Securing Church Sacristy - Installing New Lock

 A long time and continuing client of ours contacted us last week to install their provided cam-lock to their church sacristy and wanted it keyed to suit their existing key, that operates other locks across their facility. The church already had their maintenance person install a barrel bolt to the fixed leaf of the proposed cupboard.

The difficulty was, they currently use a Ronis brand of cam-lock system in many of their other cupboards across other parts of their facility. They decided to purchase the particular cam-lock from a big box hardware, hoping it could easily be just keyed alike to their existing key. Ronis brand hardware is not a common brand of hardware found in many general supply houses or big box hardware stores and it can be difficult to re-key any old lock to their desired key.

A professional tradesperson will understand the requirements to be able to convert another brand of lock to operate with a different brand of key and often there is no way to perform the miracle and purchasing the same brand of lock is required. 

In this case, we immediately discovered that their desired key would not enter the key-way of the new lock. Being the trained and field experienced tradesman I am, i was able to modify the core to accept their desired Ronis key and could then re-key the core to the Ronis key combination.

We are choosing to not show the method we use to modify the chosen brand of core and below we will show you the installation procedure.

The first step in any installation project is to always protect the contents of the cupboard where you are working. Now, you can obviously empty the cupboard if you want, prior to beginning your work or you can choose to cover the contents with drop/cover sheets.

By using covering material to protect the contents of the cupboard, the valuable contents are protected, ensuring continued usability and cleanliness.

Again, the choice is for the installer or the site manager to make but in this case, they chose to just get it done and let the installer choose. 

It's very important that any installer of anything, be sure to accurately measure and mark before drilling anything at all. A professional will not just measure once, but probably 2-3 times, to ensure they are being as accurate as possible. It makes no sense to just do anything by eye or just wing it, as some DIY'ers might choose. If your customer is paying for a professional service, then do it the right way please.

I choose to pre-drill my first holes with a smaller drill bit, to enable me to make sure of my accuracy. If I'm out a bit, by using a smaller drill bit, i can still relocate my first hole if needed.

I like to start with a small hole drilled from the inside in the right location before switching to the outside and drilling too. This way I make a nice clean hole, generally without cracking the edges of the nicely finished and painted door.

After drilling a small hole from each side, I then can either use a spade bit or a hole saw of the appropriate size to drill the hole required for the case of the lock assembly.

Then put the collar ring and lock case into your hole, attach the appropriate cam, in this case an off-set cam that butts against the fixed leaf (other door).

Dont forget to clean up all your mess and test to finish.

Benefits Of Using Lock210/St Louis Locksmiths For Your Lock Installation Projects

• 40 years local, national and international knowledge and experience
• Qualified, knowledgeable and field-experienced technicians
• Unique Security Products and Accessories
• Bonded, Insured and Quality Assured
• Cost-effective solutions to fit any budget
• local family owned and operated

If you are in need of quality and experienced professional technicians to complete your unique and discerning installation project, Contact Locks210/St Louis Locksmiths today an enjoy a similar experience that our customers continue to rave about and call us back for, for years to come.

Skybell Vs Ring

About 2 years ago we wrote an article that you can read here if you like, about a lawsuit by the patent holder of most of the patents relating to the technology behind the video doorbell system widely known as Ring.

Skybell originally partnered with the people behind Ring and a falling out saw Ring go it alone. Ring were well known for failing to win a deal on Shark Tank, but bounced back to be acquired by Amazon.

Im sure other consumers also regularly see the marketing and advertising for the Ring products, that have increased measurably since Amazon acquired them. The Amazon investment has also provided Ring with the needed resources to expand their product line and move further into the home automation category. 

Personally, I am not enamored with the Ring product offerings, but obviously a great many other consumers are.

Below find a comparison table that displays the most common differences between Skybell and Ring.

In the source you can read the authors opinions.

