Sacramento - A New Target For Fraudulent Locksmiths

I was born in Sacramento, California but grew up in Australia. I did travel after my locksmith apprenticeship when I was 22 and decided to stay in Sacramento for about a year and a half. While there I was lucky enough to work for 3 different locksmith companies. Locksmiths were quite a different breed back then and this video news report is sad to see that the scammers have evolved there too. Look, I realize that when you are locked out, you will often call the first company you can find and rarely quibble over the price. I am quite surprised that locksmiths in Sacramento do not value their craft more than $50-$75 for an average opening when you consider the higher cost of living there than in other towns across America. Gasoline alone is rediculously expensive at $3.65 a gallon here in the St Louis region and the average attendance here is $65-$95 during the day for the same service. There are the same scammers here in St Louis that ply similar nefarious tactics to attract customers. The report refuses to acknowledge in any way that the search engine companies are very responsible for allowing advertising of such a deceiving nature on their networks.

It is a loophole that experienced computer hackers can manipulate to the advantage of fraudsters who seal up the lion-share of online advertising everywhere you look.

I choose to let my experience, products and service excellence, speak for itself. We do not advertise for the lockout market but will be there if called upon on occasion, for our account customers. (


(source...)

Bicycle Rack Converts To Bicycle Lock - Quickly And Easily

 Singapore based designer Seth Chiam has created his concept bicycle rack/lock conversion system to be minimalist in design yet versatile in function.

This intelligent concept allows the user to cart their possessions on the rack and when required, use the same rack to lock the bicycle to a post to prevent theft.

 The design includes a traditional D lock, that many who ride bicycles are very familiar with and a clamp that attaches to the bicycle seat post, so it is out of the way when you are pedaling along.

 You can see the release mechanism for attaching/detaching the product from the clip. It is key operated meaning no more bulky padlocks swinging freely.

 The product is designed to carry a proportional amount of weight as you can see in the loaded bag in this picture.

Stylish yet functional and lightweight, I think this young man has hit on something that bicycle enthusiasts everywhere will pounce on, when it becomes available.







(source...)

Viefe - Kitchen And Bathroom Minimalist Designed Handles

 Viefe Handles are a Spanish Company specializing in unique designs of handles for kitchen and bathrooms.

Pictured here are their new Noma range of minimalist handle designs that might fit with discerning customers intent on a minimalist approach to design and use.

 Available in many colors, this unique product is nouveau, yet stylish, simple to operate, even simpler to install and made from high quality materials.

Different sizes fit different customers requirements.
Viefe also manufacture many other handle designs that are widely sought after by residents across the European continent.

Will we see these designs in North America?

Maybe.


(source...)

After Almost 2 Years Of Patiently Waiting - It Is Here Finally!

Well, after 2 years of patiently receiving updates from the company, of unexpected delays, of production issues, of inferior components, of re-coding of software, our Crowd-Funded Lockitron product has finally arrived.

We received a 3-pack, in Bondi Blue, Obsidian Black and Pearl White.

We will attempt to video the unboxing of the product in a later post and hopefully capture the installation to an apartment door  on video soon too.

We already have 2 units sold to customers (who we are please have waited patiently for almost 2 years for this product, that they will be able to use with their iPhones) and hopefully (if the product lives up to the hype) receive significant more orders in future.

Lockwood 7444 Keyed Pocket Door Lock - New Inventory Expected ~ July 1

Our Lockwood 7444 Keyed Pocket Door Lock is still beating our anticipated sales numbers in ever increasing amounts.

The last batch we received May 19, 2014 we sold out in 3 weeks.

The next batch we will receive ~ July 1, 2014 and this will include a limited number of Privacy and Passage versions too.

Unfortunately, we do not accept pre-orders for this very popular product, because it sells out so rapidly. Not because we cannot, but because the overwhelming popularity  caused us to rethink our marketing strategy.

We will receive an increased quantity of the Satin Pearl (Nickel) color, together with a small amount of the Chrome Plate in the 7444 version (keyed). We are also expecting a number of the Passage version (7450) in Satin Pearl (Nickel) and also about 4 of the Privacy version (7400) in Satin Pearl (Nickel) also. This directly means you can have identical hardware for double sliding pocket doors, maximizing security and ambience simultaneously.

The Satin Pearl (Nickel) is the most sought after color and subsequently the most difficult to keep in stock.
This increased supply in our July delivery, we expect to be able to keep up with demand a little longer.

We will only bring the Chrome Plate color in the keyed version (7444).

Our modification kit to allow easy installation to a 1-3/4" thick door is still in the process of production and testing. Assa-Abloy Lockwood have confirmed their intention to NOT release a factory version for bigger doors.

We thank you for your understanding and apologize for the delay.

Locks Of Love Bridge In Paris Collapses

The Pont Des Arts Bridge in Paris was closed earlier this month due to an unusual problem. You may have heard or seen the news stories about this particular bridge that has attracted lovers for a great many years, where they seal their love and lock it to the fence with a padlock and toss the keys into the Senne.

The bridge fence collapsed under the sheer weight of too many padlocks clipped to the fence. Luckily no one was injured and contrary to many calls to remove the eyesore, authorities have chosen to maintain the fence and attraction in the "City Of Love".

There are many similar bridges that can be found all over the world, but apparently the one in the above video is the first.

For a list of other bridges of similarity see Wikipedia . Find a locations list for the USA After the jump.

(source...)

Dream, The Impossible Dream....Power To Burn. Yeti Saves The Day.

The Yeti 1250 Solar Powered Generator is not directly a security product or equivalent item that i usually write about in this blog.

However, being a professional locksmith tradesperson, with a mobile service vehicle and an array of machines and power tools that I require to use onsite, I need to run that equipment in my truck and sometimes away from the truck when there are no other power sources available.

I currently use a wired-in inverter to power my machines in the vehicle and this usually requires me to run the motor to keep the secondary battery I use charging.

I have been searching for a cost effective alternative to installing a professional truck generator that feeds directly from the gas tank (~$7,000 Installed) and this may well fit the bill.

It's not that i run a lot of machinery constantly, but my work truck gets pretty warm inside during summer and i would like to be able to have a refrigerator and air conditioning unit/fan that i could run separately from the vehicles power system and also enjoy the ability to operate power tools without having to run long extension cords.

As you can see in the promotional video above, there are multiple uses for this fantastic device. I think I have found the perfect item for my holiday wish list.

Arguably, this product could be an assist to any site that might want to run CCTV cameras remotely, like in a field (nowhere near available power) or to provide the power for a remote gate or door without digging trenches for running cables to grid power. So, perhaps you could use it as a backup power supply for security products?

(source...)

Beach Vault - Keep Your Belongings Safe/Hidden This Summer

Kickstarter is one of those crowd-sourcing companies that matches inventors/producers with investors. Not just the VC investors who fund tech start-ups like Facebook, Twitter etc, but everyday investors like you and me. People who look to contribute to a small start-up's endeavor to produce a useful product or service that will provide us with some real benefits.

One new product I found recently is currently in it's Kickstarter foundation mode, called the Beach Vault. As shown in the above marketing video, it is a simple yet intelligent solution to keeping your belongings secure while you enjoy fun on the beach.

I personally think they should add a key or combination lock function to it, but that's just me.

What do you think?

(source...)