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Ecobee’s smart thermostat now supports Siri voice control
Ecobee is rolling out Siri to its SmartThermostat, giving you Apple-powered control over your home — if you have a HomePod.
Google's Nest Thermostat is the cheapest it's ever been
Amazon has a new deal on Google's latest Nest Thermostat that cuts $30 off its original price.
GE's smart home brand expands beyond lighting with a security camera
C by GE has become Cync, and it's expanding beyond lighting to include smart home tech like security cameras and thermostats.
Nest thermostats in the US and Canada can now monitor your HVAC system
The latest Nest thermostat isn’t the only model that can tell you if something’s wrong with your HVAC system.
Google's $130 Nest Thermostat features an all-new touch-based design
It’s been ten years since Nest first launched its first smart thermostat, and it’s become the most popular brand in the connected home temperature control space. Google is launching the new Nest Thermostat today for $130, and it features an impressively sleek, attractive makeover that’ll make the device look less like a bump on your wall and more like an elegant ornament. Google was able to make the thermostat so much slimmer in part because it got rid of the spinning wheel in older models and replaced it with a touch sensitive edge.
Nest makes its Seasonal Savings program free for all thermostat users
The feature makes small tweaks to Nest thermostat settings to help reduce energy consumption. Until now, Seasonal Savings were only available if a customer’s utility provider offered Seasonal Savings programs.
Ecobee's Family Accounts put limits on smart home control
Ring isn't the only company giving you better smart home privacy controls. Ecobee is trotting out a Family Accounts feature that lets up to 15 people in your household control thermostats and other gear without having to hand over your sign-in details. They can steer devices and invite other people to the same group, but they can't add or remove devices, make account changes or sign up for Eco+ like the master account can.
Nest thermostats will warn of possible problems with your AC or furnace
You might not have to wait until your home is frigid to find out that there's a problem with your furnace. Google has started testing a Nest thermostat feature that sends email alerts when the device detects unusual patterns in your HVAC system. If it's taking an oddly long time to warm up your house, you might get a notice well before there's a full-fledged breakdown.
Networked freezers at grocery stores are vulnerable to hacking
Security researchers at Safety Detective revealed vulnerabilities in the temperature control systems found in freezers that could allow an attacker to hijack the devices and destroy its contents. The security hole, which stems from weak passwords, affect internet-connected thermostats manufactured by Resource Data Management (RDM). The company's products are used by grocery stores, hospitals pharmaceutical firms, among others.
Engadget UK giveaway: Win a smart heating system courtesy of Tado
There's something ever so satisfying about milling around in your PJs at home when you need to wrap up like a mummy to set foot outside. But making repeated trips to the thermostat and fiddling around with the timer isn't quite so enjoyable. This week, we're giving away a package that'll vastly increase your boiler's IQ, thanks to our pals at Tado. In addition to many remote control and scheduling features, Tado's latest smart thermostat helps you manage your home's microclimate, considering factors like air quality, humidity and others. On top of a thermostat starter kit, one lucky winner will also receive two smart radiator valves for creating individual heating zones, and free installation for the whole shebang. To get involved, read the rules, enter via the Rafflecopter widget below, then cross your fingers.
You can now buy Brilliant's light switch smart home hubs
Brilliant debuted its smart home control system at CES back in January, and now it's finally available to buy. Unlike other smart home products, Brilliant's works by plugging directly into your home's existing light switch ports, and from there controls a range of devices, including lights, music, Alexa, thermostats and video entry systems. Just connect your gear over WiFi, and use the device's touch screen or voice commands to do your thing. It also comes with Android and iOS apps for remote control, so you can manage your home when you're not in it.
That fancy Cortana thermostat now supports Alexa and Google Assistant
If you've been eying Johnson Controls' slick, Microsoft-backed GLAS thermostat ever since it was unveiled in 2017, it's finally close at hand -- and you won't have to rely on Cortana for voice control, either. The $319 climate controller will ship on August 24th with support both Amazon's Alexa and Google Assistant, helping it slip more gracefully into more smart home setups. This probably won't wound Microsoft's pride too much. It's aware that Cortana has just a small slice of the voice assistant market, and it's already getting cozy with Alexa on its own platforms.
