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Yale Assure Lock 2 with Wi-Fi review: Future-proofing your home security
All that Matters is tomorrow
Smart home gadgets are in a weird spot right now. Matter is finally available for manufacturers, but it's a waiting game for consumers. Only a handful of devices work as controllers right now, with updates coming for more existing products throughout the next year. Unfortunately, plenty of gadgets at your local Best Buy will never see a Matter update, rendering them difficult to recommend.
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.
Philips Hue reveals new and updated bulbs, revamped Iris table lamp, and a lightstrip for your TV
Plus August and Yale smart lock integrations
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
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.
Everything you've ever wanted to know about smart door locks, and why you should buy one
In many cases, they enhance your security and privacy, not take it away
Our homes are increasingly filled with gadgets that connect to the internet in ways that rightly have us concerned for our privacy and security. But when discussing those concerns, it's important to keep a level head and consider just what kind of privacy and security concerns actually stem from using these products, and in what instances they might actually enhance both for you in real, tangible ways. And like surveillance cameras, we think smart locks fall into such a category: they can actually make your home safer and more secure than a traditional, "dumb" lock, and they do it all while bringing a tremendous amount of convenience. For many people, the idea of a remotely-controlled door lock elicits a visceral, knee-jerk reaction; who could possibly think connecting physical access to your home to an app is a good idea? But when discussing the benefits and drawbacks to a smart door lock, we think that for most people they're a reliable, trustworthy tool that can bring peace of mind and practical security benefits a traditional lock can't match.
When Amazon launched its smart lock, it had the brilliant idea of coupling it with an option to let delivery people in to drop your packages when you're not home. Although it's a convenient approach, it's not necessarily reassuring to let strangers in. Yale came up with a solution to this problem, with the announcement of its smart delivery boxes. In addition, it also unveiled a connected cabinet lock and a safe, letting you secure items using your phone.
Fall is in full swing and there's a chill in the air (well, where I am, anyway). Warm your bones with some fine deals: today, you can get an Echo Dot for half off and two USB-C cables for just five bucks, plus savings on a cool Bluetooth speaker and some smart security gear.
We've arrived at July's final week, and we've got some great deals to cap the month off right. This week, you'll find a substantial discount on Jabra's excellent new noise-canceling headphones, plus money off the very competent Jaybird X4, Roku Streaming Stick+, and then some.
Smart lock maker Yale announced a new product at CES this year, designed to be fitted on doors that don't have deadbolts, which are generally required for grafting on smarts. The Assure Lever lock gets around that requirement by replacing your doorknob and lock assembly with a lever handle (hence the name) and keypad.As they're compatible with doors that don't have deadbolts, the locks can be used on interior doors just as easily as exterior ones, in case you want to protect your home office with a key code (what are you hiding in there?). It comes in brass, nickel, and rubbed bronze finishes, with either a physical keypad or a capacitive touchscreen.
Arlo is at CES 2019 with a few interesting announcements. The security camera maker is expanding its portfolio with more integrations and a new security system.
When it comes to home security, peace of mind and convenience are what matter to me, making a smart lock pretty damn appealing. We know that homes generally aren't targeted by burglars for a lack of obstacles, but for an abundance of opportunity (like an unlocked door!), and a smart door lock leaves one less thing to chance when you're away on vacation or at the office. All the locks in the world probably aren't going to stop someone truly determined to break into your home - so unless you're barring your windows and using solid exterior doors (and most US homes aren't), I don't think the physical security argument has many legs to stand on. A visible security camera and some background music will do far more to deter a break-in than a Medeco deadbolt.
You know smart home technology is becoming ubiquitous when even a 150-year-old company decides to get in on the fun. That's the case with Yale, founded in 1868 by the inventor of the modern pin tumbler lock, Linus Yale, Jr. The historic company collaborated with Google's home automation company, Nest, to reveal the Nest x Yale Lock in January 2018. Now, Yale has achieved the inevitable next step in its journey into cutting edge security tech, with the announcement that as of today, Google Assistant on mobile or Google Home supports voice commands for its product.
Nest made both its Nest Hello smart doorbell and its Nest x Yale Lock available earlier this month. The Nest Hello went up for sale on the Google Store about a week ago, and now it's the Nest x Yale Lock's turn. The keyless lock can now be purchased for $279 from Google's storefront.
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.
At CES in January, Yale announced they would soon release an NFC residential lock, the first of its kind in the US. A product page with the option to pre-order went up soon thereafter with the promise of delivery sometime in April. The ship date was updated today, and it seems Yale is going to miss their target − but not by much. The Yale YRD340 Mobile Phone Entry lock will be available May 4th for $224.99. It comes in three different colors: oil rubbed bronze, polished brass, and satin nickel.
In addition to replacing your wallet, it looks like your Android device may eventually replace your key ring as well. Yale Locks and Hardware showed off their Real Living line of motorized locks this year at CEDIA Expo, promising that your NFC-enabled phone will soon be able to open your front door digitally.