Lost your keys? Nokia plans to help prevent you doing so again with Bluetooth Treasure Tags

Nokia is looking to launch a proximity sensor accessory for Lumia Windows Phones, according to sources familiar with company plans. The Verge reports that Nokia will release a "Treasure Tag" that will combine Bluetooth 4.0 and NFC to track items of possession from a Windows Phone. The tag will pair with a smartphone through NFC and can then be attached to keys, etc. with a supplied loop strap.

This will enable consumers to track items with a Windows Phone app and the accessory. Nokia's Treasure Tag app will offer functionality to manage the sensor and locate it when lost, making this a perfect solution for those who are prone to losing stuff. If you're not sure where you placed the item which is tied to a Treasure Tag, the Windows Phone app will display the sensor location on a map. Since this is a Nokia solution, support for LiveSight augmented reality is included.

It's also reported that by holding down a key on the device will trigger a notification on a paired handset if in range - handy if you're looking to see what phones are connected. Designed to be "always on," the Treasure Tag includes a battery that will last for approximately six months of use.

Nokia will be brining Bluetooth 4.0 support to the Lumia 520, 620 and 720, as well as the Lumia 820, 920 and Lumia 1020 families of Windows Phones. All Nokia Windows Phone 8 hardware evidently include chipsets that support Bluetooth 4.0, but the functionality has yet to be enabled.

This is just an example of what Nokia will be planning to do with the new Bluetooth 4.0 support that's being introduced in the Amber update for Lumia Windows Phones. Nokia is also believed to be planning other accessories to take full advantage of Low Energy support. With the Amber update rolling out in the coming weeks, we can expect to see the Treasure Tag and other compatible accessories launch soon.

What type of accessories are you looking forward to using with your Lumia Windows Phone? Let us know in the comments.

Source: The Verge; thanks to everyone who tipped us!

Rich Edmonds was formerly a Senior Editor of PC hardware at Windows Central, covering everything related to PC components and NAS. He's been involved in technology for more than a decade and knows a thing or two about the magic inside a PC chassis. You can follow him on Twitter at @RichEdmonds.

77 Comments

My wife will appreciate that.
I wonder if I can tag her phone.
Hehehe...
Maybe we can tag our kids when they run around in the store you won't have to yell for them. LOL
Umm... don't let them run around the store in the first place.
actually you can just call her number instead of tagging that thing =="
She has a habit of losing it BECAUSE we can't ring it (she lets it die quite often).
Or login to your MS account and ring the phone.
Hers isn't a Windows Phone.
Well that's the problem right there!
Hahaha lmfao!! Yeah you're right, that is the problem lol.
She'll tag your car and you'll never hear the end of it.
Same here josh lol. My wife needs it bad keys and phone.
This should be part of the OS. Microsoft, take note.
You're probably right. But if it was it would just go completely unnoticed by people who don't understand that you don't need "apps" to do things.

Just sayin'.
What? A way to find your keys, a part of the OS?
Why not? Do you really need a damn app for everything?
Awesome. I always misplace my keys.
Never lose keys myself but my girlfriend is horrendous for it !!
This is awesome. I can tag my wife when we go shopping. She always disappears in the mall/dept. Stores.
+1020 to this
LOL.
+920
+Haswell Surface Pro
lol and yes
She's with me in the dressing room. Giggity.
Ha ha
I need this... BAD! I recently locked my keys inside my moped and i went around the whole city looking for them... i will buy this as soon as it comes out... Thanks for thinking of the customers Nokia! <3
Yeah. I hear mopeds are the worst for that.
If you unlock the seat you can remove the key when it's open which means that you might have a brainfart and put the keys in the storage space under the seat and then closet it. When you close the seat it then insta-locks before you know what happened...

