Tile is a new tracking system for personal items like keys, wallets, bikes, or any material possession that can hold a tiny chip. The two part system includes a tiny white "tile" that one attaches to the item, and a smartphone app to find it. When it comes time to activate the system, the app shows the distance to a selected tile using a warmer/colder style meter (pictured below). Users can have a bunch of tiles linked to one app.

While a simple tracking system doesn't sound too outrageous in a marketplace that includes GPS-based systems like Apple's Find My iPhone and Find My Friends, the Tile system has a few distinct advantages. First, it's made for short ranges. In other words, GPS-based systems are able to show a user that their phone is indeed somewhere in their house, but Tile can show which couch cushion it's under. Second, Tile has an interesting "lost item" feature that uses their entire network of users to find and report the location of a tile that's gone missing. More on that in the video below. 

One unexpected quirk of the system is that the tiles have no user-replaceable battery and only last about a year. Because the chip can't be charged, users have to purchase a new Tile once a year. Don't fret, the old ones are recycled.

Each Tile costs $24.95, with the first shipments expected Fall/Winter 2013.