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This week's best deals: $200 off the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra and more
Labor Day deals you can still buy today include $200 off Samsung's Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, $50 off Apple's latest iPad Pro and more.
August's fourth-gen WiFi Smart Lock drops to $219 on Amazon
It's the lowest price we've seen on the device to date.
Engadget readers can save $20 on August's fourth-generation smart lock
With its fourth-generation model, August has one of the best smart locks on the market. It’s easy to install, works with most digital assistants and lets you keep using your existing mechanical locks. At $249 it is more expensive than some other smart locks, but starting today you can save $20 by using the code ENGADGETLOCK at checkout.
August's WiFi Smart Lock made my old lock new again
That's one of the appeals of August’s Smart Locks: Unlike its competition, it’s not immediately apparent there's a gearbox installed on the inside of the door. The August WiFi Smart Lock is a cinch to install.
August's slimmer WiFi smart lock is now available for $250
After debuting at CES 2020, August's latest smart lock is now available to buy on the company's website.
August's smaller smart lock doesn't need a Bluetooth bridge
August's Smart Lock Pro is one of the more highly praised smart locks. In a moment of doubt, users can double check that they've secured their doors via an app, rather than returning home. Plus, it's easier to unlock the door remotely than it is to share keys with friends, dog walkers and the like.
Deals roundup: Apple Watch Series 4, August Smart Lock and Razer gear
Late summer can be a good time to shop for tech -- you can score discounts on current-generation hardware if you're more interested in a good bargain than waiting for fall upgrades. And that's certainly true here. We've found particularly sweet deals on the Apple Watch Series 4, Razer gear and August's Smart Lock that could prove tempting, especially if almost-the-latest is more than good enough for your needs.
Apple’s credit card could arrive in the first half of August
In March, Apple made a fuss over its plans to introduce a credit card. But we haven't heard much about Apple Card since. Now, Bloomberg reports that the card will reportedly launch in the first half of August. The update suggests that the card is on track, as Apple initially said it would be ready this summer.
August halts sales of View doorbell over WiFi problems
August's View doorbell hasn't had a stellar launch. The smart home company is "pausing" shipments of the View after reports of "performance challenges" in certain households. While it didn't say what those issues were, The Ambient noted that the View frequently disconnected from WiFi, rendering its camera less than useful for keeping watch over your front door. August vowed to use the shipping freeze to gauge feedback and make "critical improvements" to the smart doorbell.
August's new battery-powered smart doorbell has a 1440p camera
After smart home security company August was acquired by Assa Abloy (smartlock outfit Yale's parent company) back in 2017, many assumed the business would disappear in a consolidation of the smart lock market. But now, over a year since the August brand released new hardware, it's back with a new wireless doorbell camera called the August View.
Amazon's new APIs connect smart home cameras and doorbells to Alexa
Your Ring and August doorbells and locks just got a lot smarter. Amazon has released new APIs for smart home cameras and doorbells allowing these devices to communicate with Echo speakers. Not all devices can support these new APIs however. Amazon currently supports WebRTC compliant cameras or 3Ps, which use a WebRTC bridge to connect to Alexa. This API funcitonality has already hit Ring devices, which Amazon acquired for $1.2 billion earlier this year. For Amazon, the coolest selling point is being able to not only see when someone rings your doorbell through an Echo Show or Echo Spot -- which was already possible -- but to have 2-way communication. There's other potential as well, like having lights turn on when someone rings your doorbell, or play music through a smart speaker to drown out the sound of your dog barking. Owners can also set custom announcements using Routines in the Alexa app, which are tasks tied to a single command. Three weeks ago Amazon revealed a slew of Alexa-enabled home devices, including a $60 smart microwave. And in the fight for smart home supremacy, with the other major player being Google, the company that makes things most developer friendly will have a greater edge.
Yale and August join forces to make a new line of smart locks
Yale and August are no stranger to the smart lock; both companies have done various versions of it before, often with the assistance of third parties like Google's Assistant or Amazon's Alexa. Today, however, the two are actually coming together -- thanks to the purchase last year -- to come up with a new line of keypad smart locks that they say is one of the most secure on the market. What's especially intriguing is that it's compatible with three personal assistants -- Siri, Alexa and Google Assistant -- so you can choose whichever suits your fancy without having to commit to one.