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Skybell HD vs. Ring Pro — Comparison Table

	Skybell HD	Ring Video Doorbell Pro
Power Options	Hardwired only	Hardwired only
Battery Life	n/a	n/a
Compatible Doorbell Transformers	10-36 VAC, 10VA or 12 VDC	16-24 VAC, DC not compatible
Field of View	180°	160°
Video Resolution	1080p/720p HD	1080p HD
Night view	Yes	Yes
Color Night Vision	Yes	Black & White
Compatible Networks	2.4 GHz 802.11 b/g/n	2.4 or 5 GHz 802.11 b/g/n
Motion Detection	Yes	Yes
Custom Motion Zones	No	Yes
Live View Motion Triggered	Yes	Yes
Live View On Demand	Yes	Yes
Size	2.8 x 2.8 x 0.9 inches 7.1 x 7.1 x 2.2 cm	4.5 x 1.85 x 0.80 inches 11.43 x 4.7 x 2.03 cm
Silent Mode	Yes	Yes
Zoom	5x zoom	Yes
Two-Way Audio	Yes	Yes
Operating Temperature	-40 – 140°F (-20 – 50°C)	-5 – 120°F (-40 – 60°C)
Web App	No	Yes
Finish	Brushed Aluminum, Oil Rubbed Bronze	Comes with 4 faceplates

Walmart To Offer Free In House Delivery Including Stocking Your Fridge

A new service by Walmart, introduced this week is set to compete with Amazon for home deliveries of products ordered. Except that Walmart will have their couriers unlock your door, enter your kitchen, open your fridge and stock your purchased groceries on your behalf.

All you have to do is install a wifi operated lock to your entry door, give permission to Walmart employees to enter your home and to stock your fridge.


That all sounds wonderful, doesnt it?

Amazon introduced a similar service last year after successfully merging their acquisition of Ring and Bleep into their company, We wrote a few articles about Amazon Key and related services here.

Are you owner or resident,willing to allow people you dont know, permission to enter your home when youre not there, have access to your kitchen and pretty much the run of your house?

Are you prepared to pay the increased insurance premiums that will no doubt be incurred?

Even if these companies compel their employees to wear body cameras, so you can view them as they enter your private home, are you really going to open yourself to the privacy concerns?

Modern technologies are great in idea and sometimes in practise. But some ideas are just plain silly.
As a locksmith security specialist, experienced technician and appraiser, I continue to explain to my customers the pitfalls of some modern electronic battery operated security products. Many will agree with me once they understand the potential security and privacy concerns.

I often discuss with clients about their current push button battery operated deadbolt they may have fitted. In many of these discussions, the client points out that, after the third or fourth time replacing the batteries, they will go back to using the mechanical key. The most common reason, is they did not expect the regular and repeated need to replace batteries, adding significantly to their cost of their chosen product. Combine this with they being locked out of their residence when they least expect it and still requiring to call a locksmith to pick their lock open due to not carrying their key.

Electronics do indeed improve our quality of life. But at the exhorbitant cost of a ~$250+ electronic lock, that is more prone to power failure, weathering, house and door movement etc, requiring increased maintenance over the mechanical products that have been around for hundreds of years, the cost differences alone, one might think to keep using and relying on maintenance free security.

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Has New York City Fixed It's Key Problems?

