The only way to prevent package theft is to make sure your deliveries are secured from the moment they arrive. If you’re fed up with porch pirates and have some cash to spare, the new Aristos Home Smart Dropbox is well worth considering. Currently crowdfunding on Kickstarter, the device is about the size of a trash can, securely mounts to the ground or the wall, and comes with extra features that make it more secure than the average drop box.

Aristos’ creators explain that over 210 million packages were stolen between 2020 and 2021, and that 64% of Americans reported being victims of package theft during this time. The problem is that most residential package drop boxes and lockers only deter the most casual of thieves — they either rely on keeping deliveries out of sight as thieves are cruising by, or they use simple padlocks that are all too easy to cut. Like most drop boxes, the Aristos keeps packages dry and protected, and it offers an anti-theft delivery slot that stops hands from going in the unit. But it also goes a lot further than that.

Made of strong metal and weighing nearly 40 pounds, the Aristos has an internal capacity of 75 liters and offers four methods of unlocking: by key, by fixed numeric pass code, by a one-time-use passcode texted to the carrier, or by remote unlock. Most people would likely use the fixed passcode to retrieve their packages, with the key as a backup option in case the unit lost power for some reason. But the remote unlock and one-time-passcode features allow you to leave returns on your porch for pickup, or enable the delivery of packages that are slightly too big to fit in the delivery slot.

The Aristos Home Smart Dropbox records every “event” and notifies you via an app, so you know if packages have been delivered, if someone has accessed the contents, if the batteries are low, and if there are any attempts to tamper with the box. If the door isn’t properly closed after retrieval or the wrong password is input, the box sounds an alarm and notifies all family members using the app. Each device can share up to 50 accounts. The Aristos uses the Tuya Smart platform, which also connects to a variety of smart cameras, doorbells, and locks (sold separately by other manufacturers).

If you’re concerned about any viruses or bacteria your package may have come into contact with on its journey, the Aristos also has a solution for that. An atomizer at the top of the unit disinfects packages with hypochlorous acid water in tiny particles that won’t harm the packaging or contents. The unit itself is made of shock-resistant commercial quality cold-rolled steel and ABS plastic that’s one-millimeter thick to protect contents from extreme weather conditions, from -13 degrees to 130 degrees Fahrenheit. It fixes to the ground or wall with M8 screws.

With an MSRP of $478, the Aristos costs about the same as the Delivery Safe ($449), another popular lockable delivery box option with similar features that’s specially designed for food deliveries. It’s significantly less than the Box Sentinel, which is considered the gold standard drop box but costs a whopping $1,895 for a through-the-wall model and $2,995 for a standalone cabinet model.

Obviously, if you’re on a budget, none of these options are going to be particularly appealing unless you’re regularly ordering high-value packages and risking a lot of theft. For many people, the combination of a security camera and something like the Durabox Package Drop Box will have to do. But if you catch the Kickstarter, you can get the Aristos for up to 67 percent off at just $159 with an Early Bird pledge.

The post Aristos Home Smart Dropbox Protects Your Packages from Porch Pirates first appeared on Dornob.

We break down all the Lock Bolt’s best and worst features here:

Fast

While many other smart door locks take several seconds to fully release, the Wyze version boasts an impressive half-second response time. That equates to a greater feeling of security knowing you won’t have to hang out on a dark porch waiting for the door to open.

Added Security

With the ability to store up to 50 fingerprints, the Lock Bolt can easily identify all authorized users. It can also accommodate up to 20 different keypad codes and has an anti-peep feature that lets you add random digits to the beginning or end of your code to throw off anyone trying to spy out your secret numbers.

The lock does not, however, have the option to use a traditional key.

Automatic Locking

Although not truly programmable, the device has an auto lock feature that will lock the door after a specified period of time. This makes sure the door stays secured during the night even if someone comes in late and forgets to manually bolt it. However, because there are no door sensors to tell the lock if the door is open or closed, it would still turn to the locked position even if the door was open.

Limited Connectivity

The Wyze Lock Bolt uses Bluetooth to connect to an accompanying smartphone app instead of Wi-Fi, which limits the range of remote features. Users can only lock and unlock the door via the app within the 16-foot radius of the lock’s Bluetooth 5.0 radio, and no smart home integration is possible. That means you can’t control the door when you’re away from home, set schedules, or operate it with Alexa or Siri voice commands.

