Contact-Less User Interfaces Are Becoming A Part Of Our New Future - Part 1

As we progress toward a more contact-less future, given the current precarious situation we find ourselves facing, with the pandemic today causing upheaval to our daily lives....

We decided to share a new post to discuss some contact-less options that already exist in today's world and articles that we have written over the last 10 years or so.


Voice control is one area that we have embraced in recent years with the advent of Google Voice, Home, Amazon Alexa, Echo etc among other offerings.

Below find a number of articles that we have written, that provide some interesting reading about some of the options already available to us. Some of the products listed below do not exist anymore but talented researchers are constantly creating new and improved products that might help us progress through this new world...

Verroo - Unique Security Products For The Worlds New Normal Amid Coronavirus Pandemic

A couple of years ago (almost), a talented 18 year old gave a lecture at Defcon, a well-known hacker conference held annually in Las Vegas NV.

At this lecture he gave a rather interesting expose into the security and perception of security of Knox Boxes, which are used and required predominantly by fire departments across the USA to allow authorized first responders to gain access to private and public dwellings without the need to employ destructive entry methods.





The video is about 20 minutes long and may be of interest to locksmiths. security industry technicians, sales people, maintenance technicians, first responders, home owners, apartment complex managers, basically anyone who might see or have these type of key boxes on or near their properties.

It is especially interesting when you consider the security offerings by various vendors concerned more with selling you their products as opposed to offering you a system that actually offers to protect and secure your property for real. (For some unscrupulous vendors, it's not about your security protection - it's only about profits)

We have written about some of the subjects he talks about in the video....

Credit Cards Used to Duplicate Keys


Medeco - Hmmmmm...


3D Printers Used To Defeat High Security Key Systems


3D Printed Bump Keys


Further to this conversation is my recently acquired knowledge about an Australian company that is the merge between KJ Ross Security Locks, Marget Engineering and Direct Connections in 2015. That new company is called RMD Innovations (you can see their site in the source below).


KJ Ross, I have personally known for about 35 years now, having worked with their safe lock products, their Rosslinear Battery Operated Electric Strike and other lines in their specialty ranges.


RMD have now created significantly improved products for the high security market that update the older Rosslinear Strike (as seen above) and also have begun offering some additional products including a battery-operated strike for rim locks, panic exit devices. standard mortise and cylindrical entry lock-sets. among other products














I am especially interested in these updated product offerings, given the current predicament the world is experiencing with the Coronavirus Pandemic, that has dramatically altered our states of life.

Welcome To Our New Normal - Sanitize - Protect - Clean

The new reality, we face today as a consequence of the worldwide pandemic, forces us all to modify how we conduct business.

As an onsite service company and essential service worker, we find ourselves on the frontline in this new changed environment.

We still require to provide services to our vast range of clients but the new normal requires us to cover up and protect our clients and their dwellings, even more than before.

Wearing a face mask and gloves is part of our new reality, but also being sure to sanitize all surfaces in advance of touching them.... and then after we complete our services is an important and vital act to ensure the safety of our clients and their families and their possessions.

We find ourselves requiring to sanitize constantly, all surfaces including locks, keyholes, door surfaces, walls and other hardware and surfaces in close proximity to the applications we intend to work on. And then again after we complete our tasks.

Carrying spray-on sanitizer and hand sanitizer is a new part of our new normal, a requirement that we take very seriously. We believe that the safety and security of our clients, their staff and customers and especially their loved ones is of paramount importance moving forward.

In the image above you can see me with my face mask on, using surface sanitizer to clean after completing a re-install of door hardware.

We hope and pray that everyone accepts this new responsibility to protect themselves and each other until such a time where personal protections are no longer required.

Since this pandemic and new normal rules have been brought in, we will not perform any works on our customers property without first sanitizing. If the customer requests us to NOT perform these necessary tasks, we will walk away from the project. Your lives and our lives depend on total compliance with our new shared reality.

Thank You!

Anti-Bacterial Handle Sets And Door Hardware - Not A New Invention

An article I came across today tries to claim that an American scientific team has invented a new anti-bacterial technique that dissipates harmful pathogens on contact of knobs, levers and other metal door hardware.

As usual, American scientists are very late to the party.