Echo Show can now display recorded security camera footage
With Alexa's latest skill, users can now ask the digital assistant to show them recorded security camera footage on their Echo Show, Echo Spot, Fire TV or Fire tablet. Currently, the skill is supported by Alexa-enabled cameras from Ring, Arlo, Cloud Cam and August and all you have to do is say, "Alexa, show the event that just happened at the front door," for example. You'll then be able to view the last recorded event from that particular camera.
August automatically creates smart lock codes for Airbnb guests (updated)
Locks are a pain with home rental services like Airbnb, whether you're a host or a guest. Do you really want to pick up a spare key, or make the host generate a smart lock code just for you? August thinks it can make life a little easier on that front. If an Airbnb host has August's Smart Keypad, and one of its Smart Locks, they can automatically generate an entry code the moment you make a reservation. The code is timed for the length of the reservation and adapts to changes, so hosts won't have to worry about unscrupulous guests wandering in after their stay is over.
August's smart doorbells now include 24 hours of video recording
Video doorbells are great for spotting visitors, but their live footage only goes so far. What if you don't pay extra for cloud storage and miss an important guest, or (perish the thought) a burglar? With August, at least, that shouldn't be an issue -- it's giving 24 hours of free cloud video to Doorbell Cam and Doorbell Cam Pro owners. This won't help much if you go on a vacation or need to keep footage for evidence's sake, but it could help you catch a lazy courier or give police a snapshot to work with.
August's smart lock links up with Protect America's security systems
You'd think that smart door locks and home security systems would regularly work in harmony, but that's not really the case. More likely than not, you'll have to remember to check the lock after the fact. Not so if you have August's Smart Lock Pro -- the company has forged a partnership that integrates Protect America's home security hardware. You can now use Protect America's Alexa skill to automatically lock the door when you arm the security system, so you hopefully won't have to test the resilience of your system by giving thieves an easy entrance.
Jimmy Iovine denies reports he will leave Apple in August
Beats co-founder Jimmy Iovine has squashed rumors that he's leaving his post as Apple Music chief -- and leaving Cupertino altogether -- in August. At a Q&A event held to promote The Defiant Ones, the HBO documentary delving into his partnership with Dr. Dre, he announced that there's still more he'd like to achieve in the streaming biz. "I am committed to doing whatever Eddy [Cue], Tim [Cook] and Apple need me to do, to help wherever and however I can, to take this all the way," he said, contradicting Bloomberg's report that he hasn't been getting along with services chief Eddy Cue.
August smart locks can now let the delivery driver into your home
While Amazon continues to toy with the idea of granting delivery drivers one-time access to your front door (or car trunk) to safely stow packages away from nimble-fingered thieves, August Home has gone ahead and added the functionality to its line of smart locks. The company announced on Tuesday that it is teaming with same-day delivery service, Deliv, to offer in-home package drops.
August's latest smart locks warn if you left the door open
If you've lived on this planet long enough, you've probably had that moment where you thought you'd closed the door on your way out, only to find out that it didn't quite shut. But how are you supposed to know if no one's at home to tell you, and even many smart locks won't fill in the gap? August Home thinks it has the answer. It's introducing two new locks, a lower-cost August Smart Lock (shown at center) and the August Smart Lock Pro (at left), that include a sensor to determine whether or not the door is really closed. If it's ajar and the deadbolt didn't engage, you can find out through your phone instead of having to return home.
Amazon's Echo Show displays your smart camera's live video feed
Amazon's Echo Show is getting another new trick, err, skill. Now the gizmo will link with the cameras on your home network and display their respective feeds when you say something like, "Alexa, show the front door." A press release notes that this will work with cameras from Amcrest, Arlo, August, EZViz, IC Realtime, Ring, Nest and Vivint. And if you don't have a Show, saying the command phrase will soon give you an audio feed on your Dot or Echo. Better yet, Amazon has released the camera control API into the wild so developers can start cracking on even more implementations for it.