User History

When logged on to the Wyze app (which must still be within Bluetooth range of the door), users can access records of how and when people have opened the lock, allowing you to monitor traffic in and out of the house.

Long-Lasting Battery

One benefit of being Bluetooth only is that the battery life of of the Lock Bolt’s included four AAs is much longer than it is for Wi-Fi versions. The Wyze Lock Bolt can go 10 to 12 months on one set of batteries, compared to just three to six months for Wi-Fi connected locks.

If the batteries happen to run out before you get a chance to change them, you can always just recharge the Lock Bolt with the USB-C port at the base of the lock, juicing it up enough to enter a code and unlock the door.

Affordable

While most smart door locks range from $150 to $300, the Wyze fingerprint model is offered for just $69.99. For example, the Lockley Flex Touch with Biometric 3D Fingerprint is a similar Bluetooth version but sells for more than double the price at $159, while the eufy Security Smart Lock Touch goes for even more at $169. The price point for the Wyze definitely makes the drawbacks more palatable. For an even better deal, Wyze Cam Plus subscribers can score another $10 off the regular price.

The post Wyze’s New Door Lock Unlocks With Your Fingerprint first appeared on Dornob.

“Arizona is at the leading edge of states making mobile IDs available to the public, and we are pleased to work with Apple and give Arizonans the choice, convenience, and security of adding their driver’s license to their Apple Wallet,” says Eric Jorgensen, director of the Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division. “Beyond being innovative and exciting, a digital version of a driver’s license offers increased security and privacy for our residents, making it something everyone should consider.”

“We’re thrilled to bring the first driver’s license and state ID in Wallet to Arizona today, and provide Arizonans with an easy, secure, and private way to present their ID when traveling, through just a tap of their iPhone or Apple Watch,” adds Jennifer Bailey, Apple’s Vice President of Apple Pay and Apple Wallet in a statement. “We look forward to working with many more states and the TSA to bring IDs in Wallet to users across the US.”

To utilize this secure and time-saving feature, Apple users simply open the Wallet on their iPhone and tap the + button at the top of the screen. Then they select “Driver’s License or State ID” and follow the easy on-screen instructions. This involves uploading the front and back of the driver’s license or state ID card, which is then sent securely to the state. The user will also be prompted to take a selfie so the state can verify that the person adding the card is the same one on the ID. One extra step for fraud prevention requires users to make a series of facial and head movements for authentication. It is the responsibility of the authorizing state to verify and approve all digital IDs in Wallet.

Going digital with Apple Wallet provides greater privacy and protection, as it uses biometric verification using Face ID or Touch ID, ensuring that only the person who added the card to the device can view or present it. When going through airport security, these users can digitally send their ID information through encrypted communication to the identity reader, without having to unlock or even show their device.

The Travel Security Administration applauds the beginning of the digital ID shift. “This new and innovative mobile driver’s license and state ID initiative with Apple and states around the country will enable a more seamless airport security screening experience for travelers,” says David Pekoske, TSA Administrator. “This initiative marks a major milestone by TSA to provide an additional level of convenience for the traveler by enabling more opportunities for touchless TSA airport security screening.”

As announced last September, other states in the first roll-out phase will be Connecticut, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Oklahoma, and Utah. Colorado, Hawaii, Mississippi, Ohio, and the territory of Puerto Rico are also set to approve this feature in the near future, as well.

The driver’s license and state ID in Wallet feature is currently available for iPhone 8 models or later running iOS 15.4, and Apple Watch Series 4 or later running watchOS 8.4 or newer. Not all airports allow digital IDs at their TSA checkpoints. Apple advises travelers to confirm program availability before flying.

The post Arizona Becomes First State to Adopt Digital Driver’s Licenses Through Apple Wallet first appeared on Dornob.

The company announced in a March 16th press release that it would be launching and testing two new features to “enable members who share outside their household to do so easily and securely,” with the sly caveat that they will “also [be] paying a bit more.”

The first new password-sharing constraint is the “Add an Extra Member” feature that allows standard and premium plan members to add sub accounts for up to two people they don’t live with, giving each their own profile, login, and password for a discounted price.

The second is the ability to transfer a profile to a new account for those who currently have a profile on a paying member’s account. This would allow users to maintain their viewing history, list of shows, and personalized recommendations when they migrate to their own or another Extra Member sub account.

