Gadget Lust: Zomm 'Wireless Leash' Keeps Cell Phones From Wandering

Ever forget your phone in a coffee shop? Or leave the house without it? Unless you've had your phone surgically attached to your belt buckle (like Dave), chances are good you've wandered off without it at same point.

Enter Zomm, a new gadget that wirelessly "tethers" your phone via Bluetooth. Specifically, it rides shotgun on your keychain or in your pocket/purse. Whenever your phone gets out of range of the Zomm (or vice versa), the gizmo flashes, vibrates, and/or sounds an audible alarm.

It also offers a handy call-notification feature, using the aforementioned signals to alert you to incoming calls. That's great for those times when you're in a noisy place and can't hear your phone ring -- or your phone simply doesn't vibrate enough to get your attention.

Other perks include a speakerphone (though I have my doubts about sound quality from a device the diameter of a poker chip), a panic alarm, and a push-button dial-911 feature.

In short, the Zomm sounds like one seriously useful gizmo. Alas, you'll have to wait until the second quarter of 2010 to get one, and the company has yet to specify a price (though at least one news outlet has it at $79.99).

What do you think? Is this something you'd buy? Or do you think it might be more of a nuisance than a savior? That's my concern, as I don't always keep my keys and phone in close proximity. The unwanted alarms could prove annoying mighty quick. [via Engadget]