A post we made in October 2012 continues to find traction and views as it is still of important knowledge to us all today, as much if not more since first written in 2012. We just updated some of the links to working links (over time websites need to keep up with their broken links to avoid the pitfalls of search engine pagerank issues) so you can view the videos and some of the links we include. Continuing to provide links to the source of our content (even though we write our own content) credits the source and avoids us being called plagiarists. The following story is worth remembering and continue to be an important piece of knowledge, not just for the industry but also the marketplace... The Society Of Professional Locksmiths is an organization of professional locksmith owners and tradespersons whose intentions are to bring respect and admiration with ethical and moral business practises back to an industry that has seen the erosion of confidence in locksmiths, wane over the past few years, thanks to improprieties and shortcoming of other supposed industry organizations. The SOPL is fast becoming the industry's leading respected voice, training facility and source of products and services, that the market and industry have long been seeking. Unlike other locksmith industry organizations and training offerings, the SOPL developed their own superb in-house training guide and mentoring system that is second to none in the North American market. The following article is copied directly (with permission) from their website. If you like the article, please consider clicking the like buttons in the post. FDNY Keys Sold on EBAY - The NY Post - Where there's Smoke, there's Fire 10/07/2012 2 Comments On October 1st, 2012 a news story ran in the NY Post about a retired locksmith named Daniel Ferraris from New Jersey who sold a set of 5 keys on Ebay that were being called Masterkeys for the New York City Fire Department. Source - http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/lock_away_these_nyc_keys_g3PWCp3FzMapURRjyssJ4J This apparently angered NY City officials and public advocate Bill DeBlasio who raised concerns over terrorism. Keywords such as being alarmed, angered, lives at risk, safety, and more surfaced. Calls to Home Land Security were even made! DeBlasio himself went so far to say -  "We cannot let anyone sell the safety of over 8 million people so easily. Having these keys on the open market literally puts lives at risk. The billions we've spent on counter-terrorism have been severely undercut by this breech [sic]." A NYFD lieutenant said, “This guy should be prosecuted for selling something like that."

Sinji - A Competitive Option To Ring

Sinji Wireless Doorbell and Camera System offers alternative to the Ring doorbell system.

This inexpensive alternative differs from Ring because it is not taking video and consuming significant storage.

We have reported about Ring products a number of times in recent years

This product is quite different in that it takes a snapshot of the door bell ringer and sends it over your home wifi system to users of an app.

Storage of pictures occupies significantly less storage than you need using the Ring product, yet offers similar security, albeit for much more competitive prices.

• Keep tabs on who comes to your door straight from your smartphone via app
• Easily install w/ zero wiring or professional installation required
• Monitor visitors at all hours w/ night vision support
• Anti-theft device alerts you if the doorbell is tampered with

Specs

• Dimensions: 3.3"H x 2.2"L 0.5"W
• Infrared night vision
• Snapshot function when bell is pressed
• Fully wireless
• Easy-install
• Resolution: 408 x 320
• Transmission distance: 98'
• Image sensor: 1/4 CMOS
• Lens: 80°, F2.8 aperture
• Power supply outdoor unit: 2 x AAA battery
• Power supply indoor unit: EU plug 100V-240V AC
• Outdoor transmission: 2.4G RF
• Indoor transmission: RF + WiFi

Compatibility

• Works with various IP camera apps, including Eye4 and EyeCloud
• Eye4 app requirements: iOS 8.0 or later; Android: varies with device
• EyeCloud app requirements: iOS 8.0 or later; Android 4.4 or later

Includes

• Outdoor unit
• Indoor unit
• User manual

Shipping

• Ships To Contiguous US
• Expected Delivery: Sep 13 - Sep 16

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Flaw In Ring Doorbell Camera - Prevents Deleting Previous Users

(video removed)
Check the source below for the video

We continue to monitor the cyberworld of all things security related and just came across this interesting piece of news concerning Ring,

You remember Ring, dont you?

Amazon recently completed their buyout of Ring, to meld it into their Amazon Key program network.

We first talked about Ring in an article in June 2015.

The system is very smart and not bad looking however it is a flawed piece of technology that could be more of a security problem than a benefit.

Then there is the lawsuit against Ring (before the Amazon buyout) by Skybell, the original patent holder of many of the technologies that Ring is built upon. We also wrote about this in an article in January 2018.

I'm sure Amazon were not prepared for the headaches they have acquired. But the Ring management are no doubt smiling all the way to the bank.

I see a great number of the Ring door bell in my travels, so it is obviously a popular product (even though it was rejected during it's Shark Tank debut)

Perhaps the many customers who purchased the product were just not aware of it's shortcomings as discussed in the video above.

Not just that, but burglars are actually being pictured stealing Ring doorbells from houses.
And people still want to allow Amazon to be able to access your home with their Amazon Key program?

