You need a lot of extra batteries to keep the cordless tools on a construction site working all day, and to make it slightly easier to manage them, Black+Decker will soon introduce Bluetooth connectivity on its rechargeable tool batteries so a smartphone and an app can keep tabs on every last one.
The company’s new line of Smartech batteries, which will be available in the US starting in June bundled with tools or by themselves for $US69 ($97), are able to wirelessly communicate to the Black+Decker mobile app over Bluetooth to report back their power status, activate their locate feature when misplaced, or even trigger mobile notifications when they need to be charged. Australian availability and pricing has yet to be confirmed.
The app can also be used to check-in the Smartech batteries at the end of the day, and even disable them completely to help discourage theft during off-hours. And because smartphones are now as common a tool on construction sites as a drill or a saw, Black+Decker has added a USB port to the new line of batteries that can be activated from the app and used to power mobile devices or anything other than power tools.
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