Your Smartphone May Soon Alert You When You Get Snail Mail

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By Luisa Rollenhagen2013-07-21 19:00:03 -0400

There are many reasons to put off a trip to the mailbox: extreme temperatures, injuries, pure laziness, not to mention the disappointment of going through all that trouble only to greet an empty mailbox.

Postifier, currently crowdfunding on Indiegogo, attempts to tackle this issue by notifying you via smartphone if your mail has arrived.

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Here's how it works: The device's Bluetooth monitor is placed inside the mailbox, and its sensor detects any changes in infrared light, which most likely occur when something (ie. mail) is inserted into the mailbox. Once this change is registered by the Bluetooth device, a message will be sent straight to your smartphone, alerting you to the change of your mailbox's previously empty condition.

Postifier can connect within a 100 foot range, and its battery lasts from six to nine month since it uses low-energy Bluetooth. That means the Bluetooth only activates when you get within range of your mailbox. Postifier will be compatible with iOS and Android.

On Indiegogo, the project currently has received $1,500 in funding, with the ultimate goal of reaching $30,000 by August 11th. If the project is successfully funded, the estimated delivery date for the device would be sometime around December 2013.

Check out the video above and let us know what you think about this gadget in the comments.

Homepage image: Flickr, Florian

Topics: Apps and Software, bluetooth, Home, indiegogo, Newsy, postifier, Tech