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New Articles Across The Web Point To Increasing Media interest In Amazon Key Service

We have written a few articles in recent months about the recent Amazon takeover of Ring and their intention to meld it into their Amazon Key Network of Smart Home products.

The Ring product has seen stellar sales in recent years, after failing to score a deal on the very popular television show, Shark Tank.

I find it especially interesting that this recent acquisition by Amazon arrives on the heels of a patent infringement lawsuit by Skybell, who maintain that they are the original patent holders of the technology (see our article).

According to an article on Cnet (see article), the Amazon acquisition of Ring was finalized in February. The article reports that Limp ( a Seattle based company) and Siminoff (from Ring's California head office), took the opportunity to discuss some more details about the acquisition after the deal closed. The article alleges (unconfirmed) that Amazon paid about $1 Billion to acquire Ring.

Another article appearing in The Guardian (UK), also confirms the deal details and also indicates (like Cnet) that Amazon will continue to let Ring trade in it's own right (like Bezos does with the Washington Post), but that as a result of the Amazon takeover, Ring drops its price for it's award winning product to US$100 from US$150 and £89 from £159.

It is no secret that we are not impressed with this offering. With the amount of customer data issues, across the news today and Amazon being one of the largest acquirer of customer buying/purchasing data, combined with the attempts to infiltrate the residential and commercial physical  and electronic security markets with sub-par quality products, we feel that allowing companies like these to enjoy unfettered access to your private dwellings, even outside of regular business hours is opening you and your family up to increased security issues.

I would expect insurance companies to jump on these changes and no doubt increase insurance premiums because you allow more access to your properties than normal.

As a concerned security products installer and locksmith services provider, I feel it is my responsibility to inform you of the shortcomings and security issues surrounding the use of services like Amazon Key might bring.

Far be it from me to tell you what to do and whom you choose to give access to your doors, but I will continue to refuse to open myself and my family up to the possibility of unauthorized and uncontrollable entry to our home and properties.

What will you do?

Breaking News: Ring Acquired By Amazon

Ring, the IoT (Internet of Things) company who manufacture a unique doorbell product in the Smart category of home furnishings products space, have announced their acquisition by Amazon.

Amazon continue to diversify their portfolio of companies, in attempt to upgrade their delivery services, with the purchase of Ring. Amazon developed a system recently called Amazon Key to help with the delivery of orders to customers without leaving packages outside homes or offices.

We recently wrote an article about Ring and their relationship with Skybell, the inventor of the technology and holder of integral patents that form the basics of the technology. The article describes a patent infringement lawsuit filed by Skybell, that now increases the interest in this story with this news about Amazon's takeover.

We have written a few articles articles over the last 10 years, informing about various peepholes and camera products aimed at the entry door markets. Some of these products have seen market success, but few on the level that Ring have achieved.

The IoT phenomenon has seen a great many new products enter the marketplace over the last few years and the physical and electronic security industry has become an area that many new producers are flooding the markets with all kinds of products, aimed at simplifying our lives.

A great many manufacturers are producing many varieties of digital electronic deadbolts and door locks, many of them battery powered and wireless. The functions and appearances of the various products vary considerably and likewise the quality.

Products like Yale, Lockitron, August, Kevo, to name a few have made deciding on the appropriate product for your home or office use, tricky indeed.

New wireless and battery powered products appear to be coming to market almost everyday lately. The Smart Lock industry is valued at $30 Billion + and it stands to reason that many providers are aiming for a slice of the pie.

Not to devalue the burgeoning industry, we have found that many of the available battery powered lock products suffer from power issues. Specifically the continuing requirement for end users to regularly replace batteries to keep their products in perfect continuous operation. We find that a great many customers, who installed the latest battery powered products, tend to replace batteries about twice in the early use of the products and then revert back to using the mechanical key portion (override) because they get tired of the constant need to change batteries, adding significantly to the cost to maintain their products, effectively diminishing the value of their expensive battery powered lock product. Mechanical and key operated products are largely maintenance free.

