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July 16, 2005
Staples Wordlock
Kevin Kelly of Cool Tools writes:
- Why didn't we think of this earlier?
A lock with a password.
Much easier to remember.
Because there are only 10 letters per ring, you are limited to a mere 1,000 dictionary words and names.
I could not program my usual password, or my favorite names, but I did code in a memorable nonsense word, of which many abound.
The mechanism has the heft of your standard gym locker lock.
From the website:
• Easy–to–use, easy–to–remember combination lock.
• Choose your combination from over 1,000 four– or five–letter words — anything from ALIEN and CHILI to SALSA and SARAH
• You can reset the combination at any time
• Instructions and sample word list inside
• Secure and durable, for indoor or outdoor use
$5.98 here.
[via Kevin Kelly's Cool Tools]
**************************
Note added 6:41 a.m. Tuesday, July 19:
Yesterday this post was featured on engadget, which pointed out that there are 100,000 (10 to the 5th = 100,000) possible letter combinations.
True.
The 1,000 alluded to by me, Kevin Kelly and the Staples website, in our respective descriptions, refers to the "sample word list" that comes with the WordLock.
July 16, 2005 at 01:01 PM | Permalink
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» WordLock from MetaEfficient
It's a lock with a password — something easier to remember. Because there are only 10 letters per ring, you are limited to a mere 1,000 dictionary words and names, anything from ALIEN and CHILI to SALSA and SARAH. The... [Read More]
Tracked on Jul 17, 2005 1:59:39 PM
» WordLock from MetaEfficient
It's a lock with a password — instead of a number. Because there are only 10 letters per ring, you are limited to a mere 1,000 dictionary words and names, anything from ALIEN and CHILI to SALSA and SARAH. The... [Read More]
Tracked on Jul 17, 2005 2:00:15 PM
Comments
it doesn't need to be actual words either... a typical military level successful password uses a whole phrase, like "the quick brown fox jumped" = T-Q-B-F-J, so all combinations of letters could be used. Wordlock's website is at www.wordlock.com -- the customer service was very nice!
There is a Staples 4-letter WORDLOCK notebook laptop word lock also! It might be discontinued because trying to set this one is a pain! Default code is BEST and contact Staples for support: 1-800-425-0049
Posted by: hendu | Oct 21, 2008 2:41:57 PM
Definitely a cool product. In reference to the geocities website posted above...
A few years ago I met the fellow who developed the wordlock and won the Staples contest (and subsequently licensed it to them.) The novel, patentable aspect of his work was the software algorithm used to determine the mapping of the letters (their frequency of occurrence and their positions on the rings) for the lock, optimizing and ensuring that plenty of unique words and combinations could be made from what letters were provided. The prior art provided by the geocities website author doesn't touch on this, and his understanding of the product appears to be limited to the usage of letters instead of numbers for positioning the tumblers. A little bitter that his invention wasn't in the contest I suppose...
Posted by: johnjohn | Feb 19, 2008 11:26:31 PM
I just found this site:
www.geocities.com/whatsthebiginvention/
Posted by: Evelyn Katz | Feb 19, 2008 6:06:42 PM
This lock is really a great new product.
There are really 100,000 letter combinations and like license plates people make up all kinds of non-words that are easy for them to remember.
Words like SLEESE, JOCKO, etc.
This lock can also be created in different languages. A very kool new product.
Posted by: Nancy Morano | Jul 19, 2005 4:34:12 PM
