A++ product, exceeds expectations

So, I settled on ZUS after looking at numerous other products that all try to solve the same basic problem: Automatic retention of car location data, with respect to where you parked your vehicle.

Zus has a very compelling design: Not only does it work very very well as a parking location device, but it is a fantastic dual USB charger that is able to drive multiple devices at once with no issues at all. It kept my iPhone 5S at 100% while the screen was cranked to the max, it was playing audio via itunes over bluetooth, and actively running google maps/navigation. I have other chargers that will not meet this demand AND also run another similar device at the same time…the ZUS charger has no problem.

Also, the build quality is outstanding. Titanium? That is overkill for this application, but I very much appreciate a solid build and this device is delivering WAY above its price point.

The App: The app is simple, but well designed. It DOES need to be running all the time on your phone (that is the only downside) but after four days of running the app constantly, I am pleased to report that the total battery usage for the app is 1%! That was my biggest concern with this product, was that keeping an app running in the background can sometimes (if the app is not well designed) really be a big battery drain, but that is not an issue with this app at all.

How it works: The ZUS app tracks your location while its running. It also keeps track of when it can talk to the ZUS device in your car. It talks to the device over bluetooth, but does not require exclusive bluetooth use (i.e. you can still be connected to your car or wireless headphones). When the ZUS device either shuts off (because you turned your car off) or if you walk more than 10 feet away from the device, that tells the app that you just parked the car, and it updates your car’s last known location. Simple.

Later, when you are looking for your car, just bring up the app and it will show you your current location, and the location of your car. It also has a handy compass view where it tells you the linear (as the crow files) distance to your vehicle (plus or minus 30ft) and the direction of the vehicle with respect to your current location and orientation. That means it works even in an open field, such as you might be parking in for a festival or concert (or camping, etc…).

Cons: The only cons are that you MUST leave the app running if you want it to be able to keep track of your vehicle, and since the app uses GPS to derive your location, you will not get precise location tracking anytime you lose GPS…so a multilevel parking garage is a good example of where it this device does not work. The good news is that in a multilevel garage, you can just take a picture of where your car is and usually that is enough to get you back to your car.

Improvements: The app should prompt you by starting the camera inside the app to take a picture if it detects the ZUS has turned off while the phone has no GPS. That would be a nice feature to add which would help cover the only real use case where this device fails.

I am super happy with the ZUS, happy enough that I bought one for myself and one for my wife and we are both using it.

Parabellum about ZUS - Save Car Expenses