Other issues not considered before purchasing can include, door and frame weathering, where doors and frames move with the changes of season preventing their motor driven products from aligning correctly into the strike hole (frame), adverse weather conditions - hot or cold temperatures affect battery life of externally mounted products.

Many users enjoy the ability to continually operate their locks, manually (mechanically) by using the mechanical operating key.

Many locksmiths across the world continue to supply and install great quality hardware that stand the tests of time and continue to provide almost maintenance free operation.

I realize that many homeowners like the idea of keyless lock systems, but in reality a keyed lock system provides increased security over combination entry systems especially when you cannot control the number of people who may have shared or continue to share your door entry codes.

What type of product have you on your doors?

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Skybell - Inventor Of Smart Home Doorbell Technology Claims Rival Ring Stole Its Technology

Many consumers will be familiar with Ring.

The connected smart home doorbell product that attempted to win a sizeable investment when it debuted on Shark Tank a few years ago, since exploded on the scene with backing from multiple other investors.

Few perhaps fail to understand that the technology is based on patents belonging to another company.

Skybell claim to own 71 patents related to the very technology that Ring have allegedly copied and use in their range of products, severely curbing and hurting the ability of Skybell to be competitive in the market. The suit relates specifically to 3 patents that Ring are alleged to have copied, as a result of collaboration between managers of both companies during the initial research and development.

The start-up industry is indeed a murky environment, inhabited by many jealous players and sinister types who will do almost anything to beat out a competitor, but outright theft of intellectual property is a really dastardly thing to do.

We will be watching this story with interest as it unfolds.

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Blink - Wireless Peep Hole Camera Systems Agrees To Be Acquired By Amazon

Breaking News: Blink, the wireless, battery powered peephole camera system manufacturer announced on Friday that they have agreed to be acquired by Amazon.

There are many players today in the peephole market, some of whom you may be familiar with like Ring or Brinno and Blink have just been acquired by Amazon in an attempt to further their recent product and service offering called Amazon Key.

Wireless peepholes are quite the rage today because many dwellers desire to know whom is actually at their door, whether they are home or not.

With the Internet Of Things (IOT) constantly evolving to make our lives more technological and easier, smart home technology is still in it's infancy. Many competing products, vying for our dollars, are coming to market. Many smart home products, including wireless battery powered deadbolts, entrance sets, door bells etc are a common method for people to get their feet wet with the latest smart home technology.

Amazon announced their Amazon Key program 2 months ago, to enable Amazon product deliveries to your residence or office, even when your abode is unattended. This service by Amazon is an ambitious attempt to thwart the increasing crime known as "porch theft" or "porch piracy". See this New York Times article from December 19th.


Personally, while I understand the desire of some to constantly be visually aware of "goings on" at home, especially at your entry, I am bewildered that many customers of this technology would allow their properties to be viewed over the web, through cloud services. Combine that with the recent announcement about the KRACK wifi virus that we wrote about here about 2 months ago and perhaps this is another recipe for disaster in the making.

I believe consumers should protect their privacy more and perhaps think about storing their security camera pictures on their home server or hard drives, rather than a web based system.

I'm sure opinions vary and would like to know your feelings on this matter.
Feel free to comment in the space below (and include a link to your website if you desire - REMEMBER all comments are subject to moderation)

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Ring - Nouveau Wireless Peephole

I recently came across one of these devices installed on a customers home and it looks like the bees knees.

easy to install and offering multiple conveniences, Ring is quite possibly the answer to entry monitoring/doorbell needs for modern times.

Impressive to say the least.



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GM Ignition Switch Recall Part

Here is a picture of the part that fails in the ignition switches of GM vehicles, as listed in their recent recall of millions of vehicles.

GM dealers mechanical workshops across the country are preparing to be inundated with the backlog of repairs to rectify this serious flaw that has resulted in accidents and deaths on American roads.


