Honey, have you seen my ... ?

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DAMN IT (or insert your own expletive) ! I knew I should have gotten ready earlier. Okay Steve, now think, real hard... Where is the last place you remember having your keys? Keep calm, take a deep breath, and don't panic.
In the car? ... Not there!
On the table? ... Not there either!
In my pocket? ... Wrong again Steve-O, you already checked there... 5 times.
I know I better make this quick; my son needs to be at basketball practice by 4:30 or he can't play in this weekend's tournament. My wife will be mad at me (to say the least) and the grandparents are making a special trip just see him. Agggrrr ... where are they?!

Sound familiar? U Grok It is a device that pairs with your existing smart phone. It's aim is to relieve the common frustration which inevitably happens at the worst time. Using the device is as easy as 1,2,3. Simply tag your most likely to go missing items with a label, associate the label with the app,  and plug your phone into the base unit (the Grokker). You will now be able to track those elusive items with audio and visual cues.

The labels used are flat and contain an imbedded, small antenna/microchip that help the unit track and store a 96 bit number that is unique to the label. Not only can you tag individual items but you can also group them together using the app. This may be useful for quickly assuring you have all of your items in one place. Unfortunately, the range on the Grokker is only about six to ten feet so you will be out of luck if your item(s) went too far.

At the present time U Grok It has not yet been officially released. It is unclear what phones will work with the unit or what the price will be. Although there are situations where this may be an invaluable tool, I am not sure how much I would actually use it. What price would you be willing to pay for this convenience? The product also left me asking another question. What happens if you lose your phone?

Related articles:
http://www.gizmag.com/bikn-iphone-tracking-system/20497/
http://www.squidoo.com/key-finder-gadget