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Pick up August's 4th-gen Wi-Fi Smart Lock at its lowest price yet of $199 ($20 off)

Secure these savings and lock in a low price today!

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Dealing with a broken keylock sucks. In many cases, you're probably not in a position to fix it, thereby compounding the daily frustration of having to hit the hammers just right to get into your apartment. Well, if you've liberated yourself from who gets a lock on what you do with your locks, consider getting August's Wi-Fi enabled Smart Lock at its best price yet!Installing it is easy and works with most existing deadbolts, but the biggest advantage to a product like this is not having to use the darn key in the first place: you can set it to unlock when your phone is in range of your home 2.4GHz Wi-Fi network and, for an extra step of security, require on-device biometric authentication (that's facial scan or fingerprint read) before it clicks off. Best of all, this fourth-generation design is 45% smaller than its predecessor and there's no need to fuss with an extra hub device.

Misplacing your house keys is always a scary thing. One way to avoid going through that experience is by upgrading to a smart lock. Right now, Best Buy has an August smart lock and keypad combo on sale for just $249.99 — and it'll throw a free Smart Clock Essential from Lenovo into the deal for a combined savings of $80.

The best smart home devices you can buy right now (Fall 2020)

From voice assistant speakers to robot vacuums, and everything in between

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Millions of homes now contain a smart assistant speaker of some variety and sales of IoT products continue to grow as the market matures and prices come down across the sector. With so many options available, it's hard to know what to buy, and that's where we come in — this is a selection of our favorite smart home gadgets. Whether you want to just dip your toes in the water with a cheap Google Nest Mini or dive into the deep end with smart lights, cameras, thermostats, doorbells, and so on — we’ve got you covered.

August's newest and smallest smart lock is on sale for $219 ($31 off) on Amazon

It runs on Wi-Fi and doesn't take up precious space with a Bluetooth hub

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Who needs metal keys when you can have a memory full of PINs anyways? Well, people aren't exactly rushing to replace the hammers atop their deadbolts with smart locks for one reason or another — price may be chief among them. You, though, can take advantage of a sale on August's fourth-gen Wi-Fi Smart Lock for $31 off.The lock got its launch back in May as August's least burdensome system yet with no need for a dedicated Bluetooth hub as with other locks and a smaller unit itself, measuring in at 45% the mass of its Smart Lock Pro. Installing the August Home app will let the lock know when you're about to come home or head out and automatically arm or disarm itself. It can also be programmed with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri, IFTTT, and even Airbnb.

Remote IFA festivities today continue, as Philips Hue has announced a handful of new and updated products in its smart home lighting lineup, including a new lightstrip for your TV and the revamped return of the Iris table lamp. On top of that, folks in the August and Nest smart lock ecosystem can look forward to deeper integrations between the two systems starting soon.

August and Yale locks pick up remote biometric verification

Plus a mostly self-explanatory Hide Entry Codes feature

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August and Yale smart locks are picking up a new feature that should make remote access just a little bit more secure. The opt-in change allows for remote biometric authentication before locking or unlocking your home's smart lock remotely. Further enhancing on-device security, there's a new Hide Entry Codes feature that — you guessed it — makes it so your entry codes can only be viewed for a short time.

August's compact new Wi-Fi smart door lock is now on sale for $250

It's 45% smaller and doesn't require a hub

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Smart locks add a level of convenience, as they let you leave your keys behind and grant access to guests remotely. Unfortunately, many of them are bulky, and often use a Bluetooth connection, which could require a separate hub. With the announcement of the Wi-Fi Smart Lock, August wants to address these issues, with a more compact device that connects directly to the Internet.

Smart locks are becoming a major convenience for homeowners; whether you rent out your place, have family or friends to stay while you're away, or you just forget your keys, it'll make your life much less tedious. If any of that sounds appealing to you, you're in luck: the August Smart Lock Pro is on sale for just $140 today, 50% off its standard price.

If you happen to be looking for a smart lock this Cyber Monday, the third-generation August Smart Lock is currently on sale for $55.30 at Amazon — its lowest price yet. As this lock typically sells at prices within the $95-110 range, this marks a rather sizeable discount on this smart-home security staple.August's third-generation smart-lock allows users to remotely lock or unlock their door, provide keyless access to visitors, or see when their door is left ajar. Installation should be a breeze as the lock works with your existing deadbolt. One thing to note, you'll need to pair your lock with the August Connect WiFi Bridge (sold separately) to use voice commands and enable the full suite of remote features.

In all the hubbub around the smart home, we often talk about light bulbs, cameras, and other things that it's easy to tell a virtual assistant to act on. One thing that I see less often than others is the front door, rather the deadbolt that seals the entrance to your sanctum. One of the better brands for that, August's third-generation Smart Lock is currently on sale for the low price of $99, its lowest on Amazon.Some are understandably wary of smart locks, me among them — luckily, August lets you use the deadbolt in the traditional fashion if you so choose. Otherwise, if you get the Connect bridge, you have access to Alexa and Assistant for remote locking and monitoring. That part is sold separately and is not a part of this deal.Some people, including our own Aatif, have reported a 20% off coupon that appears on the page and is applied at checkout. We were unable to verify or replicate this, but I figured I'd mention it in case you see it.Buy: Amazon

Sometimes, I wish that I wouldn't have to get out of bed every night to make doubly sure that I locked the front door. Sometimes, I just wish I could roll over, pick up my phone, and check. Luckily for all of you like me, there are several options for smart locks on the market. And if you're looking for one, Amazon has a great deal on a third-gen August Smart Lock: $94, a very nice $55.99 off the MSRP.The August lock is well-suited for home owners and renters alike. See, instead of replacing your pre-existing dumb deadbolt, August opted for a unit that fits over it, manually turning said regular deadbolt to lock/unlock. This means that you don't need new keys, installation is easy, and you can enjoy some of the smart home life without violating your lease or needing your landlord's permission. Pretty cool, huh?We've seen the August Lock drop in price before, but this is the lowest it's been yet. With the additional Wi-Fi Bridge, it works with Alexa and Assistant, but on its own, it has only Bluetooth for nearby functionality — the addition of remote access support doesn't come cheap. Still, this is a pretty good deal.Buy: Amazon

August, maker of smart door locks and doorbell cameras, has announced further integrations of its devices with Google Assistant — as well as some other features coming to Amazon Alexa and IFTTT. So if you have one of the company's products, or if you're considering them, you can now do more with voice commands and smart automations.

