Lockwood 7444 Keyed Pocket Door Lock Expansion Kit - Delayed

Our expansion kit for converting the Lockwood 7444 Keyed Pocket Door Lock, to allow use on 1-3/4" thick doors has hit a snag. Our manufacturer of the replacement part has sent us incorrect parts. this means that our planned May 1st release is being pushed back.

Hopefully our manufacturer can produce the corrected parts soon so we can begin supplying these parts to customers who have 1-3/4" doors too.



The products are selling very quickly and there are almost no issues or problems being fed back to us.
A couple of times, some customers have reported the bolt mechanism not working correctly and we have sent out replacement parts quickly which rectifies their issues.

We apologise for the inconvenience this may cause, but we feel that releasing the expansion kit, prematurely is a costly mistake we wish to avoid.

Thanks for your patience.

SOPL Expo Cancelled

Recent circumstances beyond control have lead to the executive decision to cancel the inaugural show of the Society Of Professional Locksmiths.
Apologies have been made to members, exhibitors, educators and other attendees.
A new venue and date will be announced in the near future.

Kadalock - Bluetooth Low Energy Bicycle Lock System Connects to Drink Bottle

Kadalock is a new take on the bicycle lock that has merits. Simply install beneath your existing drink bottle rack and you are ready to go.

Using a strong tensile cable and waterproof padlock body, this intelligent lock for your bicycle is novel, unique and nouveau.

In low energy mode, which puts the padlock to sleep to maintain battery life, you simply activate the lock by physical touch. When the unit powers on, your Bluetooth enabled smartphone provides the required identification for the padlock to unlock. Simple, keyless security that looks good.

Other features include, notifications for attempted theft, low battery warning etc.

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St Louis Award - 8 Consecutive Years

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Master Key Systems America, LLC Receives 2015 St. Louis Award

St. Louis Award Program Honors the Achievement
ST. LOUIS March 4, 2015 -- Master Key Systems America, LLC has been selected for the 2015 St. Louis Award in the Locksmiths & Keys category by the St. Louis Award Program.
Each year, the St. Louis Award Program identifies companies that we believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and our community. These exceptional companies help make the St. Louis area a great place to live, work and play.
Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2015 St. Louis Award Program focuses on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the St. Louis Award Program and data provided by third parties.

About St. Louis Award Program

The St. Louis Award Program is an annual awards program honoring the achievements and accomplishments of local businesses throughout the St. Louis area. Recognition is given to those companies that have shown the ability to use their best practices and implemented programs to generate competitive advantages and long-term value.
The St. Louis Award Program was established to recognize the best of local businesses in our community. Our organization works exclusively with local business owners, trade groups, professional associations and other business advertising and marketing groups. Our mission is to recognize the small business community's contributions to the U.S. economy.
SOURCE: St. Louis Award Program

CONTACT:
St. Louis Award Program
Email: PublicRelations@awardsystem.org
URL: http://www.awardsystem.org

Open Sesame - Simple But Smart

We have spoken about other brands of smartlocks with increasing regularity, here.

There are some interesting products that have made their way to market and along the way, some users find little bugs that make them just somewhat difficult to set up, install and operate.

Enter the Sesame Smartlock. Installs to almost any deadbolt lock on the market. Is super easy to use and set up and is wifi connected (if desired), so you can operate the lock remotely.

Options, like guest access, lockout function, even sense.

Or simply design your own unique knock code to open the lock (or lock it)

This product is currently seeking funding through Kickstarter. If it successfully reaches it's goal, shipping is expected to start in April 2015




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Symlis Sparrow - Portable Sync/Charge Cable In a Portable Form Factor

The Symlis Sparrow is a novel product that is designed to fit on your keychain (hence why it makes it to this blog).

Smartphone users across the world in need of extra charge for their product are often hampered by requiring to always be carrying their OEM charging cable.

This intelligent and very new product is currently sourcing crowd funding through Indiegogo.

You can purchase it through Indiegogo.

It offers a small form factor and portable charging cable for either Apple or Android phones and tablets. It also provides a built in flash drive for access to files you want to view on your device/s.

It is not an actual battery charger. But it is a cute keyring.

