Despite the hype, publicity, and big promises, the smart home market is still...in a very early stage.
According to the research firm IHS, only 5.6 million homes in the US have "smart" systems installed, while by 2018 their number will have risen to 44.6 million, a rather modest number considering the conveniences and functions that these systems incorporate.
But the more companies and devices, the more the market opens up and the more likely it is that solutions and proposals will be found that will make more and more consumers want to acquire them.
August is another company that has entered the smart home arena with a mobile-activated lock. The lead designer is Yves Béhar, the man who designed the Jawbone fitness tracker and the One Laptop Per Child computer.
The creators state that they do not see their lock - which is expected to be released on the market in January - as a technological product, but as a consumer and household product.
The advantage of this cylinder lock is that it is not placed in the place of the regular one, but is adjusted above it. It opens automatically when the owner approaches the door, but also has the option to open as soon as he presses the relevant button on his mobile application. Temporary codes can even be issued with a duration of a few hours (e.g. for a relative, a babysitter or a domestic worker).
The lock communicates with the phone via Bluetooth and uses two levels of encryption.
August has already been funded with $10 million from venture capital.
Source: planet-greece.blogspot.com
