We can’t miss the fact that Lapa looks very similar to Tile on the surface but once you get beyond the basic function, Lapa is quite different. And in a way, Lapa is simpler and powerful by being more open and having almost no limitations. In the team’s own words, “Lapa is not just an object finder. It’s a social lost & found.” For those of you who are not familiar with both Tile and Lapa, here’s what Lapa is all about:
Lapa is a small device that can be stuck on a variety of things. You can stick a Lapa on your TV remote, on your pet’s collar, on your luggage when you’re traveling, on a laptop/iPad etc Lapa comes with a free app for your iPhone (and Android with Bluetooth 4.0 support). This app will help you keep a tab on all the Lapa’s you use. This way, you will never lose your pet or the TV remote again Tracking aides are through sound(beep), via maps, and through alerts. For instance, when you’ve tagged a Lapa to your bag and you’re leaving the place without taking it with you, the Lapa app will alert you! Pretty cool, huh? Also, Lapa’s “Go Public” feature (a relatively new feature for an app of this type) socializes tracking things which helps users find lost/misplaced things through other Lapa users who’re nearby your object
Have a look at comparison between Lapa, Tile, Button, Trackr and Stick N Find
Lapa comes in three colors: a white, a greyish black and a cool blue. Unlike Tile, (where there is an upper limit of 10 tiles associated with one account), there are no limitations with how many Lapas you can track using one account. Also, Lapa’s are reportedly quite secure but also selectively open when you want to share your Lapa with your friends. You can share through Facebook, Mail or the Lapa network. This is seen as a very important features because the chances of finding stuff increases when you share about it to your friends. One prominent thing that sets Lapa apart from its primary competitor, Tile, is that Lapa’s work forever because the batteries are replaceable. In the case of a Tile, however, you will have to return the Tile and buy a new one every year. Lapa is a great tool to keep your things from getting lost or stolen. Even in the case of getting lost or misplaced, the Lapa and the companion app will help you find the thing via beeps, location data through maps and more. Also, when more people begin using Lapa, it forms a network not very different from what we spoke about in our Tile review. This helps in locating your misplaced/lost item even when you are away (by making use of Lapas that are nearby your lost item). However, while Tile keeps this data anonymous and does not let the other Tile owner know of your Tile-tagged object, Lapa can – optionally – let the other Lapa owner know that your Lapa-tagged object is somewhere near. If the Lapa-owner turns out to be good, you get your item safe and secure! Just like many new projects, Lapa is being crowdfunded over at Indiegogo. The target is $75,000 in two months. You can pre-order a Lapa for $22. Do check out their gadget/app and fund them to help them produce the first batch of Lapas.
