Zomm Pitches A Fit If You Leave Your Phone Behind

By Geoff Duncan January 4, 2010

If you’re one of those people who is constantly leaving your phone behind at stores, restaurants, or friends’ houses—or on car dashboards, countertops, desks, or lavatory shelves—then the new Zomm wireless leash may be for you. The Zomm itself is the size of a small keyfob, and includes Bluetooth wireless technology. The idea is that you pair it with your Bluetooth-capable phone, then clip the Zomm on your keys or something else you’ll always have with you. If you walk out of range of your phone, the Zomm sounds an alarm to let you know.

Zomm (front) — Image used with permission by copyright holder

“Mobile phones are packed full of personal information and confidential business communication, so losing one is a nightmare for most people,” said Zomm co-founder Henry Penix, in a statement. “My wife originally thought of Zomm to prevent our family from leaving our phones at restaurants or coffee shops. With the added features of call notification and personal security, it became a ‘must-have’ companion for every mobile phone we own.”

In addition to alerting users if they leave their phones behind, the Zomm also features call notification: the unit can flash lights, vibrate, and sound an alert for incoming calls even if your phone is out of sight. To answer those calls, just press a button on the Zomm and it functions like a duplex speakerphone with your phone—no fussing through bags or dashing through the house to answer calls. Users can also send calls directly to voicemail with the Zomm.

The Zomm also features a panic feature that can sound an alarm or call for emergency assistance “anywhere in the world” with just one button press. The unit uses a rechargeable (via microUSB) lithium-ion battery that runs for about three days.

The Zomm should be available in the second quarter of 2010, and (of course!) it’ll be on demo at this year’s CES show in Las Vegas—it’s already picked up a 2010 “Best of Innovations” award. No pricing information has been announced.

Zomm (back) — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Editors' Recommendations

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…

Mobile

If you have one of these apps on your Android phone, delete it immediately

The app drawer on the Google Pixel 8 Pro.

The NSO Group raised security alarms this week, and once again, it’s the devastatingly powerful Pegasus malware that was deployed in Jordan to spy on journalists and activists. While that’s a high-profile case that entailed Apple filing a lawsuit against NSO Group, there’s a whole world of seemingly innocuous Android apps that are harvesting sensitive data from an average person’s phone.
The security experts at ESET have spotted at least 12 Android apps, most of which are disguised as chat apps, that actually plant a Trojan on the phone and then steal details such as call logs and messages, remotely gain control of the camera, and even extract chat details from end-to-end encrypted platforms such as WhatsApp.
The apps in question are YohooTalk, TikTalk, Privee Talk, MeetMe, Nidus, GlowChat, Let’s Chat, Quick Chat, Rafaqat, Chit Chat, Hello Chat, and Wave Chat. Needless to say, if you have any of these apps installed on your devices, delete them immediately.
Notably, six of these apps were available on the Google Play Store, raising the risk stakes as users flock here, putting their faith in the security protocols put in place by Google. A remote access trojan (RAT) named Vajra Spy is at the center of these app's espionage activities.

A chat app doing serious damage

Mobile

Don’t update your Google Pixel phone — you might break it

A person holding the Google Pixel 8, showing the screen.

One of the reasons to buy a Google Pixel phone is to be first in line to receive software updates — from new Android versions to important security patches. Unfortunately, one of the latest updates from Google is breaking some Pixel phones.

Over the weekend, a Reddit user on the r/GooglePixel subreddit compiled a list of threads from nearly a dozen Pixel owners reporting issues with their phones after downloading the most recent January 2024 Google Play system update.

Mobile

You need to hear the crazy origin story behind this Samsung phone

Samsung Galaxy S23 FE Mint Green color along with a coaster and leaf in the front.

Samsung Galaxy S23 FE Tushar Mehta / Digital Trends

Samsung has a new Galaxy S23 model out, and it’s called the Samsung Galaxy S23 FE. It’s a slightly watered-down version of the regular Galaxy S23 with a lower price tag to match, but why is it called an “FE”?