The technology has been around for decades already including the products we have been distributing in North America for most of the last decade.

You can read the article for yourself if you like or simply discover yourself that Anti-Bacterial Hardware has been available by Serrature Meroni for a little over 20 years already.

There are other manufacturers too that also developed the technology eons ago, but this obviously wont stop these American scientists from claiming their supremacy.


We have continued to write articles about the many anti-bacterial products that are already in existence for many years now and continue to educate people everywhere about some of these phenomenal products.

As the North American distributor for all things Meroni, we continue to offer these nouveau products to the North American markets and are seeing some slow uptake of some of these products. The non anti-bacterial hardware, we have installed numerous times for public spaces and also private homes too. The novel designs in the Meroni range are favored when used in high-frequency locations and by physically challenged people too. Arthritis sufferers, who have difficulty gripping and turning door knobs or levers, are quite impressed by the ease in operation of Meroni hardware.

Here are a number of articles we have written over the years about the available Meroni hardware options and also some other articles relevant to the subject. See Anti-Bacterial

UNV Thermal - A Solution By Seadan Security To Detect Potential COVID-19 Carriers

Seadan Security & Electronics are a well known Australian security products manufacturer, distributor and wholesaler, that have supplied the security industry in Australia for many years. I first met them in 1990 when i used a novel product designed to replace standard shopfront aluminum door locks with a electro-magnetic lock product that was years ahead of it's time.

I recently discovered their new product, this thermal camera system that detects the temperature of a person within a certain distance, allowing contactless monitoring of  environments that could mean the difference between catching and spreading the virus to protecting non-infected persons.

Definitely not a cheapo product. this system could spell the difference between staying in business and closing down.

If safety and security of your staff, customers and the public, is of concern to you, consider this product as a modern alternative given these trying times.

(source...)

Coronavirus - What Do You Do?

This is not an advertisement or advertorial. This is vital and important public information that could save your life!





The current seasonal shift is well underway, no matter what part of the planet you live on.

Of course with the northern hemisphere changing over to Spring/Summer, so come the inevitable virus', colds, flu, pneumonia and other potentially life threatening illnesses.

An often over looked issue, that faces all of us regularly is the transference of potentially harmful pathogens that can occur when differing users might touch or operate a door handle, safety bar, handrail etc. Do you REALLY know who touched the item before you? Do you care?

A little over 8 years ago we wrote an article about the recently released (at the time) blockbuster movie, starring Matt Damon and Gwyneth Paltrow. We included the preview in our article too. (See the article we wrote in October 2011, below).

When you go to a hospital or medical clinic, you hope that the managers of such public places care enough about the health and welfare of their consumers to have policies and rules in place to mitigate any harm potentially caused therein, right?

I'm sure you have seen and continue to see many private and public places include a pump bottle of hand sanitizer near a restroom and often signs posted inside a restroom requiring employees to wash hands prior to handling food or after using the facilities. This modern day policy stemmed from the outbreak of the highly contagious H1N1 virus that threatened many thousands of people all across the planet. Luckily the quick action of governments worldwide and especially the CDC in America, stemmed the threat, but not before thousands of people, animals, birds etc, were slaughtered or died.


While the COVID-19 Virus is well hyped in the media right now, it is vital and imperative that everyone be diligent to protect everyone.

It is your responsiblity and mine. My life and your life is at stake.

Here is the article and preview of Contagion....

Contagion

Just last week my wife and I went to see this movie. I found it to be one of the most entertaining suspense filled films I have seen in ages.

It stars Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Winslet, Lawrence Fishburne and a gaggle of other big name stars.

The storyline involves a woman who returns home to the USA from abroad who has been in contact with someone who passed on a virus to her. Anything or anyone she came into contact with seemed to also contract the contagious virus.

To make a long story short, many millions of people become infected and die before a cure is found.

The realism in this fictional movie was astounding. The film director makes the audience feel that the whole scenario is entirely plausible and probable.

The recent bird flu and H1N1 virus' that the world contracted in the last couple of years, makes this film even more realistic and topical.

Why do I post this review here?

I am the exclusive USA importer/distributor of the sensational Serrature Meroni brand of locks and door and cabinet hardware from Italy. Serrature Meroni, a few years ago introduced a unique line of inventory that includes especially designed anti-bacterial polymer door knobs. These handles minimize the potential impact of transferring disease between people.

