
The future is keyless: Introducing Nexkey - kostaddin
http://www.k9ventures.com/blog/2018/09/26/the-future-is-keyless-introducing-nexkey/
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hamandcheese
I’ve experienced consumer smart locks (Kevo and August). I firmly believe any
“Key” that must be network connected to the lock will never be a better
experience than an ordinary key. If there’s a network glitch and it takes 5s
to connect, that’s a terrible experience. If I have to open an app, terrible
experience.

The smart lock holy grail, for me, would be medium-long range RFID. I want my
presence to unlock the door, with ultra low latency and ultra high
reliability.

Smart locks available to consumers now are acceptable for infrequent visitors
at best.

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rubatuga
Why do you need ultra low latency? Unless you mean in the order of 0.1s - 1s,
that seems reasonable. I'm thinking low latencies with a context of gaming,
where the best latencies are 0.001s - 0.01s.

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hamandcheese
I mean ultra low compared to physically inserting a key. Kevo takes
considerably longer than that, especially if you are accustomed to already
having your keys out and ready as you approach your door.

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rubatuga
Oh, what technologies does Kevo use? I feel that with time of flight and a
handshake, it should be able to quickly unlock the door.

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NikolaNovak
It seems easy these days to find a complex, "powerful", "cloud based" security
system.

What I've been struggling to find is a reliable, simple, easy to use,
residential FOB system for 1-5 doors and 1-5 users.

Problem statement: my father-in-law has never locked the door in his life; if
I want to change this habit, it has to be as simple and easy as possible. A
FOB would be ideal - just tap his keychain/wallet/whatever and go. But I'm
struggling to find something that isn't wireless and complex and server/cloud
based... :-<

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schrodingersket
I got a Samsung NFC lock recently so I could unlock my house with an NFC chip
I had implanted in my hand about a year ago. Awesomeness of having my house
key in my hand aside, the lock itself is very capable, and I'm quite happy
with it as a standalone device. It comes with 5 NFC FOBs which will unlock the
door, and each one is tied to a unique PIN combination. If you can't find your
FOB, you can still use the PIN. It's been really effective at my house and for
house guests.

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necrodome
That's interesting. What are other uses for your implant?

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airencracken
Apparently the future can't talk to its database.

"Error establishing a database connection"

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Yetanfou
The future is databaseless.

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crooked-v
> And the off-the-shelf battery is user replaceable (from outside!) with a
> single set screw.

This is an incredibly terrible idea. "Replaceable from the outside" also means
"can be stolen from the outside", at which point you only need a single jerk
with a screwdriver to leave people locked out of their homes or businesses.

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Someone
I thought the same, but that’s not a new vulnerability. With conventional
locks, that jerk can use a screwdriver or cyanoacrylate glue to the same
effect.

Some safes with electronic locks have external electric contact pads that
allow one to temporarily attach a battery to power the lock if the battery is
dead, but of course, that may open a new vulnerability: an attacker who
applies high-voltage to those contacts.

~~~
crooked-v
Filling a lock with glue doesn't get you free batteries.

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djsumdog
What a terrible idea. I sometimes forgot my cellphone at home. With a regular
RFID keyfob, you go to the main desk and can check out a replacement you
return at the end of the day.

Key cards don't ever run out of battery.

Your fob reader can cache access in case it gets disconnected from the network
(many have battery backups).

I didn't see standard keyfob support in there, but I can't image they'd launch
it without that.

I mean, the cellphone aspect is just gimmicky. I don't see any other value
adds here.

And all locks are pretty much deterrents. If someone wants to steal your TV,
they're going to use a rock or a crowbar. No one is going to bother picking a
lock unless they don't want you to know they've been there.

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imhoguy
Everything may break or get lost, RFID, key, card demagnetize etc. But these
are isolated cases.

What worries me is that "cloud" bit. What when one day the company closes its
_doors_? Oh, what the ironic SPOF.

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johnklos
Oops. Their web site is down.

Any company making products like this is going to need to do much more to
prove it takes security seriously. Too many companies have shown that
marketing matters significantly more than security.

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derekp7
I want my house lock to work like my car fob. Unlock when my hand touches the
door handle if it senses the fob close by. And the fob should double as a
batteryless RFID in case the battery dies. Oh, and can it be a bit slimmer
than my car's fob please?

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legulere
I had to stop reading at this point: “cloud-based [...] secure”. For me being
cloud-based means that you don’t take security serious enough.

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falsedan
I stopped reading at the “history of keys” introduction. Press releases aren’t
essays, you don’t need to bury the lede.

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Tsubasachan
Someone needs to play Deus Ex.