Ecobee smart thermostats now save you money during peak hours
Ecobee now has an answer to Nest's peak-usage energy savings. It's launching a Peak Relief pilot program that automatically cuts down on heating and cooling when electricity rates are at their highest. It uses your comfort preferences, home energy efficiency and the weather forecast to ramp up the heat or AC right before peak times so that you can reap the benefits of your smart thermostat without paying quite so dearly for the privilege. Ecobee reckons that you'll save an additional 10 percent on your bills on top of the 23 percent you're normally supposed to save.
Nest co-founder Matt Rogers is leaving Google
It's been a little more than four years since Google acquired Nest for $3.2 billion, and now both co-founders have left the company. Former CEO Tony Fadell departed in 2016 to be replaced by former cable exec Marwan Fawaz, followed today by co-founder and chief product officer Matt Rogers. In a tweet, Rogers said that after nine years spent building Nest he's "decided to begin my transition to dedicate more of my time to Incite.org, as well as to start thinking about the next adventure."
Don’t pirate or we’ll mess with your Nest, warns East Coast ISP
Internet slowdowns at home aren't just annoying anymore. They can be hazardous to your health or dangerous if you're in an area that freezes. Internet service provider Armstrong Zoom has roughly a million subscribers in the Northeastern part of the U.S. and is keen to punish those it believes are using file-sharing services.
Hilton plans to offer a smart hotel room system next year
From a Watson-powered concierge to in-room VR porn, hotels are getting more and more tech-savvy and connected. There's an Amazon Echo in every room when you stay at Wynn's Las Vegas hotel, and more destinations are adding ways to watch your own Netflix and Chromecast when you stay. Now Hilton is ready to roll out a new mobile-centric connected room. The smart room system is currently in beta at one Hilton hotel and set to deploy to several more in the coming weeks. A full deployment to all Hilton hotels is planned for next year.
Control Ecobee's smart thermostats with Google Assistant
You no longer have to be picky about which voice assistant you use to steer Ecobee's smart thermostats. Google Assistant now offers control over Ecobee3 and Ecobee4 models, letting you tweak the temperature from your phone or an Assistant-equipped speaker like those in the Home lineup. It's a relatively simple addition, but it means that Ecobee's thermostats now respond to voice commands from three of the major voice assistants (Alexa, Assistant and Siri) in some capacity -- sorry, Cortana fans.
Nest's sub-$200 thermostat might swap metal for plastic
The Nest thermostat's premium looks match its pretty hefty price tag, but if you're cool with a simpler version that can still do the job, you may want to wait it out. Evan Blass, a notable gadget leaker known as evleaks, has tweeted an image of what looks like an unadorned version of the Nest thermostat. Based on its no-frills appearance, it seems to be the sub-$200 version Bloomberg said the Google-owned company is working on. Mark Gurman, the journalist who wrote the piece, even confirmed that it's the cheaper Nest he reported in March.
Lowe’s Iris smart home system can connect to your Nest thermostat
Home improvement retailer Lowe's continues to update its Iris smart home system. Originally released in 2014, it added mobile set up, remote monitoring and subscription-based emergency services to it's offered services. Now you can manage your home's temperature with Iris, via a new integration with the Nest learning thermostat.
Microsoft shows off a Nest-like thermostat based on Cortana
Microsoft isn't content to let Amazon or Alphabet dictate the future of the smart home. The software giant has unveiled a smart thermostat from Johnson Controls, GLAS, that promises to one-up what you see from the likes of Nest. The slick-looking control packs both a translucent touchscreen and, more importantly, Cortana voice controls -- you don't have to talk to a speaker or your phone to change the temperature. The promo video (below) doesn't go deep into the feature set, but the Windows 10 IoT Core-based hardware is known to detect both your presence in the room as well as air quality indoors and out.