Here’s how these features might play out. Using things like IP addresses and device IDs to determine when one account is being used in multiple locations, the company would send a verification code to the plan subscriber to confirm that the secondary device is authorized. While this will be little more than an annoyance for close friends and family, it may curb password sharing among those who are using passwords without express consent from the paying customer (think ex-boyfriends, past co-workers, and former roommates). The verification code would encourage them to get their own account (or find a new friend to give them password information). Adult children or other family members may also feel inclined to at least activate a sub account to avoid having to bother the subscriber with verification notices.

Officially, password sharing between separate households has always been against Netflix’s policy. The company pointed diplomatically to that fact in the press release.

“We’ve always made it easy for people who live together to share their Netflix account, with features like separate profiles and multiple streams in our Standard and Premium plans,” wrote Chengyi Long, Product Innovation Director for Netflix. “While these have been hugely popular, they have also created some confusion about when and how Netflix can be shared. As a result, accounts are being shared between households – impacting our ability to invest in great new TV and films for our members.”

Still, the company is catching some flack for creating some of that confusion itself back in 2017, when it tweeted “Love is sharing a password.”

The beta features are only being rolled out in Chile, Costa Rica, and Peru for now. Depending on how effective they are at getting people to sign up for their own accounts, Netflix may or may not extend them to the rest of their subscriber base. “We’ll be working to understand the utility of these two features for members in these three countries before making changes anywhere else in the world,” Long said in the press release.

At this point the password-sharing deterrents remain in the realm of “suggestions” rather than a full crackdown, but if these measures don’t start boosting account creation for the company as hoped, more draconian tactics could be on the way.

The post Is This the End of Netflix Password Sharing? first appeared on Dornob.

All of the new software will be released to the public this fall, just in time for fresh hardware drops like the anticipated iPhone 13, but developers have access to the updates now, with public beta tests expected to go live in July.

iOS & iPadOS 15

The next iOS will come with lots of fresh features, including bigger app icons, photos of your contacts on text notifications, and new filter modes called “Focus” that let you fine-tune groups of custom settings like “Work,” “Sleep,” and “Do Not Disturb” according to how reachable or distractible you feel like being at any given moment. Photos shared in iMessage will be grouped into collages or stacks in your photo gallery or memories, and a new feature called LiveText will use AI to digitize any text in your images so you can copy and paste it.

The new iPadOS 15 will let you add widgets to the home screen and introduce a new “Shelves” feature that will show open windows within an app, making multitasking a lot easier. A new “Swift Playgrounds” app will also make it possible not just to learn how to code but build apps and submit them to the App Store.

FaceTime Upgrades

Soon, the days when you could only FaceTime with other Apple users will be a distant memory. Android users will also be able to participate in video calls via shareable links, so nobody in the family or friend group needs to be left out of the fun. Portrait mode-style blurring will eliminate distracting backdrops behind your head, voice isolation will help reduce background noise, and spatial audio will change where sound seems to come from based on the speaker’s location on your screen. Users will also be able to share music and video during FaceTime calls using SharePlay.

More Functions for macOS Monterey

Apple’s next big MacOS update will offer many of the same features debuting on the iPhone, like the enhanced FaceTime features and Focus notification filters, but we can also expect Universal Control, which will let Mac users transfer content between a Mac and iPad using a single mouse and keyboard. That means you could seamlessly drag and drop something like an image between your iMac, MacBook, and iPad in a single motion, an ability that’s been sorely missing. Look for some helpful additions to Safari, too, like tab groups to organize all your open tabs.

New Privacy and Security Features

Continuing its bid to position itself as more privacy-focused than competitors like Google, Apple will soon begin obscuring the IP addresses of its users on the Mail App and Safari, so companies won’t be able to identify and track you based on your activity. You’ll also be notified anytime an app uses features like the camera, microphone, or address book.

With the new iCloud Plus, you’ll be able to create obscured email addresses to hide your personal info with “Hide My Email,” shield your clipboard data from other apps with “Secure Paste,” log into sites across the internet using Face ID or Touch ID instead of passwords, and more easily erase all your personal data with a single click.

Health and Accessibility

Need to keep tabs on the health of your kids, elderly parents, or other family members? You’ll soon be able to share data from the Health app with chosen contacts, including heart rate and movement data. Even better, alerts for events like falls or long periods of inactivity can be sent directly to the phones of caregivers. The as-yet-unreleased Apple watchOS 8 will also have some cool new health features, like a Mindfulness app, new workout types in the Fitness app, and the ability to track your respiratory rate while sleeping.

