Items marked by the "HomeKit" tag:

With so many smart home products out there, deciding which are the best for you and your home is not always easy. The foundation for any home to work together, is to have a system in place. That’s why we created the Brilliant Smart Home System and work with over 20 of the brands you love and trust. We're here to help you customize your home with devices that fit your lifestyle, make life easier, and help you live more connected. First, here are some questions to ask yourself: What smart home technology do I already have? Is home security a priority? How often am I away from my home? Do I need home automation? Who uses my home & how accessible do I want my home to be for them? Check out these three packages of smart home devices to help you decide what products would work best in your home:     Every smart home should have a central hub, system, or platform that makes your ecosystem of products work better together. (Hint: We recommend Brilliant) A smart thermostat like Nest or Ecobee makes it easy to automate your home’s climate to ensure you’re only using the energy you need and that your home is always comfortable.  A Ring doorbell adds a level of security to your home so that you not only have an inside view of your home using Brilliant’s built-in camera, but also an outdoor one. You can see who’s at your front door and speak to them through Brilliant.     By introducing a smart lock like the Schlage Encode to your mix of smart home devices, you lock/unlock the door. Plus, when it’s connected to a Ring doorbell you can see, speak to, and manage home access, making it the ultimate combination of products for home safety.  A smart garage door opener like Genie’s Aladdin Connect expands the automation of your home’s access points. BONUS: Genie's Aladdin Connect can be retrofitted to fit most garage doors.      Brilliant’s Smart Dimmer Switch or any of our compatible switches, make it easy to put smart lighting throughout your home without the added cost and maintenance of smart bulbs.  Control your entire home’s ambiance with any Sonos speakers and listen to all of your favorite music streaming services like Apple Music, Spotify, Pandora, and more. You can even group speakers directly from Brilliant. 

Automated Now is a proud dealer of Brilliant Control, a smart lighting solution that gives anyone in the house the ability to access music, climate, and other common smart home devices with just a simple touch or voice command — no smartphone required. Replacing existing light switches, the Brilliant Control installs in minutes and features a touchscreen that is beautiful and intuitive to operate. "While renovating my house, it was important to me that anyone in any room could adjust lighting, music, and climate control as easily as flipping a light switch. Requiring a mobile phone and apps to adjust your environment is clumsy, and for guests or children, it's impossible. But every available system in the market costs tens of thousands of dollars and takes weeks to install, and still doesn't bring control to every room. We knew there had to be a better solution," said Aaron Emigh, co-founder and chief executive officer of Brilliant. "That's why we invented the Brilliant Control. It is affordable, can be installed in minutes by replacing an existing light switch, and provides a beautiful and intuitive solution that everyone in the home can use throughout the home." In addition to touch, motion, and voice control capabilities each Brilliant Control comes with a built-in camera, privacy cover, and microphone, making it easy to add video or voice intercom to a house. When not in use, the Brilliant Control invites users to personalize their home, displaying motion art or family photos to add a touch of fun and relaxation. New seasonal nature scenes and theme packs are available monthly for fresh, updated options. Brilliant Controls also come with Amazon Alexa built in, making it easy to get weather forecasts and sports scores, or quickly add items to your Amazon shopping list. You can also create favorite "scenes" to instantly set the mood in each room for waking up, dinner, or relaxing. Brilliant Controls work with dozens of smart home services and devices including Nest, Sonos, Philips Hue, Ring, SmartThings, Honeywell, security systems, and countless others.

