A former King William’s College student has invented a new device which helps people keep in touch with their mobile phones.
The ‘stylish’ new gadget, called the iBeacon, provides a discreet way to keep your handset tucked away safely, without the all-too-common problem of missing calls.
Ronak Pathak, whose parents still live in the Isle of Man, grew tired of playing ‘voicemail tennis’ with his wife.
The iBeacon is a small, discreet beacon that clips on to the outside of a bag.
The beacon then alerts users to incoming or missed calls and text messages via a speaker and LED system, while the phone remains securely inside the bag.
Ronak says mobile phones have become an integral part of daily life and we all rely on them for calls that are too important to miss.
However, the sizes of handsets have increased as more useful functionality has been added which, combined with significant concerns over health risks, has led to mobiles being commonly kept in bags rather than pockets. This often results in calls being unheard or missed as the recipient rummages through their bag. The iBeacon provides an affordable solution to this problem by making the phone both more audible and easier to find, without adding significant extra cost on to the already huge price of owning a mobile.
The flashing LED also provides a peace of mind for the owner, alerting them to any calls or messages that are missed, rather than having to be distracted from what they are doing to dig into their bags and check their phone so frequently.
Designed by the makers of the TomTom, the iBeacon is compatible with all mobile phones, tablets and notebooks and is available in a wide range of fashionable colours to match bags discreetly.
The iBeacon can be pre-ordered from.ibeacon.co and the crowd funding site
www.kickstarter.com