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Build Your Own Electronic Key Card Lock

Posted by michael on from the friday-night-build-your-own-series-continues dept.

edBX writes "GideonTech.com has a new guide up on how to make your own electronic lock using a key card. Built using a phototransistor, infrared-emitting diode and a few ICs, they are able to turn on their computer using a punched out phone card."

3 of 168 comments (clear)

  1. Security by Semiobscurity by the_other_one · · Score: 3, Insightful

    This device will keep the power switch safe
    from anybody that does not understand electricity.
    Anybody else can bypass the unit with a handy
    suitably reshapable piece of conductive material.
    Probably a piece of wire would do.
    Those whom the computer is protected against
    are probably not a threat.

    --
    134340: I am not a number. I am a free planet!
  2. Or you could by structuredlynx · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Why not just use a BIOS password. There are way more than 255 possible passowrds. If someone can figure out how to open the case and reset the bios, they can figure out how to connect 2 wires to bypass that device. A bios password is cheaper and more reliable.

  3. Personally... by LnxAddct · · Score: 3, Insightful

    This isnt all that great of a security measure, however its good to see slashdot posting home project kind of things again. I dont know if its just me, but there haven't been many lately and I like to see what people are up to and building, its a lot better than all of this legal and corporate stuff thats been taking over my monitor. Not that I dont love my SCO fix, or yey some senator is in favor of open source, but hey even though our interests are getting lots of press now, we can't forget things like this. I don't know if anyone else agrees, but thats how I feel.
    Cheers,
    Steve