Some of the countless bags carried every single day hold people’s most prized possessions but offer little in the way of theft protection beyond a lock that’s easily compromised once the bag has been absconded. The one surefire way nothing untoward happens to it all is to keep constant vigil — an umpleasant expectation on a packed morning commute or enjoying a much needed island vacation.
Serenity has been designed to achieve peace of mind. This connected tag attaches to any bag and syncs with a smartphone to offer users a variety of different ways to keep an indirect eye on their goods. For starters, theft detection and deterrence are built-in. By syncing a user’s devices to the tag, it can sense when the bag is being moved by someone other than its owner, letting off a wailing 170dB alarm when it happens. At the same time, it can also regulate access to a single pocket by requiring either a keycode or its corresponding smartphone to be in range in order to avoid the alarm from tripping while being opened, going as far as reminding users about their open pockets when it isn’t busy standing guard.
Serenity can be programmed to automatically disarm itself when certain friend’s devices are nearby or when the user’s personal Wi-Fi network is detected, as well. Each Serenity connected tag goes for $99 and is expected to ship in September 2016. Its campaign is looking for $40,000 in backing by March 4th, 2016.
The Serenity is a smart piece of tech. Allowing women to program their wearables as the recognized device rather than a smartphone along with the team’s work with other Bluetooth-enabled companies in creating an open network where anyone can find their lost items are both clever implementations of what could have been the same old connected tag campaign. However, requiring some sort of tech for Serenity to be paired will just replace one source of anxiety. You can’t quite jump into the crystal blue waters of Puerto Rico with an iPhone just to make sure the bag is safe, after all.