Clocks, smoke alarms, remotes, flashlights, toys – we still use plenty of things that rely on good old AA batteries. And while they work well enough, wouldn’t you rather be able to control them over Bluetooth just like your smart bulbs? That’s exactly the convenience that Tethercell brings.
A small adapter case with an onboard computer chip, it comes with a slot to hold a traditional AA battery. The idea is, to put it in the battery compartment with a single AA onboard (it’s supposed to fit, even with the slight increase in size), immediately making the object accessible from an accompanying app over Bluetooth.
Once inside the compartment, you can use Tethercell to monitor the location of the object, providing an easy way to find missing remotes, game controllers, and toys that are most likely scattered somewhere around the house. Even better, the device lets you control the flow of power, allowing you to switch AA-powered objects on and off remotely. That means, you can turn off an errant smoke alarm from your phone, remotely switch on the flashlight so you can easily find it in the dark, and even schedule a talking toy to start speaking in the middle of the night to freak your family out (not very nice, but probably very funny).
Aside from giving you remote access to controlling the battery-powered devices, the app can also provide an alert when battery levels are getting low, something AA-powered devices have probably needed for the longest time. Oh yeah, you only need one Tethercell for each device, regardless of how many batteries it requires to run.
Originally an Indiegogo project, the Tethercell is commercially available now, priced at $39.99.