Luggage Lock? Yes, Yes!

When you are hoping to maximize your travel security, one of the most obvious places to start is with buying a lock. But how secure are luggage locks? The disturbing truth is that luggage locks are terribly insecure.

What does the insecurity of these locks mean for your luggage security? How does that affect the protection of your property? In order to investigate these issues, we will have to venture deep into the terrifying truth about luggage locks.

What security do TSA locks offer your luggage?
TSA locks are not secure. The shackles can be cut by most low-quality diagonal cutting pliers, the lock cylinders can be picked open with very little skill, and the schematics for the master keys have been revealed to the public. If you are using a TSA lock, you are getting the illusion of security.

The biggest benefit to using TSA locks is that the TSA can open your bag without having business lockout. This still might not keep your lock from being cut off, as many travelers report having TSA cut locks off regardless of having been TSA approved. But at least there is a chance that your insecure lock will not be broken open.

A TSA approved padlock is the next step up from a zip tie. It provides the same amount of initial security if you are worried about criminal tampering. However, a TSA lock can potentially be taken off and relocked on the bag, where a zip tie cannot be reattached once removed. With a TSA approved lock, after a lawful search, there is a chance that your luggage can maintain its same level of “security”.

1. The TSA Can Remove Any Luggage Lock Without Cause
If you are checking luggage, the TSA reserves the right to open your baggage by the means required to properly carry out the search. In case you have not received a “Notice Of Baggage Inspection” letter in your checked luggage, it reads as follows:

To Protect you and your fellow passengers, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is required by law to inspect all checked baggage. As part of this process, some bags are opened and physically inspected. Your bag was among those selected for physical inspection.

During the inspection, your bag and its contents may have been searched for prohibited items. At the completion of the inspection, the contents were returned to your bag.

If the TSA security officer was unable to open our bag for inspection because it was locked, the officer may have been forced to break the locks on your bag. TSA sincerely regrets having to do this, however TSA is not liable for the damage to your locks resulting from this necessary security precaution.

The note goes on to suggest that the recipient of the inspection notice refer to www.tsa.gov to find “packing tips and suggestions on how to secure your baggage during your next trip…” Is it ironic for a note telling you what you just read to recommend that you use better security next time you fly? It may seem that way, but the spirit in which it is intended is that locks are not security, knowing what is going to get your bag flagged is the security you need for avoiding TSA attention.

2. Every Luggage Lock Can Be Opened
It is true that every lock can be picked, even locks that have not been picked yet can still be opened. Opening methods that travel security professionals use are almost always destructive. There is no lock that exists that can withstand every type destructive entry method given an unlimited amount of time with the lock.

Not even the best padlocks in existence can hold up to the highest level of pressure that can be applied to them. Do not expect that your security can keep out any law enforcement. Even though you may be hoping to avoid criminally minded baggage checkers, they are within their right to open your luggage at all costs.

Though there are documented cases where strong enough security has been enough to have TSA give up on trying to open it. I don’t fully understand the implications of security that has law enforcement give up, but I would not expect to be the exception to the rule that if the opening of your bag a legally sanctioned it will be carried out.

In terms of criminal threats without the full force of the law behind them, your locks can still be opened. However, when it comes to standard criminals you have to consider every aspect of luggage security and not just the security of your luggage locks.

3. No Luggage Lock Can Protect a Zipper
Any luggage lock that is placed to secure a zipper is completely useless. Anyone with a ballpoint pen can puncture the zipper track (aka teeth). This gives anyone access to the contents of your bag in seconds. Once a person has rooted around in your belongings, they can then move the zipper’s pull tab over the open teeth and reseal the bag without any sign of entry.

If you have an anti-puncture zipper, then your zipper is safe, but a lock can never protect the zipper. When you want a lock to matter at all, you have to use luggage that has hasps, not a zipper. Hasps are common on hard shell cases, which are intended to protect the contents of the luggage.

It is also unlikely that you will end up with a bag that has an anti-puncture zipper if you do not go out of your way to purchase one. This feature is not common, in spite of the fact that the method of entry is extremely popular for criminals all over the world.

4. Your Bag Undermines the Security of a Luggage Lock
Security is not the main concern for standard baggage manufactures. Unless the luggage has been designed with security in mind, the lock you place on it is not going to matter much at all. Besides zipper protection, you have to be concerned about more brash criminals that will not care about surreptitiously or even covertly open your bag.

