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Ankle bracelets, they aren’t just for criminals anymore

NEWS – Tampa Bay Monitoring out of Tampa Florida offers a monthly service that will let parents keep tabs on their teens by having them wear a trackable ankle bracelet just like the ones that people who are on house arrest might wear. No, I’m not kidding. Their service allows the choice of two different trackers. The buddi Insight bracelet shown above on the left offers what they call minimally intrusive GPS monitoring. The buddi tracker sends parents instant alerts when the tracker enters or leaves a set geographic zone and it will also send an alert in the event it loses communication, suspects tampering, or has been removed.

If you need something a bit more intense (their words), you can opt for the ReliAlert XC ankle bracelet which provides location info at all times. They even offer an optional, hardened steel encased security cuff for high-risk teens. Yikes.

I contacted Tampa Bay Monitoring to ask for more info on their service and didn’t get a lot of info from them. As soon as I told them I wanted to write a story about parents using these devices, they stopped responding to my emails when I asked for more details about how the service works. The only info they did offer is that the service is currently only available in the Tampa Bay Area and that it costs $8 – $10 daily depending on which bracelet is used. Note that parents don’t buy the bracelets, they are basically leased and they are only charged for daily usage.

Let me just say that I’m not a parent, so I don’t know what it’s like to raise kids or at-risk kids, but I really can’t imagine getting to the point where I’d make them wear an ankle bracelet. That just sounds terrifying for both the parent and the child. What do you think about it?

If you’re interested in more info about this service, you can visit tampabaymonitoring.com for more details.

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Ankle bracelets, they aren’t just for criminals anymore originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 26, 2018 at 10:00 am.

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Protect your medications or small valuables with the iKeyp smart, connected personal safe

NEWS – iKeyp was originally conceived as a small safe to protect your medications, but the designers quickly realized it could also protect your passport, jewelry, or other small valuables.  It’s sized to fit inside some deeper medicine cabinets, but you can use it on a shelf or in a drawer.  It’s also small enough to travel with you.

iKeyp is paired with an app, and it is WiFi-connected for security monitoring via the app.  You can unlock the iKeyp using the water-resistant keypad, through the app, or with the emergency key.  Using the app, you can even open the safe remotely if you need to give someone access to the contents.

The safe is constructed of a polycarbonate/ABS blend and metal.  It comes in two versions:  The Bolt (seen here), which is intended to be screwed into the wall or medicine cabinet, and the Pro (seen in previous image), with built-in retractable wings for increased portability and easy installation.  For extra security, the wings can only be retracted when the safe is opened.

The companion app monitors the safe and will alert your smartphone app if it detects a failed keypad attempt or unexpected movement.  When used to safeguard medications, you can also setup alarms to remind you of forgotten doses.

The iKeyp’s exterior measurements are 6″ x 12.8″ x 3.4″.  When the wings are fully extended on the Pro model, the width increases from 12.8″ to 22.6″.  Interior dimensions are 4.6″ x 8.4″ x 2.5″.  It’s powered by 4 AA batteries (not included).  Expected battery life is 4-6 months under normal usage, assuming being opened 2-3 times daily.

Both the Bolt and Pro models are $149.00.  The iKeyp Personal safe is available from The Grommet.

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Protect your medications or small valuables with the iKeyp smart, connected personal safe originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 2, 2018 at 10:00 am.

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eBlocker Family anonymous surfing gadget review


REVIEW – Whenever I surf the internet or go”window shopping” or even look up something specific online, I notice that shortly thereafter, the items that I viewed pop up as ads on other websites that I visit. I soon realized that the ads “follow me” as a marketing tool that companies customize based on my online viewing habits. Seeing this got me to start thinking about how much of my privacy and the privacy of my family is being compromised and wondering about what else “the eyes” on the internet are seeing and doing. This device promises to protect me and my family when online and to be effective enough to prevent any snooping. Let’s see!!

What is it?


The eBlocker is a small computer, running the proprietary eBlocker Operating System. The eBlocker only needs to be connected to your router and it automatically protects all devices in your network. There is no software to install other than SSL certificates as needed for HTTPS. Even your mobile devices are comprehensively protected.

What’s in the box


1 x eBlocker
1 x Power Adapter
1 x Ethernet Cable
4 x AC Plug Adapters
1 x Quick Start Guide
1 x License Card
1 x Feedback Card

Design and features

The eBlocker device is a small cube-like box that contains everything to perform its functions. Apart from the logo on the front side, there is an air vent and 2 USB ports, 1 ethernet port, one HDMI port (currently the manufacturer has not enabled this port for use), and the power port on the back.
Specifications

  • Processor: 1.2 GHz quad-core
  • Memory: 1 GB DDR3
  • Operating system: eBlockerOS 2
  • Usage: type 2 Watt, max. 10 Watt
  • Ethernet: 1 x Ethernet
  • 2 x USB 2.0
  • Weight: 153 g
  • Dimensions: 9 x 9 x 9 cm

    On the bottom of the eBlocker, there is the basic spec sticker that includes the serial number that you need to set up the device. There is also a mounting hole to mount the device to a wall.

Installation and performance

Connecting the eBlocker to your network is beyond simple. It just involves connecting power and the ethernet cable to a network port on your router or switch. My network includes several switches in different areas, and I just chose an available port on one.

After the hardware connections are done, you open a browser on any computer on the same network and go to http://setup.eblocker.com.

This link eventually takes you to a browser screen that provides you with a dashboard with all of the metrics for the computer that you are using and provides a conduit to another browser screen that provides the metrics for all of the devices connected to your network.

