Apple will be invading more homes with August.
August, the smart lock maker, has released a Siri-enabled version of its lock, aptly named the August Smart Lock.
With the August app on the iPhone and the revamped August Smart Lock on their doors, users can lock and unlock their homes, create virtual keys for their guests, and keep an eye on who comes and goes through their doors all with just the sound of their voice.
Updated to take advantage of Apple's proprietary HomeKit framework for communicating with and controlling connected accessories in a user's home, August's combined software and hardware allow iPhone users to simply bring out their phone, fire up Siri, and simply tell her to lock or unlock their door. Using the Apple Watch makes things move along even faster.
One year since the launch of the first August Smart Lock, August's pace of innovation is just as fast. The company didn't just update the lock to work with Apple hardware and software, it also released two new accessory products and a new service. Yes, August is now a triple threat — a hardware, software and services company.
First, along with a newly designed lock (new faceplate, new grip and new indicator), August announced the August Smart Keypad to work alongside the Smart Lock. If a user wants to give access to their home to a guest but that guest doesn't have the August app (or a smartphone), the guest simply types in a unique code given to them by the homeowner to open the door.
The second new product introduced by August is the August Doorbell Cam. Built with one-way, high-definition video and two-way audio, the Doorbell Cam is also equipped with intelligent motion detectors that will allow users to see people at their door even if they don't ring the bell — perfect timing for Halloween.
Finally, August has not only created the hardware and software to get people in and out of their homes, but it has also created a service to allow other service industry employees in and out, too. The company's new service-oriented vertical, August Access, will allow the plumber, the UPS guy, the dog walker and many others to come into user's homes to, well, fix that runny faucet, deliver that energy-saving fridge and walk the dog all without interruption. Security and simplicity, that's what August calls it and all for a cool price starting at $229.
Photo: Scott Lewis | Flickr
