Unlock your House using your Mobile Phone

[Mike Temporale]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.i4u.com/article3806.html' target='_blank'>http://www.i4u.com/article3806.html</a><br /><br /></div><i>"A Japanese Apartment complex is installing a door lock system that works via mobile phone. It is not based on RFID like the locks we reported about recently. The door opens via a code typed into the mobile phone. The key code is apparently managed centrally by the company. So the code needs to be transmitted somehow. The article is not going into details here. Such a system is more expensive to install, but saves money on the long run, because locks do not have to be exchanged and no keys have to be made."</i><br /><br />Does this sounds like a bad idea to anyone else? I understand the savings that they are talking about, but what happens when you change cell phones? or you loose your cell phone? or the battery runs dry? Too much chance on you getting locked out. :( Thanks, but I'll take a key, voice activation, or finger print reader first. :mrgreen:

[Darius Wey]

Ooh, I don't know. As secure as they may make this, there are always loopholes and a back door procedure. I'll stick with the key.

[sojourner753]

I'm skeptical to tie anything valuable to my body parts. 8O

[Sven Johannsen]

Doesn't seem that bad to me. Most everyone in Japan seems to have a cell phone. It's an apartment complex so it's centrally managed. I'm sure it's set up so the manager can unlock you if you forget, or otherwise are without the phone. Likely it is easily changed, if you lose your phone.

[encece]

Paris Hylton's hacker-stalkers are praying for this to come to be... :D

[Jerry Raia]

Its lame. Once again developers with too much idle time on their hands.

[Jon Westfall]

This might be useful if you wanted to give your friends access to your place for a few days / hours / minutes for something (i.e. to water your plants, walk your dog while you're away, water your dog, walk your plants, etc..), however it seems to me that a programmable keypad would allow the same thing, with much less cost involved (Heck, a hanging key locker would do the same thing cheaper than the keypad!)

[Rocco Augusto]

you thinks that bad? my apartment door only open with a keycard just like a hotel room. you know how many times i lock myself out a week? i need a new place to live ;)

-opti-