This accesory would atleast help me realise that i locked them in the moped so i don't need to call every shop i've been to and look wherever i walked that day...
LOLed hard ;)
Dog tag.
Its not like this would work past 30 ft...
I heard apple is working on something like this or I maybe recalling the article I read incorrectly and it could be just an accessory that will do something like this made by some other company.
Wasn't it someone on kickstarter?
Yup that's it.
It's called Tile and it's a Kickstarter thing, which works only with iOS.
They're going to "invent" NFC and tags next year...
Nokia being awesome as usual.
+1
I need one of these too.
This is going on my remote control for my TV so I don't have to go all Indiana Jones every night
My thoughts exactly.
(sigh) and here's me stuck on a Lumia 900 with brain-dead Bluetooth
pls upgrade..
Will be picking up I've of these use it for my keys...
Rumometer❔
BT4=fitbit
Just got a fitbit yesterday and I am loving it. Just wish it would sync though my phone like my wifes Andriod. Nokia work on it quick.
Yes!!! I hope so then I won't need to carry my iPhone around with my Nokia
Yes, hurry up with a Fitbit app.
Will this be able to pair with the phone if it doesn't have NFC?
Lumia 520 owner here who'd love to buy a couple of these.
Awesome. Any hints on what other accessories are on the way? A fitness/heartrate monitor by any chance?
Really hoping we'll finally be able to use bluetooth keyboards/mice....
Awesome!
What is its range? It will be great if i put it in my laptop and if my laptop get stolen, i can catch that thief and retrieve my laptop hahaha
Bluetooth Range Among different bluetooth specifications, there are 2 most popular classes (types) of devices: Class 1: range up to 100 meters (in most cases 20-30 meters)
Class 2: range up to 30 meters (in most cases 5-10 meters) Additional facts: The range depends not only on the transmitter, but also on the mobile phone which is receiving files. The range depends on atmospheric, geographic, urban conditions (vendors provide the best achievable range in perfect conditions). The bigger range, the slower transmission speed. Class 1 devices might be boosted to work on a better range (like 200 meters), however you should not believe it is possibile to broadcast files (in a bluetooth marketing sense) to mobile phones over 1000 meters range, as some vendors suggest. http://www.bluair.pl/bluetooth-range
It's the Bluetooth 4.0 range, so only ~30 meters / 100 feet.
Pretty cool.
The wireless carriers need to come out with one of these that works via 3G/4G/Wifi, then you could hide one in your car in case it gets stolen....a very low cost lojack.
Nifty. What's the range?
Wish the batteries had a charging pad, but then maybe I'd never lose them since I'd always place them in the same spot..
Is Bluetooth 4.0 supposed to be coming with Amber or a later update?
It is being introduced with the Amber update as stated in the article and elsewhere all over the internet
Sorry. Didn't mean to put you out. I missed it in this article and just finished reading an article on wp7connect that had a supposed complete changelog for Amber on the 920 and Bluetooth 4.0 wasn't mentioned.
http://www.wp7connect.com/2013/07/29/full-changelog-for-the-amber-update-on-the-nokia-lumia-920/
Good for tracking kids at amusement park, stores, events. How difficult is it to put a gps chip in this to increase the range of tracking. That would be good for keeping track of cars or stolen items.
Any info on the battery? It's great that it lasts 6 months but is it rechargable? Is it a standard AAA or AA that you replace?
Anyone know if the lumia 928 is included?
yes, it is.
Thinking I might look a little silly with one of those dangling from my readers. Second thought: don't care.
Many keys already have RFID tags in them for engine immobilization. I wonder if it would be compatible with that?
Very cool. I might be interested in this myself.
If someone steals your phone, they can find your keys too! Ha ha.
Um...lock ur phone... :-o
I've been asking for this for years!!! Perfect! I just got the Lumia 1020 yesterday!
This will be great for growers burying pickle barrels full of cash up her in Northern California,thank you Nokia!
Nokia better hurry up I just found this thing called Tile https://www.windowscentral.com/e?link=https2F2Ft%2F...
They're slightly different products. And with the Treasure Tag you can replace the battery. There's loads of other proximity sensors too (some from "name" manufacturers like Philips, dozens from unknown Chinese), but none with the decent Windows Phone compatibility the Treasure Tag claims to have.
If they could come up with something smaller in size with range that could cover at least a ballpark, I'd be interested.

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