Virtually all people touch a door knob to operate a door at home or work or the doctors surgery or a hospital or any other public building, in order to enter or exit a room or the building. All people rarely consider the likelihood of catching and spreading germs from unknowingly touching a surface that a possible infected carrier has also touched.

Remember when those recent well known virus' (Bird Flu and H1N1) were breaking news all over the media? Pharmacists, grocery stores and merchants everywhere suddenly began selling notoriously huge amounts of hand sanitizers and similar products. Many institutions enacted strict policies forcing people to use hand sanitizers as often as possible and some even required employees to wear face masks to minimize the potential spread of airborne diseases.

The realism of the movie Contagion, made me think about how easy it would be to spread disease.

But thanks to forward thinking companies like Serrature Meroni, we can now rest easier with the assurance that forward thinking home owners, hospital management, doctors surgeries, chemical research laboratories and other concerned proactive people, are taking steps to protect their customers, staff, friends and families from the potential deadly side effects of unknown or even known virus'.

Coronavirus - Add To List Of Recent Deadly Virus' Able To Kill Us

The news affecting the entire planet in recent months seems to be mostly about the Coronavirus, infecting thousands of people around the world

Below you can see a number of articles, we have written in recent years, about the increase in the quantity of deadly infections that have arrived in recent times and potential products that can mitigate the spread of diseases and virus'.

October 16, 2014

Ebola Scare - Preventing The Spread Of This And Other Contagious Diseases.

Pictured here is an electron microscope view of the Ebola Virus.

The disease has been surfacing and spreading across Northern Africa for the past couple of years and has started to make it's way to Europe and America with cases being reported in Spain, Greece and Dallas Texas.

A few years ago, the nasty Avian Flu from Asia commonly referred to as H1N1 was the planets last massive virus to affect numerous victims across the world, that got the attention of the media and Centers for Disease Control.

There are many media sources that have been reporting on methods to minimize the spread of this fatal virus, but so far the only cure is said to be a product called Zmapp, a drug developed in the USA to combat the disease.

Serrature Meroni, the Italian manufacturer of leading nouveau door handles and entry products introduced their Anti-Bacterial range of door knobs, about 7 years ago. The product uses an especially formed handle that dissipates or bounces microbes and bacteria away from the door handle, preventing transferrence of these "nasties" between people who naturally would touch the entry door handle to enter or exit a dwelling.

Prevention is often said to be better than cure, because it mitigates the spread of a disease before it can affect large populations.



The Serrature Meroni Combina is the logical choice for any public amenity, hospital, medical office, clean room, laboratory or even educational facility, that might decide that the protection of their staff and guests is of vital importance to their business.

The handles are available in limited colors (which has something to do with the Anti-Bacterial properties) and enables all users, even the physically challenged, to easily operate the door handles, free from worry of contracting or spreading diseases.


Serrature Meroni are also producing a similar product using their top-end Pigio line of handles.
Pigio is the highly sought after, push-pull handle system that modern interior designers are calling upon to add flair and creativity to interior architectural door hardware. A sace that is inviting many new designers into the industry.


Pigio 1 are a large (relative) body handle with a rounded push-pull handle.










Pigio 2 are a stylish oval shaped handle.

Pigio 3 are the top end of the Pigio lineup and use superior metals to produce the finest push-pull handles of their kind.









The color ranges are impressive and the small footprint makes these locks a beautiful yet functional adornment for doors.  Using these products, allows for ADA compliance, meaning anyone can operate the handles easily, while providing a sightly and easy to use product that keeps you safe, secure and free from diseases.

We cant be too vigilant now, can we?

January 22, 2015

Measles Makes A Resurgence at Disneyland - But Meroni Has You Covered

The recent outbreak of a new strain of Measles at Disneyland in California, highlights societies need to be vigilant in counteracting spreadable diseases.

Measles were supposedly wiped out by vaccines in the early 1970's but this new strain appears to be a mutated version of the all too common childhood disease.


With the regular news reports about viscious diseases and virus' popping up all over the world and in significantly increasing numbers, it has become a vital and important factor when considering protecting people in public buildings, dwellings even at home.

