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FT editor Roula Khalaf selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.
Beat the grinder
I’ve started to get wary of locks lately, largely due to a very interesting YouTube channel called Lockpick Lawyerin which an anonymous American gentleman demonstrates commercially available locks, explains their shortcomings, and then disassembles them, often in a matter of seconds. However, bicycle locks face a far less sophisticated threat in the form of battery-powered angle grinders, which simply cut through them, with no need to pick.
In 2021, Hiplok It launched the D1000, a D-shaped lock made from a material called Ferosafe, which, in the words of co-founder Ben Smith, “does to the disc of an angle grinder what you try to do to the padlock – it just disintegrates”. Now it’s launched the DX1000, an upgraded (and larger) version suitable for most bikes, e-bikes and motorbikes, which can be paired with an equally tough anchor (the AX1000, £349.99) that screws into brickwork or concrete so you can secure your wheels outside your house, too.
“It costs a lot more to make a lock of this caliber and we weren’t sure people understood its value,” Smith says. “But I think [the D1000] The DX1000 is one of the few locks to have a top rating (“Powered Cycle Diamond”) from security experts Sold Secure, and as you might expect and hope, it’s a beast: 29cm by 18cm on the outside, 2.6kg. But it’s still smaller and more effective than the massive chain locks it’s trying to replace, and an upcoming mounting system (BR1000) lets you easily carry the lock on your rack, handlebars or seat post.
The mount comes with eight security bolts, which at first seems excessive, but the idea is to overdo it after all. The arm swivels and rotates into the position you need, and its cousin, the D-shaped lock, takes care of securing the bike. It’s a formidable duo, and one gets the feeling that Lock Picking Lawyer would be impressed. “We sent him one,” Smith laughs, “and he never got back to us, which is a good sign.”
Open Sesame
Generally, only experts like myself would choose to replace the front door lock with a smart one. However, this option might have a broader appeal: expanding an existing lock with a tailored smart system. Outside, nothing changes – you can still use the key if you want. Inside, the U200 fits over the internal key or turning cylinder and automates the turning of the key. You can activate it using a passcode or fingerprint on a keypad mounted on the outside of the house, an NFC tag to open the door with a “beep”, the Aqara app, or various systems including Google Home and Apple HomeKit. You’ll need a door with a European or Scandinavian cylinder for best compatibility, but Aqara UK can advise you on your particular locking mechanism.
Play a leading role
There are plenty of budget dashcams on the market, but if the goal of installing one is to ensure the best possible evidence of a road traffic incident involving your vehicle, there’s reason to opt for one with all the bells and whistles – in this case, 4K Ultra HD on the front camera, Full HD on the rear, with wide angles (146º and 131º respectively). An included SIM card provides a remote, always-on LTE link from your phone to the dashcam, whether metres or miles away – an impact triggers a notification, along with a recording of the full incident (including a 10-second run-up). LTE also provides a pretty good WiFi hotspot for up to five devices while you’re in the vehicle.
Net profit
WiFi7 routers have been around for about a year, promising lower latency and better stability, but at a price that doesn’t match their functionality. Netgear’s Orbi RBE773 is slightly lower-spec’d than its bigger brother (the RBE973S, which retails at £2,199.99), but its mesh router and two satellite units cover 625 square metres and have many of the RBE973S’s features, most notably its router protection system, Armor. Automated attacks are on the rise (Netgear It’s estimated that a typical home network receives 10 of them per day) and TVs and Internet of Things devices (e.g. smart lighting) are the most vulnerable. Armor provides protection without having to update your router firmware and sends real-time alerts about what’s happening on your network.
As safe as houses
Home security camera systems can be prone to annoying signal dropouts when cameras on the perimeter of a property lose their wireless connection to the hub inside the house. Swann’s newest 4K cameras (which are solar-powered forever) boast a hugely extended range on a rarely used 900MHz frequency band that’s better suited to obstacles. Setup is easy – the cameras instantly communicate with the hub when turned on, and once the hub is added to the Swann app on your smartphone, you get an instant view of all your cameras, day and night. Motion and heat-activated clips are saved to a microSD card inside the hub, or to the cloud if you prefer. All very reassuring.