Jul 03
Jun 26
Whether you’ve got to deal with a crotchety landlord or a dopey locksmith, we can all agree that replacing lost or stolen keys can be a drag. KeyMe, a new service launched this week in New York, seems to have found a solution by storing your keys in the cloud and making them accessible via a kiosk 24/7.
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Apr 10
Korg’s love of the mini-analog synth clearly remains strong as it’s added three more new ones to the fold — the Volca Beat, Volca Bass and Volca Keys (the clue to what they do is in the names). While some firms take a pro product and work down, making cheaper versions, Korg seems to take a different approach. It did the stripping-back thing when it launched its popular Monotron synth. Since then, it’s incrementally developed it back up into a whole category of its own, the latest iteration of which we apparently see before us here. The trio of mini-synths clearly take inspiration from the Monotribe groovebox that came before them, but are a step up in terms of design. Brushed metal finishes give them a vintage, almost Stylophone feel. The Volca Bass, in particular, looks almost too much like the legendary Roland TB-303 to be coincidence, and if we didn’t know better, we’d say the color scheme of the Beat echoes the TR-808. As we happened to be in Frankfurt, we couldn’t resist getting out hands on them, or as you’ll see past the break, at least trying to.
Gallery: Korg Volca series eyes-on
Filed under: Misc
Apr 02
If you don’t mind having your pockets filled with novelty knick-knacks when you head out the door, you can adorably dress up your keys with these plastic covers that make them look like tiny chainsaws. More »
Jan 21
Dec 29
Normally you hear about NFC in some kind of “mobile payments” context, but that’s not the only place it could shake things up. Hyundai is working on some new prototype tech that could have you using your NFC smartphone as the keys to your car. More »
Nov 15
Seemingly targeted at dapper globe-trotting spies, or wealthy perpetrators of corporate crimes, these stylish Sparrow Uncuff Links feature a handcuff key secretly incorporated into their design. Except that it’s not so secret. How long is it really going to take for super-villain henchmen or law enforcement to recognize that distinctive telling keyhole logo on the cufflinks? Not very. More »
Nov 14
You come home late at night. You’re drunk. Both of your keys look the same. Oh god, oh god, you’re so wasted, you really want a taco, and damnit, which key is it? Consider the problem solved with Good Worth’s awesome little trinkets, because you’ll never forget the cannabis leaf is for the front door and the middle finger key is for the building. Eureka! More »
Sep 20
Mobile phones are making a lot of things obsolete – payphones, maps, privacy – because of cheap and easy to use apps. A new open source technology might add keys – and keychains, and locksmiths – to the cellphone hit list. Called LibeTech, the system enables QR codes to be used as door keys.
LibeTech was developed by Jeremy Blum and 3 other students from Cornell during their senior year. The system is very simple to use. Say you have a hotel reservation. All you have to do is go to a website, log in and the hotel will send you a QR code.
When you get to your room, just show the QR code to the webcam at the door and you’re in. You don’t even need to own the latest smartphone to do this; any phone or gadget that can store and show the image of the code will suffice.
Of course, the convenience is a double-edged sword: someone could easily take a copy of your code. Imagine keys to entire hotels being shared on torrent sites. After much thought and consultation with fellow nerds, Blum and his colleagues have decided to make their technology open source instead of building a commercial product based around it. If you want to modernize your doors, head to Blum’s website for more details and links to the necessary code.
[via Hack A Day]
Sep 04
I Want to Change All of My Keys to These Badass Middle Finger Brass Knuckle Keys [Keys]
Posted in: Today's Chili
These brass middle-finger keys are a great example of how even a workaday utilitarian item like a door key can be worthy of—and improved by—a little design attention. More »
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