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Who locked out in the United States, should be able to be generated with the smartphone app KeyMe in a few minutes a spare key.

The problem may already exist as long as people live in houses and apartments lockable: once you stand in front of the door without the key, because you have forgotten or left selfsame somewhere, is proverbial good advice. The cost of a door opening are including approach usually very high (if you’re not about to leave anyway on black sheep) – and not always a friend or family member reached, which could provide a spare key available

The. U.S. start-up KeyMe_blank has developed a business model for exactly those people who tend to move their house keys back often: The company offers an app for the iPhone to with which to digitize key and if necessary copy “on demand” can

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 enlarge Key Scan: A photo by camera allows the detection the contours. Image: KeyMe

Greg Marsh, founder of the company, you know the basic problem itself before he had two years had several unpleasant experiences with locksmiths who had let him into his apartment on the Lower East Side in New York. “The more I found out about keys and how they work, the more I realized that a digital storage system could be a good approach,” Marsh

said the “New York Times.” Is the app once installed, the smartphone camera used as a scanner. Their objective is quiet for 15 seconds focused on a key that must be separated from the key ring on a white background. The software automatically detects the key type and created with the help of Internet-based detection algorithms, a profile of the beard. It may take some time before the later readable values ​​- which are also stored in a cloud service – actually present in the app. “The last thing we want would be to give customers incorrect key, which is why we have strict limits, when we give a result and when not to,” said Marsh for “NYT”. In fact, this also means that each key can not be included in the personal database. The collected geometric data Will The scan without disturbance to any time you get to go in an emergency, a locksmith can, which then created a duplicate key based on the information. <- RSPEAK_STOP ->


Click to enlarge The app shows you where to find a locksmith in the area. Image: KeyMe

KeyMe is currently available only in the USA and can only deal with keys which can be formally copy, security keys with “Do Not Duplicate” feature (“! Not Duplicate”), for example, not be accepted. Potential customers, the company also insured to save “as little information as possible.” To link the key with an address would not be possible.

In a test of the “New York Times” were also special keys that included, among other things, a mailbox and a bike lock also not accepted. KeyMe emphasizes, however, that you will gradually be able to read more and more key ways to the recognition algorithms are constantly expanding.

Although the app and scan are free of charge, you will have the key stored virtual copy but are $ 10 per call due – plus the respective fee for key generation, which can also be 10 dollars.



 enlarge With the data from the app can be a key service a new Create key. image: KeyMe

a “New York Times” reporter found out in a self-experiment, which is not particularly cheap as key services in the U.S. for copying an existing key, much less demand than for the production of a key according to specification. KeyMe in America wants to set their own kiosk systems, the key can create a button. To ensure this, the user must identify a fingerprint scan. Alternatively you can also order a duplicate key in a classic post, which for emergencies but not likely to be useful.

There is also the question of whether you can trust KeyMe. Should enforce the process, it is entirely conceivable that malicious hackers, security agencies and floppy hats are aware of the company, and then to obtain the data for a traceless burglary and / or investigative actions. That would be an entirely new form of cloud attack. <- AUTHOR MARKER DATA BEGIN -> ( Ben Swan ) / <- RSPEAK_STOP -> (bsc)
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