August's Smart Lock Pro is a popular option for those looking to add a connected front door lock to their smart home setup, and now it's getting even better thanks to a new partnership. Integrating with the Alarm.com platform opens August's lock up to a wide ecosystem of smart home security solutions including DSC, Interlogix, and Nortek.

If you've been itching to unlock your Schlage or August door locks with Alexa, I have some good news for you. Both companies announced a new skill that allows you to do just that. Some of you might have security concerns about this, but both Schlage and August are quick to affirm that this system is, in fact, quite safe.Both require a unique, secure PIN code in order to verify your voice command. August previously allowed you to unlock your deadbolt with your voice with its custom skill, but now this feature is getting rolled into the company's official smart home one. Schlage, on the other hand, is keen to point out that this feature is disabled by default, requiring you to go into the Alexa app to enable it. Also, you need the $70 Wi-Fi adapter for Schlage, or the August Connect Wi-Fi Bridge and/or Doorbell Cam to get started.Something about unlocking my front door with just my voice over the internet makes me uneasy, but I'm also extremely lazy, so I'd also really enjoy it. It's a moot point anyway.

Support for the Google Assistant is ramping up from major and minor smart home device makers alike. It was only this January that we reported the Assistant had support for 1500 devices, but now that number has jumped, nay, soared to 5000 devices. Along with that happy threshold comes the news of many other upcoming integrations for our favorite smart home assistant.

August's door locks have been supported on Google Assistant (and thus Home) for a long time, but you had to voice your request as, "Ok Google, ask August to lock the door." That Actions on Google / Assistant Apps integration had a few drawbacks like being dependent on Voice Match and talking back to you in a different voice (you can read about its limitations in our ultimate Google Home guide). But about a month ago, we noticed that the August Home was showing up as a direct service under Home control, which meant that you didn't need to ask or tell or talk to August anymore, and it wasn't voice-dependent either (again, you can check the distinction between this and Assistant apps in our previously linked guide). Now the latter has been officially announced.

Not having to carry or interact with a physical key is the new hip thing. Cars have had keyless entry and push-button start for years, and now Teslas can even be used with just a phone app. Smart locks for homes have been around for some time as well, and if you don't already have one, you might want to look into this deal on the August Smart Lock 2nd gen, which is now being offered for 5.79 via eBay.This is basically the best price we've seen for the second-gen August Smart Lock thus far, with a $99 in-store Walmart deal we posted about last month not being very accessible for many. The unit installs over your door's existing deadbolt and only replaces the inside portion, with the exterior still keeping the ability to be locked and unlocked via a regular key. It uses Bluetooth, though as we previously mentioned, you might want to pick up the separate -ish August Wi-Fi Bridge for remote unlocking, Home and Alexa support, and a better experience overall.If you're interested, head over to the eBay listing. The seller in question has a ton of feedback and a 99.5% rating, so you shouldn't have any issues. Free shipping is a nice touch.Source: eBay

Making your home smarter might involve swapping in a connected thermostat that can save energy or adding a few cameras to keep an eye on things. But what about getting into the house? Smart locks are weirdly expensive, but the August smart lock is on sale today at a few retailers. It's $90 cheaper than usual, and you can get it in time for Christmas.August installs on the inside of the door, but it uses the existing exterior hardware. That means you still have a regular key in the event August isn't working. It connects over Bluetooth, but you'll need the WiFi hub add-on to connect it to your network. The lock is controlled via the August app, Alexa, Siri, or Google Assistant. You just need to pop in some AA batteries whenever they get low.The August Lock usually retails for $229.99, and it doesn't often come down much from that. You can get it for $139.99 today at Amazon and Best Buy (possibly elsewhere, too). Amazon offers one-day Prime shipping on this device in many areas as well.Source: Amazon, Best Buy

One of the biggest trends in consumer technology over the last few years has been the rise of the smart home. The number of different device categories that now make up the 'Internet of Things' (IoT) has grown immensely, with connected appliances now found in many households across the US and beyond.The smart home was once an expensive hobby for tech-fiends only but has now become an affordable aspiration for normal people. You can get started for less than $30 these days, with some lights or a smart switch that can connect to your Wi-Fi network and be controlled with your phone. If you want to go all in, you could end up spending thousands on the connected home of the future.With so many different products available, the smart home sector can be a little daunting. So let's break down the key categories and take a look at some of the best options in each one.

Each year, we see more and more smart home products pop up and go on sale. Today, we have August's second-generation lock — currently, you can find this item at Amazon or Best Buy for $149.99, $80 off.This lock attaches to your current deadbolt, meaning that it can install in a few minutes. It syncs up with the app on your phone, Android or iOS, for you to control remotely. You can also create virtual "keys" for your guests, like a house/petsitter or something. There's also a 24/7 log of all access, which is nifty.Amazon and Best Buy have both the black and silver versions of the August Lock on sale, so take your pick of retailer and color and get to locking.Source: Amazon, Best Buy

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