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6 Nifty New Ways To Keep Track Of Your Stuff

sad lost keys Your keys hate this as much as you do.

It used to be that your belongings were defenseless—sitting around wherever you left them, unable to punch that burglar in his greedy eyes or return your cries of "where the heck did I leave my wallet." But thanks to new technology, your stuff now has the tools to fight back and make itself known. Here are six of our favorite new ways to protect yourself from loss, theft, and your own absentmindedness.

Fangs For Finding Me: Cobra Tag

CobraTag

(photo credit: Engadget)

Want to combat burglary AND your own tendency to absent-mindedly leave your wallet in all kinds of random places? There's a whole suite of new gadgets that attach easily to things you're prone to losing, and then sync up with your smartphone to provide you with instant location information. One of them, Cobra Tag, has some particularly neat features: if you leave your house with your keys but without your phone, your phone (wherever you left it) will beep loudly at you and lock itself. If you leave someplace without your wallet, your phone will beep and your wallet will "text" you to let you know it's been left behind. It's way better than frantically patting your back pocket. One Cobra Tag will set you back around $30.

Tricky Stickers: StickNFind

StickNFind

StickNFind is a great fit for you. This simple product lets you attach a small, discrete sticker to items you want to keep track of. When you want to locate something, a radar screen on your phone lets you know how far away you are, and beeps when you're in proximity. With a lower barrier to entry than other Bluetooth/device combos, it's perfect for people who want to know where their stuff is without fussing around too much with fancy tech. (Plus its "virtual leash feature," which lets you know if something has gotten out of range, is perfect for keeping an eye on kids and pets.) A pack of 2 StickNFinds goes for $49.99.

Tiles for Miles: Tile App

Tile App

Tile is another gadget/app combo that helps you keep track of your stuff on your smartphone. It's better-looking than most of the others—the Tiles themselves are a sleek, Apple-aping white. But the thing that really sets it apart from the pack is its ability to piggyback on other iPhones running the app, extending Tile's connectivity range far beyond the walls of your apartment. This new lifesaver is scheduled to hit shelves in 2014. And if you want more proof that Tile is filling a need, it was developed using one of the most successful crowdfunding campaigns of all time — $2.6 million raised from nearly 50,000 sponsors. That's enough Tiles to make a life-sized mosaic depicting all the places you've lost your keys. Tile isn't available yet, but you can preorder at their website — at press time, packages vary in price from $19.99 (for 1 Tile) up to $179.55 (for 12).

Infinite Leashes: Linquet

Linquet

Linquet is another small Bluetooth-based device that packs a wallop, but it's less bloodhound, more collie—rather than helping you find your stuff, it's more focused on not letting you lose it in the first place. Linquet keeps track of the important things around you, and warns you when they've gone out of range. Plus, it's uber-customizable: it lets you decide which items you want super close and which are OK ranging further, what escape merits a loud alarm vs. a text notification, and even what exactly you want that big button in the middle to do (it can't materialize your keys, though—sorry). Preventative care for your absentmindedness—it's not a bad idea. Linquet is priced on a month-to-month basis, anywhere from $2.99/month (for one Linquet) to $19.99/month (for 10).

Pond, James Pond: SmartWaterCSI

SmartWaterCSI

For anyone who was worried the future wasn't going to happen after all: rest easy, it's finally here. The craziest chemical since NeverWet, SmartWater is a liquid that contains a unique code that can only be read under a UV light. Brush it on your belongings, and if they ever go missing and recovered, you've got immediate proof that they're yours. Set up an automatic spray system, and anyone who sneaks into your house and escapes is caught wet-handed. Or make it known that your office, school, or library supplies have been tagged with SmartWater and watch the "accidental" theft rate plummet. This stuff has already helped with thousands of criminal convictions in the UK—I'm sure Americans will think up even crazier things to do with it.

Magic Magnets: SimpliSafe Entry Sensor

SimpliSafe Entry Sensor

SimpliSafe's Entry Sensors—part of the larger SimpliSafe Security System—work great on windows and doors, but did you know they can do double duty and protect your belongings one by one? Since the entry sensors are triggered whenever the two halves are separated, it's easy to put one half on a wall or solid object, and the other on something moveable that you want to stay put, like a television set or air conditioning unit. And thanks to SimpliSafe's smart response system, you can choose what happens if it DOES get moved—anything from a discrete text (if your roommate moved your fishbowl again) to a full-blown alarm (if a burglar is trying to take off with your outdoor grill). You can grab an extra SimpliSafe entry sensor for $14.99.

What do you misplace the most? Let us know in the comments!

SimpliSafe blogger extrodaniare Cara Giaimo

Cara Giaimo

A man's home is his castle, as they say, and no matter what kind of castle you have, I'm here to help you fortify it. When I'm not blogging, you can usually find me running, jamming with friends, or making strange types of ice cream.

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