Finding a good place to hide or keep valuables may be a challenge. These R2-D2 and TARDIS safes use a locking system that is based on a smartphone app, making them a somehow good option.
The smartphone-locked safe that comes in the shape of R2-D2 or TARDIS is yet another fascinating gadget that has been launched at this year’s Toy Fair, in London.
Regardless of the shape that the safe comes in, it features a slot for the phone. The principle it works on is rather simple, but ingenious at the same time. Some would assume that the phone connects via a dock to the safe, or at least that it uses a bluetooth or Wi-Fi connection to unlock the door. However, none of these options is true. Instead, there is a light sensor in the slot that opens or keeps the door shut, depending on the light code received from the smartphone.
The app that comes for the phone allows users to enter 4-digit codes, based on which light codes are generated at the bottom of the display. That is the portion of the display that is analyzed by the light sensor, to determine whether the 4-digit code is correct or not.
As seen in the above video, the TARDIS safe is rather large, in comparison to the smartphone. I am rather curious about how sturdy these safes are and how much they weigh. These are two paramount aspects that are never neglected by safe manufacturers. That is, unless, the whole idea of these gadgets is to disguise the place people keep their valuable belongings into something inconspicuous. In that case, the manufacturer should make sure that the safes are somehow paired to the smarphone of the their owners, so that the ones who peek while entering the code cannot just download the app to their smartphone and unlock the safe.
I must admit, the manufacturers of these safes could not have chosen better cases for these products. The safes will appeal to a lot of geeks, as Doctor Who and Star Wars have plenty of fans out there. An official date of launch has not been announced, yet, but the safes are expected to be available in the second half of 2012. Also, the prices are unknown, at the moment.
If you liked this post, please check the plastic brick Dalek that was built for Toy Fair and the Hitch Safe.
