It’s happened to everyone at least once. You parked your car in some massive parking lot without clear markers for sections or rows (or you just forgot to write down where you were), and by the time you’re ready to get in your car and leave, you can’t remember where you parked. There you are, stuck in parking lot hell, with nothing to help you find your spot but pressing the panic button and listening for your alarm.
It sucks, and sadly, we’ve all been there. Now that everyone has a smartphone in their pockets, there are tech-based solutions to this problem, but most of them still rely on you remembering to ‘drop a pin’ or mark where you parked your car in an app when you leave it. If you’re the forgetful type, or just don’t have time to be bothered, then this solution isn’t any better than carrying a piece of paper with a note on it.
But a new product and app combo from nonda is going to make it much easier for drivers to find out where they parked their cars, with some excellent value-added features to boot.
On the surface, the ZUS Car Finder and Smart Car Charger is a regular USB device charger that plugs into your car’s cigarette lighter, though noticeably with two USB ports. But under the surface, there’s a lot more going on.
The double ports are nice, as anyone who regularly drives with a passenger will know. As smartphones become more ingrained in our every day lives, and subsequently driving lifestyles, they’re critical for GPS, maps, music/entertainment, and emergency purposes. So keeping a full charge on your devices is critical. Double that when you have a passenger. Fighting over the one available USB port is never fun, and the ZUS charger helps avoid any potential charging squabbles.
The double port is deceiving, too – you might think that plugging two devices into the outlet would charge them in half the time, but with ZUS’s smart device detection and advanced charging technology, each device actually charges twice as fast as other chargers.
This claim is no exaggeration – I tested it in my car with an iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s Plus charging at the same time and was blown away by how quickly they charged. it even seemed to charge both devices than the time it would take to charge one in a wall socket at home.
Back to losing your car in the parking lot – the ZUS plug has a built in GPS chip and companion app for your iOS or Android device that helps you pinpoint where you left your car, no hassle involved. When you want to find your car, just launch the app, and it gives you directions and distance to your car, based on the location of the ZUS charger. It doesn’t even require wifi to work.
The only catch is that GPS tracking really only works well above ground, so the technology is less effective in those multi-level, underground lots.
For those times when you’re driving in the dark, or fumbling to plug your phone in without a light, the ZUS includes elegantly styled LEDs on the outside of the plug and lining the inside of the USB ports, so it’s never hard to find out where your plug needs to go.
I had the chance to try the ZUS out in my own car, and have to say that, as someone who uses their phone as a GPS device and entertainment system, this is hands-down the most valuable accessory I could have. It fulfills its promise of helping you find your car when you’re lost, and gives you the added bonus of rapid, dual-device charging – a priceless feature for travel companions and road trips alike.
ZUS is available to buy on Amazon now for $29.99.
