The smart phone is now the mother of electronic apparatus for one very simple reason: You always have it with you. And that’s why a phone is a great spot to put all the stuff linked to your doorway. By way of example, you may virtualize the primary, the peephole, the doorbell along with other elements of the doorway, and put everything in your phone to be used from anywhere over the web.
There are significant advantages for doing so (besides laziness). By way of example, you may send a key via email to unlock your door. You are able to hear knocks on the door or even the ringing of the doorbell even if you’re not at home. And you’ll be able to see who’s there even if you are not.
Three brand new goods take electronic doorway stuff to the next level. All of them are crowd-funded jobs still in evolution. But if everything goes according to plan, you will be able to buy all them, and at a manageable cost, by summertime 2013.
UniKey Keyless Entry System
A few phone-based door products allow you to use your phone much as you would a key. You wander up to the door, pull out your phone rather than your own key, then unlock the door with your phone.
One offering within this category is the UniKey, that uses Bluetooth wireless technology to unlock the doorway. You just touch the UniKey deadbolt, and it unlocks in case your phone is within a couple of feet of this lock. (Anyone may lock the door with no phone.)
But the UniKey system also does yet another neat trick. From the UniKey program, it is possible to send an electronic copy of this “main” — for example, if you want to allow a friend in your home while you’re away, it is possible to send the key over the world wide web, then the friend can use it to unlock your door. You might also undo keys using the program and send secrets that work only during specific hours of the day.
Pricing has not been announced for its UniKey, but the firm says it’ll be less than $199.
Agipy Lockitron Keyless Entry System – $149
A company named Agipy is working on a very convenient smart phone lock named Lockitron. Rather than being a replacement deadbolt, the Lockitron fits over your existing deadbolt and turns it phyiscally when you send the command from your phone. The box runs on AA batteries, along with the smart phone app will tell you if they need replacing. You could also turn the lock hand.
Lockitron connects through your house’s Wi-Fi community, which means you may unlock the door from anywhere in the world over the net. And also the Lockitron does a couple more neat tricks. It may sense you approaching by discovering the Bluetooth signal from the phone as you approach the door, and may unlock the door automatically. Additionally, it has a knock sensor; if someone knocks on the door, you receive a message. It is also possible to grant access to other people by sending them consent over email.
Lockitron was actually rejected by the crowd-funding website Kickstarter, so the developers did their very own crowd-funding hard work and increased a small fortune. They expect deliveries of this product by summertime 2013.
Edison Junior DoorBot Smart Doorbell – $169
The other crowd-sourced phone-controlled door endeavor is named DoorBot.
The DoorBot, made by a company named Edison Junior, installs alongside a doorway with screws. It’s a doorbell and a camera, and runs on AA batteries that last a year, according to the company. The camera is infrared capable, so you can even see who’s in the door at night.
The way it works is that if people ring the doorbell, your phone alerts you and you’ll be able to see who’s there, even if you’re not at home. And you may speak to them through your mobile phone.
Perhaps best of all, the DoorBot is designed to utilize the Lockitron, so not just are you able to see and speak with whoever owns at your door, but it is possible to allow the person in, too.