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Comment by nextstep | Hacker News Reader

Maybe this lock will have a physical key as well for just this scenario? Lockitron has that fallback option in the event that the electronics aren't working.

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What's the point then? Honest question.

My U-Lock key is on my key chain, which is in my pocket. It takes more effort to take out my phone, unlock it, and open the BitLock app.

If you read the site, it says that it senses when you are close by and unlocks it automatically. You won't have to take out your phone.

I did read that, but I would never use that feature. I need peace of mind knowing that my bike isn't going to unlock if I happen to walk by it or if I'm merely nearby.

Nothing happens until you interact with the lock. So it won't automatically lock and unlock. You have to press a button on the lock to lock/unlock.

Which is even better than what happens when I unlock my Toyota by accident. If I don't open the door within 30 seconds, it locks back up.

The problem is if you're standing next to your bike and a thief presses a button on the lock.

Ouch, my bike locks are always under tension. If I walk past and it unlocks, that means I can't walk past my bike without locking it again!

Imagine there's a button instead of the key hole. press it once = open, press it again = close. If you are out of range, press it = nothing happens.

The lock just does't pop.

Agreed. I'd rather have a battery powered bike lock that reads my thumbprint to unlock.

you don't have to touch your phone to lock and unlock. as long as the app is running, you only interaction with the lock. you can leave your phone in your pocket. Also, with the new features on IO7, you don't even have to keep the app running.

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