For those with hearing difficulties, the new AirPods Pro will include a “Conversation Boost” feature that isolates the voice of the person closest to you and reduces background noise. You’ll also be able to see exactly where your AirPods are at all times with enhanced “Find My” abilities.

That’s not all — there are also new features coming to Siri, Wallet, and more. To learn about them all, check out the video recaps Apple created for days one, two, and three of WWDC21.

The post New Privacy Features, iOS 15, and More Revealed at Apple’s WWDC 2021 first appeared on Dornob.

Like last year, tech savings are once again slated to top the bargain lists. Check out these deals on unique items from four of the top contenders to snag yourself a couple shiny new toys:

Amazon

Chamberlain MyQ Smart Garage Hub: $30, Save $100

Control your garage door from anywhere with a simple app, and get alerts when anyone tries anything funny when you’re away from home. MyQ works with most garage doors through support from Google Assistant, HomeKit, and IFTTT. Best of all, this gadget provides convenience and home security at the lowest price just when you need it: during inclement weather and the busy holiday season.

Polk Command Bar: $199, Save $100

A built-in Alexa control in the Polk Command Bar hears your commands on the first try, which means no more repeating requests. A wireless subwoofer guarantees optimum sound quality, and the device’s plethora of connectivity options includes dual HDMI and the ability to easily add a Fire TV Stick.

Best Buy

UE Boom 2: $70, Save $110

Use the new UE Boom to rock out to your favorite tunes and share them with the world with optimal clarity and volume. This compact wireless warrior is 100-percent waterproof as well as shock and stain resistant, so it can party with you anywhere for up to 15 hours. For stereo sound, just hook it up to a second UE speaker.

Apple Watch Series 4 GPS + Cellular (40mm): $349, Save $100

This Black Friday, you’ll be able to get the Apple Watch Series 4 at the lowest price since it was introduced in September. Not only does the latest model include a bigger, simpler display, faster reaction time. and increased volume, it also boasts high and low heart-rate detection, an FDA-approved ECG app with more comprehensive heart readings, and fall recognition with an accompanying SOS trigger

Costco

Sonos Beam Shadow Edition: $300, Save $100

Use the Sonos Beam to fill any room with crystal-clear sound (including human voices at the best clarity) calibrated by Oscar-winning sound engineers at the lowest price ever. Choose between Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant for voice controls. iPhone users will also appreciate the Beam’s Apple AirPlay 2 support.

Dell Inspiron 15 3000: $350, Save $120

When you just need the basics, this Dell’s Core i3 machine is both ideal and affordable. It includes 8GB of RAM, an extraordinarily large (512GB) solid-state drive, and a 15.6-inch touchscreen with exceptionally good resolution (1,920 x 1,080 pixels). Talk about everyday computing you can count on!

Walmart

Eufy RoboVac robot vacuum: $179, Save $220

Whether you have hardwood, laminate, or marble floors, you’ll find this amazing robot vacuum cleaner to be exactly what you need. It also connects via Wi-Fi to Alexa or Google Assistant, so you can command it to start cleaning when you walk out the door and come back to find everything spotless.

10.5-inch iPad Pro (512GB): $599, Save $400

Using a model released in 2017, Walmart upgraded this popular tablet with 512GB of storage and Apple’s A10X processor. The display is larger and flawless, storage options abound, and the cameras are better than ever. Proof that the best gifts really do come in small packages.

The post Best Tech Gifts to Snag on Black Friday 2019 first appeared on Dornob.

If you’re not already worried about your digital privacy, you probably should be. Personal data is a big business, after all, with companies gathering every bit of information about us they can. That includes our search histories, the websites we visit, the products we purchase, the people we’re connected to, and even the kind of sensitive information that can be used to access our financial accounts or steal our identities, like date and place of birth.

Then there are hackers to contend with. It’s shockingly easy to tap into someone else’s security cameras, for instance — or their baby monitors. In the near future, almost everything in our homes will be connected to the internet, from our lights to our refrigerators, offering virtually endless opportunities for invasion of our privacy. Lucky for us all, a new product called the Winston aims to help us reclaim control.

This plug-and-play hardware privacy filter works on all devices in your home network, including your computers, tablets, smartphones, gaming systems, and smart home gadgets like security systems. Offering an alternative to Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), which only work with a single device and can be slow, the Winston catches all sorts of privacy invasions, from the smallest to the most concerning. That includes non-consensual third party collection, surveillance, ad tracking, pop-ups, and more.

