I suspect—and certainly hope—everyone reading this knows how valuable an AirTag can be. Put one on a suitcase or in a briefcase, purse, car, camera bag, etc., and you can locate that item even if it goes missing. AirTags became even more useful a few weeks ago when iOS 18.2 was released because you can now share an AirTag's location with airlines to help them locate lost luggage more easily.
One of the few drawbacks of an AirTag is that, because it uses a small CR2032 coin cell battery, you need to replace the battery about once every year or so. Wouldn't it be nice if an AirTag could last more than ten years? That is now possible thanks to a new product from Elevation Lab called the TimeCapsule.
This is a small device, 4.45" x 1.57" x 0.75" in size, that connects an AirTag to two AA batteries so that the AirTag has much more power. With the AirTag and batteries installed, the TimeCapsule weighs 3.4 ounces, which isn't very heavy, but it is heavier than an AirTag alone (0.39 ounces).
To use the TimeCapsule, you need to supply an AirTag and batteries. Elevation Lab recommends using Energizer Ultimate Lithium batteries, which typically cost between $2 and $4 each on Amazon, depending on how many you get. That type of battery gets you the most battery life (25 years), plus they provide a flat voltage and do not leak, unlike alkaline batteries.
The TimeCapsule uses four small screws to stay closed. These are hex socket screws that require a hex key (which is included). Because this is a less common type of screw, if someone finds your TimeCapsule, they are unlikely to have easy access to the hardware required to open up the TimeCapsule, which I suppose provides some additional security.
Here is what the head of the hex socket screw looks like:
To install your AirTag in the TimeCapsule, twist the AirTag open—the same thing you do when you replace the battery. Set the CR2032 battery aside because you won't need it. And set aside the shiny silver back of the AirTag because you won't need that either. All you need is the white half of the AirTag, which contains the electronics.
Place the white half of the AirTag on the part of the TimeCapule that looks like a CR2032 battery. Next, install the two AA batteries.
Finally, place the top on the TimeCapsule and use the hardware tool to screw in the four hex socket screws.
That's it. Now you have a small device that can fit in your hand and that Elevation Lab says has 14 times the power capacity of a regular AirTag.
The main advantage of the TimeCapsule is the long battery life. The developer of the TimeCapsule explained that he created the product because his camera bag with $10,000 of gear was stolen from his car. When he tried to use FindMy to track the thief, he discovered that his AirTag battery was dead, and the last location was from three months earlier. Ugh. If you use an AirTag in something you don't use very often, like an RV or a boat, a TimeCapsule could make a lot of sense.
There are other advantages besides the long battery life. First, it may provide a security advantage. Nothing about the TimeCapsule looks like an AirTag, so if a thief sees it, he may be less likely to quickly discard it. A picture of the top of the TimeCapsule is up above. Here is what the bottom looks like, just smooth black plastic:
Another advantage of the TimeCapsule is that it is more durable than a regular AirTag. Once sealed shut, the fiber-reinforced composite body of the TimeCapsule becomes waterproof. If you put an AirTag inside something that you use for camping, boating, or by a pool, this might be helpful.
The TimeCapsule is also relatively inexpensive. I bought one on Amazon for $19.99, but you can also get two for $29.99 or four for $39.99. An AirTag four-pack is currently being sold on Amazon for an all-time low price of $69.99. Thus, if you buy a four-pack of each, that works out to only $10 for each TimeCapsule, $17.50 for each AirTag, and a few bucks for AA batteries: just over $30 each for something that will provide security and help you locate a lost item for more than a decade.
For now, I'm hiding my TimeCapsule in my car. (I trust each of you to keep that information private and not share it with any thieves who say that they plan to steal my car.) However, I'm also considering whether there is another place where the advantages of a TimeCapsule may make even more sense. If you come up with other great uses for a TimeCapsule, please let me know!
The TimeCapsule from Elevation Lab is a fantastic idea that was turned into a well-designed and well-constructed product.
Click here to get a TimeCapsule from Amazon ($19.99 to $39.99).