When I loaded the setup page, I was initially lost because the page is not in English, and there is no initial option for you to choose a language or to translate. The issue is resolved by right-clicking on the page and selecting translate. However, I would prefer a clear and present selection option.

Once translated into the language of choice, you follow the prompts which take you to a dashboard for the computer you are using. There are several configuration options to customize the dashboard and once set up, it presents the metrics associated with the network traffic and what is being blocked. It is difficult in a review to provide details of what information is available because of the amount of information available and the type of information available

In addition to the dashboard for the computer you are using, you can open another browser tab that shows metrics related to every device on the network.

When I connected the eBlocker, most of my devices continued to work as normal. However, some practical web pages were blocked and I had to pause the device and create exceptions for those web addresses. Some of the blocked pages are within an online University Portal and have the .edu domain. Also, initially when I wanted to pause the eBlocker effect on the laptop that was trying to get to the .edu page, I had a bit of a hard time because I did not see its IP address in the device list. Eventually, I used the search option on that eBlocker page and searched using the IP address and I found the laptop under a different IP address. I am assuming that the IP was being masked via the IP Anonymous function. I will confirm this as I spend more time with the device. I can see this becoming a more tedious process if many web pages are being blocked. In addition, I have close to a dozen different types of streaming devices on my network, and out of 4 Roku devices, the one connected wirelessly one seems to freeze and stop working once the eBlocker is connected. I have not yet been able to figure out why this happens. The other Roku devices are wired, and so far there has not been a problem with their connection. There is a large number of options and features available for the eBlocker. If you would like to get a better understanding and learn more about the features and possible customization, you can find the instruction manual here.

Here is a list of some of the main features/options/categories, and below the list is a small screenshot sample of some of the screens:
eBlocker Icon – this shows the eBlocker activity on each site and provides access to the control bar by clicking on the icon
Whitelist – This option allows you to disable eBlocker process on websites that you deem safe
Trackers – With this option you can see which trackers are being blocked on the web page
Ads – This is an Ad blocker option to see which ads are being blocked
Anon (IP Anonymous) – this hides your real IP-address
Device Cloaking – makes it seem like you are using a different device to provide you with even more privacy
Pause – Pauses the eBlocker on the device you are using for 5 minutes
Messages – Appears when there are system notifications or messages for you
Settings – Includes advanced setting like SSL support and network configuration settings










What I like

  • The size
  • The functionality
  • The lifetime license included with the Family device

What can be improved

  • Better software design so that additional information is available on the main screen for network devices
  • A language selection option on the first screen

Final thoughts

The concept of the eBlocker is great, and these days, we need to do all that we can to protect ourselves from the vulnerabilities we face when interacting electronically whether voluntarily or not. On a simple network with a couple of PCs and tablets, I can see the setup being very easy. My experience with it has been more complex, due to the number of and different types of network devices that are a part of my network. I feel very assured that this device does a great job at making your network presence mostly anonymous. It will take me some additional time to really get a sense of how to fully customize and take full advantage of the flexibility of the eBlocker, while still evaluating its ability to accommodate the unique challenges that some network devices and web pages can present. For now, I am giving it a conditional thumbs up, and I will follow up with an update if necessary and when I have spent quite a bit more time with it.

Price: $299
Where to buy: eBlocker.com and Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by eBlocker.

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eBlocker Family anonymous surfing gadget review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 7, 2018 at 9:30 am.

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Docfender fireproof bag protects your valuables

NEWS – There are a lot of fireproof safes on the market, but they are usually big, heavy, and decidedly not going to fit in your luggage.  The Docfender bag will fit in your luggage, so you can easily take your valuable documents when you travel, or when you have to “bug out”, like so many people recently did in my state of North Carolina.  This fireproof and water-resistant bag has a silicone-coated fiberglass exterior and an aluminum foil interior, which not only protects from heat – up to 932°F – but also repels water.

To ensure that your valuables stay inside, the Docfender closes with both a metal zipper and a Velcro closure.  At 15″ x 11″ x 2.5″, the bag is big enough to hold most document types.  The bag can also hold other valuables, like jewelry, money, or even a gun.

You can learn more about the Docfender Fireproof Document bag at the Docfender website and purchase one of your own for $18.66 at Amazon.

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Docfender fireproof bag protects your valuables originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 28, 2018 at 10:00 am.

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Stop opportunistic thieves with the Master Lock Personal Safe

NEWS – Do you ever place your phone, keys, or wallet on the table in the coffee shop or library?  Do you ever get distracted while reading or people watching?  If you do both simultaneously, you could find someone has snatched your personal items before you even notice.  With the Master Lock Personal Safe, you can secure your items to the table so they can’t be palmed quickly as someone walks by.

The Personal Safe is water-resistant, and the interior is lined in shock-absorbing foam, The case has an earbud or charging cable access port so you can listen to music or a charge device while it’s stored in the safe.  It’s locked closed with a 4-digit code you set yourself; it can be reset as often as you like.  The exterior measures 2.25″ x 9.5″ x 4.75″; the interior is 1.25″ x 8.13″ x 3.5″.  The included 19.7″ security cable stores around the safe until needed; you just wrap it around a table leg or the like to tether it in place.  

In addition to phones and wallets, the Personal Safe is big enough to hold a passport or even some medication bottles.  The safe is available in white, blue, gunmetal gray, or pink.  Prices start at $18.38 at Amazon.

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Stop opportunistic thieves with the Master Lock Personal Safe originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 2, 2018 at 8:00 am.

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