What Do People Say?

8 hottest new accessories for travelers

EgeeTouch Smart Travel Padlock

"This high-tech padlock looks like an old-fashioned lock. It isn't. It claims to be the first of its kind to require no key, no dial, and no code.

Instead, a fob using Near Field Communication sends an abracadabra signal to the lock. Another option is downloading the Egee app to a smartphone. While NFC is the primary unlocking mechanism, Bluetooth is incorporated to allow for vicinity tracking should luggage go astray. Pricing for the lock and matching fob -- crowdfunded on Indiegogo -- starts at $45.”

Sources: http://edition.cnn.com/

--Laura Powell, CNN, USA

Works well for aviation industry

Features at a Glance:

• Really nice design, which makes it blend in easily
• Simple setup using NFC
• No lost keys

Pros:

• Easy to use, I really enjoy travelling with it
• Great NFC options (Tag, Sticker or Phone)
• When mounted it fits tight, it doesn’t seem like it was mounted as an aftermarket product
• Ease of mind when using the product, since there is no code or key

Cons:

• Assembly, hitting the holes for the screws from the backmount, can be rather difficult
• A little bulky in the design, would be nice if it was a little thinner
• Seems a little fragile

My Opinion:

It works very well for the aviation industry. I often leave my bag unattended at the aircraft for up to two hours at a time, and I try not to carry around any keys since they easily gets lost. But I have placed the sticker NFC tag behind my airport ID – Since I have to wear that at all times, and it works great.

I started out having mounted it on my suitcase, but as I was afraid it would break I switched it over to my carry on suitcase (Lufthansa Business Series bag) – I would not put it on my checked luggage until the item becomes thinner, because unlike most other people I use my luggage every single day, which means that the bags are thrown around by ground handlers and given the bulky design I am afraid that the item will be smashed at the apron.

However I did find that the ease of use in terms of the NFC tags, was amazing – Though I never got the app to function correctly, I found it hard to pair the lock with the phone (Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge). Maybe a better instruction would be nice, sort of a walkthrough guide to the app.

But I feel really blessed that you have let me try your product, I find it extremely intuitive and the best part is that it works. There are many good features that makes the product stand out and I would definitely not hesitate to buy one for my future bags.

But there is also a few things that I believe could be worked on:

• Better materials for the lock – The plastic seems a bit fragile and the zip extenders broke when assembled the first time, though when the lock is mounted it is rock solid and won’t come off.
• Better instructions for the phone app – Since a combo with the NFC tags and the phone is awesome.
• A thinner design for checked luggage locks.

The zipper extenders needs a redesign, since they are very wobbly and if the bag is not locked, and the zippers hang loose then it is just a matter of time before they get stuck in something and breaks because of their length and fragile build.”

--Nicolai Z., Pilot, Denmark

The “Safe” Suitcase

Español

“Al viajar por aire o por tierra, una de las preocupaciones de los viajeros es cuidar que sus pertenencias lleguen seguras al destino. Y qué manera más segura que un equipaje que requiere de tu huella digital para poder abrirse. Eso es lo que hace el eGeeTouch Smart NFC-Fingerprint Luggage Lock de la compañía Digipas USA, que presentó una línea de candados para maletas y equipaje que prometen dar mayor seguridad a los viajeros.

Este dispositivo sustituye los métodos de candados tradicionales para tus maletas (ya sea de llave o de combinación) por un simple toque de tu huella digital del dedo índice. Si lo prefieres, el sistema de huella puede ser sustituido por combinación que puedes activar a través de una aplicación en tu smartphone.

El sistema de seguridad para maletas te advertirá el movimiento de tu equipaje en todo momento, para que puedas saber si tus pertenencias están siendo trasladadas a un lugar que no deseas o conozcas.”

English

“When traveling by air or by land, one of the concerns of travelers is to take care that your belongings arrive safely to the destination. And what safer than luggage that requires your digital fingerprint to open. That is what makes the Smart eGeeTouch NFC-Fingerprint Lock Luggage Digipas USA company, which introduced a line of padlocks for suitcases and baggage that promise to give greater security to travelers.

This device replaces traditional methods locks for your bags (either key or combination) by a simple touch of your fingerprint of the index finger. If you prefer, the system can be replaced by footprint combination that can be activated via an application on your smartphone.

The security system will warn you pack your luggage moving at all times, so you can know if your belongings are being moved to a place you do not want or know.”

--Melva N., Tech Reporter, CNN Espanol, Spain

eGeeTouch Smart Luggage Lock Uses NFC To Secure Your Stuff

“Here’s a nifty little product that we spotted at CES Unveiled just now. Called the eGeeTouch smart luggage lock it will keep a suitcase securely locked without you having to deal with any keys or remember the combination. Instead the smart lock uses NFC technology to secure the luggage. This makes it able to figure out when you’re near so it can unlock automatically.

There are multiple reasons why the company went with NFC over Bluetooth. The fact that it’s based on proximity, can connect faster and uses a lot less power is why NFC has been chosen.

