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Nest's thermostat now talks to WeMo smart home switches
Want Nest's smart thermostat to do a lot more than change the temperature when you're out? Belkin is about to make your day. The gadget maker has introduced Works with Nest support to its WeMo switches and the WeMo Maker, giving you an easy way to toggle devices when you're home or away. You can switch on the lights when you get home, for example, or turn on a fan to cool down your home while you're out. The WeMo app has control over the Nest thermostat's target temperature, too, in case you'd rather not switch apps. All the integration support will be live the moment the latest WeMo app update arrives (no later than 3PM today, the 17th), so you don't have to wait long to automate more of your household.
Amazon's Alexa controls Nest thermostats
Beginning today Amazon's digital assistant Alexa can control Nest thermostats. If you're home is too warm or too cold, just shout at the voice-activated helper and it'll adjust the temperature. It's going to be incredibly helpful on those summer days when it's too hot to move.
Nest gets more smart home devices talking to each other
Getting your connected-home gear to actually connect with one another can be a pain. Nest is trying to alleviate at least some of that hassle by adding Weave, its ad-hoc networking system to Works with Nest, it's third party development platform. Weave lets items talk to each other without relying on a home network. The company is also introducing APIs for the Nest Cam with basic camera controls and access to motion and sound events. Plus, it launched a Works with Nest store with hardware that, well, work with Nest. Finally, it showed off a new lock from Yale that works with the fancy new features it just announced.
Withings' sleep helper now uses Nest's thermostat to keep you cool
Withings' Aura sleep system can only do so much to help you rest by itself. Wouldn't it be nice if it could keep the climate just right, too? It can now -- the Aura just got support for Nest's learning thermostat. When they're linked up, the Nest will maintain an ideal temperature for sleep (around 64F to 68F, or 18C to 20C) once you're unconscious, and revert back to its earlier settings once you've woken up. It's a simple addition, and it won't be cheap at about $550 for the pair. Still, that cost might be justified if you frequently jolt awake because you're freezing or roasting.
Nest products can now talk to LG appliances and Philips lightbulbs
One of the smartest things that Nest did last year was launch the Works with Nest initiative, enabling companies to connect their gear to its smart thermostat. Initially, it was just home automation firms that got in on the act, but now that companies like Pebble and Jawbone have joined the ranks, other consumer electronics firms are jumping on the bandwagon. That's why Nest is able to announce a raft of partnerships with companies like LG, Philips and Withings.
Google Now is almost ready to control your Nest thermostat
Remember how Nest promised that you'd one day use Google Now to control your thermostat? That day is very nearly here. Droid-Life has discovered that the search tool is responding to temperature requests, and will show you a Google Now card when the thermostat is cooling or heating your home. However, you can't actually use this feature yet -- you need to authorize your Google account to make this work, and the necessary website isn't completely ready. Even so, it's clear that you'll soon be commanding your climate using little more than your voice.
Nest devices now talk to the rest of your automated home
Nest's thermostat and Protect smoke detector may help automate your home, but they haven't actually talked directly to home automation systems so far -- a bit of a discrepancy, don't you think? All should be well now, though, since the Works with Nest program has just expanded to support the whole-home automation gear from Control4, Crestron, RTI and URC. If you're fortunate enough to have one of those systems, you can now integrate Nest equipment with home theaters, lighting and anything else that talks to one of the supported control hubs.
Nest devices start talking to Google, washing machines and your car
Nest's Learning Thermostat and Protect smoke detector are now part of a much, much larger universe. The company has just launched a developer program that lets third-party apps and devices talk to Nest hardware, making it do things that aren't possible through official software. The initiative is kicking off with a whole host of partnerships in place, in many cases with feature updates either available now or due in the near future. Chamberlain's garage doors can now tell your Nest thermostat when you're home, while Mercedes-Benz lets you check the temperature on the road; Logitech's Harmony Ultimate remote can lower the heat in mid-movie, and Jawbone's Up24 fitness tracker can tell Nest when you wake up.