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Access Control Moves Into The 21st Century And Beyond - Post Revisited

We originally posted this article in September 2010 and have seen a great many views of the page. There is absolutely no doubt that advancing technology is influencing many significant parts of our daily lives and with new products from Aoptix Technologies like the one pictured here, we will soon be seeing this advanced wizardry in everyday use.

The AOptix InSight™ VM iris recognition system takes the qualities that make the originalInSight system so extraordinary and wraps them up in a new form factor that is compact and visually appealing.

It is functionally the same as the original InSight system and delivers the same unprecedented capture volume, 2 meter standoff distance, and advanced imaging and image quality metrics for outstanding ease-of-use, throughput, and matching accuracy. The VM also relies on the same deployment-tested communications interfaces, maintaining a focus on ease-of-integration and standards compliance for biometrics and ID management, IT infrastructure, and physical access control.

Form and Function

The InSight VM’s new shape isn’t just about looks. At less than 9 inches wide and deep, the VMis uniquely well suited to applications where footprint space is at a premium. We've created a system for end users, integrators, and architects that is purpose-designed for applications including:

• Immigration control programs, especially sleek installations at immigration counters
• eGates or expedited, automated immigration programs
• Checkpoint booths
• Government and corporate access control including turnstile, revolving door and standard door installations

Now, the power of the InSight iris recognition system is available to open up a new range of applications.

View the source below to visit the company's site and see a video of just how the unit works.

I suggest that the reality of total secure access control, using iris recognition technology is upon us. Perhaps the Star Trek future is becoming a reality?

I can see many positives in this kind of system, especially for companies requiring secure access to controlled locations, like vaults, computer rooms, drug storage facilities, hospital bacteria free zones, even the presidents office.

What do you think?

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Hosse & Hosse - A Brief History Of keys

Keys have been in use since nearly 4,000 years ago, according to clay tablets that depict keys used in the Babylonian Empire. The first of these keys looked nothing like the historic keys we might imagine today. Some, in fact, may have been as long as an arm and quite heavy. No way you’d have a keychain filled with these keys.

Similar keys were used in Ancient Greece, most likely to lock temples and other structures of significance. They keys were so large that women carried them over their shoulders. You can view one of these at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston—the key that once locked and unlocked the Temple for Artemis Hemera in Arcadia.

The Beginning of Modern Keys

Where we begin to see the stirrings of modern keys was Rome. The Romans took the technology developed by the Greeks and refined it for more common use. Of course, only those with belongings to protect were concerned with locking their doors. The keys of this time resemble the skeleton keys we think of when “historic keys” some to mind, but they weren’t quite as advanced.

A Step Up in Technology

During the 6th century, European keys took another leap forward. Lever tumblers within locks were created, so keys could be even more specialized. One look at these keys, and you can see exactly how they may have preceded our modern keys. These keys also featured more decorative accents, which often featured crosses or the shape of a bishop’s miter.

Fast-Forward…Way Forward

Lock technology didn’t advance much for hundreds of years. The advancements that were made mostly occurred in England, most notably the double-tumbler lock invented by Robert Barron in 1778. Then in the 1860s, Linus Yale, Jr. of Massachusetts brought us right into the future with his cylinder lock. From that point on, lock technology grew by leaps and bounds.

While we still use some variation of the models produced by Linus Yale, Jr., we also have some technology the Ancient Greeks and Babylonians might have considered supernatural. Current transponder keys make it possible to enter and exit a vehicle without even touching the key.

And, believe it or not, Hosse & Hosse can help you with historic locks and transponder keys. The lock mechanisms from Ancient Greece are no longer in use, so we can’t help you there. However, if you’d like to repair a lock or produce a duplicate key for your home built in the 1800s, we can. We can also reproduce the transponder keys for your cars and keycards for digital commercial locks if you lose them.

That’s one of the most fascinating things about being Nashville’s locksmith and security hardware provider for 150 years. We’ve seen it all, and we can still do it all, too.

Hosse & Hosse Safe & Lock have been proudly serving Nashville Tennessee for 150+ years, providing the region with locksmith and safe sales and services, architectural hardware, entry systems and good old fashioned customer service.

Hosse & Hosse are the oldest continually operating locksmith company in Tennessee and the 7th oldest business in Nashville Tennessee. Located in 918 Woodland Street, Nashville TN 37206, they continue to serve residents, businesses and institutions with premium quality lock products and services.

(article reprinted with permission)

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