When the home automation company August first arrived to market it didn’t act like a startup. They were using a good lock that enables users to get inside their houses without being forced to reach for keys. Sure, there were other companies doing the same thing but none did as elegant as August. A fact not lost on Apple who has the product on their Apple Store shelves. One drawback to the great lock was that it only worked over Bluetooth LE. This was done to save battery life but limited the range. August heard you and is launching a brand new device called August Connect. The device is a small Wi-Fi bridge between the August Smart Lock and your router. As a result of this internet connectivity and the August intuitive app users have more options. Smart Lock owners no longer need to get people to download the August app to receive virtual keys. Users can simply unlock the door for visitors.
The August Connect could not be any easier to use. The tiny device just plugs into an outlet close to the August Smart Lock. This gives August an even larger chance for the lock to be adopted into homes. They are also opening the API up to third party programmers. The first companies to take advantage of the August Connect API is Nest. The August Connect plans on hooking up to the Nest Learning Thermostat to adjust the temperature before you get home. The Logitech Harmony smart house hub and Samsung’s SmartThings also plan to use the API as well. It should be interesting to see if SmartThings will work with other Samsung devices. That would really help turn the internet of things from just talk to real world use.
Internet of things is the interconnection of uniquely identifiable embedded computing devices within the existing Internet infrastructure.
Just imagine your home uses GPS to detect when you get close. The door automatically unlocks with August Smart Lock via the August Connect. SmartThings turns on your Smasung TV and switches to your favorite show on Tivo. The Nest sets the temperature so it is just how you like it when you walk in the door. That is what “The Internet of Things” will look like. It’s not something in the far off future. It is happening and possible right now when you combine the right products such as August’s Smart Lock. August expects to add more companies as time passes. August Connect is available for preorder from their website right now. However August Connect wont start being shipped to homes until mid-February. It will set you back only $49.99.