Wi-Fi Access Point, Apple HomeKit, & New Features

Wi-Fi Access Point Update 

Thank you to everyone who wrote to us to express interest in becoming a beta tester! We were blown away by the amount of interest and we’re so grateful to each of you. We wish we could send a test unit to everyone immediately, but we only have a very limited amount of test units available for the first batch. In addition, we will only be able to offer first-round test units to iOS users as we are still working on Android support for Wi-Fi. 

The good news is that we are still on track to produce the first batch of test units by the end of June! We’ve finalized the antenna optimization and we’re pleased to say that, functionally, our in-house test unit has been exceeding all our expectations. We’re confident that CANDY HOUSE Wi-Fi Access Point will have the fastest connection speed of all Wi-Fi enabled smart lock bridges on the market, and we can’t wait for you to try it out yourself! 

Here's a peek at our sample units:

Wi-Fi Access Point Sample Units

Wi-Fi Access Point next to Sesame for scale

We’re ready to apply for certifications and begin mass production. We’re thrilled to be finally out of the design phase -- fingers crossed that everything goes smoothly and that there will not be any further delays! 

Please note that the first batch of test units will be produced primarily to ensure that the strong performance of our test unit can be replicated, so aesthetically they will not be as polished as the final version. These test units will have unfinished outer casings, including uneven cases and not-so-perfect edges, but they should be fully functional. We just wanted to make sure potential beta testers are aware. If you’d prefer to receive a version that looks more like a final, polished product, we’d understand! 

We will be reaching out to those invited to be a first-round beta tester later this month to provide more information and confirm interest. Since we are sending out a very limited number of test units, we will be expecting frequent and detailed communication with our beta testers on what’s working and what isn’t. We will also be releasing new builds to test bug fixes at a fast pace and would like our beta testers to be able to provide timely feedback and bug reports on each new build. We know this may not be for everyone, so we will be reaching out to those we feel we would be a good fit to confirm their interest and availability to beta test the Wi-Fi Access Point for us. 

Assuming that the first batch of test units have no major problems functionally, we’ll be producing more units in July. At this time we should be able to send early units to the rest of those who requested to be a beta tester, and these units should be more polished and closer to the final version we will be sending out. We will provide more information on the second batch of units once we’ve gotten some feedback on the first batch, so stay tuned! All test units will also be covered under our 1-year warranty for Sesame and Wi-Fi Access Point, so if your test unit turns out to be defective or malfunctions within a year, let us know and we’ll be happy to send a replacement if we can’t help you fix the issue. 

We are still on-track to deliver all Wi-Fi Access Points to backers by the end of September 2017. We will be sure to let you know if any delays occur.

If you haven't yet pre-ordered a Wi-Fi Access Point, be sure to place a pre-order!

Apple HomeKit

We’ve received a few inquiries on HomeKit status, so we’d like to provide an update. When we created Sesame, we planned for it to be compatible with all major smart home platforms, as well as make an API available for developers to create their own apps and uses. Unfortunately, Apple changed its hardware requirements for HomeKit-enabled accessories after we had already finalized Sesame's design and begun production, throwing a wrench into our plans to offer HomeKit support for Sesame on launch.

We’re very sorry for the delay and disappointment and have been working on other integrations for Sesame while we sought a solution for HomeKit. We’ve made a lot of progress, and it’s now possible for iOS beta testers to integrate their Sesame with IFTTT and our web API, and we will also be working on integrating with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa directly. With Google Assistant now available for iOS users in US, you’ll be able to ask Google to “Open Sesame” directly from your phone! (If you’re interested in beta testing these integrations, please join our iOS Beta Testing Program. If you’re looking for help on setting up Virtual Station, you can check out the instructions for iOS beta testers.) 

The good news is that it's finally possible for us to make HomeKit integration possible for Sesame! We will begin working on HomeKit integration for Sesame once we finish integration with Google Assistant. We know HomeKit support has been a long time coming and we’re very excited to be able to offer HomeKit support soon. We’ll continue to post updates on our progress, so stay tuned!

Android Knock Function

Another feature for which we’ve received inquiries is the knock function on Android. We know a lot of people have been eager to get the knock function on Android, but we’ve experienced difficulties implementing this feature due to the lack of standardized hardware across Android devices. We haven’t yet found a solution that will be able to support the specifications of all the thousands of Android devices available on the market, and this is the obstacle we currently face. We did not foresee this problem when we announced the features we would be bringing to Sesame, and we apologize for the disappointment. We will be doing our best to find a solution, but it’s possible that we will only be able to support the knock function on a limited number of Android devices due to hardware requirements. 

