Technology is a great thing but in the hands of the wrong people it can be a menace. Enter a couple of new companies who will come to the rescue should you ever lock yourself out of your home or office. With the "Key Me" and "Keys Duplicated" apps you can take a picture of your home or office keys and these apps will construct a 3D image that locksmiths can use to essentially "print" a copy of your key... and by print I mean cut an actual key by what are called 3D printers (similar to how dentists now create a computer image of a damaged tooth and then send that to a machine that cuts your new crown for your out of a block of porcelain).

Handy tech indeed but it's also extra incentive to keep your keys hidden away from others who might surreptitiously take a photo of your keys. Imagine hanging out at one of Billings 5 billion casinos and laying your keys in front of you on the slot machine. When you turn your head all some thief has to do is take a quick cell phone picture of your house key and could potentially be in your home within an hour or so if they knew where you lived.

"Key Me" and "Keys Duplicated" do use a verification process including requiring a valid e-mail and credit card to use their services and say they haven't had any security issues of the scenario I drew to date BUT it's not hard to imagine a thief (or worse) using a stolen credit card to validate their purchase of the keys to your home.

Moral of the story... keep your keys hidden from public view the same as you would your drivers license or credit cards.

More From 103.7 The Hawk