Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

This week I lost my keys by somehow putting them into a chip bag that then went into the outside garbage can. Luckily, it wasn't garbage day. For two days I tore my house apart looking for them. I was frantic because the key FOB for my car was on the ring along with my house keys. When you don't know where you lost your keys, good security sense says that you have to prepare for the possibility that some one has them that may want to break into your home or steal your auto. You just can't know otherwise. That would have cost me $350 for reprogramming my cars electronic locking system, the remaining FOB and the new one. I would have had to re-key all of my home doors and mailbox. I would have been out upwards of $500 if my wife hadn't had the thought that Mr. Magoo may have mindlessly tossed 'em in the trash and gone "dumpster diving". This was the worst and most stressful "near miss" I've had. Usually, I find the keys in one of the 3 or 4 places that I usually "lose" them in. But, not always...and each time is a hassle. So, I started looking at key finder technology. I found a lot of companies make these things and began searching for reviews. Without a doubt, the most well received unit is the Tile. But, they last for a year before their battery dies and the battery cannot be replaced! Tile will sell you new ones at a discount, but I'm not one to be tied to a company's cash register just because of a battery. Each of the other key finder products had their share of good and bad reviews, but I chose The Cube. Let me tell you what happened then. After ordering, but before receiving The Cubes, I had already installed the app on three devices..two smart phones and a Samsung Tablet. A short time ago, The Cube could only be used on one device. That has changed. I had already created a Cube login so that I could see my devices on The Cube's web page and I had logged on with each of my three devices before the two Cubes arrived (one for my wife and one for me). When The Cubes got to my home, I associated them both with my wife's phone and then tested them. I then turned on my phone and tablet, opened The Cube's app and voila!...there they were...no extra hassle. I tested them with each device and they worked. I rang each of The Cubes, used each of them to ring the phones and tablet and used them as a remote shutter release to take photos with on my devices. There are some things you'll want to know about how they work. They only associate with one device at a time. If my Cube is associated on my cell phone, when my wife looks at The Cube's app on hers, it tells her that my Cube is in use on my phone. She cannot ring my Cube. It can only be done from my phone. But...if I turn my Bluetooth off on my phone, take my phone out of Bluetooth range or turn it off, within a minute or so, my Cube automatically affiliates with her phone. Now, she can ring my Cube and find it if it is lost. I did have one of The Cubes "disconnect" from a phone once with no apparent reason. The Cube was actually touching my phone. I think the Bluetooth receiver may have been "swamped" by the transmitter in the phone. This is a not uncommon radio occurrence. When I separated the two, my phone found the Cube within a minute or so. It was not instantaneous. This is important, because if you loose your keys while your phone is distant from The Cube, they will be disconnected. As you look for the keys, you need to proceed slowly so that the two have time to reconnect. Also, some folks complained about The Cube's volume. It isn't screeching, but it will audible unless the surroundings are quite loud. Also, the little button on the unit lights up when it goes off in the even that you're looking for it in the dark. I think the update when I affiliated The Cubes to my device apps may have fixed a lot of what others may have complained about. One, each unit can now be used with different devices, although not simultaneously. The Cubes now have a network so that others can find your lost item if you report it to "The Cube Community" through the app. I've been testing these things all day and they seem to perform as advertised. And, next year when the battery dies, I'll simply use the little tool that came with The Cube to open the case and insert the spare battery that also came with it. If I discover anything not to like, I'll update this. Today is July 14, 2018.