The Winston also encrypts data so hackers and ISPs can’t intercept your information, monitors incoming and outgoing traffic, allows you to use streaming service sites without slow-downs, intelligently filters cookies, decreases data usage, hides your physical location, and speeds up your internet by getting rid of all the junk traffic associated with tracking your activity. The best part, according to the makers, is that it all sets up within 60 seconds with a set-and-forget operation.

Winston Privacy Founder and CEO Richard Stokes wrote an op-ed on Fast Company explaining why the “surveillance economy” spurred him to create the device.

“It was a little over two years ago that I realized the ad-tech industry had gone too far. I was an executive at a global advertising company, watching a demo from a third-party data provider on how they could help with ad targeting. Their representative brazenly demonstrated how he could pull up his own personal record and share with us his income, his mortgage details, where he worked, what kind of car he drove, which political party he was likely to vote for, and his personal interests (craft beer, of course). It was everything, all in one place.”

“When I looked around the room that day, many of my colleagues seemed alarmed. Up until that point, the advertising industry had asked people to trust us with their data. We were about to go back on that promise. I left the ad-tech industry shortly thereafter.”

Clearly, Stokes isn’t the only one who’s concerned. Thousands of backers pledged over $1 million USD to fund the project on crowdfunding websites Kickstarter and Indiegogo. The Winston is currently in production and should be available to the general public later this year. The retail price is expected to run $249.

The post Surveillance Buster: A Privacy Filter for All Your Home Devices first appeared on Dornob.

Researchers and security experts have discovered that hackers can gain access to these gadgets using undetectable audio commands, eavesdropping software, or by targeting devices connected to a larger network. Sometimes, smart home technology can even betray our privacy accidentally, like the recent case in which an Amazon Echo sent 1,700 Alexa recordings to the wrong user following a data request.

Consumers can choose to keep these devices unplugged when they’re not in use, but that kind of defeats the purpose of their convenience. In many cases, we have little choice but to either forgo them altogether, attempt DIY fixes like covering camera lenses with tape, or place our trust (perhaps misguidedly) in the manufacturers. Ultimately, the power rests with Amazon, Google, and other tech giants to ease our worries and protect us from vulnerability. So what if they all just built easy-to-use kill switches for cameras and speakers right into their products?

Google is drawing renewed attention to this feature with the Nest Hub Max, a new smart display featuring a 10-inch screen, camera, and speaker, with a privacy feature that allows you to physically disconnect both the camera and microphone whenever you like. Located on the back of the device, the hardware kill switch disables the product’s sensors with a single touch. No need to sort through electronic menus to find an obscure setting: it’s right there at your fingertips.

According to Fast Company, the Nest Hub Max — part of the Nest suite of home security devices — isn’t the first product to feature a hardware kill switch. HP debuted a new hardware kill switch for the webcam of its Specre laptop in 2018. That same year, Apple announced that the newest MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models would physically disable their microphones when closed. This information should be particularly interesting to those Apple customers who haven’t yet realized that the microphones on all the company’s other devices remain on as long as they are on themselves.

Other Nest products, like the security cameras, won’t feature hardware kill switches simply because the inclusion would impede their functionality, making it too easy for would-be burglars to disable them. Users of these products will still have to use the app to disable certain cameras when desired. And when it comes to smart hub products like Amazon’s Echo, Google’s Home Max, and Samsung’s SmartThings Hub, it’s important to remember that their ability to listen for commands is a big part of their draw — which means their microphones will probably be staying on for the foreseeable future.

Consumers are slowly becoming more aware of the risks that come with smart products, but it remains to be seen how these risks will affect the adoption of such technology on a larger scale, or whether manufacturers will take additional protective measures later down the road.

The post Kill Switches That Cut Power to Cameras and Microphones Could Be the Next Big Leap in Cybersecurity first appeared on Dornob.

The AllBe1‘s features are a mix of emergency alarms and other conveniences. Just connect yours to its accompanying smartphone app, and you’ll be able to set different alerts to match your needs.

There are many scenarios where the AllBe1 can be used to help you and your family. For instance, there’s an emergency button that sends an instant alert out when pressed, along with the location of the incident, so emergency response teams can track down the device with ease. It can be used by seniors who’ve fallen and need assistance or by people involved in bad accidents.