In the meantime, we will be working hard to improve auto-unlock on Android! We’ve identified some unique advantages of the Android system that will allow us to offer a better auto-unlock experience on Android compared to iOS, and we can’t wait to make the most of this possibility and offer a truly intuitive and effortless auto-unlock experience. 

New Features and Improvements 

Android 

Our team has been working hard to add new features to the Sesame app for Android! Please download version 0.9.41 (APK version code: 60) if you haven’t already. This update will allow you to login with your Facebook and/or Google account. 

iOS 

You can now login with your Facebook and/or Google account and receive low battery notifications as of version 1.09! 

In addition, we are currently beta testing integration with IFTTT and API on TestFlight. We’ll be releasing an update with these features on the App Store as soon as we’ve squashed those pesky bugs! Thanks to everyone providing TestFlight feedback, our team has been working hard to fix issues and release new builds as quickly as we can, and we really appreciate your information on what’s working and what isn’t. 

If you’re interested in becoming an iOS beta tester as well, please fill out the form for joining our iOS Beta Testing Program. If you’re looking for help on setting up Virtual Station, you can check out the instructions for iOS beta testers

API 

CANDY HOUSE is thrilled to announce the release of RESTful API for Sesame! Now you can pass lock and unlock commands to Sesame and request Sesame's status through a custom interface. More features and functions are under development and coming soon! Check out the CANDY HOUSE Developer Site to get started. 

Whether you're a tech-savvy DIYer looking to integrate Sesame with your smart home setup or a developer seeking a smart lock solution for your business, you'll now be able to create a custom interface for your Sesame. We can't wait to see what our amazing Sesame users and CANDY HOUSE partners will do with the API, and we'd love for you to share your setup with us! Show off cool things you're doing, offer suggestions, report a bug, or ask for help by emailing us at sesame@candyhouse.co. We look forward to hearing from you! 

Coming Soon 

  • Guest access: we’ve received feedback that the process to grant guest access can be streamlined, and we’ve heard your voice! Soon you will be able to add a guest before they create an account, and they will be automatically granted access as soon as they verify their account 
  • Google Assistant integration: we’re currently working on direct integration with Google Assistant - we were ecstatic to hear that Google Assistant is available to iOS users in US, and the announcement has pushed Google Assistant integration to the top of our to-do list. Soon you’ll be able to say “Ok Google, open Sesame!” to unlock your door! 

Father’s Day Giveaway

We’d like to take the opportunity to invite you to submit an entry for our Father’s Day #techsavvydad giveaway. We love hearing about the impact Sesame is making in people’s lives, and we’ve received some heartwarming stories from and about fathers: a father improving his family’s lives through smart home gadgets, a father gifting Sesame to his child leaving for college, and a grandson bonding with his grandfather over the joy of a keyless life.

Do you have some stories you’d like to share about your tech-savvy dad and how he’s changed your life? Or how he’s driving you crazy with way too many trendy gadgets? Or are you the tech-savvy dad bringing IoT to the lives of your loved ones?

If so, we’d like to invite you to submit your own #techsavvydad story! We’d love to inspire our followers with your stories, and as a thank-you to our contributors, we will be sending a free Sesame to one lucky winner. 

Submit your story by June 18th for a chance to be featured on our Facebook and a chance to win a free Sesame for the #techsavvydad in your life!

Thank You

As always, we’d like to thank all of you for supporting Sesame. We received a huge volume of emails after our previous Wi-Fi Access Point update, and we appreciate each one of you who wrote to us to follow up on your Sesame shipment, request to be a Wi-Fi Access Point beta tester, ask for technical support, or simply to share your thoughts. Thank you for reaching out to us and for giving us a chance to make things right for you - it means a lot to us that you’re willing to give us an opportunity to respond. We were particularly touched by the amount of positive feedback we received and are so grateful for your kind words and encouragement. 

We know we have a lot of room for improvement and we are working on it! We’re doing our best to be more responsive, ship out Sesames, fix bugs, add new features, and provide regular updates on what we’re working on. Please don’t hesitate to let us know if you have any further feedback for us, whether you’d like to give us kudos for our efforts or have further suggestions for what we can do better. We’ll do our best to address common concerns, so let us know what’s on your mind. To stay updated on CANDY HOUSE news and updates, please follow us on Facebook and Twitter, and feel free to email us at sesame@candyhouse.co with your thoughts - we value your opinion and love hearing from you!

Warmly,
CANDY HOUSE, Inc.
sesame@candyhouse.co

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