Category: Apple Insider

There are quite a few capable smart locks on the market, but typically you have to make the choice between a more intrusive door lock that involves swapping the hardware on your door or a minimalist one that can retrofit to existing deadbolts.

That also decides if you want a normal keyhole on the exterior or a number pad. With a number pad, it offers yet another way to control your door alongside HomeKit or a key.

August Wi-Fi Smart Lock is an excellent minimalist lock that can fit on the inside of your door, but on its own, lacks a number pad.

Fortunately, August offers an add-on accessory to provide that number pad for those that want it.

The August Smart Keyboard is as simple as they come. It is very small, with two columns of numbers above the August logo. The front is a soft rubberized material so that the buttons can be pressed.

August Smart Keypad mounted to door

Even though it is doesn’t have a large footprint, it does stick out from the wall a solid amount, which isn’t a dealbreaker but it can look odd depending on where it is mounted.

Speaking of which, there are two ways to mount the August Smart Keypad.

A set of mounting screws are included that can be screwed to the exterior wall and the keypad can be pressed right onto them. Two rubber holes on the rear of the keypad hold tight onto those screws.

August Smart Keypad adhesive

Alternatively, a precision-cut adhesive is also included, which you can affix to the rear of the keypad and then press it to the wall for mounting. Regardless of which mounting option you choose, the number pad can always be removed to gain access to the battery compartment around the back.

August Smart Keypad backlit numbers

The keys are backlit in a well-suited red glow, making it easy to see in low-light settings. One small criticism is that the August logo is not inherently obvious as a button, as it isn’t always clear to new users that they must press the logo to submit their code.

A quick first-time “how-to” guide is all that is needed to solve this, however.

Setting up the August Smart Keypad is about as simple as it gets. Just launch the August app, tap on “Add a new product,” and choose the keypad from the list of possible devices.

Once you remove the plastic battery guards, it flashes and is then discovered by the app. Select the door lock you want the keypad to control and wait for the app to finish.

It was mildly confounding for a moment post-install as we looked for an option to set up the passcodes. August doesn’t prompt you for individual passcodes during the install, but rather you set them within settings afterward.

There, you view who has control of the August lock and what their passcodes are for the number pad. You can create a passcode for each person with smart lock control, as well as an emergency code or folks who don’t have a smartphone or access to the app. Kids and the older users are most suited for that last category.

Codes by default are five characters though you can create more secure or less secure passcodes as you choose.

Activity feed in the August app

The keypad connects to the August lock via Bluetooth, which is both simple and straightforward, but also a little time-consuming.

As you approach the door, you input your passcode and press the August logo, and after a few moments, the door will unlock. At times, it could take five to ten seconds for our lock to respond and unlock, which seems too long in our opinion, but it’s just something to keep in mind.

One of our favorite features of the August Smart Keypad is that it can be used to lock the door as well as unlock. On our way out, just tap that August logo, and the door will lock behind you.

A constant theme in any of our smart home reviews is convenience for everyone — both for smart home users as well as kids, guests, and anyone who doesn’t have a phone or use technology. The August Smart Keypad provides benefits for all users.

August Smart Keypad

HomeKit is great to control an August lock, but it isn’t always the best way to do it. Sometimes it is hard to open the Home app or invoke Siri and tapping a button is faster and easier.

That’s not to mention guests and others who may also benefit from having access.

August also controls these keys very securely, with access able to be revoked at any time. The codes can operate certain times or certain days of the week or just left on all the time.

We won’t say that the keypad is essential for all August users but it is convenient enough that we can see many August users opting to add it on.

• Easy to setup and install
• Activity log in app to see who accesses lock
• Solid build that can be installed anywhere
• Backlit buttons
• Unique codes for everyone
• Codes can be revoked any time and can be schedule to only work at certain times
• Option for August lock users

• August icon is not obvious as a button
• Sticks out a bit too much for some locations
• Gets expensive as a smart lock setup

The August Smart Keypad will work with any generation August smart lock and is available separately on Amazon for $55.

The lowest Mac mini price is courtesy of Amazon this weekend, with the e-commerce giant knocking $130 off the standard 2020 model with a 3.6GHz Core i3 processor, 8GB of memory and 256GB of storage.

To snap up the deal, look for a green $100 bonus savings message on the Amazon product page and verify the $669.99 price in your shopping cart. It’s unclear how long the promotion will last, so don’t delay if you’re looking for a stellar Mac deal on a budget.

