Snail mail: There’s an app for that, too!

Even snail mail has an app. Olsi, an Israeli startup, has introduced a mailbox sensor that works from any distance. Postybell sends an alert  to any phone, including house, cell, and smartphone. It simply rings the number you configure it to. To make things even more convenient, Olsi has developed an app that “catches and records” and manages these alerts. The app currently supports Android devices, but developing a version for iOS is next on the company's agenda. “By providing you with total control over your post box, Postybell takes snail mail into the online era, allowing you to review all logs and perform actions from any device,” Olsi’s CEO, Oren Lasman, commented. (You can tell the British influence by the word “post” instead of “mail,” bu the device will work with mailboxes as well as post boxes.)

Combining a proximity sensor and a GSM module, Postybell senses any movement in your mailbox, immediately notifying you. While past attempts have been made to create such a device, they all relied on Wi-Fi or Bluetooth technologies, alerting you only if you were a short distance from your mailbox. 

Recently, Olsi launched an Indiegogo campaign to raise $30,000, through the crowd-funding platform. Funds raised will be used for the proposed iOS version, creating a product mold, as well as for production of Postybell’s first edition. Future upgrades to Postybell include a built-in camera that sends real-time pictures of new snail mail and plans to expand Postybell’s capability range, by adding heat, humidity, and gas sensors. 

Here's a video describing the mailbox sensor: