NewImage
Lockitron has announced a new hardware product that attaches to most deadbolt locks and allows the door to be locked and unlocked via an app. It also takes advantage of Bluetooth 4.0 to unlock the door when a registered iPhone 4S or 5 approaches the door.

Lockitron previously had a lock that was a full replacement for the entire lock and handle making it nearly impossible to use for customers who rent. The new device attaches to a deadbolt without any permanent changes, allowing renters to use it. The company is positioning the device for tech-savvy consumers, as well as those looking to open the door for guests or AirBnB renters.

Users can unlock their doors via the Lockitron app, via an SMS message, or by using Bluetooth 4.0 to unlock it wirelessly.


The company is currently taking preorders for the $149 lock, though the company won't take payment until the device is ready. Lockitron expects the first 1,000 units will be ready for shipment in March of 2013.

Top Rated Comments

bigjobby Avatar
158 months ago
They get your phone, use the slide-up-to-camera to bypass your lock code, see you have the Lockitron app, find your name and address in Contacts, then ask Siri for directions to your home. Done.

One slight flaw to this theory... Maps.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
havenhamilton Avatar
158 months ago
So nice, until you lose your phone. Then just imagine if someone steals it.

what are the odds that someone steals your phone, figures out you use this product, finds out where you live and breaks in before you can get home and take it off?
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ytk Avatar
158 months ago
So you just walk up to the door with your iPhone, and it uses Bluetooth 4.0 to connect and immediately unlock the door? How does it know you're approaching from the outside rather than the inside?
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
UnseenLlama Avatar
158 months ago
what are the odds that someone steals your phone, figures out you use this product, finds out where you live and breaks in before you can get home and take it off?

That's why you should always passlock your iPhone.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mad Mac Maniac Avatar
158 months ago
don't forget your phone!
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Tinmania Avatar
158 months ago
They get your phone, use the slide-up-to-camera to bypass your lock code, see you have the Lockitron app, find your name and address in Contacts, then ask Siri for directions to your home. Done.


Anyway, this sort of thing is nothing new. Any home automation system worth its salt has remote locks. The notification on door-knock is new (at least to me), but who ever knocks on doors anymore? You're better off with a smart doorbell.

Of course, they all have the same issue of losing your remote device, whatever it is, and it's not like somebody needs to go through your front door to get into your house. If you're going to go the home automation route, why not set up some motion sensors inside the house watching all your windows and doors, and tell the house when you come and go? Heck, you don't even have to bother locking your doors, and you'll know the minute somebody's in your house when you're away. Door locks are just a social contract. If somebody wants in, they don't need to steal your key, physical or digital.

Your first premise is false: that simply is untrue and will not work. You must enter the passcode to get to the home screen.

HOWER, they can simply tell Siri to "take me home" from the lock screen and Siri will do it. If "home" has not been learned they can ask Siri "who am I" and that will reveal the owner's name and address. Then they can ask Siri to take them there.

Finally, they can say "launch lockitron" to see if the app is installed. If Siri doesn't say "it doesn't look like you have an app named lockitron installed" but instead asks for passcode they will know it is installed. They can't run it but they now know you probably have that lock.

Odds of the person who found/stole your iPhone knowing all that, and also being a criminal who will rob someone's home? I'd say 1 in a billion.



Mike
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone SE 4 Thumb 1

iPhone SE 4 With Apple's Own 5G Modem 'Confirmed' to Launch in March

Tuesday November 19, 2024 12:12 pm PST by
Barclays analyst Tom O'Malley and his colleagues recently traveled to Asia to meet with various electronics manufacturers and suppliers. In a research note this week, outlining key takeaways from the trip, the analysts said they have "confirmed" that a fourth-generation iPhone SE with an Apple-designed 5G modem is slated to launch towards the end of the first quarter next year. In line with previo...
airtag purple

AirTag 2 Rumored to Launch Next Year With These New Features

Sunday November 17, 2024 5:18 am PST by
Apple released the AirTag in April 2021, so it is now three over and a half years old. While the AirTag has not received any hardware updates since then, a new version of the item tracking accessory is rumored to be in development. Below, we recap rumors about a second-generation AirTag. Timing Apple is aiming to release a new AirTag in mid-2025, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman....
Magic Mouse Next to Keyboard

No, Apple CEO Tim Cook Didn't Say He Prefers Logitech's MX Master 3 Over the Magic Mouse

Sunday November 17, 2024 3:03 pm PST by
While the Logitech MX Master 3 is a terrific mouse for the Mac, reports claiming that Apple CEO Tim Cook prefers that mouse over the Magic Mouse are false. The Wall Street Journal last month published an interview with Cook, in which he said he uses every Apple product every day. Soon after, The Verge's Wes Davis attempted to replicate using every Apple product in a single day. During that...
Generic iOS 18 Feature Real Mock

Apple Releases iOS 18.1.1 and iPadOS 18.1.1 With Security Fixes

Tuesday November 19, 2024 10:10 am PST by
Apple today released iOS 18.1.1 and iPadOS 18.1.1, minor updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating systems that debuted earlier in September. iOS 18.1.1 and iPadOS 18.1.1 come three weeks after the launch of iOS 18.1. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. Apple has also released iOS 17.7.2 for...
at t turbo indicator iphone 16 pro max v0 8hrh7w5f3w1e1

AT&T Turbo Indicator Showing Up in iPhone Status Bar for Subscribers

Wednesday November 20, 2024 3:42 am PST by
AT&T has begun displaying "Turbo" in the iPhone carrier label for customers subscribed to its premium network prioritization service, according to reports on Reddit. The new indicator seems to have started appearing after users updated to iOS 18.1.1, but that could be just coincidence. Image credit: Reddit user No_Highlight7476 The Turbo feature provides enhanced network performance through ...
iPhone 17 Slim Feature Single Camera 1 Redux

'iPhone 17 Air' Rumored to Surpass iPhone 6 as Thinnest iPhone Ever

Monday November 18, 2024 1:07 pm PST by
In a research note with Hong Kong-based investment bank Haitong today, obtained by MacRumors, Apple analyst Jeff Pu said he agrees with a recent rumor claiming that the so-called "iPhone 17 Air" will be around 6mm thick. "We agreed with the recent chatter of an 6mm thickness ultra-slim design of the iPhone 17 Slim model," he wrote. If that measurement proves to be accurate, there would be ...
bug security vulnerability issue fix larry

Make Sure to Update: iOS 18.1.1 and macOS Sequoia 15.1.1 Fix Actively Exploited Vulnerabilities

Tuesday November 19, 2024 10:52 am PST by
The iOS 18.1.1, iPadOS 18.1.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1.1 updates that Apple released today address JavaScriptCore and WebKit vulnerabilities that Apple says have been actively exploited on some devices. With the JavaScriptCore vulnerability, processing maliciously crafted web content could lead to arbitrary code execution. The WebKit vulnerability had the same issue with maliciously crafted...