By Gregg Ellman
Twitter.com/greggellman
Dog and Bone has introduced a keyless Bluetooth padlock, which is controlled by a free iOS or Android app.
I can’t say it is or isn’t the first; I can say I’ve never seen one before and this one works great.
The main feature is the Bluetooth and with that, you won’t have to clog your brain with another code to remember or look for a key. Instead, just call up the app on your smartphone and open the lock. It’s really that simple.
The lock, a really durable and rugged look and design, is made from hardened steel, die-cast Zamak-3 Zinc Alloy. There are rubber bumper guards on both sides of the lock and a rubber door to hide the USB port.
All this gives it full weatherproof protection from rain or snow and all-day sunshine won’t harm it. The lock has been tested and rated to work in temperatures ranging from minus 20 to 70 degrees Celsius (minus 4 to 158 degrees Fahrenheit).
Inside is a lithium-ion battery, which is charged via microUSB to give users up to two years of power or “as many as 3,000 unlocks before a recharge” according to the company site. I used it for a few days, locking and unlocking a few dozen times or so, all with perfection.
Within the app, you can choose to have the lock unlocked with a single tap, your thumbprint or a four digit code. I used all three but eventually stayed with the thumbprint.
The app can also manage multiple locks and let you know how much power is left before a charge is needed. It also runs a log of the locks’ activity to display username, date, and time of use.
According to the company, LockSmart offers the highest Bluetooth security standard with 128-bit advanced encryption.
Sharing access to your keyless Bluetooth lock is simple, just press a button within the app and they get access sent to their smartphone to open the lock. This makes it great when workers arrive before you get home and they need access to a gate or shed.
Once the lock is opened, you can remove them from the access.
Details: www.dogandbonecases.com, $89.95
Touchscreen gloves give access with all five fingers
Mujjo’s leather touchscreen gloves are perfect for this time of year to keep your fingers working on your touchscreen during the cold days of winter.
As gloves alone, they look great and kept my fingers and hands warm. They are made with the finest Ethiopian lambskin and a magnetic snap closure lets them fit like, well, a glove.
According to the Mujjo, they are “powered by state of the art nanotechnology, which mimics the conductive properties of the human skin, Mujjo’s touchscreen gloves offer an unrestricted touchscreen experience and enable the user to utilize all fingers and even the palm of their hand.”
I’ve tried many other gloves designed for the digital world but these are the first I’ve used to give you touchscreen access with all five-fingers, and they’re also as fashionable as a glove can be.
Details: www.mujjo.com, $89.75
Blender makes it easy to party
Margaritaville’s most recent Key West frozen concoction maker isn’t just your mother’s blender. Instead the machine, designed by Jimmy Buffet’s empire has a powerful blender, which produces shaved ice. And remember, it’s all about the ice!
That’s the key aspect in my mind — the shaved ice. No more big clunks of ice rattling around in the blender, or will they take up valuable real estate in your glass. Instead the shaved ice makes a perfect frozen drink time after time after time.
The new model has an extra large ice reservoir, so you can make up to three full pitchers of your favorite frozen drink, with or without alcohol. All you do is add the ingredients and the machine does the rest.
The machine is beautifully constructed with stainless steel and all top-notch materials.
Your drinks are mixed in a ready-to-serve, easy-to-pour pitcher. Once it’s empty, give it a quick cleaning and put it back on the base for the next round.
The Key West model has a pre-programmed auto drink cycle for getting the perfect margaritas with the right amount of ice and ingredients.
Details: www.margaritavillecargo.com, $299.99
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