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Nest adds Google Assistant to the indoor Cam IQ
The Nest Cam IQ is the smartest camera in the company's security-oriented lineup, and now it's even smarter. Today, Nest announced that the Cam IQ natively supports Google Assistant, thanks to an over-the-air update. It's important to note, though, that this is only for the indoor version of the Cam IQ.
T-Mobile can keep Nest Secure online if your WiFi fails
In September, Nest released its Secure alarm system, complete with motion and door sensors and an app that lets you manage the system from anywhere. But arming the alarm through your phone or receiving alerts that motion has been detected in your home requires the Nest system to be actively connected to WiFi. If your internet service goes down or your home network stops working, however, you won't get those alerts or be able to access your system through Nest's app. That's why Nest has worked cellular backup into the Secure system and T-Mobile announced today that it's the exclusive cellular provider for Nest Secure.
Nest Cams can automatically detect your doors
Nest is improving both its apps and its camera smarts. An update to both iOS and Android apps (if your phones and tablets are on the latest versions) focuses on notifications, with Nest Aware subscribers getting the bulk of the benefits. Over the next few weeks, Aware customers will see automatic door detection appear on both their indoor and outdoor Nest Cam feeds. The cameras will attempt to recognize motion patterns over time, feeding the data into deep learning algorithms to make it all automated, automatically creating "activity zones" around doors it picks up. The cameras can then send you notifications when there's movement in that area. You'll also be able to redraw activity zones if your camera detects something different -- or if there's multiple doors.
Nest 'Instaclips' capture highlights with a single click
Time-lapse photography is super cool, but doing it yourself is a pretty involved undertaking. The folks at Nest want to take the work out of it though. With a new feature for Nest Aware subscribers you can make a short "instaclip" of the video footage it's grabbing. The outfit says that its algorithms work to look for the beginning and end of the action (like when people start setting a table or decorating a room for the holidays, as an example), but you can dictate where the video starts and stops as well. Once you're done perfecting the footage, you can share the clip however you'd like from within the app.
Nest makes finding security camera highlights easier
The great thing about having a camera trained on your home 24 hours a day is that you can see the exact moment something exciting (or terrible like a break in) happens. The worst part is that you have to scan through all that footage to find the instant something occurs. Nest is updating its app to make finding relevant events easier to see. But, it'll probably cost you.
Nest Protect review (2015): Improved safety makes it easier to recommend
There's nothing cool about safety. Yes, safety is important, but it's very rarely cool. The stylish Nest Protect is, at its core, a smoke detector -- the least chic item in your home. Still, when the company that brought us the smart thermostat introduced a smoke alarm, it stood out from its rivals with swanky features like lighting your way in the dark and a companion app. Those were and still are nice, but it's the safety features that make the device a worthy addition to the home. In particular, Nest recently updated the Protect with more precise air detection. This is a welcome turn after the company's wave-to-silence feature in the last model ended up accidentally silencing the device. That experiment in parlor tricks led Nest to halt sales of the Protect, only to put it back on the market with the motion-control feature disabled. As before, the updated smoke/carbon monoxide detector uses a human voice to calmly warn you when the alarm is about to go off. Once again, too, the Protect reminds you that it's there thanks to a helpful night-light feature. At $99, it's more than double the price of other smoke alarms you'll find in your local hardware store. But, thanks to a companion app and its integration with the Nest Cam, Nest Thermostat and other Protects you may have installed, it's a solid investment for anyone who wants to constantly monitor their home, but more importantly, it's a safer solution than what you have on your ceiling right now.
