70 million Phones are Lost Annually; New BungeeAir™ Cases Protect Against Theft or Loss
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 alone[1]), 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 study[2] 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.”
Introducing the Kensington BungeeAir™ Wireless Security Tether & Cases
Kensington BungeeAir™ Power Wireless Security Tether™ & Battery for iPhone (K39291US; SRP $99.99): BungeeAir™ is the essential 3-in-1 accessory for iPhone—wireless tether, case and battery. Just place the iPhone into the battery case and attach the BungeeAir Fob to your keys or purse and never lose or forget your iPhone again. When you and your phone are separated, the battery case sends a command the iPhone, instantly password locks the screen, and sends an alert to the BungeeAir Fob. A convenient app lets you customize security settings. Finding a misplaced iPhone is now easier than ever—one press of a button on the BungeeAir Fob rings the battery case on the iPhone.
- Pocketable BungeeAir fob attaches to your keys or handbag
- Free BungeeAir app gives you control of the wireless tether functionality and settings
- Integrated battery case provides 4 additional hours of power to your iPhone 4
- Case has a built-in innovative stand slot to hold your iPhone 4 in landscape mode with any credit card
- Charge and sync with battery case
- Battery Capacity: 1500mAh
- Wireless technology: 2.4 GHz
Kensington BungeeAir™ Protect Wireless Security Tether for iPhone (K39386US; SRP $79.99): BungeeAir™ is the essential accessory for your iPhone with a wireless tether and case. Simply attach the BungeeAir adapter to your iPhone 30-pin connector to enable two-way communication and attach the BungeeAir fob to your keys or purse. When you and your phone are separated, the adapter sends a command the iPhone, instantly password locks the screen, and sends an alert to the BungeeAir fob. A convenient app lets you customize security settings and also find your misplaced keys and fob. The sleek, slim case protects the back and sides while allowing full access to all iPhone controls and headphone jack.
- Pocketable BungeeAir fob attaches to your keys or handbag
- Adapter attaches to iPhone 30-pin connector to enable two-way communication
- Free BungeeAir app gives you control of the wireless tether functionality and settings
- Sleek, slim case protects the back and sides of your iPhone
- Charge and sync with adapter connected
- Wireless technology: 2.4 GHz
[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
Product Availability
The Kensington BungeeAir Power Case is available exclusively at Amazon.com now until mid October. The BungeeAir Protect and BungeeAir Power cases will become available at Kensington.com and other major retailers in October. For additional information please visit http://www.kensington.com.
Notes to editors
About Kensington
Kensington is a leading provider of desktop and mobile device accessories, trusted by IT, educators, business and home office professionals around the world for more than 35 years. Kensington products empower people to dynamically interact with content, creating a better working experience for productive performance. In both office and mobile environments, Kensington’s extensive portfolio of award-winning products provides trusted security, desktop productivity innovations, and ergonomic well-being. Our core competencies in engineering, industrial design, product quality and responsive customer support make Kensington The Professionals’ Choice™.
Headquartered in San Mateo, California, Kensington operates as the technology division of ACCO Brands (NYSE: ACCO), one of the world’s largest designers, marketers and manufacturers of branded business, academic and consumer products, sold in more than 100 countries across the globe.
Kensington is the inventor and worldwide leader in laptop security locks, the acknowledged leader of Trackball innovation and offers a broad range of premium-branded desktop productivity solutions.