augusthome
Latest
Apple Watch can now unlock your August Smart Lock
Unlocking an August Smart Lock with your phone is easy enough, but if you have an Apple Watch, you don't even need to have your phone with you. Apple's smartwatch can now unlock any August-branded smart lock, so long as you're specified as its "owner." To set it up, you first need to make sure your wearable is running WatchOS 4 or higher and that it has the new native August Apple Watch app.
Smart lock company August Home purchased by actual lock company Yale
Smart-lock outfit Yale's parent company is buying August Home, in a move that may consolidate some of the smart lock market. The regulatory bodies involved are expected to approve Sweden-based Assa Abloy's purchase by year's end. "August Home strengthens our residential smart door strategy with complementary smart locks, expansion into video doorbells and comprehensive solutions for home delivery," ASSA's executive vice president Thanasis Molokotos said in a statement.
Walmart wants to deliver groceries straight to your fridge
Walmart is hoping you trust the company enough to let its delivery drivers into your home even if you're not in. The retailer has teamed up with smart home accessories-maker August Home to test a new delivery method in Silicon Valley, which entails giving drivers access to your house so they can put groceries in your fridge. After making sure nobody's home to answer the door, the driver will use the one-time smart lock passcode you pre-authorized for him to go in and put the items where you specified.
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.
Control your August Smart Lock by yelling at Google Assistant
In the quest to smart-up your analog home, interactive door locks present a distinct conundrum: If things go screwy, you might not be able to get into your home. August Home's Smart Lock lets you lend out virtual passes for temporary guests but doesn't fully replace your existing deadbolt, meaning your metal key still opens your door the old fashioned way. While the product has been around since 2014, the company started integrating voice control last year, integrating Apple's Homekit last May and Amazon's Alexa support a month later. Today, they're rounding out the trio by enabling Google Assistant on the Smart Lock.
Amazon Echo now controls your August Smart Lock
Amazon's Echo is about to become much more useful if you've ever worried about leaving the door unlocked. August Home is introducing an Alexa skill that gives you voice control over its Smart Lock system. If you have a first- or second-generation lock with an August Connect bridge, you can ask Alexa to both check a lock's status and lock the door. It's a simple addition, but it beats having to pull out your phone or walk across the house simply because you didn't remember to lock up when you got home.