AllBe1 is also a tracker. Attach it to your dog’s collar, and you can finally find out where he goes when he leaps the fence and takes off. You can also attach it to a laptop or a set of keys so you know where they are at all times. Alternatively, you can clip the device onto your child’s pocket. If you do, you’ll get an alert every time they move out of range without your noticing. Speaking of range, it’s important to note that the AllBe1 can track things up to 360 feet away from your smartphone or tablet.

Worried about home security? The company says the AllBe1 can function as a motion sensor and alert you if an intruder is opening the door of your house. You can also set it to let you know if someone is moving your bike (whether it’s a thief or a child you’ve just grounded!).

One of the AllBe1’s especially important safety features is an alarm that will remind you if you accidentally leave a child in your car. Think of it as your guardian angel when you’re distracted or in a rush.

In the way of comfort features, the AllBe1 boasts a sensor that warns you about UV levels and keeps you safe in the sun. Another alarm lets you know if the temperature in a room suddenly drops (great for families who have an infant to keep warm or elderly relatives who might fall asleep and not realize that they’re getting dangerously cold).

If you’re worried about people snooping, you’ll be happy to know that the AllBe1 can also be used to lock your phone. And if you want to record a conversation without people knowing, you can take advantage of the gadget’s “covert voice recording” feature.

So how does it work? The inventors explain that the device communicates with your smartphone via BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) protocol. That means it’s smart on power, which is probably why its battery will stay charged for two whole months. Just pair your AllBe1 with your phone, and select whichever alert option you need to use. That’s pretty much it. The app works on both Android and IOS phones.

Finally — and as if all this wasn’t enough — the company also offers the Everywhere USB drive. This little gizmo lets you receive email alerts when you aren’t near your AllBe1. Talk about being connected!

The post AllBe1: Your All-in-One Personal Security Gadget first appeared on Dornob.

While Wolfcom describes its “Venture” camera as “ideal for doctors, lawyers, court processors, building inspectors, commercial truck drivers, or the everyday adventurer,” we are quick to imagine it as an especially great way to record and share mountain biking and snowboarding runs.

The Venture is lightweight and easy to use, and you can clip it onto your shirt, belt, backpack strap…well, pretty much anywhere. Recording is simple: the camera has a “one touch record” feature, so you can capture audio and video instantly. Want to take still photos? There’s another handy button for that. If you’re out at night and want to snap some shots, just use the Venture’s digital flash.

You can also use the Venture as a dash cam. Clip the camera onto your your car’s visor and point it outwards to record your drive. You can even live-stream your car journies if you so desire. Just don’t attempt any stunts, please! It’s probably best if your video doesn’t end up on the evening news…

The Venture is the first wearable camera to offer the option of live-streaming your video on Facebook or YouTube. Connect it to your smartphone via Wi-Fi, and start streaming.

The makers of Venture describe it as “the world’s most versatile camera,” and with good reason. In addition to the options outlined above, you can also plug external cameras into the Venture’s AV jack for head, eye, night, and covert vision modes.

Head vision is perfect for sports and biking, as the camera fits snugly on your noggin. Eye vision records from your point of view, which is best captured by clipping the camera to your glasses, baseball cap, or shirt/jacket collar. Want to film at night? Night vision lets you record things up to 20 feet in front of you in pitch-black darkness! For those “James Bond” moments in your life, you’ll want to use covert vision, which allows you to record secretly using a clever pinhole button camera.

No matter how you decide to use the camera, you’ll be happy to learn that the Venture’s body is splash-proof and resistant to rain, sweat, liquids, sand, and dust.

The Venture is now available for pre-order at early-bird pricing, and its estimated delivery is February of 2018.

Here are some of the body cam’s outstanding specs:

• Size: 2.9 x 1.5 x 0.6 inches
• Weight: 2 ounces
• Field of view: 120 degrees
• Memory: 64 GB
• Battery life: 2.5 hours (1.5 hours with Wi-Fi)
• Video resolution: 1080p at 15 FPS; 1280 x 720p at 30 FPS
• Live stream video resolution: 720p at 30 FPS

The post Not Just for Cops: Making Body Cameras Fun and Useful first appeared on Dornob.

No need to swap out your existing deadbolt with a newfangled device – this circular switch slots right over your locking mechanism, but shifts the method of unlocking to entirely new territory.

Designed by Jason Johnson and Yves Behar, the August Smart Lock can sense your approach automatically, saving you the trouble of taking out your virtual ‘key’, or can be activated remotely for house guests or a forgetful child or spouse.

