It's been a strange year for the August View video doorbell. It launched early on in the year, at the beginning of April, but then a few weeks later August decided to halt sales of the device and start issuing refunds. At the time, the company blamed "performance challenges" in some environments, saying that it would have the doorbell back on sale once it smoothed out the issues.
Today the folks at August revealed they'd be halting shipping their doorbell camera to new customers. Users that already have an August View doorbell will need to pay attention to this situation, too - it affects everyone involved. According to the company, they have become aware of some "performance challenges in specific user environments."
Sometimes the smart home can seem not-so-smart when you're renting, something the new August View doorbell camera aims to address with its wire-free installation. Latest in the connected home security company's range of smart locks and accessories, the new video doorbell promises not only easy installation but more useful results, courtesy of an unusual camera. Question is, is all that worth $229.99?
The ability to see who's ringing your doorbell was, until recently, the stuff of science fiction. Also just recently, the technology was only available to companies and individuals with deep pockets. Thanks to the explosion of the connected home market, however, such things have now become not only more common or more affordable, they've also become more stylish, too. Moving from its blocky and cumbersome offering, the August View now comes in a more presentable form and with better quality video to boot.
Doorbells are no longer sufficient these days. While they served their simple function of calling attention to those inside the home, they no longer offer enough security and peace of mind in this modern age. That’s where smart doorbells and doorbell cameras come in. The niche market is slowly growing, along with the larger smart home market, around a few key players. Not to be left behind, August, makers of one of the earliest smart locks, is jumping into the fray again. And this time, it might have a video doorbell you won’t be ashamed for anyone and everyone to see.
August and Yale have released a new range of connected smart locks, delivering both smartphone and auto-unlock control, as well as a keypad for PIN access. The Assure Lock Connected by August line-up combines Yale's Assure Lock range with a new August module, which makes the electronic lock smart.
Internet of Things company August has added an Auto-Connect feature for certain August Smart Locks, the company has announced. This is a convenience feature that enables the lock to automatically detect when the home owner is in front of the door. As well, the Auto-Connect feature knows when the owner is accessing the smart lock remotely, offering what August calls "seamless control."
The folks behind the August Smart Lock revealed a new feature Wednesday that allowed users to unlock their door with an Apple Watch. This app update for August Smart Locks does not require an iPhone nearby when the unlock switch is tapped. "The all-new native August Apple Watch app lets house 'Owners' with any generation of our August Smart Lock and any Apple Watch control their lock, without needing to carry their iPhone."
There’s no lack of smart home device manufacturers out there, and most of them offer some kind of subscription plan that allows you to monitor and archive the video recorded by your security systems for a certain amount of time. August is one of these manufacturers, with its Premium Video Recording subscription that allows users to store their video history for a monthly (or annual) fee. Today, however, August has announced a new tier to its subscriptions, and it will give you some of this functionality on the house.
August's smart locks are getting tighter integration with the Google Assistant, including helping the paranoid get closure over whether the door is actually closed. New functionality has been added to the Assistant, which now allows for lock status to be checked on, in addition to the existing features.
Back at the end of October, Amazon revealed a new service called Key. With Amazon Key, you can schedule in-home delivery using a specific smart lock offered as part of the service, thereby preventing your packages from being stolen while they wait on your front porch. A service like Amazon Key has been suggested and even rumored for almost as long as smart locks have been a thing, so it should come as no surprise that we're seeing competitors spring up before Amazon Key really gets off the ground.
August's DoorSense system, which alerts users if their door hasn't properly closed, has been added to the company's Alexa skill. The update, which requires certain lock models in August's line-up in order to work, means that those with an Amazon Echo or other Alexa-powered device can now ask the smart assistant for an update on whether their door is actually closed or not.