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CES 2017: Yale to Add HomeKit to Select Smart Locks by Late March
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1/4 of a mile? If you are walking that is a issue! Would have thought bluetooth in conjunction with wifi would be a better solution as it can detect distance via signal - it's how the Tile works... I wouldn't want my door unlocked till you were 5 metres away.
Still think a keypad is the easiest way to open a door and not have keys... you can add the smart stuff sure but you are saying you have to carry keys too.. in case?... and what if the phone battery goes.
Sigh... I still haven't found a digital lock I like, that auto-unlocks from iPhone bluetooth range and locks when you leave but with nun-pad for emergency entry when you forget your phone or your phone battery dies. This is the perfect lock I just described. Now 'does it exist?' is the question I'm left with.
Geofencing isn't needed. All it needs is to lock when bluetooth drops and unlock when bluetooth connects. Num-pad for additional entry. And obviously an app to pass out digital keys.
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My bad -- I was confusing my Hue lights with my August lock. The lock doesn't open until I get out of the car. It's the lights that go on 1/4 mile away.
For me a keypad is no solution because I installed my August lock so I wouldn't have to fiddle with anything other than the door lever when I arrive home -- especially if I'm toting two hands worth of grocery bags. I love my lock. Wish it had better auto lock functionality but I'll take what I can get.
Carrying my house key around "just in case" is no extra burden. No matter what I still have to carry my car key, mailbox key, and assorted store "loyalty" fobs. One more key isn't going to matter one way or the other, especially since I've been doing that my entire adult life. The point of BT locks isn't to be able to not have to carry around a 1 oz key anymore -- it's to offer an easier way to enter your home and as a bonus to give access to others who you may not want to give a key to.
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August does all of that if when you mean "locks when you leave" you mean that literally out the door because it will. That is the one part of August I don't like b/c I don't want the door to lock when I take out the trash or am just working in the yard. So I have that turned off. August does offer an a separate number pad.
Hmm, I would actually prefer the exact opposite. Lock the door when I leave, in case I forget, which (*sheepish glance*) has happened a few times.
I could care much less about the security of the bluetooth, zigbee, or zwave of the thing. Don't know of may criminals that are going to take the time to crack even a weak encryption on a lock. When you could easily just break the door in or break a window. I'd be more worried if this lock has the smartkey rekey technology crap on it. That would make the lock a lot more vulnerable security wise then the whatever smarthome protocol was used.
I have a yale smart lock with my AT&T digital life. I can set notifications when it's locked or unlocked and provide temporary pins to friends or cleaning crew. While it's not perfect, we also have an outdoor camera close by so if the lock goes off unexpectedly, I can check and see what is going on. Also I can unlock from my app if needed. Homekit addition will be great.
I am with you there. I have one of the Schlage Sense locks on the back door (in the garage) and it took quite a while, but in the last month or so with all the upgrades to the lock and iOS, it is finally working with both bluetooth and remotely.
I agree that it is a little slow via the Apple TV, but useable now.
I am considering getting one for the front door to replace an older zwave lock.
I agree that it is a little slow via the Apple TV, but useable now.
I am considering getting one for the front door to replace an older zwave lock.
That is why l live in the 16th floor. You can't get to any of the Windows unless you are Spider-Man. The only entrance is a modern black metal door (no window panels) and has a Yale jimmy proof lock and a deadbolt. Looks like a nice regular door from the outside. It also has one of those metal door gates that was there before I changed the door to my current one. To get into my building you would need a special key and then another key for the elevator then when you reach my floor you would need to drill out my locks while being recorded by the building security system. Just the noise of that would be too loud since I have 4 other floor neighbors. Besides that, one of my neighbors has one of those huge 2x size regular door super modern door with a. Bunch of big rectangular frosted panels which is more tempting and easy to break into.
I remember when I was a kid we were living in a second floor walk up and thieves use to climb the small lip of the building to steal stuff from the Windows.
Sure I am saying keypad + smart features is best option. No key needed. Or as I call them Bastard phone scratchers.
Car key is a tiny tesla so no metal.
This is the exact reason I bought a dumb lock with keypad entry. It's great going on a run and not needing to have anything on me (except an Apple Watch and Bluetooth headphones of course). At the time, the available smart locks all required a key fob, key, or phone. Not sure about current offerings though. Although I you left your phone somewhat near the door. You could probably tell Siri on your watch to unlock the door.
What you explained on how the Schlage works is the problem I am hoping Apple makes better.
Just getting an alert that the door is unlocked is maddening (for wife, and myself in and out constantly). I don't want that alert. I want the alert when pin 1234 is used because that is the neighbor walking the dog and NOT me or my wife. I want to see if say NEIGHBOR unlocked door. Or when pin 5678 is entered becuase that is maybe my wife's emergency distress code (like someone is forcing themselves in or if something is wrong). I want the alert to say DISTRESS: code 5678 entered.
It is unfortunate if it can't do those things because zwave on the Yale lock and my Vera hub allows for that level of alerting. I can customize exactly what the alert is to say and what code(s) sends an alert and also who is authorized to receive the alerts. Oh and alerts can be notifications and/or emails.
That is providing real information that can be deciphered at a glance during a meeting or something. Not DOOR UNLOCKED and then no contextual info and I have to go read/find logs. That seems rather useless when I have locks on front door/garage door/patio doors etc. constant notifications for things that are normal in a family situation is NOT smart.
I am starting to think that HomeKit and many of the "smart" things are for single people with no one else regularly in the house/home.
It is also unfortunate that Yale wont allow you to have both Zwave and HomeKit in the same lock. Then I can have the best of both worlds. Use Zwave for the level of notifications and clarity of notifications and use HomeKit simply for voice and maybe some scene integration (which is also limited with home kit at this time)
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Good points! I have a friend that has a keypad lock that also has wifi so that he can check in remotely and lock/unlock the door.
I contacted Yale today about the homekit module for their keyfree connected lock. Their reply was "We'll be announcing availability very soon."
Very excited about this.
Very excited about this.
Yale have told me 16th October it will be available to purchase
Great! I saw a 9to5 Mac article that stated that it would be $75 for a module. I hope it's that price or less.
I've not seen that article on 9to5 about the 16th, I contacted Yale on twitter and they gave me that info. ( iM1 module )
I'm hoping it will be around £50 (ish)
I'm hoping it will be around £50 (ish)