Gadgetwise Blog: A Padlock People Might Want to Steal

You don’t often – or ever – see the words “combination lock” and “cool” in the same sentence, so prepare for a first: the Master Lock 1500eDBX DialSpeed is one cool combination lock.

Master Lock’s 1500eDBX DialSpeed replaces a spinning dial with a touchpad.

The eye catcher is its electronic touch pad face, which takes the place of a spinning dial. It unlocks when you tap up, down, left and right arrows that correspond to letters and numbers.

The lock does some things ordinary padlocks can’t. For instance, it can hold four combinations, one master combination and three guest combinations. (You need to know the master combination to reset the others, but the master combination can also be initially set to one that is easy for the owner to remember.)

But it can’t do what many ordinary combination locks can, and that is be used outdoors. The 1500eDBX isn’t weatherproof.

The lock is available in a black or white case for $25 online from Master Lock.

The combination is flexible. You determine how many taps it needs to open, from a minimum of four to a maximum of 12. Letters and numbers at the four positions of the dial to help you recall your pattern.

When you punch in the right code, the center of the dial lights green, and you are rewarded with a satisfying click as the shackle unlatches, and the arrows on the face light up in sequence as if taking a victory lap.

To make sure you don’t forget the combination, Master Lock includes access to an online service called Vault, which lets you store your combinations in an encrypted file.

Master Lock said the battery for the lock should last five years in normal use, but there is a system for opening it with a second battery even if the main one dies.