If you have trouble finding where you parked, there’s an app – and a dongle – for that. The Find My Car Smarter device and an iPhone app (for iPhone 4S only) can mark where you parked your car and help you get back there. The Find My Car Smarter Bluetooth Smart device ($25, or $30 with car power adapter) plugs into your car’s cigarette lighter, and the app on your iPhone (works with 4S only) notices when it loses power when you turn off your car and marks the location. The Find My Car Smarter app ($0.99) can show you the location of your car, how far away from it you are, and how long you’ve been parked there. With Dropbox syncing, a group can share information about a communal car. You can also set automatic reminders for parking meters and street sweeping schedules.
Gadgeteer Comment Policy - Please read before commenting
I imagine if you are having problems finding your car, you also may have problems remembering where you left your phone.
There’s an app for that too. I have to look for my phone with my iPad’s app.
This assumes that your cigarette lighter socket is powered down when the ignition is turned off. Many (mine among them) are permanently live.
@Steve You could unplug the Bluetooth Smart dongle when you turn off the engine.
@Steve we set the Bluetooth transmit power to about 10 feet so as you walk away from your car your location will still be saved.
@FMC: good point, I hadn’t considered that. Mind you, the position would be out by 10 feet in that case 😉
@Greg we have a feature where your phone will play a tone & vibrate when you park to help you remember to take your phone with you.
There is a free app called “BringMeBack” that works not just on the iphone 4S. You just start it, say save location and a tab on “show parking location” shows you on a map where you left it. No additional hardware necessary. If you are saving the position on the app before you are moving away from your car that is :p
Probably useful when you are in an area that you dont know.
@Fred
BringMeBack like all other iPhone “Find My Car” apps require to take your phone out your pocket and hit a remember that I parked here button. Find My Car Smarter uses the Bluetooth Smart radio in order to alleviate you from having to remember to mark down your parking location. You only launch our app after you’ve lost your car, not before.