Today, almost everyone has lost their television remote controls or smartphone at some point in their lives, although that rarely makes it easier when it happens to you. While these devices are often found stuck in the couch cushions or somewhere else around your home, sometimes you may find yourself at your wit’s end, ordering replacement TV remotes or a new phone after days of fruitless searching. But what if there was a way you could track your lost device or send a signal to cause your phone to ring, even if it is on silent? What if a battery could accomplish this? According to a Texas inventor, this may soon be possible.
Rick Tennyson, an entrepreneur from Stephenville, TX, has invented a device called “EasyFinder”, or EF, that might help many frazzled people find their lost TV remote controls and phones. The EF is a replacement AA or AAA battery that can be installed in battery-powered devices, like programmable remote controls. These batteries then emit a Bluetooth signal that users can track with a free app on their smartphone. If the user has lost their smartphone, however, they can press a button on the EF that will send a Bluetooth signal that causes the smart phone to ring, even if it is on silent mode.
Currently, EF can locate up to 10 devices at a time and is rechargeable with a standard battery charger, which can be purchased at any big box store. These batteries have a life span of four to 12 months and can be recharged up to 1,000 times. However, Tennyson, who says he came up with the idea after losing a number of items around his own house, says he is working on a charging unit designed specifically for EF.
At this stage, Tennyson is seeking funding through the crowd-source site Indiegogo and plans to start shipping out the EF batteries in November 2015. Will users be drawn to his invention, or will they prefer to simply search through their couch cushions and buy replacement TV remotes, DVD remote controls and more? Only time will tell.
