. Many other may be familiar with this 'Keys, phone, wallet!' chant you do as you pat down each of your pockets. I've even adopted doing this myself to ensure I never leave without them. However, if you don't actually have them on you, you still need to remember where you set them down. See at Amazon Never Lose Your Stuff To solve this, just keep a Tile tracker on your keys and wallet. The companion app for your phone will allow you to push an alert to the Tile tracker so it rings. Whether you are an Apple or Android user, you'll be able to access the app to keep track of all your stuff. No more losing your stuff in the cushions of your couch. The Tile tackers work within up to 350 feet or 105 meters for its Bluetooth range and the battery can last up to three years. They are also water resistant with an IP68 rating, which will keep them working if they accidentally get wet. This Tile tracker bundles comes in a pack of four. Within it, you'll receive two Tile Mates, one Tile Slim, and one Tile Sticker. The Tile Mates have a little loop on the edge which can be placed on any keychain. The Tile Slim is the shape of a credit card which can easily slip into your wallet. And the sticker can adhere onto most surfaces. You can use to on a remote for your TV, a pair of headphones, or even onto your bike so you can find where you parked it. Right now as part of a limited time deal, you can save 20% on this four pack of various Tile essentials. Get your set now for yourself or a loved one for just $60 before they shoot back up in price. See at Amazon
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Lifestyle
- Yahoo
Get a top-rated Ninja blender for 40% off, plus 9 more of the day's best sales
We're nearly two full months into 2025, and if you've already let go of your resolution to eat healthier, we've found a way to help you get back on the horse. This Ninja Nutri Blender set comes with a big 72-ounce blending jar and three to-go cups so you can pack a day's worth of fruit into a smoothie every morning. Of course, you can also use the blender to make your own sauces, soups and more. Not only do over 6,000 Amazon shoppers give it a five-star rating, but it's 40% off and topping our list of the best sales to shop today! Also on our list: a Tile Tracker for almost 30% off, a cozy flannel shacket for 40% off, a skin-brightening Vitamin C serum loved by Bethenny Frankel for 30% off and so much more. Athleta: Take 25% off travel styles, plus up to 60% off sale items. Banana Republic: Get up to 40% off sale styles. Bloomingdale's: Get up to 80% off sale and clearance styles for a limited time. Coach Outlet: Save up to 70% on sale styles. DSW: Get an extra 10% off clearance styles with code LASTCALL. Everlane: Get up to 75% off sale styles. Kate Spade Outlet: Get up to 70% off everything, plus an extra 20% off select styles. Loft: Take 40% off your entire purchase. Macy's: Get up to 70% off select clothing, shoes, home goods and more. Nordstrom: Shop thousands of items for up to 60% off — boots, coats, leggings and more. Nordstrom Rack: Get up to 80% off select coats from Vince Camuto, Kenneth Cole New York, Lucky Brand and more. Walmart: Shop rollbacks and flash deals of up to 80% off. The reviews quoted above reflect the most recent versions at the time of publication.
