Cochinoman tech, sushi, poker
The keyless entry system on my Prius c is one of the best features of my new car. One room at home is equipped with a Schlage electronic doorpad lock which doesn’t require a key but does not include a deadbolt lock.
Apigy Inc is coming out with a new phone controlled deadbolt in March 2013 for their first batch of 1,000 units called Lockitron. Watch this video which tells you everything about the product.
iPhone and Andriod apps are or will be available. You can use them to lock and unlock the deadbolt. Only the iPhone 4s and 5 will be able to use the Bluetooth 4.0 hands-free entry because Android currently does not support Bluetooth 4.0 with their APIs. This may change in the future, but that will be up to Google.
The battery will last for about 1 year. The unit will text you when the battery is low. Of course, you can always still use your manual key to lock and unlock the deadbolt. The lock requires a working WiFi connection for the app to work properly.
If you or your guests don’t have a smartphone, there is an option to allow them to unlock the lock using regular texting. However, this feature will cost $5 per month subscription. Frankly, if my guests don’t have a smartphone, they don’t need to be going in my house.
One of the best features is the ability to login to your account and assign new users to be able to lock/unlock using their smartphone for a specified amount of time. This is perfect for guests, and maids or at the office where you may have temps. The list of people can be changed via any browser with Internet access.
Although, the feature of getting a text message when somebody knocks on your door is interesting, I’m not sure exactly how that would be used. It would be more useful if there was a way I could talk to the person at the door with VOIP or better yet, see a video image of the person at the door. You could just use the Logitech Alert system to view the visitor. That Logitech system will automatically text you when it detects movement at your door.
A potential problem is if the power goes out in your house or your Internet connection goes down. Another is if your phone battery dies or you lose your phone. Of course, that’s no different from losing your key I guess. In both cases, you will need your regular key, requiring you to carry your key anyway. That sort of defeats the purpose of this product.
The only really cool feature is the Bluetooth connection with your iPhone that will allow you to just walk up to your door and open it. Real keyless entry like my Prius. Unfortunately, I didn’t like my iPhone and got rid of it.
However, because it’s so simple to install, I’m going to try it out. That’s the beauty of this system. Lock in. And if it doesn’t work, then “lock out.”