The issue with the $0.57 part is that when it fails, often due to the weight of keys on a customers key ring, it can switch off the vehicle electrical system and computer, while the vehicle is in motion, affecting airbag safety, brake systems, fuel injection and other connected vehicle electrical systems.

Many automotive locksmiths around the world, continue to repair/replace faulty ignition locks across a wide variety of vehicles, not just GM, due to wear caused by customers having too many keys and other attachments on their vehicle key chain.

The expected deluge upon GM and Chevrolet dealerships will likely send customers nutty for a while, especially considering other vehicles (not in the recall) still require to be serviced, maintained and repaired also.

We choose to not offer automotive locksmith services (apart from unlocking vehicles) at this time. Not because we are unable to perform the skilled part of the job, but because we feel that many of the current service technicians in our area are undervaluing their jobs (They dont charge enough).

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Is GM Guilty Of Misbehaviour?

There has been much talk across news media in recent weeks about General Motors and their knowledge, since 2001 of a fatal problem with the ignition switch in a number of vehicles they produce.

This issue relates to the recent recall of over 1.5 million vehicles with faulty ignition key switches.

An article in yesterday's St Louis Post Dispatch (see source below) highlighted GM's knowledge about the problem since 2001.

Summarized from the Post Dispatch, "In that environment, basic components could take low priority, such as the ignition switch that GM sourced for Ions, Cobalts and other models. The right to manufacture the switch had been won by Dublin, Ireland-based Eaton Corp., according to documents from a wrongful-death lawsuit filed against GM. Delphi bought Eaton’s switch division in 2001.

Inside that switch, which cost as little as $2 to $5 to produce, was a spring loose enough to allow the ignition to switch out of the “on” position when bumped, a risk that would grow if the key was weighted by a heavy ring, GM has said. The turned key would then shut off the engine and power steering and disable the air bags.

The fatal flaw in the ignition switch, which GM now says its engineers discovered in 2001 while developing the Ion, has spurred the automaker’s biggest crisis since its 2009 bankruptcy and bailout."

As a locksmith, I choose to not work on automobiles at this time for various reasons. This revelation from GM is further disturbing to the locksmith industry I suggest, because there are many automotive locksmiths who are called upon to make keys for GM vehicles. In making a key for a GM vehicle that has one of the faulty ignition switches, if the customer has an issue, post locksmith service, usually they will claim warranty from the locksmith and most reputable legitimate locksmiths will honor their labor to the customer...

Stick N Find - The Ultimate Finder

 

Stick N Find is a new product device created by some talented engineers with about a decade experience in unique device design.

We have mentioned previously in this blog about various brands and types of key finders and other similar products that prove popular with our readers. Products like FOFA, Low Glo Key Fob, Ultra-Sil, Hone and Light Bulb Key Ring are some of the products previously mentioned here.

The Stick N Find is an ingenious invention that uses Bluetooth technology to pair your item with your smartphone. Unlike NFC, where a particularly enabled smartphone is required to use tags, the use of Bluetooth technology means that virtually any equipped mobile phone can be paired with the tags.

It is simple to install the application to your smartphone and even easier to stick the button or tag to your selected items

Watch the video below (after the jump) for a complete explanation of this fabulous product.

The Society Of Professional Locksmiths Becomes A Leading Authority For The Locksmith Industry - Thanks To FDNY

