Schlage LiNK deadbolt works with home automation |
My family and I are in the process of buying a new home. One of the first things I started lobbying the wife for (don’t laugh, any married guy will tell you that is an integral part of a relationship) was some serious home automation goodness. I want everything to be automated in the home and talk in the voice of HAL.
Schlage has announced a new deadbolt that will be perfect for my new house and is about as geeky as a deadbolt gets. First, you don’t need a key to unlock it. The lock opens via a 4-digit code that is entered on a 10-digit keypad. The lock can be set up to notify the homeowner via a text when a specific code is entered.
That can allow you to know when your kids get home or when the repairman finally shows up. The coolest part is that you can unlock the deadbolt from any Internet connected device like a laptop or smartphone. The big downside is that Schlage thinks people are going to pay $12.99 per month to access the online portal that allows you to unlock the deadbolt online. That feature is cool and all, but I hardly think for the two times per year I’ll use it the roughly $155 yearly charge is worth it.
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The lock works great, and you do *NOT* need to buy the Schlage bridge or pay the Schlage monthly service. Vera, from Mi Casa Verde, fully supports the Schlage locks, uses the same level of security, also supports remote access from web and cell phone, does everything the Schlage bridge does and MUCH MORE (see: http://wiki.micasaverde.com/index.php/Side_By_Side_Comparison). And there is *NO* mandatory subscription fee. Through 3/31/09 Mi Casa Verde is giving everyone who buys Vera + the Schlage LiNK a lifetime subscription to their online hosted services as well, which is normally $199. You save $100 by buying the Schlage lock without their bridge, plus $150/year by not using their subscription, and $199 from Mi Casa Verde. See: http://micasaverde.com/schlage_promo.php This makes it more affordable, and you get a real, full-featured home control system that supports all Z-Wave devices and does energy monitoring too.