An Australian businessman is marketing a personal security device aimed at preventing the loss and theft of valuable items such as personal computers. Scott Fuller, owner of the Tenderloin Meat Co and security equipment distributor Gold Shield, has introduced Smart Clips - a wireless, solar-powered personal property security system that works via radio waves - to the territory. Smart Clips work in sets of two, with one Smart Clip placed on the item to be protected, such as a bag, and the second on a belt or clipped to a shirt. When the clips are separated by a distance of one to three metres, they beep loudly. 'It is a device that stops you from being forgetful . . . and will alert you if someone has taken your property away,' Mr Fuller said. Invented and manufactured in Australia, the clips are slightly smaller than a credit card and one centimetre thick. They are being sold in Hong Kong, Singapore, the Philippines and major western markets. Smart Clips are typically used by photographers, gem dealers, computer installers and travelling executives, Mr Fuller said. He would not reveal the technology incorporated in the clips, nor exact sales figures, saying only that 'tens of thousands' of consumers had bought the product in Australia, where it was first put on the market in 1995. In Hong Kong, Smart Clips operate on a radio transmission frequency of 40.66MHz and are exempted from licensing. The clips, however, are prone to temporary signal loss when they are within one metre of a device operating on an equal frequency. Mr Fuller said it was highly unlikely that such disruption would occur as the transmission of the interfering device would have to be at the precise frequency. The output of each clip was only 60 nanowatts per metre, and would not cause disruptions to security systems, alarms or aircraft operations, he said. Smart Clips also can be used in conjunction with car security devices, with the alarm being activated and the engine disabled when the owner is away from the vehicle. The devices are sold only through direct marketing in Hong Kong, a sales channel which has been successful in Australia. Smart Clips can be purchased from its local distributor, Fullers Group Holdings, and through mail-order advertisements in regional travel magazines. The device also is sold on the Internet, at www.mon aad.com.au/hk.
