keyless entry
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Bird’s electric scooters can now be unlocked with Bluetooth
Bird has introduced a new feature that will help scooter renters get off the blocks more quickly. Quick Start uses the Bird app and your smartphone’s Bluetooth to detect when a scooter is within range, then gives you the opportunity to unlock it with the tap of a button.
Kia made a tiny Faraday cage to protect your wireless key from thieves
Many existing keyless entry systems aren't secure, but few people are likely to replace their cars just to reduce the chances of a determined thief making off with their ride. Kia UK has an official stopgap solution, though. It's taking a cue from third parties and releasing KiaSafe, a case that serves as a minuscule Faraday cage to block the key's wireless signals. There's nothing particularly special to it -- it's ultimately a metal-lined pouch -- but that's all might you need to prevent someone from swiping your car while you're asleep.
Engadget takes Unikey's iPhone assisted keyless entry for a spin
We're still a few years away from the self-opening home front door of the Jetsons. But that's okay -- we're making progress. A few weeks ago we told you about Unikey and Kwikset's Kevo, a keyless entry system for your own front door. Now the fine folks at Engadget have had a chance to work with the system hands on, and they seem to be impressed. The system uses the iPhone's Bluetooth LE to connect with the smartlock. Simply walk up to your front door with your phone in your pocket, tap the lock, and turn the knob. Users and security are handled via iPhone and desktop apps that allow you to share keys with family and friends as administrative, normal or scheduled users. Having someone house sit for you? Register their iPhone with the house for the week and never worry about them forgetting to return your key. Having family come into town to visit? No need to worry about having enough house keys to go around. You can even set on-off access in case someone needs to come by, but only once. At the moment the system will only support the iPhone; Android and BlackBerry 10 support is on the way. Kevo is expected to go on sale soon. Head over to Engadget for their complete run down of the system, or check out the video below. Unikey is currently taking emails at their website for people interested in pre-ordering when the lock becomes available.
Keyless Ride's K2 poses as an OEM-compatible car remote, saves you time and money
If your keyless entry fob stops working, finding a replacement can be harrowing, which is why automotive locksmith Keyless Ride developed the K2 universal remote. Rather than stocking hundreds of individual OEM units, dealerships just have to dock a K2, tell it what make, model and year your car is (it's compatible with 70 percent of the North American market) and it'll pair up with your ride's on-board wireless hardware within five minutes. Better still, you can lighten the load in your pocket by adding a second car to the same remote (if you have a weekend whip, that is). The company will be demonstrating at next year's CES, throwing James Bond-style gun poses as they open two cars at once -- we hope.
Getaround car sharing service goes live, rent out your ride with an iPhone app and car kit
We expressed our excitement when we first heard about Getaround, the personal car rental service that enables users to rent out their autos by the hour or day, and at TechCrunch Disrupt the service has officially gone live for drivers outside the Bay Area. The company also announced an accompanying car kit that allows potential renters to unlock their temporary ride using just an iPhone app, at which point they can access a physical key inside. The company says it functions just like any other keyless entry device, and can be set up in as little as five minutes. Worrisome owners should also know that when you offer up your ride you get full insurance coverage from the Getaround folks, so all liabilities are transferred to the individual behind the wheel. Renters get rated by car owners so there's definitely an incentive to keep things neat and tidy, though we'd totally get downrated for neglecting to return the seat to its original position. Be sure to check out the demo video at the via link, you'll wish you thought of this yourself.
Research shocker! Keyless car entry systems can be hacked easily, elegantly
We know you are vigilant enough not to trust your car's security to a wireless system, but plenty of other folks like the convenience of putting away the metallic keys and getting into their vehicles with a bit of Bond-like swagger. Professor Srdjan Capkun of ETH Zurich found himself perched on the fence between these two groups when he recently purchased a vehicle with a keyless entry system, so he did what any good researcher would: he tried to bypass its security measures. In total, he and his team tested 10 models from eight car makers and their results were pretty conclusive: each of the tested vehicles was broken into and driven away using a very simple and elegant method. Keyless entry systems typically work by sending a low-powered signal from the car to your key fob, with the two working only when they're near each other, but the wily Zurich profs were able to intercept and extend that signal via antennas acting as repeaters, resulting in your key activating your car even when it's nowhere near it. The signal-repeating antennae have to be pretty close to both the key and the car, but that's why heist movies stress the importance of teamwork. Hit the source link for all the chilling details.
Axxis fingerprint door lock invites hacker wannabes to burgle your premises
Biometric security might sound cool, but relying on fingerprint recognition alone for securing anything more serious than your Windows password typically results in the rapid hacking, whether through flesh or software, of that protection. Well, Axxis is trying to address this problem with a new dual-factor security lock -- requiring a PIN alongside fingerprint identification -- which allows you to customize access times for each registered user and also spy on their comings and goings. Retailing for $699 per lock, alongside an entirely-not-optional $299 accessory, this is hardly a bargain bin item -- with a price like that, a burglar might be inclined to steal the locks instead of your treasured possessions.
Becks loses two Bimmers to laptop-toting thieves
For every hundred or so stupid criminals that we feature on these pages, there are a few just as brilliant as their contemporaries are dim: look at the international group of hardware pirates who managed to build their own version of Japan's NEC Corp, or the laptop-toting thieves who succesfully stole not one, but two, of soccer football star David Beckham's BMW X5 SUVs by hacking the keyless-entry systems. In the last six months, the Real Madrid star and Mr. Posh Spice has seen two of his $60,000 vehicles lost to geeky criminals, with the most recent GTA occurring while Becks dined at a mall in Spain. Apparently thieves armed with a particular model's security schematics can jack into the car's PC and run software that dumps out the necessary codes for breaking the encryption, allowing them to unlock the doors, start the engine, and in some cases, even disable built-in tracking devices. Yeah, we're kind of impressed, but let's see these fancy criminals use their high-tech lockpicks to "hack" the cold, hard steel of our "Club LX."[Via Left Lane News]
