Tag: nest

Nest Expands IoT Protocol To Third-Party Devices

Posted on by Lab Team

What Happened
Earlier today, Google’s Nest Labs introduced a new device-to-device communications protocol called Nest Weave for its low-energy IoT protocol Thread, which was first announced in July. Initial launch partners include P&G, GE, Hunter Douglas, Philips Hue, iHome, and Lutron Electronics. Nest Weave, which can work without Wi-Fi, is a proprietary application protocol that Nest has been using within its own products. Now with this expansion, Nest Weave will use Thread to allow third-party devices to communicate with Nest products.

What Brands Need To Do
By extending the reach of its Nest devices to third-party devices, Google is looking to take the lead in the nascent market of connected home devices and create a holistic ecosystem that plays by its rules. Recently, some new connected home devices, exemplified by Amazon’s Echo, signal the vast possibility for brand integration in the smart home space. Therefore, brands looking to reach consumers at home should take advantage of this new IoT communication protocol, and start learning how to navigate a more unified and interoperable experience within the connected home.

 

Header image credit: promotional image from Nest

Source: VentureBeat

Cable Companies Also Want A Piece Of That Smart Home Pie

Posted on by Lab Team

Read original article on: Fortune

When it comes to the smart home market, tech companies like Apple and Google seems to be enjoying an early lead with their smart home hubs like HomeKit and Nest-based platform. But cable companies such as Comcast and Time Warner Cable, already controlling the home wireless network of millions, are also making a play for the market as well.

Earlier this year, Time Warner Cable partnered up with BestBuy to give customers of its security-focused IntellegenceHome service a better deal on smart home devices. And now, Comcast announced their Xfinity home platform, controlled by a branded tablet under monthly lease, is now supporting the connected home gears from its new partners, which include Nest, August (locks), and Rachio (sprinklers), and Lutron (lighting).

Furthermore, the cable behemoth is also planning to expand its smart home offering later this year with a SDK, which would developers to create officially sanctioned services using the Xfinity system. As the smart home market starts to take off, we expect to see some more players joining in the ring before it solidifies.

How Nest Thermostat Will Pay For Itself In Two Years

Posted on by Lab Team

Read original story on: TechCrunch

Based on three separate studies of longitudinal data, Nest reports that its connected thermostat could pay for itself in less than two years from heating and cooling savings. The Google-owned smart-home manufacturer claims that “a correctly programmed thermostat can save about 20% on your heating and cooling bill”, and is also looking to implement algorithms that will make its thermostat better at responding to changes in temperature and anticipating future usage.

Control Your Nest Thermostat With The Google App

Posted on by Lab Team

Read original story on: ArsTechnica

The smart thermostat Nest just got even smarter: Nest owners can now use Google’s eponymous app on iOS or Android to easily control their home’s temperature, similar to how they used Nest’s own app. They can also use Google’s voice commands to change or set their temperature before even getting home. More impressively, Google Now will offer up suggestions for temperature settings based on user location and time of the day.

Nest And Samsung To Introduce New IoT Network Protocol

Posted on by Lab Team

Not long after the announcement of OIC, Samsung is now joining Google’s Nest Labs and six other manufacturers to launch a new wireless network called Thread for smart home automation. This new IP-based IoT network protocol doesn’t rely on Bluetooth, and will be made compatible out of the gate with 250 products, allowing smart gadgets to talk to each other. With Apple’s HomeKit, the aforementioned OIC, and other generic Bluetooth networks, the state of IoT network protocols seems to be getting a bit messy, which is understandable since the market is still in an early stage. For the sake of truly integrated IoT network, however, sooner or later the tech giants will have to figure out which one works the best and settle the matter. Until then, stay tuned for new developments.

Nest Acquires Dropcam

Posted on by Lab Team

The Google-owned Nest confirmed today that it will be acquiring Dropcam, the home-monitoring startup that produces cameras to keep track of the modern home. It seems as though Nest is looking to integrate Dropcam into a complete home system, and to bring Nest onto the cloud; ultimately, Nest is adding a subscription service. It will be interesting to see where Dropcam goes from here, and how Nest – and Google – utilize the service. 

Google Purchases Nest For $3.2 Billion

Posted on by Lab Team

It was only a matter of time, really, before Google positioned itself in the connected home market. Today, they’ve taken a huge step towards doing that with the purchase of Nest, one of the most consumer-facing, market-ready connected home technology companies: they already have a best-selling thermostat, and recently introduced the networked Protect smoke alarm. Conceivably, Google will interface the technology into its existing digital networks to make the connected home connected to Google. As Nest already has a best selling product, expect developments to come quickly with this purchase.