jack claudius: Trakdot Luggage hands-on: find your lost bags

Monday, January 7, 2013

Trakdot Luggage hands-on: find your lost bags

Lost luggage is a seemingly unavoidable inevitability for the frequent traveller. Millions of bags either get left behind, sent to the wrong city or simply disappear completely every year. GlobaTrac has created Trakdot Luggage to give the constant flyer a little more of a sense of security. The palm-sized plastic device slips discreetly into your duffle or suitcase and updates the owner on its location via an app, SMS, email or the Trakdot website. Sadly the apps are not live in Play or the iTunes app store, so we can't tell you much about their functionality, outside of some specialized alerts that are promised, like a notification when your bag hits the claim carrosel. On the site you can set up customized text and email notifications or view location pins via Google Maps.

The preproduction box we handled was stunningly light, though we wouldn't be surprised if the device packed on a little weight when the final version hits shelves in March. Rather than rely on battery draining GPS, the Trakdot Luggage relies on a quad-band GSM chip and triangulation, which allows it to last up to two weeks on a fresh pair of AAs, which are generously included in the packaging. The Trakdot luggage will $49.95, though a one time activation fee of $8.99 and an annual service fee of $12.99 will be required to keep it functional. Check out the gallery below and the PR after the break for more.

Gallery: Trackdot Luggage