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C o n s u m e r E l e c t ro n i c s D a i l y N e ws Th u r s d a y, J a n u a r y 8 , 2 0 1 5 1 4 CHARGEPOINT: TRANSFORMING TRANSPORTATION The auto industry hasn't seen a lot of change, but with the recent success of elec- tric vehicles (EVs), the car industry is evolving, and quickly. EV sales are increas- ing every month and estimates say there will be 3.2 million on the road by 2020. The first question that comes into everyone's mind when they think about driving an EV is "Where will I charge?" ChargePoint is solving that piece of the puzzle. ChargePoint was founded in 2007, and has raised nearly $114 million. Its investors include Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers (KPCB), Braemar Energy Ventures, Siemens Venture Capital GmbH, Constellation Technology Ventures (the VC arm of Excelon Corporation), Voyager Capital, BMW and Rho Ventures. ChargePoint has built the largest net- work of EV charging, with over 20,000 spots. These stations are independently owned and are located pretty much any- where with a parking lot – your work- place, local grocery store, university, etc. Through ChargePoint's cloud servic- es, station owners have the freedom to set things like pricing and control access to their stations. This customization means EV charging can easily become a valuable add on to any business model. Station owners can offer free charging, set differ- ent prices for employees or preferred cus- tomers, charge extra for a valued amenity and much more. When there is a price to use a station, the driver pays the station owner, but more than half of ChargePoint's spots are completely free to use. Most of ChargePoint's stations are level 2 – meaning they have a universal connector for all cars (Tesla drivers can use an adapter provided with the car) and give an EV about 20 miles per hour of charging. While you're on a longer trip you'll likely come across one of ChargePoint's DC fast chargers, or as they call them, Express charging locations. These can give you 150 miles per hour of charging. Not all cars have fast charging capabili- ties and depending on the automaker there's a different connector. There's SAE Combo for cars like BMW and Volkswagen and CHAdeMO for Kia and Nissan. Most of the time, ChargePoint's Express charging locations have both connectors to serve all drivers. Not only is ChargePoint on the road, you'll also see them in your car and in your phone. ChargePoint provides a host of free services to drivers including a free membership card and mobile app, and they have partnered with most major automakers. By the way, that number – 20,000 charging locations – doesn't include stations at single-family homes. In fact, ChargePoint is at the 2015 International CES ® to unveil its newest technology – ChargePoint Home, an advanced, networked home EV charg- ing station. This station will give the average EV about 25 miles per hour of charging and is completely integrated with your smart phone and if you own one, your Nest. With record sales every month, it's safe to assume you'll start seeing more and more EVs and with that growth, more ChargePoint stations across the country. Visit ChargePoint at booth #2815. SECURAM INTRODUCES EMP-PROOF SAFE LOCK WITH BLUETOOTH For years now, safe owners have postu- lated about which is better – an electron- ic lock or a mechanical lock. Today, SecuRam announces that the verdict is in: the best safe lock is the SafeLogic Xtreme. The Xtreme series is both mechanical and elec- tronic. Yes, you read that right; it is both an electronic lock and a three wheel spin dial mechanical lock – All- in-One. Xtreme gives you the conven- ience and fast access of an electronic lock, plus the protection and precision of a mechanical lock. For everyday use, enter the code on the digital touchpad. It's fast and easy. But in Xtreme situations, just dial the three wheel combination and you're in! No matter what happens, you are getting your safe open. So what is an Xtreme situation? What if your battery is dead or maybe a wire got damaged and you need to get in your safe immediately? Or maybe worse – if there is one question we field regularly here at SecuRam, it is: "Are your locks EMP- proof?" EMP stands for ElectroMagnetic Pulse, and deals with the concern that a major electrical event or attack could ren- der electronic systems inoperable. Now SecuRam can answer very defin- itively: yes. In an extreme event like an EMP blast, no matter what the effect on the electronic com- ponents of your safe lock, you can always dial the combo to open your safe. The SafeLogic Xtreme is completely retrofittable. Provided your safe uses a stan- dard safe lock footprint (90 percent of safes use a standard footprint lock), you are good to go. A locksmith can easily replace your mechanical or electronic safe lock quickly and easily. SecuRam goes one step further for those safe owners who like living in a connected world by adding Bluetooth connectivity. Using the easy to use smart- phone app, you can open and manage your safe from a smartphone – including receiving alerts and audit information. So which is better, a mechanical lock or an electronic lock? The answer is clear: SafeLogic Xtreme by SecuRam Systems Inc. Visit SecuRam at booth #71428. NEVER LOSE YOUR DIGITAL DEVICE AGAIN By Patsi Peterson, President and CEO, Frog's Tung LLC. Everybody cares about their phones, and keeping them safe is a big concern. When you are shopping at the 2015 International CES ® this year, be sure to take a look at the Frog's Tung Gadget Tether. These tethers keep track of phones, tablets, readers, sports gear and more, whatever you want to protect from drops, theft and loss. The Frog's Tung Gadget Tether fits any brand or style of phone, from the newest model smart phone to a basic starter phone. The adhesive pad fits under most digital acces- sory cases and makes it easy for you to keep the phone attached to your pocket, purse, backpack, briefcase, belt loop or around your neck. Frog's Tung LLC produces tethers for electronic devices in three models: a retractable 30-inch reel, a tactical military grade curly cable and a lanyard, all of which can be seen on the company's website, www.frogstung.com. Whether you have an active lifestyle or you consistently have to dig in your purse or briefcase for your phone, you will find Frog's Tung Gadget Tether will help you keep track of your phone. Sportsmen/women find The Frog's Tung especially useful for keeping track of gear such as fly boxes, spotting scopes, GPS units and cameras. If you are a skier or a boarder, you can use the Frog's Tung as a way to keep phones out of the snow and ready for contact with fellow skiers or for that shot of the mountain, for video at the Training Park and for group selfies. We all know that mishaps with phones can become costly for businesses. With Frog's Tung you can eliminate the hours it takes to reload information, the days it takes to replace a device, and worst of all, the loss of productive time. The Frog's Tung gives you an excel- lent return for a minimal investment. The packaging for the Frog's Tung takes up minimum display space using a hanging display or shelf or counter space. Find out more about Frog's Tung at www.frogstung.com where you will find its line of gadget tethers, pricing, an instructional video and reviews from cur- rent users of Frog's Tung. For more information, call 406-580- 9500 or email patsi@frogstung.com.