A very common method of entry that criminals will use is to cut your bag. You made need something like a Pelican case. With a light slice from a sharp knife, a thief now has access to everything in your luggage. Unless your bag can resist cutting, having a lock on your bag is not going to truly protect the property inside.

Most likely your bag is always going to be easier to break than an incredibly strong lock. It does not make sense to have an extremely powerful lock if the case it is securing is itself insecure. Be aware of the level of protection provided by the bag before you make any investment in a lock.

5. Built-in Luggage Locks Are Not Secure
Built In Luggage Lock

This is a guiding principle more than a hard and fast rule, but it is important to think about the fact that almost any piece of luggage you buy is not going to have high-security locks. This might be something that the case claims, but you need to know better than to believe the advertising.

Even if the brand of security being used is not notorious for manufacturing subpar locks, it might still be something cheap and ineffective. A lot of times locks on cases and luggage will claim to be high-security, but they are just using a novel lock type. Such lock types that are used as built-in luggage locks include tubular locks, cruciform locks, and disk detainer locks.

If a lock is poorly made, it does not matter what kind of internal components it has. Poorly made locks are not secure. They break easier because of the lower quality metal, and that means they can be broken open easier. Mass production required to place them on luggage also 24/7 car lock service very simple to the point where most of these locks can be opened with bypasses or improvised keys.

What is the best way to protect luggage?
As you may have learned from the article about protecting your beach bag, the best possible way to protect any luggage is to keep your eyes on it. This is not going to be possible at every point of your trip, especially if you have to check your bags. The important thing is to take advantage of the instances where you can watch over your property.

Your locks need to take as long to open without permission as the average time you will leave them unmonitored. As has already been established, flying in the United States will be the exception to this rule. Law enforcement will have too much time with your luggage, and they will have the authority to open the lock. But for deterring criminals, this type of security assessment is a must.

Final Thoughts
It doesn’t matter if you are in one of the most dangerous countries in the world, or you are sleeping over at a friends house in the next town over, when you have luggage, you will attract the attention of criminals. Luggage locks are not going to do much to protect your bag. You need to consider a lot more than just luggage locks.

Yeti Zero solar generators: 150, 400 and 1250 model reviews

If you are going camping and you can’t do without you electronic devices, the Goal Zero Yeti 150 Solar Generator is the solution for you. This fuel –free solar generator is powerful enough to provide the needed energy for camping or emergency situations. Also this plug-and-play, gas-free mini powerhouse, the Goal Zero Yeti 150 solar generator gives you the portable power to keep your lights, phones and laptops juiced up when the power is down. There are three ways of charging the first one being of course from the Sun, which takes roughly 11-22 hours with the recommended Boulder 30Solar panel. The second way of charging is from the wall (AC Inverter included), which takes about 6 hours and the third one is from your car using 12V port, which takes about 8 hours. Common devices that Yeti 150 powers include Smartphones, MP3 Players, Digital Cameras, E-readers, tablets, Goal Zero Lights, Car Adapters, Laptops, DSLR Cameras, CPAP, Display Monitors, etc. It is important to know that it takes the same amount of time to charge your device from a Goal Zero power pack as it does from the wall.
What’s in the box?

When you open your package, inside you will find a brand new Goal Zero Yeti 150 power pack with a wall charger and a 4.7mm to 8.0mm Legacy Nomad Panel Adapter. If there are these three things, you are good to go.
Dimensions and specific features

When we are talking about design, Yeti 150 Solar Generator is a great winner. It looks very attractive with a beautiful mix of green, silver and black. You could easily match it with Nike LeBron sneakers and be a modern camper. It weighs only 5.4kg or 12 pounds and you have a handle for carrying your new travel friend. The dimensions are 7.8 x 6.8 x 5.8 inches.

Under the hood, Yeti 150 Generator packs a 150Wh, 14,000mAh sealed lead-acid battery unit (AGM). An AGM battery is the same stuff you can find in your car, which is a kind of battery that should be kept full all times, and if you don’t drain the battery, it will last longer. Lead acid battery features 168 watt-hours (12V, 14Ah) capacity, hundreds of cycles, three-month shelf life, no fuses and built-in charging/low-battery protection. It is also crucial to know that the generator operates in temperatures ranging from 32° to 104° F (0° to 40° C). When it comes to charging, Goal Zero offers a variety of solar panels, depending on the capacity of the modules, and you have the option of picking the one best for your needs. Well, in my case, this depended on the amount of money I had in my pocket.