Who stays in hotels anymore? AirBnB and HomeAway have made it easier than ever to feel right at home anywhere in the world. Whether you are making your home available to earn some extra money for your next vacation or maintain a property as a short-term rental, hosting can be a lot of work. This is especially true if you're renting out a property other than your primary residence. Here are three ways August Home products can help make hosting a hassle-free experience for you and your guests: Make check-in and check-out a breeze One of the most challenging things about short-term rentals is working around your guests' schedules. If they arrive at 4:00 a.m., that means a groggy greeting (probably still in fuzzy slippers) or leaving a key hidden under the doormat, which is not ideal or safe. Remove any inconvenience from the equation by giving your guests the freedom to check themselves in at their convenience - connect an August Smart Lock and August Smart Keypad to your property. By linking your August account to AirBnB or HomeAway, your guests will automatically receive temporary access to your home through the August app on their phone or through a unique entry code, good only for the duration of their stay. When they arrive they'll be able to walk right in and you'll get a notification on your phone indicating that they have arrived safe and sound. Key-free is the way to be Smart home technology gives guests' peace of mind just as much as it helps yours. In a recent study of AirBnB hosts and guests, Smarter Hosting with Smart Home Technology Study, guests said that losing the keys to a rental is one of their biggest worries. By turning your guest's smartphone into a smart key you'll not only keep your home safe, but also make their vacation more relaxing. Someone order a cleaning service? Need to get your property ready for your next reservation? Once your guests have checked out, you can provide the cleaning crew with temporary access to prepare the property for the next stay. With an August Smart Keypad linked to your August Smart Lock, you can create a one-time access code that's valid for just a few hours. Set up the code in advance or send it via text instantly. No need to get your hands dirty meeting the cleaning crew at the door to exchange keys, they'll be able to tidy up and be on their way in no time. More smart home tech, more money Going key-free for your guests not only makes it easier to manage check-in and check-out, it can also make your property more appealing to renters. In the same study of AirBnB hosts and guests, six out of 10 guests indicated that they would pay more for a vacation rental with smart home features and 82% of guests said they're more likely to complete their reservations when they see that smart home technology is available. Install your smart lock and update your listing and watch the bookings roll in.

Today August Home announced August Video Recording, a companion to the August Doorbell Cam. The August Doorbell Cam lets customers see and speak with visitors at their door, from anywhere, using a smartphone. Users know who’s at the door, even when they’re not home. Motion detection triggers alerts whenever something is happening at the front door. August Video Recording lets users replay, download and share recordings of each interaction at the front door – visitors who ring the doorbell and any motion or missed visitor such as a package delivery, all from the August app. In conjunction with this announcement, current customers, as well as new customers who activate their Doorbell Cam by December 31, 2016, automatically receive six months of the new service free-of-charge. The service includes 30 days of video history. After the promotion, August Video Recording will be available for $4.99 a month or $49.99 for a one-year plan. “The launch of our Digital Video Recording service signals the end of our public Beta,” said Jason Johnson, CEO of August Home Inc. “During the Beta, customers spent a significant amount of time reviewing motion-triggered, suspicious activities and viewing live, on-demand video to simply check what is going on outside their door. They shared videos of kids trick-or-treating for Halloween, and also package thieves stealing deliveries from their doorstep. This validated the power of our Doorbell Cam not only as a way to communicate with visitors remotely, but also as an important security tool.” Johnson continued, “Offering users six months of Digital Video Recording service for free is a way for us to thank our customers for their loyalty and encourage new customers to experience how smart security products like our Doorbell Cam will provide peace of mind and bring new convenience.” August Doorbell Cam The August Doorbell Cam is a Wi-Fi connected HD camera equipped with two-way audio and one-way video, giving a clear view of visitors from a smartphone, while ensuring privacy. Customer get alerts when motion is detected and can also view on-demand activity outside their door in real-time through the August app. The August Doorbell Cam seamlessly integrates with the August Smart Lock, by operating as a Bluetooth to Wi-Fi bridge so that users can unlock/lock their door to let visitors in from anywhere. The Doorbell Cam is easy to install and replaces an existing doorbell and wiring. August Smart Home Access Solution The August Smart Lock, August Smart Keypad and August Doorbell Cam, create the complete Smart Home Access solution allowing people to manage their front door from anywhere. The August Smart Lock turns a smartphone into a smart key where consumers can lock and unlock their door, create virtual keys for guests, and keep track of who comes and goes with a 24/7 activity log. The August Smart Keypad also lets users create unique entry codes for family, friends and service providers to unlock an August Smart Lock without a traditional key or smartphone. The August Doorbell Cam lets consumers see and speak with visitors at the door, from anywhere, using a smartphone. August Works With August products work in harmony with leading smart home brands to make life more simple and secure. August Works With partners including Airbnb, Amazon, Apple, Logitech, Nest and Xfinity Home.  