So how do you go about unlocking the eGeeTouch? Use the accompanying NFC key tag and the Android app. For those who use an iPhone or any other device that doesn’t allow developers to leverage NFC there’s an NFC sticker.

eGeeTouch says that its proprietary “Intelligent Encryption” technology ensures that a unique code is generated from 100 million possibilities so the lock doesn’t get opened by another NFC device that’s nearby.

--Adnan F., Tech Writer, ubergizmo, USA

Open Sesame

Deutsch

“Ideal für alle, die sich den Code auf dem Zahlenschloss ihres Reisekoffers nicht merken können. Die Idee hinter dem smarten Gepäckschloss Egee Touch: Trolleys und Koffer öffnen sich nur in Kombination mit dem richtigen Smartphone. Das reiselustige Gerät, welches einem James Bond-Film entstammen könnte, wurde auf der CES mit dem Innovation Award ausgezeichnet.”

English

“Ideal for all, when users cannot remember the code on the combination lock of their suitcase. The idea behind the smart luggage lock EgeeTouch: trolleys and suitcases open only in combination with the right smartphone. The avid travelers’ device which could come from a James Bond film, was honored at CES with the Innovation Award.”

--Michael E., Welterwunder, Germany

The padlock from the future you never knew you wanted.

“I needed a lock to use at the rock climbing gym. I didn't want to have to remember yet another code, and definitely didn't want to carry around a key while climbing, so I searched for something a bit more modern and found this guy. It uses NFC, which means I should be able to tap my phone to unlock it.

So, let's get the basics out of the way: It's uses NFC to unlock... which means you need a phone that has both NFC hardware and that gives apps access to that hardware. Sorry iPhone users, this isn't the padlock for you. Android users with high-end phones, you're in luck. Of course, if you don't want to use your phone, it does come with 3 standalone NFC tags, which also work -- and easily attach to a climbing harness.

The lock itself feels solidly built. It's not waterproof, but it could probably take a fair amount of abuse and still be okay. Supposedly there's a separate waterproof casing you can buy, but I couldn't find it. Aside from the NFC tap target, there's no other buttons. Just a slightly hidden USB port, useful as a backup power source if you let the battery completely die by mistake.

Unlocking using the included NFC tags works like a charm. You click the lock to wake it up, tap one of the disc-shaped tags, and it responds with a beep, green LED, and a satisfying "click" to let you know the shackle's unlocked. When you close it back up, it beeps again to let you know it's locked shut.

Unlocking with a phone is a little more tricky, if only because the lock's NFC antenna is a small target. Your phone's NFC antenna probably isn't where you think it is. On my Nexus 6, I found I had to hold the lock on the center-left side of the phone to get it to get a good read. Expect to spend the first 15 minutes after you unbox trying to find the perfect alignment. Don't get discouraged.

The only part of this that's a downside is the Android app. In addition to unlocking, it's used to authorize extra phones, register extra tags (any standard NFC tag will do, by the way), or download the access logs. Which is all great... when the app isn't crashing. Which it likes to do. A lot. I never got account registration to work (crashes), but you can skip that and things still work. I also managed to somehow corrupt the local settings for my lock, but deleting it and re-registering using the master password fixed it.

Just about the only thing that works reliably is unlocking, thankfully. So it's still usable, especially once you get past the setup process. Just make sure the app is actually open. For some reason it doesn't auto-launch the app for you, even though Android's NFC framework is totally capable of doing this.

Would I buy it again? Totally. Once you get past setup, it's solid, and the convenience is real. But I'm still hoping that somebody writes an open source replacement app that's a little less frustrating when it comes time to change any of settings.”

--Amazon Customer on Amazon.com, USA

Great Lock

“This is one of best smart locks I've seen. The little NFC fob is easy to use. The Android app to program the lock is not user friendly. The customer support needs some improvement, they don't answer their phone or call back when you leave a message. They will respond to emails, eventually. The little manual doesn't tell you how many different users can be programmed to the lock. I had to send bunch emails to find out that you can program up to twenty users on a lock. I was able to get twenty epoxy encapsulated tags from Go To Tags and program them to the lock, which performed flawlessly. I plan on purchasing more locks in the future.”

--Amazon Customer on Amazon.com, USA

Survey on Amazon Japan

日本語

当社のアマゾンでの調査によると、eGeeTouchスマート南京錠のご購入者の方々から当製品が新しく、簡単な操作性でいろいろな方法で解錠ができること、解錠履歴確認機能を評価していただいており、ご購入者の75％以上の方にご満足いただいています。また、ご購入者にはワンタッチ解錠機能、キーが不要な点、暗証番号を覚えなくて良い点、ダイヤル錠が不要な点やNFC通信機能等、今までになかったまったく新しい機能も評価いただいています。

English

“Our survey on Amazon shows that users buy eGeeTouch Smart Padlock because it is new, easy to use, able to unlock using multiple methods and its function of audit trail. 75% and more user finds it useful and are satisfied with their purchases. Users enjoys the benefit of one-touch unlocking, no need for key, no need to memorize code, no need to dial the digit wheel, NFC features, having access log, ease of use and a totally new lock and experience.”

--Amazon Customers on Amazon.co.jp, Japan