Get Charged Up in Lockwood Cybrary

Charge + Lock station.

Lockwood Cybrary's Charge + Lock Station

Article & Photos By Blake Cooper

Published February 27, 2014 This content is archived.

All the Wi-Fi and bandwidth in the world doesn’t mean a thing when your phone is dead. That’s where Lockwood Cybrary’s new Charge + Lock Station comes in.

“The Charge + Lock Station charged over 1,000 devices during the last two months of the Fall 2013 semester alone. ”
Scott Harrigan, Customer Support Analyst
Enterprise Infrastructure Services (EIS)
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Blake.

Blake Cooper (UB Student, Class of 2016) is originally from Canandaigua, NY. He is studying Spanish, Linguistics and Comparative Literature, and beginning work on translating an Argentinian novel into English.

Not only does the Charge + Lock provide super-fast charging for smartphones, tablet and e-readers—up to twice as fast as your standard wall charger or USB cable—it also keeps your valuable devices secure in an electronic locker that opens only when you enter your 4-digit PIN code. Its introduction last October was designed to meet specific student requests for more charging options on campus.

Zoom image: Charge + Lock Charge + Lock.

Are Students Using It?

“It’s busy during the day,” said Scott Harrigan, Customer Support Analyst for Enterprise Infrastructure Services (EIS). “The Charge + Lock Station charged over 1,000 devices during the last two months of the Fall 2013 semester alone."

Beam Me Up

A great deal of research went into selecting Lockwood’s Charge + Lock Station. “This is definitely the top-of-the-line model,” Scott said. Ultimately, a French company was chosen to manufacture UB’s Charge + Lock. “We negotiated a modification to the standard model, which typically works via credit card payments, but the UB model is available for use at no charge,” he added.

UB’s Charge + Lock Station is also visually appealing with glowing green and red lights. “It’s got a little bit of a Star Trek look going on,” Scott admits.

Zoom image: Charge + Lock Charge + Lock.

It's Okay to Walk Away

Security is the feature that the cybrary takes most seriously, however. “It never unlocks, not until you put in your code,” Scott stated. “We’ve tested it for power outages, all sorts of scenarios, and not once could we get it to unlock without the code.”

This gives Charge + Lock an advantage over other charging stations on campus. Another station is mounted on the side of the stairway near the Student Union theater, but it requires staying nearby while a device charges. With Lockwood’s Charge + Lock, students can simply leave their devices to charge securely.

While there aren’t plans to add additional Charge + Lock Stations just yet, be sure to take advantage of all of the convenient charging stations and outlets around campus, particularly in dining locations and collaborative learning spaces.

If you have questions or comments about the Charge + Lock Station in Lockwood Cybrary, please email pubsites@buffalo.edu.