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Haven is a super-strong smart lock that bolts onto the floor
While there's certainly no shortage of connected door locks that allow keyless entry into your home, many products don't actually make the traditional deadbolt in your door any more secure. Luckily, there are some solutions that add to the security of existing locks by better reinforcing other parts of the door. Created by a former Army aviator in Iraq, Haven is a new type of smart door lock that is fixed to the floor and the doorframe, allowing you to gain entry using either your smartphone or a specialised key fob. Intruders can't pick locks or force their way in by targeting the deadlock (in fact you won't even need a set of keys) because Haven acts a powerful smart wedge that reinforces the strongest part of your door. It's so strong, it can take on a battering ram and come away victorious.
Feedback Loop: 'Minecraft,' home security, iPhones and more!
Happy Sunday, and welcome to another edition of Feedback Loop! By now, you're probably sick of hearing about the Apple Watch. Thankfully, though, our community members have some great discussions for you this week. To kick things off, we're talking about the implications Microsoft's potential purchase of developer Mojang could have on the indie community favorite Minecraft. Once you're done kvetching over Microsoft's latest pursuit, let us know which apps help keep your busy life on task and whether or not you're happy with the current selection of smart lock solutions.
Okidokeys gives you more options than you could ever possibly need to open your front door
We first got word of the Okidokeys smart lock system roughly an hour ago, and just now got a chance to see the thing in action -- well, we got a chance to see it in various states of disarray on a table at tonight's CES Unveiled event. The primary module hooks up to the lock on the inside of door, with no trace of the mechanism visible from the outside. Trigger it via your mobile device and it rotates to unlock the door. There's also a large button you can use to unlock it sans smartphone from the inside. The system starts at $179. There's also a bundle priced somewhere in the mid-$200s, which will get you an RFID reader. The reader doesn't attach directly to the module, so you can put it anywhere on the exterior of the house to unlock via a bracelet or card you keep in your wallet. Or, if you're so inclined, you can still use your old-fashioned key. Using the Android or iOS app, you can also unlock the door remotely and grant access to users. The sets are available for pre-order now, with shipping set for spring. The company was also showing off a garage door module that works with its proprietary app. No word on pricing for that yet. Nicole Lee and Richard Lai contributed to this report.
Okidokeys smart locks let you manage your front door remotely
There are goofy product names, and then there's Okidokeys, a moniker that achieves new levels of silliness. All said, however, the company seems to take its line of smart locks pretty seriously. Its parent company, OpenWays Group, already provides smartphone-based door lock solutions to hotels. The company's leveraging the 256-bit AES cryptology security it's used in those products for Okidokeys, home locks you control with an Android or iOS handset via Bluetooth. There seems to be a pretty wide array of options here, letting you enable a hands-free unlock when you're near the door or associating objects like an RFID card, in case your smartphone should run out of juice. Using the company's online portal, you can manage accounts, giving people limited access to the door so, say, your babysitter can only get in during a designated time, and if anyone tries to break in, you'll get an alert on your phone. You can also unlock the door from afar, should someone forget their key. The line of locks starts at $179. Pre-orders open up this month, with the product is set to ship in the spring.
August smart lock delayed until Q1 2014, available for pre-order now
The August smart lock was set to ship to customers beginning later this year, but for reasons unknown, it's now delayed. The $199 Yves Behar-designed deadbolt, which can be controlled via a smartphone app connected over Bluetooth, is available for pre-orders beginning today, and will now debut with silver, bronze, black and red finishes. Additionally, August will also now support a feature called EverLock, which recognizes when you've closed a door behind you and automatically engages the bolt. Check out the new colors in the gallery below; if you like what you see, you can hit up the source link to place an order.
Goji's Smart Lock snaps pictures, welcomes you by name
Burglars of the future beware: the age of the smart lock is coming. There's no shortage of entries into the space these days -- in fact, it was just under a week ago that we spotted the lovely Yves Behar-designed August lock. Goji's (whoever heard of a company named after a fruit?) got a pretty nice looking lock of its own, one it's hoping to bring to the market with help from a $120,000 Indiegogo goal. Like August, Goji's got a sleek disk design. In the place of the green and red dots, however, you'll find blue text that greets the user by name. The lock features bank-level encryption and will send pictures of people as they enter in through the door for added security. You can unlock it using your smartphone and can send people digital keys with your mobile device. Goji's expected to hit around December for $278 -- though you can get in a bit cheaper through the aforementioned crowdfunding campaign.
Kwikset introduces Kevo, a smartphone-friendly lock powered by UniKey
It's not the first time that Kwikset's dabbled in wireless locks, but today the company's introducing Kēvo, a smartphone- (and tablet-) friendly lock powered by UniKey. The concept is pretty simple: pair a handset (running a special app) with Kēvo via Bluetooth, and simply touch the deadbolt to lock or unlock your door. A keychain fob is also available for those who have not yet joined the smartphone revolution. Kēvo only responds to touch when an authorized device or fob is detected nearby. A triple tap lets anyone lock your door, which is useful if a visitor leaves after you. The deadbolt is battery-powered using four AA cells that last more than a year with normal operation. It features a ring of RGB LEDs for feedback and a standard physical key for backup. Most of the magic is made possible by tech developed by UniKey. The key (natch) to the entire system is the Kēvo app which lets you manage eKeys. Once logged into the app, you can send and delete eKeys, or transfer them to another device (this also deletes the eKeys associated with a lost handset, for example) -- you can even create eKeys that only work once. Currently, the app is only available for iOS, which is a major limitation, but it supports push, email and SMS notifications and keeps a detailed log of which eKeys have accessed Kēvo and when. Pricing and availability remain a mystery, but all in all the system looks pretty clever. Stay tuned for more details, and check out the link below.
