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Aftermarket Daily News 7 1 Friday, November 8, 2019 Changes in Lifestyle Means Changes in Security By Ashlee Campbell, Marketing Consultant, Alpha Guardian Lifestyles have changed. People are now choosing to live in shared spaces, condos or other multi-family housing arrange- ments, retirees are downsizing and young homeowners are embracing "tiny homes." These lifestyle changes have created a unique need for a secure place to store valuables, electronics and impor- tant documents that is unable to be met by traditional home safes. So, what has Stack-On done to meet this arising need? To answer that question, we sat down with Shelley Nehrt, Director of Product Categories for Alpha Guardian, to talk about the distinctive features of our new Total Defense Dual Home Safe. For starters, the new Dual Safe offers two separate secure storage com- partments; one compartment provides convenient, quick access to items used daily while the second area offers fire- proof storage for valuables and docu- ments used less frequently. "This new Dual Safe by Stack-On is the only safe on the market today that incorporates an external, auto open draw- er in the body of the safe," Nehrt said. "Other notable features include an inter- nal light in the auto open drawer, an alarm that sounds after three incorrect entries, factory installed door storage for better organization and a spacious, fully carpet- ed fireproof area with adjusted shelves." "The small footprint of the Dual Safe allows it to fit in a closet, bedroom or other location aligning with today's lifestyle trends. Available in two different sizes, 40 inches and 48 inches tall, the height of these safes provides a convenient drop off point for keys, wallets or other things typically carried in pockets or purses," Nehrt said. "The flexibility of the Dual Safe lends itself to people who need secure storage that works for them." Even after hearing about the innova- tive and beneficial features of the Dual Safe, you may still be asking yourself why anyone should consider safeguard- ing their valuables with a home safe. "Consider this: In 2016, there were over 750,000 burglaries in the U.S., with most lasting no more than 12 to 15 min- utes," said Nehrt, citing Pew Research Center. "In the past few years, sales of home security cameras, doorbell cameras and other security devices have explod- ed. But why stop at seeing who is breaking into your home? Wouldn't you prefer to have another layer of security that actually prevented an unwanted intruder from stealing what is most important to you?" In the end, it's all about peace of mind and knowing that your valuables are safe and secure from unwanted intrud- ers, friend or foe. As our lifestyles contin- ue to change, so must our attitudes on security. We no longer live in a time where your money, credit cards, electron- ics, jewelry or other valuables are safe, hidden away in your sock drawer or in a shoe box. To learn more about Stack-On products, or any other Alpha Guardian brand such as Cannon Safe and GunVault, visit www.stackon.com or www .alphaguardian.com. View Your Day, Your Way La Crosse Technology has taken the alarm clock to a whole new level. Not only do you get the traditional alarm and snooze functions with the new WiFi Projection Alarm Clock, you'll also be able to view and adjust numer- ous options as well. Some of the key features of this new projection alarm clock include the intuitive, soft touch buttons that allow quick and easy access to the features that matter most. Set custom snooze durations to best fit your routine, create one-touch nap timers and use the USB charging port to conveniently charge your mobile device. The built-in weather sensor lets you project indoor temperature and humidity right onto your ceiling, so you can make any necessary adjust- ments to create an optimal sleeping environment. The projection also cycles between time and temperature data to keep you informed. La Crosse Technology realizes life is busy, so let the WiFi Projection Alarm Clock go to work for you. Simply con- nect to the free La Crosse View™ app to get even more enhanced time and weath- er features. Once connected, you'll be able to easily monitor home conditions, set custom alerts, view weather history records and even share devices with fam- ily and friends – anytime, anywhere. Connecting your alarm will also improve its in-home function as well. La Crosse Technology has partnered with AccuWeather™ to deliver accurate weather data directly to your alarm's LCD display. Once con- nected to the La Crosse View app, your alarm will display the day's forecast- ed highs and lows, percent chance of precipitation, dynamic forecast icons and also allows you to post personal messages on your display, thanks to the powerful data stream technology. If none of the connected features sound interesting to you, no problem! The enhanced features are totally option- al and your alarm will function as a standalone unit without connecting to the app. It is important to note that some of the coolest features of this alarm come from