With the advancement of technology, more and more things are also becoming “smarter.” Simply add an electronic sensor, and the thing will instantly become a “smart” device, to be sold at a much higher price. There has certainly been no lack of smart things, and your wallet is one of them.
Ekster Parliament call itself a smart wallet simply because of an addition of a tracking device that can track where it is. And yes, the tracking device is removable, so it can instantly transform back to its old “dumb” self.
Ekster Tracking Card
The thing that makes it “smart” is its tracking card – a credit-card size card that can be inserted into the pocket of the wallet.
The tracking card is embedded with a Chipolo chip which comes with Bluetooth and GPS support. As such, it can be synced to your mobile phone (via the Chipolo app) and can inform you where your wallet (or the tracking card) is. It is also capable of making sound so you can find out where it is hidden.
What makes this tracking card impressive is the solar-panel charger that doesn’t even require direct exposure to sunlight to charge. With a little amount of light, it can charge itself and power the chip. A fully-charged card can last for two months, and it only requires three hours of exposure to light (It doesn’t have to be sunlight. The light in your office will do.) for it to be fully charged. Just imagine if your phone could be charged this way too!
On the other hand, if you lost your phone, you can use the tracking card to track your phone. Simply double-press the button in the center and your phone will ring.
The Chipolo app can also integrate with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, so you can just use your voice to locate your wallet.
The Slimmest Smart Wallet in the market
While it is a basic wallet, 0.15”, it is also currently the slimmest smart wallet in the market. The Quick Access design is pretty ingenious, too. Add six cards (in my testing, it only supports up to a max of four cards) to the open slot and a press of the trigger (at the bottom of the wallet), and all your cards will be ejected for easy access.
The card slider mechanism also comes with a RFID protector, so you don’t have to worry about wireless skimming and private data theft.
Wrapping Up
At $109, the Ekster Parliament + Tracker smart wallet is not considered cheap. If you always have the habit of losing your things, this might be a worthy investment for you. Ekster Parliament + Tracker is now available for pre-order in the KickStarter and Ekster websites.
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