keys
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Fingernail Polish Keeps Your Keys Easily Identifiable
2:30AM sarahrae | It seems the older we get, the more keys our life seems to require. If your key ring is starting to resemble the one cleaners carry around, try this quick tip to keep them organised and easy to find with fingernail polish. More »
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3:30PM Angus Kidman | Losing your car keys is a nuisance, but leaving them behind in Europe is potentially worse. That was the experience for Lifehacker reader Mark, but the story turned out to have a happy ending, as he recounts:
I recently came back from Europe after a three-week holiday. When I got home, I realised that I hadn’t brought my car keys with me and instead had left them overseas with my girlfriend. As my girlfriend doesn’t return for another week, I considered my options (taxi/public transport everywhere/hire a car). Recalling a story that I read recently that keys just represent number codes and can be cloned from a photo (after reconstruction with a computer); I asked my girlfriend to email me a scan of the car key to see if I could get someone to cut it. I rang a few locksmiths, most of who confidently told me that what I was asking for was impossible and that I would need to replace the locks. One guy, however, said to bring the image and he would see. I took my laptop along and showed the guy the image. To my satisfaction, he was able to read all but one of the numbers from the key ridges/dips with confidence. He then asked the make and model of the car and was able to cross-reference the number he had generated off the image with a database of known keys ( I didn’t know such a thing existed). As one of the numbers was uncertain, he tried a few options and one of them came up as a match. He was then able to cut a key from the computer which worked first try. The cost? $29 dollars. A good life hack I think! Obviously, this applies to older model cars that have a simple key with no specialised electronics.
If you have found yourself in this scenario, and have the patience to find a co-operative locksmith, this could well get you out of trouble. Thanks Mark! More »
Get Keys Cut From A Photograph In An Emergency
3:30PM Angus Kidman | Losing your car keys is a nuisance, but leaving them behind in Europe is potentially worse. That was the experience for Lifehacker reader Mark, but the story turned out to have a happy ending, as he recounts:
I recently came back from Europe after a three-week holiday. When I got home, I realised that I hadn’t brought my car keys with me and instead had left them overseas with my girlfriend. As my girlfriend doesn’t return for another week, I considered my options (taxi/public transport everywhere/hire a car). Recalling a story that I read recently that keys just represent number codes and can be cloned from a photo (after reconstruction with a computer); I asked my girlfriend to email me a scan of the car key to see if I could get someone to cut it. I rang a few locksmiths, most of who confidently told me that what I was asking for was impossible and that I would need to replace the locks. One guy, however, said to bring the image and he would see. I took my laptop along and showed the guy the image. To my satisfaction, he was able to read all but one of the numbers from the key ridges/dips with confidence. He then asked the make and model of the car and was able to cross-reference the number he had generated off the image with a database of known keys ( I didn’t know such a thing existed). As one of the numbers was uncertain, he tried a few options and one of them came up as a match. He was then able to cut a key from the computer which worked first try. The cost? $29 dollars. A good life hack I think! Obviously, this applies to older model cars that have a simple key with no specialised electronics.
If you have found yourself in this scenario, and have the patience to find a co-operative locksmith, this could well get you out of trouble. Thanks Mark! More » 