The Activity Feed in your August app just got a lot smarter. The new Activity Feed presents all of the activity that happens at your front door in a graphic timeline for a more contextual view. Additionally, users can now assign August Smart Keypad codes remotely. These features are available immediately for iPhone and Android users. Your Activity Feed Tells a Story Now when a series of events occur at the door, triggered by a specific user in the same time span, a “story” is automatically generated in the Activity Feed. All of the events are grouped together along with graphical icons representing the action, such as the door being unlocked using the August app or a 1-touch lock using the August Smart Keypad. Additionally, thumbnails of any images captured by the August Doorbell Cam or video from a Nest Cam connected to the August Smart Lock or Doorbell Cam are included in the Activity Feed. Tap a Doorbell Cam image thumbnail to open a larger image view or tap the “play” icon on a Nest Cam thumbnail to view an animation of the captured video from within any story. Assign Smart Keypad Entry Codes From Anywhere The August Smart Keypad lets users create unique entry codes for family, friends, a dog walker, handyman, or guest to unlock an August Smart Lock without a traditional key or smartphone. Now August Smart Lock users can create, update and delete entry codes for an August Smart Keypad, from anywhere. This new feature makes assigning access codes seamless, especially for Airbnb Hosts who frequently need to provide guest access. Assigning codes remotely requires an August Doorbell Cam or August Connect to connect the Bluetooth August Smart Lock lock to Wi-Fi.

Some of you may have recognized a familiar name onstage at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) earlier this week. We’re excited to officially announce that HomeKit support is coming to Ring Pro early next year, which means Ring neighbors will have an easy, secure and private way to monitor their home via the new Home app in iOS 10. We’re also adding Siri support, which gives you another great way to interact with your home and Ring products. We’re committed to continuously taking the Ring experience to the next level for our community. We’ve been listening closely to all of the great feedback you’ve been throwing our way, and we know how highly requested Apple HomeKit support has been. With HomeKit, your current Ring experience will only get better. By early next year, you’ll be able to use your Ring Pro alongside all the other smart home products you’ve embraced through HomeKit. As things progress, we’ll be sure to keep our Ring community in the loop along the way.

“Hey Siri, is my door locked?” Today, August Home begins shipping its 2nd generation Smart Lock, featuring HomeKit support. The new Smart Lock includes the ability to use Siri™ to lock or unlock doors and check the status of doors using voice commands including “Siri, lock my door,” on an iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Apple Watch and 4th generation AppleTV. The August Smart Lock HomeKit enabled is available immediately at automatednow.com for $229 USD. The 2nd generation Smart Lock is also compatible with third-party HomeKit apps including Insteon+, Lutron and iDevices that can be set up to turn on or off lights and appliances as the door is locked or unlocked. “We are committed to providing value by partnering with companies such as Apple to deliver the features our customers are asking for, including HomeKit integration and support for Siri voice commands,” said Jason Johnson, CEO of August Home Inc. “We will continue to develop best-in-class products and partner with leading smart home companies to add convenience to consumer’s daily lives and new smart security features that are an essential element of the connected home.” The August Smart Lock 2nd generation has a modified industrial design with a magnetic faceplate to easily access the battery compartment and HomeKit code, new micro-patterns to improve grip and rotation of the lock and a slim, chrome indicator at the top of the device so users can visually see if the door is locked or unlocked. The August Smart Lock HomeKit enabled is part of the August Smart Home Access System, which also includes the August Doorbell Cam and August Smart Keypad.

Controlling your August Smart Lock is now more convenient than ever. We’re excited to release a new version of the August iOS app that makes it possible to control your August Smart Lock with your Apple Watch. Features include: Lock and Unlock Your August Smart Lock – initiate a lock or unlock from your Apple Watch with just a swipe and a tap. View Your Lock’s Most Recent Activity – view a log of who has entered or exited your home and when, right on your wrist. Receive Instant Notifications – get real time notifications when your door is unlocked so you have peace of mind.   To start controlling your August Smart Lock from your Apple Watch: Download and install the most recent August app on your iPhone Open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone Select August and turn on “Show App on Apple Watch” and “Glances”