REDWOOD SHORES, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Kensington today introduced a groundbreaking new approach to mobile security, the BungeeAir™ wireless tether and case for iPhone. After evaluating the significant problem of phone theft or loss (reported at 30% or 70 million lost annually in the US alone1), Kensington extended its leadership in physical security — fusing hardware and software together to protect an iPhone. BungeeAir helps avoid the risk of losing the phone and its contents by protecting and securing it in a manner that is easy, portable, and stylish. Whether inadvertently left behind in a taxi or if fast hands attempt to take it away in a restaurant or office, BungeeAir quickly alerts the owner when a phone is at risk to provide a first line of defense against loss of the device or data.
It takes only moments to forget or lose a mobile phone, but research shows that critical minutes can pass before an owner will notice. Startling statistics from a recent YouGov study2 show:
- Men are more likely than women to notice their mobile phone missing in less than 15 minutes (40% men vs. 29% women)
- 28% of respondents between the ages of 18 and 24 would notice their mobile phone missing within five minutes
- Only 13% of respondents ages 55 or older would realize their mobile phone was missing within five minutes
The first of what will be a family of products, the two new Kensington BungeeAir™ cases combine software and hardware to physically and digitally secure an iPhone. BungeeAir™ is a wireless tether for the iPhone comprised of a downloadable software application and a small remote fob, which can be attached to a key chain or carried in a pocket. The two components maintain an active wireless connection. Stretching the connection to its limit triggers an audible alert from the fob, and instantly activates password protection to secure the iPhone and prevent access to data or content. The BungeeAir fob, powered by two coin size batteries, has a battery life of up to six months — making the solution simple, effective and low maintenance.
BungeeAir’s digital tether can be adjusted by the user to sound the alert and trigger password protection at a short or long distance (an average of 50 feet depending on the environment) to be effective in a variety of environments. With the power of two-way communications between fob and installed software, the BungeeAir can also be used to locate a missing iPhone using the fob with a convenient "find me" feature. The BungeeAir™ Wireless Tether & Battery Case includes a 1500mAh battery built-into a slim protective case to provide hours of extended talk time, web surfing, FaceTime, video watching and more. Kensington’s BungeeAir™ Wireless Tether Adapter & Case includes a 30-pin compatible adapter for the iPhone, the wireless tether fob, and a soft rubberized protective case for the iPhone 4.
“BungeeAir represents what we mean by smart, safe, simple products,” said Dan Torres, Senior Director of Global Product Management at Kensington. “The smart way to keep your iPhone safe is to simply keep it with you. With so much at stake if you lose your phone, Kensington wants to focus on preventing the loss from happening in the first place. BungeeAir is a multi-layered platform for iPhone, and is only the beginning of our plans to extend our leadership in digital security. Kensington pioneered the ‘first line of defense’ for physical laptop security and eventually we want to bring our customers that value for a variety of different mobile devices.”
Product Availability
The Kensington BungeeAir Power Case is available exclusively at Amazon.com and Kensington.com from early to mid-October. The BungeeAir Protect and BungeeAir Power cases will become available at other major retailers in October. For additional information please visit http://www.kensington.com.
See the BungeeAir Demo Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-21qCJsGnpg
See the BungeeAir Quick Start Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQZXEWRrDrA
See full specs of the BungeeAir Power and Protect Cases: http://www.kensington.com/kensington/us/us/s/1718/security-cases-for-iphone.aspx
1 Source: “All is Not Lost if Your Cell Phone is Broken, by Clint Swett, Sacramento Bee, May 14, 2007, http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20070514/news_mz1b14swett.html
2 Source: “Would You Realize If You Lost Your Smartphone?” by Tony Bradley, PCWorld.com, March 31, 2011, http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/223844/would_you_realize_if_you_lost_your_smartphone.html