Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET
ZDNET’s takeaways
- Pebblebee announces a new safety feature for Clip trackers.
- Alert Live sends your real-time location to up to five contacts.
- The feature costs $2.99 a month or $24.99 a year.
Days after announcing that its Clip would be the first tracker to be able to use both Google’s and Apple’s Find My networks, Pebblebee just revealed another major upgrade for the Clip — a potentially life-saving one.
In July, Clip trackers (which made ZDNET’s list of the best Bluetooth trackers you can buy) got a new free safety feature called Alert. When you rapidly press the button on your Clip, it flashes a strobe light, emits a loud siren, and sends your location to a trusted contact.
Also: The best Bluetooth trackers: Expert tested
Now, an upgraded Alert Live feature sends your location to up to five contacts and shares your real-time location until you turn it off.
Pebblebee says that Alert is designed for students, parents, and seniors who value independence, but it’s a useful feature for just about anyone. Unlike the basic Alert feature, Alert Live does have a cost. It’s minimal, though — $2.99 a month or $24.99 a year.
In addition, Pebblebee also announced a new Silent Mode that’s available for both the Alert Free and Alert Live plans. In this mode, you can send alerts to a contact without any sound or visual cue. Pebblebee explains that this mode is “perfect for high-stress or unsafe situations where quiet communication is essential.”
Also: My 5 favorite gadgets for students are all under $40 (and why they’re so useful)
While Pebblebee’s previous announcement positioned the Clip as a lost-item tracker, today’s taps into the growing personal safety market (take a look at our list of the best GPS trackers for kids if you need something for a younger user). Other trackers, like the Tile, have a similar safety function, but Pebblebee’s combination is one of the few that works with both Apple and Android ecosystems.
