I provide honest ratings and reviews on tech, toys, and consumer home goods that I've purchased and used. Reviews are based on hands-on testing and personal observations. All opinions and comments are my own.
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Takeaway: Durable all-metal locks, easy to change the combination, smooth rolling tumblers. You'll receive a pair of identical TSA007 combination padlocks and an instruction sheet. The lock is solidly made from an all-metal housing and shackle and weighs about 2 ounces. The standard tumbler allows the TSA to open it with a special key to inspect your luggage without cutting/breaking non-compliant locks off. I've made the switch to TSA locks as the last time I was using an older suitcase with a built-in zipper lock, and they literally cut the zippers off my bag (even though they didn't have to) rendering it useless for future travel. Not only did I have to get a new suitcase, but I made sure to get these compliant locks to go with it.
The initial combination code for the locks ‘0000.' The numbers each roll smoothly and gently 'click' into place. To change it, pull on the shackle to open it, turn it 90 degrees towards you and press down until it clicks. Then just turn the tumblers until your desired code is lined up on the side with the little arrow and re-lock the shackle. These locks are light duty but enough to keep the zippers on your bag from opening, preventing easy access theft. However, note that these probably won't hold up to a bolt cutter or a hammer if your entire bag gets stolen.
Takeaway: Average smart tracker, light on features, no Android, limited real world application. The smart tag is about the size of my thumb and no bigger a grocery store loyalty card, though thicker. The tag uses low powered Bluetooth signal to pair with an app on your phone, and that's how it determines the location of your stuff. The catch is, your phone and the tag always have to be near each other (in Bluetooth range, about 33 ft). If you leave your tag and subsequently your keys somewhere and walk out of range, the app will notify you on your phone that you’ve become separated from your belongings. When I got the device it was only compatible with iOS devices but it seems now they've launched the Android app (I have not tested it but it gets poor ratings).
For the iPhone, setup is straight forward and the takes you step by step through the process, allowing you to name the item you’re connecting the ANKR to, and setting up safe zones so the alert doesn’t go off in a specific location, say when you’re at home and run outside to get something from the car. Even so, I found sometimes it's overly sensitive and I get an excess number of notifications and I have to expand my geofence. I also found that when using this with the iPad vs the iPhone, you don't get push notification popups when you walk out of range, the alert only appears in the app itself, which is odd. However, you can add as many ANKRs and safe zones as you want to the app and check on each device’s battery level. The battery inside should last you 6 months to a year and is easily replaceable. The only problem I had with my unit was that initially I was able to turn it on and off using the button on the back, after all I don't need to track my devices constantly and would like to save on battery life, but now it seems I can't shut it off and it's "stuck" in always on which is a minor inconvenience.
The ANKR has an audible alarm on the tag itself to help you locate your item if it’s misplaced but in range of your phone, just press the ping button in the app. Once you’re out of Bluetooth range though, you can only see its last known location, so it’s not a great theft mitigation tool. Also, if you misplace your phone, it can’t help you there. Mine has run out of batteries a few times over the years, though I can't say how long it lasts because by the time I remember to check the battery, it's probably long since been dead.
The ANKR tag is somewhat useful for folks who are forgetful, frequently misplace important things or want to try to keep tabs on their belongings. But if you want something with GPS tracking for lost items, ANKR doesn't have crowd geolocating.
Takeaway: A basic low-res video camera peephole/doorbell with monitor. The materials used for the peephole and LCD monitor are mid-grade, about what you'd expect from a low-cost unit. There's a protective film on the LCD so at first it may look hazy, but once you peel it off, the screen is clear. The manual indicates that the unit comes with 3 AAA batteries, but none were in my package, so I bought my own.
Installing this on a door with an existing peephole is straightforward; if you don't have one, you'll have to drill a hole in your door. This camera is only activated when a visitor presses the doorbell button on the unit or if you use the viewing panel on the inside; it does not have a motion detector. Keep in mind that this means that no video will be captured if your visitor uses any other existing doorbell that you may have. A five second video is ONLY captured when someone presses the doorbell button (w/o audio). While you can manually turn on the camera from the inside by pressing any of the buttons, it will be in "view only" mode and does not create a recording. You can also manually activate a 10 second audio recording from the panel (w/o video).
Setting the date and time is easy, but I found that it resets when the battery runs out and when new ones are put in. The LCD panel can store up to 2 GB of data which is a lot since each video file is only 2-3 MB and each audio file is 0.5 MB. When the memory card is full you can format it, but you cannot transfer them to your computer without opening up the viewing panel to remove the memory card. While you can review each recording using the panel, you cannot individually delete them.
This camera/monitor is simple and basic. My main concern would be that the battery will run out and without a normal glass peephole, you might lose the ability to see who is at your door. While reviewing recordings to see who stopped by is nice, you will only know who rang your "doorbell" on the unit. Folks who knock or use a different doorbell will not be recorded as there is no motion sensor. If you want a basic camera/LCD viewer and are on a budget, this unit functions as advertised. A device like this could be more useful with a few additional features, but certainly you would pay more for them.
