Page 29 - Stuff - September 2017 UK

H O T S T U F F

WTF IS

SONNET?

I think I’ve seen one of these used in
a game of hexagonal hockey.
You’re thinking of the pointy puck. While
this disc does bear a passing resemblance,
Clever keeper it’s more about sticking with you than
MASTER LOCK SELECT ACCESS SMART being hit with a stick. Ever been at a festival
with a 4G connection, only to find you can’t
“Cripes,” you’ll say. “That rascal burglar’s gone and found the special do anything online? It’s a common problem
stone that guards my spare key! Now he’s had my porcelain hedgehog and it’s caused by the way traditional mobile
collection!” If only you’d opted for Master Lock’s Bluetooth box for networks work – like you and five of your
your key storage. This handy holder can be opened with the usual housemates crowding around the tap all
keypad code like your average secure box – or you can give remote trying to get water at the same time.
access to visiting pals (or Airbnb guests) via the eLocks app on your
smartphone. You’ll get notifications when people come and go, I’ve actually got quite a big sink.
while the sturdy zinc construction promises to keep even master Bet you don’t have a big aerial mast,
criminals at bay. There’s not too much it can do about getting though. In any case, Sonnet does things
those hedgehogs back, though. differently. This Kickstarter-funded lump
£179 / masterlock.eu uses a process called crowdconnecting
to deliver data and reception, even when
you’re in the back of beyond. Connect your
smartphone to the weatherproof puck via
Wi-Fi and Sonnet becomes a signal base
station. Users can then connect securely
using their own Sonnet from up to 5km
away – a distance achieved through the
use of low-frequency, long-range radio
waves, much like the humble walkie-talkie.
So I can fire up my old CB radio?
Not quite, but if you’ve mates with an array
of Sonnets you could end up with a mesh
network that allows you to connect no
matter where in the world you are – and to
relay data much further, using each Sonnet
as a range-extender. Bandwidth is limited,
so you probably won’t be watching Game
of Thrones in Nepal – but with enough
Sonnets it should deliver sufficient signal
Weigh to go, Dad to text your mum or, you know, call for help.
NOKIA BODY I won’t be able to study for my
geography exam, then?
“Cripes,” your dad’ll say. “Nokia’s made some strange phones in its On the contrary, offline maps are built in
time but this one takes the biscuit!” In fact, this could be the ultimate for geo-location, as well as an SOS mode
dad gift: a set of £60 smart scales. The Body, one of the first results that pings your co-ordinates to all nearby
of Nokia’s gobbling up of Withings, shows you weight trends over time, Sonnet users. Worried that your off-grid
as well as providing Body Mass Index analysis. Sure, it doesn’t have gurning is being routed through a ruffian’s
the fancy heart-rate monitoring of its Body Cardio sibling (£150), but phone? All messages besides distress calls
it does work with the excellent Nokia Health Mate app to provide are end-to-end encrypted, so you needn’t
some personalised weight-loss coaching. Which means it could quite worry about your wilderness snaps falling
literally take away Dad’s biscuits. into the wrong hands.
£60 / health.nokia.com

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