Let’s talk about it

I personally love the product! It does exactly what it says it will do, can’t ask for more than that! The Yeti 150 has been the one product that has at one point probably powered everything I take on a trip, and that is not a small number of devices! Of course when I bought it I tested it, will it charge my devices like advertised. The answer is YES! I can’t comment on if it will do an iPad 6 times like they claim, but it has charged my iPad twice along with running a 12v fan for 4 hours (.75Ah draw) and still had some in the bank.

iRobot Roomba 980 review

Though most automated vacuum cleaners are happy to bounce around your rooms, bumping into furniture like a drunk sleepwalker, IROBOT ROOMBA 980 is leading the pack in terms of vacuum intelligence.

Armed with a number of iAdapt 2.0 navigation sensors and iRobot’s proprietary visual simultaneous localisation and mapping technology (or vSLAM for short), the Roomba 980 impressed greatly when it was released in the US and UK late last year. Now, iRobot’s most advanced vacuum cleaner to date has finally arrived on Australian shores.

As packed as it is with high tech features, including newly-added iOS and Android app control and Wi-Fi connectivity, the Roomba 980’s increased functionality over previous models does bring with it a hefty price tag – one that may realistically make the unit inaccessible for many users.

That said, we’re convinced that the iRobot Roomba 980 offers enough robotic wizardry and technological advancements to make it a viable purchase for those who can afford it, or an utterly magnificent gift that’ll likely make you the favourite son or daughter in your family.
The set up

Right out of the box, it’s possible to have the Roomba 980 up and running in a matter of minutes. Once you’ve plugged your Home Base docking station’s power cord into a wall socket, all you have to do is remove the battery pull tab and yellow bin insert from the Roomba’s undercarriage, press the clearly marked ‘Clean’ button in top of the unit, and your automated vacuum will start cleaning your home immediately.

Press the unit’s ‘Home’ button, and the Roomba 980 will stop everything and, in one of its most impressive acts of futuristic awesomeness, automatically guide itself over to its charging station like it’s following a homing beacon. It’ll also do this when it’s running low on battery or if its bin is full.

Now Is the Time to Think About Your Small-Business Succession Plan

More than 50 percent of all small-business owners are 50 or older, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration. That means many of America’s 28 million small-business owners are coming to that point in their lives when they need to think about a transition for their businesses.

A survey earlier this year by CNBC and the Financial Planning Association found that while 78 percent of small-business owners intend to sell their businesses to fund their retirements, fewer than 30 percent have a written succession plan. That’s not a recipe for success.

4 Ways to Build the Mental Fortitude Needed to Transition From Your Business

Baby boomers are exiting their businesses at an unprecedented rate. In the next 10 years, approximately $13 trillion will pass hands as businesses transition from one generation of owners to the next.

The staggering exchange of wealth is a result of business owners acting on the big succession question: "What's next?" Those at the helm of family and closely-held businesses are rapidly determining how to transition their businesses.

Is selling the answer? Half of the 20 million family and closely-held businesses will face a decision on how to exit. And, of those who have sold, a whopping 75 percent report being unhappy about their decision a year after the sale. Why? Their plans for retirement fell flat. The buy-out agreement didn’t pan out as planned. Valued employees were left without jobs. The legacy didn't continue as they hoped.

After a lifetime of operation, owners of middle market companies deserve to end as strong as they started. After all, the middle market employs 60 percent of the U.S. population, stabilizes our communities and fuels our economy. It is important for business owners to look back on the choices they made to transition their business and feel good. Looking forward, business owners should be poised to achieve and find meaning in whatever they decide to do next.

Here are four strategies that help business owners develop the mental fortitude necessary to make a strong transition:

The 6 Types of Buyers for Your Business

There is a reason it’s called exit planning -- the steps involved in determining how to ultimately leave the company you’ve built require careful thought, deliberate consideration, and plenty of time.

There are many directions you can take in the sale of a company, and considering who you’ll eventually find at the other side of the negotiation table is one of the most important things to understand as you get started down the path to an exit.

There are six common buyers you will likely encounter as you market a business for sale. As each have differing priorities and represent unique outcomes for the business, educating yourself on each buyer type is one of the first steps in beginning to plan the sale of your company.