Further settings include the ability to allow certain persons to key in codes at particular times or on particular days, so a delivery can be made, dog can be walked or house can be cleaned, all without handing over a full-time means of access.

From the creators: “Have you ever lost your keys? I am willing to bet that 99% of us have. In the last year, 20% of Americans have been locked out of their homes at least once. Humanity has been carrying keys, sharp pieces of metal in our pockets, for 200 years… it’s time we think of something else.”

“At a time when we easily use technology for our banking, retail or lifestyle tracking, it is logical to transform the way we access our home. The August Smart Lock works with your existing deadbolt, and allows you to send a virtual key to guests or contractors to gain entry into your home without the need for a physical exchange of keys. You can specify the number of guests, how long the keys are virtually active for and disable them at any time – making access simpler and more secure. As the homeowner, or a guest, arrives at the door it will auto-unlock without the need to pull ones phone out of the pocket, and auto-lock behind the user.”

“Once installed on your existing deadbolt, August simply uses a Bluetooth LE connection with your smartphone to lock and unlock the door. Whether a guest comes to stay, the dog walker is scheduled, or a delivery is expected, the August app can be used to send a virtual key that will open the door at your specified time, tailoring access according to the person. Once this time window expires, guests lose access privileges and you can be assured they no longer have access to your property – and with encrypted security, your virtual key can never be copied.”

The post Key-Free Lock with Smartphone Access first appeared on Dornob.

There have been all sorts of ingenious hiding spaces suggested for those who need to keep their stash of cash or other valuables hidden away. It seems the only people more creative than those inventing new hiding spaces are those busy finding them. This project, however, is likely to fool even the most diligent thief.

The top edge of most interior doors is a somewhat mysterious place. How often do you actually look at the tops of your doors? If you are like most people, it isn’t very often. Makezine contributor Sean Michael Ragan exploits that unfamiliarity in his brilliant Doortop Stash project. All you need to make your own “stash” is a cigar tube, some common household tools and a moderate amount of skill to pull it off.

Making a Doortop Stash basically involves constructing a small and simple “safe” out of a cigar tube. No fancy locking mechanisms here – just a washer that will allow the tube to be pulled up via magnet when you need to retrieve it.

Drilling a hole in the top of your door may seem like an odd way to keep your cash secure, but once you drop that tube full of money into that cavity in the top of your door, it’s highly unlikely that anyone will ever go looking there for it. Well, anyone who doesn’t read Dornob, that is.

Make has the whole tutorial. Here’s a snippet:

“Not many people think of the space inside the door as a hiding spot, but it’s right there in easy reaching distance when you need to get to it. And it’s devious enough that, yes, I think this trick will still be effective even after I blog it all over the web. Learn how to make your own hidden doortop stash with this handy tutorial. You’ll need a suitable hollow-core interior door, a cigar tube, a few tools, and some other odds ‘n’ ends.”

The post Hide a Tiny Safe at the Top of a Door first appeared on Dornob.

In nature, the scaled mammals of the Manidae family feature a curious combination of hard and soft, firm but flexible. The applications to luggage are at once obvious and relatively untapped.

Well, here are a few examples that are outrageously unique, and made of upcycled, reclaimed waste materials to boot. You may not have thought you wanted a backpack shaped like a pangolin, but maybe you were wrong.

Recycled rubber inner tubes form the material basis for this series of backpacks, brief cases, hand bags and purses from Cyclus (and inspired by the work of the Biomimicry Institute). “By joining together layers or surfaces with a membrane, the structure, form, movement and a container space is generated.”

“The Original. Uniquely designed backpack inspired by the Pangolin animal’s biomechanics, made principally out of reused tyre inner tubes. Inspired by an armored animal, the Pangolin Backpack is the edgiest way to show off daring, urban style.”

A central axis provides a pivot point around which each rounded piece of the exterior shell can wrap and rotate, containing precious items in an impact-proof case while offering easy access to the contents.

The whole series of Pangolin products is nearly architectural in nature, not just for its substantial physicality and expressive shape, but also in the way it builds a bridge between the environment and design.

“Three years ago, in the northernmost corner of South America, a dream called Cyclus materialized. Since 2014, in the capital of Colombia, that cold but cozy Bogotá that is 2,600 meters closer to the stars, creativity was added to high quality standards, which with 100% natural and recycled materials, gave rise to comfortable bags durable and consistent with contemporary lifestyles.”