Diseases spread easily among children especially, due to their immune systems not having achieved sufficient maturity to ward off some spreadable virus'.

Meroni have been at the forefront of Anti-bacterial handles for many years and their unique handle products like the Combina and Pigio  offerings, provide care facilities, schools, hospitals and laboratories, all across the world with handles that minimize and mitigate the spread of shareable diseases.

Competitively priced and available to order, the extra special coating on the hardware is tested to European standards that are often considered significantly higher than the standards issued in the USA.

This is a picture of the Combina Anti-Bacterial Handle.
Available in passage, privacy and entrance versions, the color of the handle is an important attribute in the production of these anti-bacterial handles

Pigio is the first European lock to have been awarded CE EN179 certification, being acceptable and compliant with the International Building Code requirements for simple emergency egress.
This allows for a simple to operate, good looking handle that can be used on just about any door that offers ease of use by physically challenged and mitigates the spread of contagious diseases simultaneously.

Any of the unique range of Meroni hardware, make operation by arthritis sufferers much simpler than conventional handle hardware.

Many arthritis sufferers are challenged to clench their fist, which makes operating the simple door handle a task indeed. Not anymore, thanks to the fabulous Meroni range of handlesets.

We are the North American Distributors of all Meroni hardware, including handlesets, cabinet and furniture lock systems, hinges and accessories and door closers.
To become a reseller of the product, contact us to arrange pricing.

(source...)

February 4, 2014

Cruise Ship Illnesses Increase - Solutions Sought

The number of reports in recent weeks about cruise ship passengers falling prey to onboard diseases is being seen to have sharply increased. Without any specific reasons being discovered, authorities continue to seek methods to prevent the spread of disease.

Serrature Meroni manufacture anti-bacterial door hardware that helps to minimze the spread of infectious disease. The fabulous Meroni Combina and Meroni Pigio range of door handles are being sought as a possible solution to minimize the spread of these virus'.

The unique attributes of the anti-bacterial handles, continue to impress authorities. The handle ranges are nouveau in design, naturally simple to operate, functional and ambient. The range of handles can allow for discerning owners to  still enjoy elegant looking functional hardware while protecting the lives and interests of crew and passengers.

Simple to install and retro-fit in place of many commonly used products today, both Combina and Pigio are considered a valuable asset that directly protects the lives of passengers, crew, patients and anyone that might touch the handle.

(source...)

January 9, 2014

5 reasons to stop using antibacterial soap

The FDA, recently announced the culmination of a 42 year study into the health benefits of the use of anti-bacterial handsoap.

To summarize. the FDA discovered that after a decades long investigation, the benefits derived from this multi-billion dollar industry, do not significantly add value to our lives, more than normal soap and water.

I meet people regularly who swear by their practise of using some alcohol based antibacterial soaps, hoping to minimize their own exposure to the easy transference of bacteria and virus'.

With this 42 year study finally releasing their results, concerned users are realizing that common used door knobs, that multiple people touch daily have been a harbinger of diseases that are too easily transferred.

That is of course until they learn about the Serrature Meroni range of Combina and Pigio range of push/pull entry levers and knobs, that are specifically designed with anti-microbial surfaces that minimize the spread of colds and flu.

We are the North American distributors of the fabulous Nouveau and Ultra-Modern door entry products made by the highly respected European (Italian) manufacturer Serrature Meroni.

We maintain a relatively large inventory, in multiple color options of Nova, Forma, Combina and Pigio (1, 2 & 3) door hardware.

We will showcase some special quantities of Meroni Nova, passage, privacy and entry handlesets, in large quantaties and diverse color options.

The five reasons are...

1. Antibacterial soaps are no more effective than conventional soap and water. As mentioned in the announcement, 42 years of FDA research—along with countless independent studies—have produced no evidence that triclosan provides any health benefits as compared to old-fashioned soap.

“I suspect there are a lot of consumers who assume that by using an antibacterial soap product, they are protecting themselves from illness, protecting their families,” Sandra Kweder, deputy director of the FDA’s drug center, told the AP. “But we don’t have any evidence that that is really the case over simple soap and water.”

Manufacturers say they do have evidence of triclosan’s superior efficacy, but the disagreement stems from the use of different sorts of testing methods. Tests that strictly measure the number of bacteria on a person’s hands after use do show that soaps with triclosan kill slightly more bacteria than conventional ones.