its connected capability. While these connected features are great on their own, the true power of this clock lies in its ability to add any compatible La Crosse View add-on sensors. With or without the La Crosse View app, you'll have the option to expand your system with numerous sensors for a complete home monitor- ing solution. From true backyard wind, rain, tem- perature and humidity data, to indoor water leak detection and more, you'll be able to view this information right on your alarm's screen. The add-on sensor information is also viewable on the La Crosse View app, so you can set alerts and track trends on the go. La Crosse Technology – bringing you the information that matters most to you…anytime, anywhere. For more information, go to www .lacrossetechnology.com. Waterproof Electronics: A Fairy Tale? Once upon a time, it was commonly known that the only way your mobile phone could possibly survive being dropped in water was to immediately turn it off, remove the battery and then place the phone in a bowl of rice overnight to dry it out. Flash forward several years and "waterproof" phones are the new standard. How can a device with so many openings and fragile electrical compo- nents possibly be waterproof? Smartphone manufacturers use a variety of sealing techniques to make sure all potential points of least resistance are watertight. Sometimes sealing is as straight forward as strategically using glue in the connection ports or to secure the glass to the phone. Areas like the cable connectors may use rubber gaskets, while headphone jacks and charging ports use rubber rings to seal the enclo- sures. Smartphone buttons often have a silicon rubber boot to separate the button from the electrical contacts within the phone. On areas that need to keep water out but let air pass through, like micro- phones and speakers, manufacturers use a water-resistant breathable mesh fabric membrane to act as a pressure vent. Sometimes ports, like the charging port, can be protected from water electronical- ly by being made of corrosion resistant metals and programmed to automatically shut off when not in use. These seals all need to go through rigorous quality testing. The most important type of testing for the water- proofing process is leak testing. Waterproof smartphone manufacturers have dozens of leak testers, like ATEQ's F28 lite, throughout their production lines to test the phone at various points during the assembly process. As each port is added to the phone, it can be leak tested with a differential pressure decay leak tester. This technology pressurizes the part with compressed air and meas- ures the pressure drop, which would sig- nify the air leak rate in that port. Once the phone is completely assembled and the screen is secured, it can be leak test- ed with ATEQ's sealed component ingress leak testing method. By putting the completed sealed phone into an air- tight chamber, the chamber can be pres- surized with compressed air and the leak tester can measure if any air sinks into the phone. If a leak amount that is below the manufacturer-specified leak rate sinks in, the phone can be considered airtight enough to be classified as being "waterproof." So are waterproof phones really the fairy tale they seem to be? Depends on your fairy tale. There are limitations to the term "waterproof." Typically it means the phone can survive droplets of water and being gently submerged in a few feet of fresh water for a decent amount of time. Degrees of waterproof- ness vary depending on pressure and corrosive chemicals. So while you can now confidently finish emails in the rain, listen to podcasts in the shower and release your fears of the previously- treacherous toilet drop, don't plan on tweeting while scuba diving deep in the salty ocean. For more information, go to www .atequsa.com, call 734.838.3100 or email leaktestsales@atequsa.com. Save Power and Money with ReLamp LEDs The ReLamp LEDs are available in sizes for most common fresnels. In some fix- tures, the reflector should be unscrewed to make room for the LED. The ReLamp LEDs work on the same AC dimmers as halogen. The light looks just like tungsten halogen, but without the heat. It is also available in daylight. Both have very high quality color rendering. Regardless of how it is measured, the color looks right on all faces, makeup, wardrobe – just like the tried and true halogen. For a list price under $700, the ReLamp 1K is what most have been waiting for. It's certainly more than a halogen globe, but given the estimated 50,000 hour lifetime, one ReLamp LED compares to about $5,000 worth of halo- gen bulbs that would have to be pur- chased over that same 50,000 hours. A newsroom can now upgrade to LED with no downtime. The process of installing the ReLamp LEDs is only a few minutes per fixture. The look is seamless. It is easy to replace a few fix- tures or all of them, and preserve the look the halogen was providing. The focus and barn door cuts are equivalent. Best of all, it will save enough in power in the first year to pay for the upgrade. Learn more at www.visionsmith.com and www.bulbtronics.com.