KeyMe Stores Your Keys in the Cloud
KeyMe is an innovative solution to an age old problem: Losing your keys. Go ahead and admit it, we’ve all lost our keys at some point in the past. Losing the keys to your home or automobile is one of life’s biggest headaches.
KeyMe is a solution that allows you to use the cloud to store a 3D copy of your keys. Let’s say you lose your keys; you can easily use KeyMe to retrieve a copy of your keys being hosted in the cloud. Since you know exactly what your key looks like, you can have your lost key reproduced. The KeyMe app allows you to retrieve your keys using one of two methods. You can request that a copy be mailed to you or you could visit one of KeyMe’s automated kiosks and have your key reprinted in under 60 seconds.
KeyMe is already making headway as the company has successfully placed over 2 dozen KeyMe kiosks. These kiosks are setup in the New York City area however CNET reports that KeyMe kiosks have popped up in Florida, Arizona, Arkansas and California. KeyMe works under the premise that retrieving copies of your keys from the cloud is cheaper than contracting a locksmith. KeyMe is an excellent solution for those who are cognizant of the fact that they may need a backup set of keys in the future.
KeyMe requires users who send in pictures of their keys to send a picture showing both sides. KeyMe requires you to place a white sheet of paper behind the each side of the keys. One of the reasons KeyMe made this process so difficult is to protect against fraud. The idea is that by going through all of this detail, you would be able to prevent someone from quickly grabbing your keys, going to a scanner and returning your keys within 60 seconds.
By asking users to send detailed pictures of their keys, KeyMe adds an extra layer of security to the process. KeyMe is currently available for iOS. The developers are currently working on an Android app. The most obvious question about this service is, couldn’t KeyMe be used to commit a crime? Michael Harbolt, VP of KeyMe answers, “We’ve made hundreds of thousands of keys; We haven’t had one instance of our keys being used in a crime.”