But the FDA wants data that show that this translates into an actual clinical benefit, such as reduced infection rates. So far, analyses of the health benefits don’t show any evidence that triclosan can reduce the transmission of respiratory or gastrointestinal infections. This might be due to the fact that antibacterial soaps specifically target bacteria, but not the viruses that cause the majority of seasonal colds and flus.

2. Antibacterial soaps have the potential to create antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The reason that the FDA is making manufacturers prove these products’ efficacy is because of a range of possible health risks associated with triclosan, and bacterial resistance is first on the list.

Heavy use of antibiotics can cause resistance, which results from a small subset of a bacteria population with a random mutation that allows it to survive exposure to the chemical. If that chemical is used frequently enough, it’ll kill other bacteria, but allow this resistant subset to proliferate. If this happens on a broad enough scale, it can essentially render that chemical useless against the strain of bacteria.

This is currently a huge problem in medicine—the World Health Organization calls it a “threat to global health security.” Some bacteria species (most notably, MRSA) have even acquired resistance to several different drugs, complicating efforts to control and treat infections as they spread. Health officials say that further research is needed before we can say that triclosan is fueling resistance, but several studies have hinted at the possibility.

3. The soaps could act as endocrine disruptors.  A number of studies have found that, in rats, frogs and other animals, triclosan appears to interfere with the body’s regulation of thyroid hormone, perhaps because it chemically resembles the hormone closely enough that it can bind to its receptor sites. If this is the case in humans, too, there are worries that it could lead to problems such as infertility, artificially-advanced early puberty, obesity and cancer.

These same effects haven’t yet been found in humans, but the FDA calls the animal studies “a concern”—and notes that, given the minimal benefits of long-term triclosan use, it’s likely not worth the risk.

4. The soaps might lead to other health problems, too. There’s evidence that children with prolonged exposure to triclosan have a higher chance of developing allergies, including peanut allergies and hay fever. Scientists speculate that this could be a result of reduced exposure to bacteria, which could be necessary for proper immune system functioning and development.

Another study found evidence that triclosan interfered with muscle contractions in human cells, as well as muscle activity in live mice and minnows. This is especially concerning given other findings that the chemical can penetrate the skin and enter the bloodstream more easily than originally thought. A 2008 survey, for instance, found triclosan in the urine of 75 percent of people tested.

5. Antibacterial soaps are bad for the environment. When we use a lot of triclosan in soap, that means a lot of triclosan gets flushed down the drain. Research has shown that small quantities of the chemical can persist after treatment at sewage plants, and as a result, USGS surveys have frequently detected it in streams and other bodies of water. Once in the environment, triclosan can disrupt algae’s ability to perform photosynthesis.

The chemical is also fat-soluble—meaning that it builds up in fatty tissues—so scientists are concerned that it can biomagnify, appearing at greater levels in the tissues of animals higher up the food chain, as the triclosan of all the plants and animals below them is concentrated. Evidence of this possibility was turned up in 2009, when surveys of bottlenose dolphins off the coast of South Carolina and Florida found concerning levels of the chemical in their blood.

What Should You Do?

If you’re planning on giving up antibacterial soap—like Johnson & Johnson, Kaiser Permanente and several other companies have recently done—you have a couple options.

One is a non-antibiotic hand sanitizer, like Purell, which don’t contain any triclosan and simply kill both bacteria and viruses with good old-fashioned alcohol. Because the effectiveness of hand-washing depends on how long you wash for, a quick squirt of sanitizer might be more effective when time is limited.

Outside of hospitals, though, the CDC recommends the time-tested advice you probably heard as a child: wash your hands with conventional soap and water. That’s because while alcohol from hand sanitizer kills bacteria, it doesn’t actually remove dirt or anything else you may have touched. But a simple hand wash should do the trick. The water doesn’t need to be hot, and you’re best off scrubbing for about 30 seconds to get properly clean.

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April 6, 2014

Already Deadly in Africa, Could Ebola Hit America Next?

In recent days there have been numerous news reports about the deadly Ebola virus spreading maliciously throughout Africa.

The article in the source below, gives an example of how this deadly disease can spread so easily and because the world is quickly becoming too small for deadly diseases like this to be contained easily within borders.