AppleInsider and Apple authorized resellers are also running additional exclusive discounts on Mac hardware that will not only deliver the best Apple prices on many of the items, but also throw in bonus savings on AppleCare, Office 365 and more. These offers are as follows:

The order comes on the heels of an investigation conducted by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S.

“There is credible evidence that leads me to believe that ByteDance … might take action that threatens to impair the national security of the United States,” Trump said in the order, as reported by CNBC.

A previous executive order called on ByteDance to cut U.S. business ties within 45 days. Friday’s order presents the firm more time to strike a deal that would save TikTok for an estimated 100 million U.S. users.

While the loss of TikTok would be a relatively minor blow to the App Store ecosystem, the impending ban on Tencent’s and Tencent massively popular messaging app WeChat could have major consequences for Apple. With more than one billion monthly active users, the all-in-one messaging and shopping app is for many a key decision-maker when buying a new smartphone. Earlier this week, noted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo estimated that Apple could suffer a 30% decline in global iPhone sales if Trump’s WeChat ban takes effect.

A number of companies, including Apple, called on the White House to reconsider its stance on WeChat, but their collective plea fell on deaf ears. Asked Friday if he was concerned about iPhone sales faltering due to the ban, Trump said, “Whatever.”

Epic’s update, which was pushed out to both iOS and Android versions of Fortnite, integrated methods for users to bypass App Store and Play Store in-app payment mechanisms. Apple and Google maintain store policies that strictly prohibit such behavior.

Apple responded by removing Fortnite from the App Store within hours. Google has since followed suit and is no longer offering the game through its Play Store, though the Android version is still available through the Epic Games app and other third-party stores.

Google issued a statement detailing its decision to The Verge.

The open Android ecosystem lets developers distribute apps through multiple app stores. For game developers who choose to use the Play Store, we have consistent policies that are fair to developers and keep the store safe for users. While Fortnite remains available on Android, we can no longer make it available on Play because it violates our policies. However, we welcome the opportunity to continue our discussions with Epic and bring Fortnite back to Google Play.

Whether Epic intends to level a lawsuit against Google, as it did Apple, remains unclear.

Shortly after Apple yanked Fortnite from the App Store, Epic filed a private antitrust lawsuit against the tech giant over App Store fees, restrictions on third-party app stores and other policies. The developer also launched a social media campaign to drum up support from users and the general public, going so far as to prepare a parody video of Apple’s famous “1984” ad.

Update: Epic has sued Google over alleged anticompetitive practices. Like its fight with Apple, the developer paints a picture of duplicity — mocking Google’s already ridiculed “Don’t Be Evil” motto — in its suit. A corresponding parody video was not released.

According to Canalys, smartphone shipments fell 10% from 33.4 million units in Q2 2019 to 31.9 million units in the same quarter in 2020. Shipments grew 11% sequentially, however, due to increased production from Chinese factories.

Apple and Samsung accounted for seven out of every ten devices sold in the U.S., with Apple reaching a quarter two record of 15 million iPhones shipped, the research firm estimates. The report says that the iPhone 11 is outperforming 2019’s bestselling iPhone XR by 15% despite the pandemic.

Apple grew its share of the market to 47% on the back of iPhone SE, stay-at-home orders and the failure to spread 5G effectively during the coronavirus outbreak.

“As the coronavirus pandemic forced consumers to stay at home, 5G adoption in the US failed to take off,” said Canalys analyst Vincent Thielke. “Store closures and virus fears limited interaction with demonstration models, tight consumer budgets further constrained spending power, and with scarce 5G network coverage in American suburbia, consumers saw plenty of reasons to buy a 4G device instead. Despite the lackluster 5G roll-out so far, strong carrier marketing in coming quarters will be instrumental in catalyzing a multi-year transition period from LTE to 5G.”

Apple’s 15 million iPhone shipments were up 10% from Q2 2019. Apple missing out on 5G in its 2019 iPhone line may have not been an issue according to these numbers, and the “iPhone 12” is expected to launch a super cycle of demand in the fall.

The report goes on to say that 70% of smartphones shipped in the U.S. in Q2 2020 were made in China, up from 60% in Q1.

