TappLock is a product of Canadian tech firm Pishon Lab that is made with extra security measure that is common in some of today’s cellphones. Roughly the same size of an ordinary combination lock, TappLock is a dial full of numbers on its face with only a small black square in the center, which is a fingerprint scanner. A quick tap on the lock is all it takes to unlock. In other words, you unlock this with your fingerprint instead of a key, combo or smartphone. In an effort to mass produce the lock, the company has launched an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign for its fingerprint-secured TappLock padlock, which Pishon claims is “the ultimate in security and convenience.”
Tapp will be offering two models, the TappLock Lite and TappLock. According to its creators, the integrated 1200mAh lithium battery in TappLock will give a three-year battery life that also doubles up as a portable phone charger. It will also be able to notify you when the battery is low. On the other hand, a smaller version, the TappLock Lite uses CR2032 cells and gives you only a six-month battery life. A quick review by The Verge reveals that you set the padlock up with the help of a smartphone app (available on iOS, Android, and Windows), with Pishon claiming that the TappLock unlocks in just 0.8 seconds. The app also allows you to unlock your padlock using your phone and share entry with other users — either on request or during pre-defined windows of time. Pishon is said to be slightly economical with the truth as regards the efficiency of Tapplock. Enrolment is done via a mobile app, and you can add fingerprints for yourself and up to 99 of your closest friends. You can even program an access schedule into a TappLock, and you can manage multiple locks from a single dashboard login. It is a solid lock as it is made from 100% steel. If someone tries and breaks the lock or cut it off, a built-in alarm will sound off. However, the company clarifies that the alarm will only go off if the shackle is already broken. Being water resistant, you can use it to chain your bike to the fence, keep your luggage sealed, or anything else you may want to lock for any reason with a padlock. While TappLock will retail for around $66, TappLite is expected to be around $29. If you go to TAPP’s IndieGoGo project page and offer up a pledge, you can secure the padlock at a decent discount ($13 off TappLock and $10 off TappLite). Currently, the crowdfunding campaign is more than 60 percent, with an anticipated shipping date of October or November 2016.
