For the past couple of days, I’ve been carrying a new Bluetooth accessory around with me – ZOMM. ZOMM stands for “Zac, Olivia and Madison’s Mom” and is the brainchild of serial entrepreneur Laurie Penix. The device is simple in design, but rich in features, and in one single product, manages to take care of several mobile phone annoyances.
Inside ZOMM, you get three different features:
- Mobile speakerphone with noise canceling microphone
- Wireless leash with separation alarm
- Personal safety device
The device is small enough to fit in your pocket without being uncomfortable, and its internal battery lasts up to three days. When you carry ZOMM, you’ll be able to answer and reject phone calls, keep track of your phone and add an extra level of safety when you are out and about.
ZOMM as a mobile speakerphone
The most basic function of ZOMM is as a mobile speakerphone – it probably won’t replace your desktop phone at work, but there are many situations where it can be really handy to take a call on ZOMM instead of having to reach for your phone. One good example is when your phone is out of reach, or (if you are like me) if it fell between the seat in your rental car.
When a call comes in, it is announced by the ZOMM with vibration, then lights, then an audible alarm. If you pick up the call on your phone, the audio stays on your phone. If you press the button on the ZOMM, the call is answered and audio is transferred to its speaker. Downside to this is of course that you’ll be sharing your call with anyone around you. One added bonus feature is the ability to reject a call by pressing the ZOMM button twice.
ZOMM as a wireless leash with separation alarm
This feature is fantastic – because it does not require any software, and will work on any mobile phone with Bluetooth headset support. When paired with your phone, ZOMM constantly monitors the Bluetooth connection. If the connection is lost, ZOMM will alert you.
This is obviously great if you drop your phone, or someone swipes it. Downsides to this are of course that you’ll still need to locate it. Another minor issue is that ZOMM also alerts you when you turn your phone off or disable Bluetooth. An easy way to get around this is to turn the ZOMM off any time you turn your phone off.
ZOMM as a personal safety alarm
The designers behind ZOMM took the concept way beyond the basics – the personal safety alarm allows you to activate a loud alarm signal and have your phone dial an emergency number. The uses for this are endless – if you fall, or are in an accident, you won’t need to reach for your phone. When ZOMM calls the emergency number, it plays a pre-recorded emergency message. With the USB interface and ZOMM software, you can even change the emergency number.
These three features function very well – and on my phone, they worked fine even when the phone was connected to a second Bluetooth device. ZOMM costs $79.99, with no subscription or service fees. The ZOMM store also sells belt clips, replacement chargers and a $19.99 2-year warranty extension. This warranty offers up to two free “no questions asked” replacements in a 2 year period. ZOMM is also available at Amazon.com and at your local Best Buy store.
The only major downside worth mentioning is the silent mode on your phone – when your phone is silent, ZOMM is not. So if you get a phone call in the movie theater, ZOMM will alert you. You could of course turn it off, but that defeats the purpose of a wireless leash. Thing is, there is no easy way for any piece of technology to “know” when your phone is set to silent.
All in all a very, very good product, with a great story behind its development. I highly recommend reading the ZOMM story as it may give you some inspiration to develop a product of your own. ZOMM is well designed, and its feature set make the purchase price easy to justify.