Since exiting beta in May, the Apple-Google API has been integrated into coronavirus contact tracing apps in 16 countries including Italy, Japan, Latvia, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland and Uruguay, The Markup reports.

In early July, Ireland’s Health Service Executive integrated the Apple-Google API in the country’s COVID Tracker Ireland. According to today’s report, the app has been downloaded 1.4 million times, accounting for a significant portion of the country’s approximately 4.8 million citizens.

Adoption in Germany, another coronavirus hotspot, is similarly strong with the Corona-Warn-App downloaded some 16 million times since June.

Though the apps are not being used by an overwhelming majority of either nation’s population, participation could be enough to make an impact. As noted in the report, a study conducted by researchers at Oxford suggests that the number of daily infections can be reduced even if a mere 20% to 40% of a given population downloads and uses contact tracing apps.

The Apple-Google Exposure Notification API uses random device identifiers — keys — to generate temporary IDs that are sent between devices via close proximity Bluetooth communications. By swapping keys, apps integrating the Apple-Google system can track and notify users when they are exposed to others who test positive for coronavirus.

With security at the fore, the solution does not store data on central servers run by Apple or Google, but instead silos anonymized Bluetooth beacons on user devices until participants elect to share the information with an outside party. If and when a user is diagnosed with COVID-19, they can opt to upload a 14-day list of recent anonymized contacts to a distribution server, which matches beacon IDs and sends out notifications alerting those individuals that they came in close contact with a carrier of the virus. Doctors can also peruse the data, if such access is granted.

Research has yet to conclude whether the Apple-Google API is an effective tool in combating coronavirus, but more than a few major world powers have adopted or pledged support for the system as part of an unprecedented worldwide response. Domestically, however, the solution has not won over many states.

Alabama and Virginia were the first to adopt the framework with app releases in August. Others, including North Dakota and South Carolina, have signaled intent to follow suit as virus rates climb.

Some states elected to forego the Apple-Google API in favor of invasive solutions that tap into personal information like user location data. Utah, for example, declined Exposure Notification for its Healthy Together app, which collects user names, location and phone numbers to pinpoint virus spread. State officials in June decided to disable the GPS-tracking feature after finding potential users disliked the idea of being constantly monitored. At the time, only 200 people had downloaded the app.

Rhode Island’s Crush Covid RI app also uses location data, though the information is anonymized. App download numbers were left unreported.

These fresh discounts deliver the lowest Apple prices available for each particular configuration, according to the AppleInsider Price Guide.

In the case of the 2020 MacBook Air, the $859 price at Adorama represents a $140 discount off retail thanks to a $100 instant discount stacked with $40 off coupon code APINSIDER. This configuration in Gold is equipped with a dual-core 1.1GHz Intel Core i3 processor, 8GB of memory and a 256GB SSD. Check out these activation instructions for help redeeming the coupon.

1. Make sure you’re using a browser with cookies enabled that isn’t in private mode.
2. Click on the price link to the desired configuration from this article or the Adorama price links in our Price Guides. You MUST click through our links in the same shopping session that you use our coupon. If you try to save a link for late, the coupon WON’T WORK. Once you click through a price link, you’ll see a price that’s higher than advertised (we’ll fix that in a moment).
3. Add the MacBook Air or iMac to your cart anyway, and when you’re done shopping, begin the checkout process.
4. Look for a link that says “Do you have a gift card or promo code?” next to the gift icon. Click that to bring up a coupon code field.
   
5. Enter the coupon code APINSIDER in the field and click apply. The discount should appear under “Promo Savings” above the order total.
6. That’s it. As always, if you have any issues, you can reach out to us at [email protected] and we’ll try and help.

AppleInsider and Apple authorized resellers are also running additional exclusive discounts on Mac hardware that will not only deliver the best Apple prices on many of the items, but also throw in bonus savings on AppleCare, Office 365 and more. These offers are as follows:

Apple’s newest MacBook Pro is $200 off at B&H Photo, with units in stock and ready to ship just in time for back-to-school. This configuration is equipped with a 10th Generation Intel Core i5 quad-core processor, along with 16GB of RAM and a spacious 1TB SSD.

Now $1,799, the system in Space Gray also qualifies for free expedited shipping within the contiguous U.S. Payboo cardholders shipping to eligible zip codes can also save on sales tax, putting another $145 back in your pocket on average.

