Priced at US$295, the gadget’s real advantage - apart from being much less fiddly when you come back from a night out - is you can share access to your flat remotely. For instance, you could be in Moldova looking for a new wife but still send an SMS to your brother which lets him open the door using his phone. There’s an old school solution (leave the key under the mat) but it’s less secure and you need to plan in advance.

You can also send a message to your pals with the entry code for a party, which is particularly useful if you're hosting a rooftop bash. Apart from anything else, friends can use the bathroom downstairs without having to hand around keys. The same principle applies when you need to let in a maintenance man (you don’t have to be there which is invaluable) and there are obvious corporate benefits for managing access to your office. Although ‘locking in’ games could get out of hand come April 1.

Lock-On.