Hey thanks everyone!
I'm Maggie, founder of play-tag.
Someone suggested I do a Show HN, so I'm giving it a go.
feel free to contact me. maggie@play-tag.com
I'm not really sure I understand the marketing. For lost pets, bluetooth really isn't a reliable or great solution. If you could pair the tag with a smart dog bowl, or treat dispenser then you may be on to something interesting.<p>If you want a iBeacon for your dog, you can just pick up a TI SensorTag and it includes 6 sensors, and code ready to go for using with iOS and Android. All for $25 / half the price.<p><a href="http://www.ti.com/ww/en/wireless_connectivity/sensortag/index.shtml?DCMP=sensortag&HQS=sensortag-bn" rel="nofollow">http://www.ti.com/ww/en/wireless_connectivity/sensortag/inde...</a>
Three questions and a comment-<p>Q - is it really iBeacon? iBeacon is a specifically licensed "technology" from Apple (which, to go offtopic, should be avoided because it's intentionally exclusive and locked in, despite the existence of unsanctioned implementations on other platforms). BLE != iBeacon, just as Facetime != h264).<p>Q - Is it really manufactured in the USA?<p>Q - What are the in-app purchases? I'm not sure what functionality you could provide above and beyond that would merit an additional purchase.<p>C - I have a terrible eye for aesthetics, so take this with a grain of salt, but the fonts on the site really bring down the quality level and expectations.
It seems to me that this software would be infinitely more useful if there was some kind of always-on base station which reports over wifi. That would enable pet owners to keep an eye on their pets even when they're not at home.<p>Ultimately, if your pet does manage to escape the range of your phone (or base station), there's nothing that this app can do to help you locate them. Do you have any plans to expand the app to support crowd sourced recovery like Tile (<a href="http://www.thetileapp.com/" rel="nofollow">http://www.thetileapp.com/</a>)?
Is there an API or a way to get the raw beacon ID being broadcasted? I am already thinking of some really cool projects you could make with this.<p>Beacon aware doggie doors, doggie location analytics within the house, a treat dispenser that gives each of your dogs only a certain allotment of treats per day based on their beacon ID, a doggie photo booth that sends the photos back to their owner when the dog triggers it, and the list goes on and on.
I don't know... I don't think that the point of a leash is to know where your dog is but more to keep him under control. This does nothing for that except ring bells and stuff which can be more annoying then helpful.
They claim several times that it does not require cell phone coverage, but from the screen shots on <a href="http://www.play-tag.com/info/#about" rel="nofollow">http://www.play-tag.com/info/#about</a> it appears that you have to log into the app before you can use it?
I love the concept! GPS trackers are heavy and bulky for dogs - I can see my stylish pup wearing this and I haven't seen an app that includes health info. Buying one of these :-).
This is awesome. I'm totally getting this for my dog. I love the LED feature - can you control the light through the app at other times? Like in the backyard or camping??
> Is the tag waterproof? Durable?<p>This question has a very vauge answer, mainly it doesn't give waterproof details or anything specific at all.