Apparently an outbreak of Ebola occurred in a Washington DC suburb in the last few weeks. Luckily it was contained quickly but the issues about deadly virus' continue to be front and center news that potentially can affect all of us.

The spread of disease is all too common today, as the last few years have shown us with H1N1 and Avian Flu and H4N1 being the most well known and talked about.

Minimizing potential disease infections and spread is a very serious challenge for medical centers, hospitals, aged care centers, hospices, hotel, schools, child care centers, gymnasiums, swimming pools and almost any public building. Many of the businesses and institutions mentioned employ quality janitorial staff who expertly maintain and clean railings, doors, bathrooms, handles and shared public facilities.

But many handles can still transfer deadly bacteria that can contain germs of the kind that spread diseases very easily and are used by very many patrons of establishments between times that the janitorial staff perform their cleaning routines. It is not possible to prevent the transfer of microbial and infection borne diseases all day every day, is it?

Well, thanks to the fine Italian manufacturer Serrature Meroni, it is. Meroni have been at the forefront of handle design for many years and continue to produce award winning designs. Their Combina and Pigio handles are especially designed with anti-bacterial properties that directly disperse infectious bacteria and other potentially harmful virus' .

Any facilities manager realizes just how important the safety and health of staff, patients, visitors, residents and children is to the efficient and continued running and management of institutions as mentioned above.

We at Master Key Systems America LLC appreciate that the health and well being of all peoples is vital and important to continued happy existence and are proud to offer the fabulous Meroni Anti-Bacterial handles to the the North American market.

(source...)

October 1, 2011

Contagion

Just last week my wife and I went to see this movie. I found it to be one of the most entertaining suspense filled films I have seen in ages.

It stars Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Winslet, Lawrence Fishburne and a gaggle of other big name stars.

The storyline involves a woman who returns home to the USA from abroad who has been in contact with someone who passed on a virus to her. Anything or anyone she came into contact with seemed to also contract the contagious virus.

To make a long story short, many millions of people become infected and die before a cure is found.

The realism in this fictional movie was astounding. The film director makes the audience feel that the whole scenario is entirely plausible and probable.

The recent bird flu and H1N1 virus' that the world contracted in the last couple of years, makes this film even more realistic and topical.

Why do I post this review here?

I am the exclusive USA importer/distributor of the sensational Serrature Meroni brand of locks and door and cabinet hardware from Italy. Serrature Meroni, a few years ago introduced a unique line of inventory that includes especially designed anti-bacterial polymer door knobs. These handles minimize the potential impact of transferring disease between people.

Virtually all people touch a door knob to operate a door at home or work or the doctors surgery or a hospital or any other public building, in order to enter or exit a room or the building. All people rarely consider the likelihood of catching and spreading germs from unknowingly touching a surface that a possible infected carrier has also touched.

Remember when those recent well known virus' (Bird Flu and H1N1) were breaking news all over the media? Pharmacists, grocery stores and merchants everywhere suddenly began selling notoriously huge amounts of hand sanitizers and similar products. Many institutions enacted strict policies forcing people to use hand sanitizers as often as possible and some even required employees to wear face masks to minimize the potential spread of airborne diseases.

Omnifob - Universal Remote By Keyport

Do you remember Keyport?

Keyport came out a number of years ago hoping to impact the keyring market. It made a splash and was an early developer in the smart product industry.

A new product by the same developers Omnifob is a concept key-fob being developed that makes sense. It provides the opportunity to enjoy smart access to many of the products you might use regularly like your car, door, garage, a flashlight and other products.

The difference is, you will be able to use the one interface to operate all your separate devices, rather than requiring to have and use a different "key" for every system.

The smart product market has expanded tremendously in recent years, thanks in no small part to nanotechnology, that has been instrumental in miniaturizing all manor of products we use regularly.

This Omnifob product offers some intriguing possibilities. You will be able to operate all manner of devices using one "key-fob" including multiple different vehicles, alarm systems, door locks, light switches, garage doors, etc.

A great many product manufacturers are jumping aboard to include their products in this new eco-system, to enable users to enjoy a crossover "key" that will operate across multiple different brands of products.

Check out the source below for more details.

(source...)