2020 13-inch MacBook Pro discounts

2019 13-inch MacBook Pro deals

AppleInsider and Apple authorized resellers are also running additional exclusive discounts on Mac hardware that will not only deliver the best Apple prices on many of the items, but also throw in bonus savings on accessories, Office 365 and more. These offers are as follows:

Shortly following the signing of an Executive Order by President Donald Trump that effectively bans TikTok and WeChat in the US from September 20, TikTok issued a statement claiming it would “pursue all remedies” against it. It appears that those remedies may start arriving in the next week.

According to a source of NPR, TikTok will be filing a federal lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California, where the app’s US operations are located, as early as Tuesday.

The lawsuit will allege the order is unconstitutional as the Trump administration failed to provide a chance for TikTok to respond. Furthermore, the suit will insist the administration’s national security justification for the order’s creation is without merit and baseless.

“It’s based on pure speculation and conjecture,” said the source. “The order has no findings of fact, just reiterates rhetoric about China that has been kicking around.”

In defending the order, White House spokesman Judd Deere said “The Administration is committed to protecting the American people from all cyber-related threats to critical infrastructure, public health and safety, and our economic and national security.”

In its statement on the ban on August 7, TikTok claimed it was “shocked by the recent Executive Order, which was issued without any due process.” After citing its attempts to engage with the US government for a “constructive solution to the concerns,” TikTok believes “the Administration paid no attention to facts, dictated terms of an agreement without going through standard legal processes, and tried to insert itself into negotiations between private businesses.”

TikTok went on to suggest the order “risks undermining global businesses’ trust in the United States’ commitment to the rule of law,” and that it sets “a dangerous precedent for the concept of free expression and open markets.”

After the death of Steve Jobs in 2011, both Wall Street and Silicon Valley worried about Apple’s future. But, nine years later, Apple’s revenue and profits have more than doubled and the company’s market valuation is higher than the GDP of Canada, Russia or Spain.

Those gains have been made under the helm of Cook, who succeeded Jobs in August 2011. According to a profile in The Wall Street Journal, the past nine years have seen the tech executive reform Apple to more closely resemble himself.

Compared to Jobs’ outspoken devotion to design, Cook is described as much more methodical and focused on finance and social good. Although Apple under Cook has a “more relaxed workplace” environment than Apple under Jobs, staffers said that Cook is similarly “demanding and detail oriented.”

The CEO’s attention to detail “causes underlings to enter meetings with trepidation.” And Cook’s precision has “reshaped how Apple staff work and think,” the Journal adds.

“Middle managers today screen staff before meetings with Mr. Cook to make sure they’re knowledgeable. First-timers are advised not to speak. “It’s about protecting your team and protecting him. You don’t waste his time,” said a longtime lieutenant. If he senses someone is insufficiently prepared, he loses patience and says, “Next,” as he flips a page of the meeting agenda, this person said, adding, “people have left crying.”

Another time, Cook reportedly got irritated that Apple shipped 25 computers to South Korea instead of Japan. Although some sources said it seemed like a minor accident, Cook warned that “we’re los­ing our com­mit­ment to ex­cel­lence.”

The Apple executive rarely visits Apple’s design studio, which Jobs frequented. At a 2012 meeting to review an early Apple Watch prototype, Cook was absent. Sources say such an absence would have been unthinkable under Jobs.

Also unlike Jobs, who thought Apple’s cash was best directed toward research and development, Cook is much more willing to return cash to investors. In 2013, Cook had a three-hour dinner with Wall Street investor Carl Icahn that ended with dessert consisting of Apple logo cookies.

Colleagues and acquaintances who spoke to the Journal said that Cook was a “humble workaholic with a singular commitment to Apple.” Even longtime colleagues rarely socialized with Cook, and former assistants said that he doesn’t often partake in personal events.

Apple declined to set up interviews with Cook or senior executives, but “helped arrange calls four phone people it said could speak to areas of importance to Mr. Cook such as environmentalism, education and health.”

Of those four employees, one had never met Cook, and the others who spent a combined total of a few hours with the chief executive.

The proof of Apple’s shift may be in its products. The company has largely failed to release the type of market-disruptive products that Jobs was famous for.

Instead, Apple has dominated accessories that surround the iPhone — including the Apple Watch, AirPods and services like Apple Music. The Apple Watch has outsold every other watch in the world, while AirPods made up more than half of all headphones sold in 2019.