Oral B Vibrating Flosser repurposed as automatic lockpick.
Posted by Michael Santarcangelo on January 11, 2006 · Leave a Comment 
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This is a discussion of how to turn an Oral B vibrating flosser into a lockpick which can, apparently, open most common padlocks in mere seconds: http://www.inventgeek.com/Projects/lockpick/lockpick.aspx
I feel this story stands as a testament to the overall attention people need to be paying to their environment. The questions to be asking, of everything you encounter, are, “How does this put me or my users at risk?”, “Is this a threat to my privacy?”, “How can I make this more secure without affecting its usability?”, and “Is this secured as well as it can be?”
As more and more of the equipment around us becomes “intelligent,” and “connected,” these questions become more and more significant. It may not concern you now that a hacker might eventually be able to tell, from RFID and IP connectivity, how old the milk is in your refrigerator, but, as part of a larger pattern, it may be important in a way that’s difficult to perceive right now.
Keeping these questions in the back of your mind at all times will help to stave off a future that may, nevertheless, be inevitable, but that I, for one, would like to see forestalled as long as possible.
Michael connects with people, shifts their thinking and creates situations where individuals are naturally inspired to change their behaviors. As a bridge between technology and the user experience, Michael focuses on the positive – acknowledging the good work of the users, amplifying their actions and revealing to them they have the power – and the responsibility – to act to protect information. With wit and clarity, he freely shares unique insights, innovative approaches and effective solutions that are informed by both experience and research.