The Society Of Professional Locksmiths is an organization of professional locksmith owners and tradespersons whose intentions are to bring respect and admiration with ethical and moral business practises back to an industry that has seen the erosion of confidence in locksmiths, wane over the past few years, thanks to improprieties and shortcoming of other supposed industry organizations. The SOPL is fast becoming the industry's leading respected voice, training facility and source of products and services, that the market and industry have long been seeking. Unlike other locksmith industry organizations and training offerings, the SOPL developed their own superb in-house training guide and mentoring system that is second to none in the North American market. The following article is copied directly (with permission) from their website. If you like the article, please consider clicking the like buttons in the post. FDNY Keys Sold on EBAY - The NY Post - Where there's Smoke, there's Fire 10/07/2012 2 Comments On October 1st, 2012 a news story ran in the NY Post about a retired locksmith named Daniel Ferraris from New Jersey who sold a set of 5 keys on Ebay that were being called Masterkeys for the New York City Fire Department. Source - http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/lock_away_these_nyc_keys_g3PWCp3FzMapURRjyssJ4J This apparently angered NY City officials and public advocate Bill DeBlasio who raised concerns over terrorism. Keywords such as being alarmed, angered, lives at risk, safety, and more surfaced. Calls to Home Land Security were even made! DeBlasio himself went so far to say -  "We cannot let anyone sell the safety of over 8 million people so easily. Having these keys on the open market literally puts lives at risk. The billions we've spent on counter-terrorism have been severely undercut by this breech [sic]." A NYFD lieutenant said, “This guy should be prosecuted for selling something like that."

Tiltpod - Portable Camera Stand Keyring

Tiltpod is an incredibly intelligent idea borne in San Francisco (of course), by a couple of guys who wanted to both be in the picture without having to lug around a tripod.

Brilliant I say! Simple, elegant and so worth the meagre price. What a great gift idea.

The video says it all, but Kickstarter, the crowd sourcing funding group provided the financial backing to get off the ground.

I love the fact that it is, essentially, a key ring accessory and consequently qualifies as an unusual and unique product worthy of this blog. What do you think?

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Light Bulb Key Ring

People who receive a service call from me often are delighted when I give them a little LED keyring with my name, phone number and website on it. I used to hand out business cards until I woke up and realized that the reason I rarely received business from those cardholders was because the cards were too easy to get lost or trashed.

An innovative company has produced a miniature version of a flashlight that is novel and different to the norm.

The Light Bulb Keyring operates on 4 replaceable cell batteries and fits easily on your keyring.

Ladies fumbling though their pocket book in a dark spot can now do so with this small unobtrusive flashlight.

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Credit Cards Used To Duplicate Keys

We first posted this article in September 2008, but have received many inquiries about our fabulous Bilock Extreme Security product that virtually eliminates this threat. Bilock  keys are unable to be copied surreptitiously in a similar fashion, due to the product using two blades with different key cuts on each blade. Combined with the patented Bilock interactive element, both in the key and the cylinder, security of both the key and lock are protected in an unequalled manner.

LAS VEGAS -- Life takes Visa, says the credit card company's catchy and ubiquitous TV ads.

And now, according to a group of security researchers speaking at the DefCon hacker conference in Las Vegas, Medeco high-security locks take Visa, too. As well as MasterCard, American Express and Discover cards.

To be more precise, the researchers say that plastic used in all of these credit cards can be easily fashioned into simulated keys that open three kinds of M3 high-security locks made by the Virginia-based Medeco Security Locks company -- locks that are used to secure sensitive facilities in places such as the White House, the Pentagon, embassies and other buildings.

"Virtually all conventional pin-tumbler locks are vulnerable to this method of attack, and frankly nobody has really considered it or looked at it before," says Marc Weber Tobias, one of the researchers.

Freekey - No More Broken Nails, Finally!

There is almost one universal issue we all complain about when it comes to keyrings.

It is sometimes a painful task to remove or attach a key to the little wire rings we use to bind our keys together, isn't it?

Many customers, over the years struggle to remove or attach keys to keyrings and sometimes even break a nail or two in the process.

Manicures are not expensive, but they are time consuming. I'm sure many a manicurist or two has received business from customers wanting to have their nails repaired following a breakage that may be a result of attempting to open the keyring

FREEKEY is a novel solution to this ages old problem. Simply press on the indicator to spread the ring allowing easy access to removing or attaching that key and saving a broken nail and consequently the expense and time of a manicure.

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Facebook And Twitter Contribute To Rise In Property Crime

"Users of social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter have been warned by police after two men were convicted of burgling a house whose owners had advertised the fact they were away."

Do you faceoff on Facebook? Do you Tweet? If you do, it is is perhaps important to know that your movements are being watched by many people.