“The hands of Colombians from different regions of the country carefully make our products. Cotton and natural leather are present in each of them, in addition to the iconic recycled tire.”

The post Armadillo-Shelled Recycled Rubber Backpack first appeared on Dornob.

The problem with keypad-based entry systems is simple: power. And being locked out on top of an outage may just compound the issue. Whether this secure enough for a front or back door is debatable, but as an alternative to physical-key or electronic systems from room to room inside, it seems like quite an ingenious idea indeed.

This elegant, simple, built-in mechanical solution by Jess Han lets you spin the dials to four preferred numbers, then push down the handle and open the door. Behind you, the tumblers are re-jumbled to prevent another person for simple re-opening it later on. For dark days (or nights) when the numbers might be too hard to read, a simple backlight for the white digits would be a big help as well.

The best application would seem to be storage closets to at least slow down would-be thieves, or individual bedrooms (or private areas) within a multi-unit apartment spaces and so forth. With remote code-changing systems, they would be an interesting backup system for hotels, perhaps as a failsafe for when magnetic key cards fail.

The post Dial-a-Door: Key-Free Home Entry via Built-In Handle Locks first appeared on Dornob.

Yesterday’s steel bars are todays bamboo poles. Blinds and shades may add privacy, but do little to secure a property. A clever, cheap and green solution, this undulating sheet of bamboo does double-duty work (or triple, if you count the impressive aesthetic effect!).

ROEWU did not get lucky – they got smart: find something easy-growing that shoots up fast, buy what is for sale on the cheap, and make it work wonders, rather than bending a design to your whims at high material costs.

Opening windows is the easiest way to provide natural ventilation to a home – these green bamboo ‘fences’ are narrowly spaced to prevent intruders from climbing in an open void, but let air pass in and out naturally.

The concrete block walls making up the structural core of the house would be incredibly boring were it not for the addition of a dynamic and organic design element, almost like an abstract type of modern ivy (or vertical garden) climbing up the sides of the building.

On the inside, shadows can be seen, cast by the facade of sticks outside, but mostly it is a simple and efficient home, laid out to take advantage of a long and narrow lot, and finished with a combination of white walls and ceilings with wood floors, furniture and accents.

A mostly-metal rooftop deck is partially shaded by these as well, providing some visual separation from neighbors while allowing views out from above.

The end result is a sustainable three-story home that requires no window bars for safety nor air conditioning to control the heat., invites natural light and breezes without compromising personal security. Not bad for a house based on inexpensive materials and simple building methods.

“On entering the house the experience is akin to being surrounded by an organic forest. Sun light, air and shadows filter through the bamboo poles into the spaces within. The mood and quality of the spaces changes during the course of a day and shifts with the changing seasons. In winter, a Karaoke Lounge and Spa on the second floor, form a focal point for bathing or singing. During summer, the roof deck with its variably patterned sun-shade system and surrounding bamboo, invites cooling breezes and becomes the family’s favorite spot for outdoor living.”

The post New Bamboo Facade Livens Up a Home first appeared on Dornob.

This ingenious thesis project takes ordinary household items like lamps, coffee cups and wood desks and turns them into secret stash housing for money, valuables and other things you want to keep hidden at all costs – right in plain site. And do not bother looking for the drawer handle in this desk: it requires a magnet placed in just the right spot to pull it open – could it get any safer? Even if you guessed the space was there, you could not access it!

The compelling theory behind these designs goes something like this: we have mental “blind spots” about certain ordinary furniture and furnishing objects, and take for granted that we understand how they work at a glance – these visual cues, however, can be our undoing as they cause us to overlook the obvious.

A lamp seems like an impossible hiding spot, since it would fry anything around the light bulb, right? Not anymore, as this cash stash lighting fixture shows. And a stack of papers seems a flimsy and predictable pile amidst the mess of a typical apartment – would would expect there to be compartments hidden inside, just like the classic (but far too predictable) hide-a-safe books?

In the words of the designer, Yiting Cheng “Why doing this? We all have the need of hiding. We hide our valuables from being stolen, we conceal our past from our loved ones, we never show our real side to colleagues, we all have secrets.

Or, sometimes we just want to keep something only for ourselves. We make judgments based mainly on our experiences and what we see. This dependency on visual information can create large blind spots. Thus, usual stereotypes of how we perceive solid, transparency and lighting are employed in this project to play with notions of ?solid and void?, and ?true and false?

The post 8 Secret Hiding Spots in Ordinary Objects first appeared on Dornob.