The Ellipse smart bike lock aims to secure your bike like Fort Knox
Lattis announced a smart bike lock that is solar powered, keyless and can even detect if you've been in a crash.
- Patrick's play The Cowboy is included in the Best American Short Plays 2011-12 anthology. He co-wrote and starred in the short film Baden Krunk that won the Best Wisconsin Short Film award at the Milwaukee Short Film Festival.
If you have ever had a bike stolen, you know how much it sucks. Well Lattis, a San Francisco-based company, is hoping to give your bike a major security upgrade. At the Mirage hotel in Las Vegas during CES 2017, the company announced its Ellipse smart bike lock, which aims to secure your bike like an armored car.
The Ellipse sports military grade construction, including a dual-locking mechanism to secure both sides. Lattis claims it is one of the strongest locks on the market.
But the security doesn't stop there. Inside is an accelerometer, Bluetooth and a battery. This allows the lock to detect its location and notify you if someone tries to break into it.
On the exterior of the lock is a solar panel that recharges the batteries (though it also has a built-in micro-USB port for those living in less sunny areas like Seattle.) Just one hour of sunlight gives the Ellipse enough power for a week.
But the Ellipse has few more tricks up its hardened steel sleeve. There is a crash alert feature that can alert chosen friends if you are ever in a crash and unable to respond.
The Ellipse also has keyless entry, which is not only convenient for owners, but allows access to be granted to friends for bike sharing. In fact, it seems that Lattis' larger aim is to enable more bike sharing programs through use of the Ellipse lock as well as its soon-to-be-a-reality bike sharing program.
The Ellipse smart bike lock will cost $199 (which converts to £160 and AU$270). It will be available to purchase at the end of the month.