This tiny Bluetooth puck works as a trusted device and works with Touchless Control
I “rediscovered” a little gadget the other day that works great with my Moto X. Like a lot of tech enthusiasts — as in a whole freaking lot — I hit sites like http://www.androidcentral.com/e?link=http%3A%2F%2Fclick.linksynergy.com%2Ffs-bin%2Fclick%3Fid%3DJAF5WzpxbKM%26subid%3D%26offerid%3D437846.1%26type%3D10%26tmpid%3D20609%26u1%3Ddac%26RD_PARM1%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.woot.com%252F%26ourl%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.woot.com%252F&token=p-6k_4K5 every night to see what little toys and gizmos are on the cheap. Yes, I end up buying a bunch of crap that I never use, and have a drawer (or two) filled with things my wife says I need to throw away, but sometimes you find a little golden nugget.
Like the ZOMM Wireless leash.
I admit, I forgot that Phil had already looked at these, but the lure of $17 off the normal price was too much to resist and I bought a couple. As a Moto X user lover aficionado, I’m really glad I did.
What is was designed to be is a “wireless leash” that help you keep track of stuff. Pair it with your phone, and stick it on your keychain (for example) and when your keys and your phone get too far apart, the ZOMM makes a horrible noise. That works well enough with the Moto X, as well as others like the Nexus 4 and HTC One (it didn’t like the Galaxy S4 for some reason), but the secondary functions are what makes it so cool to use with my Moto X.
You see, it’s also a tiny Bluetooth speakerphone. The sound on it is less than optimal, and if you have any other sort of Bluetooth speakerphone you’ll want to point and laugh, but a tiny, Bluetooth-powered speaker paired with the Moto X or one of the new Droids is the coolest secret gadget ever.
- The ZOMM acts as a trusted Bluetooth device to keep my phone unlocked as long as it’s within 30-feet of it.
- The ZOMM’s speakerphone will trigger the Moto X and new Droid phone’s Touchless Control.
I have a secure lockscreen enabled on all my phones. As long as my keys are in my pocket, my Moto X stays unlocked and I don’t have to enter a password or code. If I leave my phone somewhere, my lockscreen security kicks in. Since I’ll never be out of the house without my keys on purpose, this works perfect for me.
I can also tell my Moto X to do very important things like play a Tom Petty playlist by speaking discreetly into my hand while holding the ZOMM. It doesn’t make the Touchless Controls work any better, and of course any Bluetooth device adds it’s own random factor to the mix, but for the most part it works as it should and I don’t look like an idiot staring at a blank screen and talking to a phone.
You’ll need to install the myZOMM app (linked at the top of this post), which I’ll admit is a pretty crummy iOS style port for the most part. You need to do this so you can tell the ZOMM how to act depending on where you are. When I get into my truck, I don’t want the ZOMM to act as the Bluetooth device for calls, so I made a custom “mode” for my truck. Likewise, if one of the kids needs to borrow my keys I can tell it not to make that horrible noise when they get 30-feet away. Doesn’t mean that I will, just that I can. Kids need horrible ZOMM noise in their life, sometimes. The app also lets you locate your ZOMM, and whatever it may be attached to. Like your keys, or your nephew. Just kidding — I don’t have a nephew. But if I did, I would totally attach a ZOMM to the lil’ bugger.
While the ZOMM deal at http://www.androidcentral.com/e?link=http%3A%2F%2Fclick.linksynergy.com%2Ffs-bin%2Fclick%3Fid%3DJAF5WzpxbKM%26subid%3D%26offerid%3D437846.1%26type%3D10%26tmpid%3D20609%26u1%3DUUacUdUnU33843%26RD_PARM1%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.woot.com%252F%26ourl%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.woot.com%252F&token=yotZ_mWT is long gone, you can pick one up at Amazon if you wanna give it a spin. It will cost you about $35 bucks, and they come in black, white or pink. I should’ve got the pink.
For it’s intended feature set, the ZOMM deserves its mediocre reviews. But if you have a Moto X or a new Droid and plan on using it for a while, I think this is one little gizmo you’ll enjoy and appreciate.