Articles about Nest

If you consider yourself a technology enthusiast, then you absolutely must have the latest and greatest in wireless networking. In other words, anybody who is anybody has a Wi-Fi 6E router. After all, the 6GHz band it adds makes regular Wi-Fi 6 far inferior.

Fans of the Google Wifi mesh system have been clamoring for a Wi-Fi 6E upgrade, and today, it finally happens! The unimaginatively named Nest Wifi Pro is here to blanket your home with that glorious 6GHz band. And yes, smart home fans, the Tri-band router (2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz) also serves as a Thread border router -- it will eventually be a Matter hub too.

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About a year ago, we told you that Google was partnering with some hotels to have Nest Hub smart devices installed in guest rooms. Understandably, some people were concerned about having a microphone and camera in their hotel rooms.

However, those worries were unfounded. You see, Nest Hub doesn't even have a camera! Plus, Google is extremely focused on privacy, and the microphone can be totally disabled with a hardware switch. Ultimately, this hospitality partnership was simply a big win for hotel guests as they get to experience the convenience of Google Assistant when away from home.

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Google bought Nest more than seven years ago now, and since that acquisition, there have been many cool smart home devices to come from the search giant. Under the Nest branding, there's not just smart thermostats and cameras, but other products too such as doorbells and speakers. Ultimately, the name "Nest" has become synonymous with the smart home.

Today, Google unveils some new Nest smart home devices, and they are all camera-related. There is a new doorbell (with integrated camera) plus three new dedicated security cameras. What's notable is that the new doorbell and one of the new cameras can be run from a battery, meaning they do not require a hardwire power connection. One of the cameras features nifty floodlights too.

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Google's Nest Hub is an integral part of my home. It is on my living room table where it serves as a clock, but it is so much more than that. Hub is in "earshot" of my kitchen too, so I use it all the time for setting timers while cooking. When I take a nap on the couch, it is my alarm clock. Oh, and when I need to turn the lights on (or off), it does that for me too. All of these actions are done by voice -- "Hey, Google."

One of the reasons that I chose Nest Hub is for privacy -- it doesn't have a camera like some other hardware assistants do. Today, Google finally announces the second generation Nest Hub, and I am happy to say it also does not have a camera. With that said, it can optionally watch you sleep. Wait, what?

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Of all the smart home devices I have connected to my network, the Nest Thermostat is probably my favorite. I can easily adjust my central air conditioning without leaving my couch or bed. While I can control the unit directly, or with the smartphone app, I prefer using my voice. I can ask my Google Home "What is the inside temperature?" and then command it to raise or lower it by voice too. It feels like magic -- I will never return to a "dumb" thermostat again.

Of course, many people are still clinging to their old outdated thermostats because of two things -- fear of installation and cost. I am happy to say, installing a smart thermostat is very easy -- if you follow the instructions and go slowly. Even better? Google has a new such product that is incredibly affordable. The unimaginatively named "Nest Thermostat" is designed to replace the "Nest Thermostat E." This new model should fit into the budgets of many homeowners.

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I consider myself to be rather privacy conscious, but I am not overly paranoid. Do I want Google having microphones in my home? Not really, but the convenience of being able to summon the Google Assistant with my voice outweighs my concerns. And so, I have a few Google Nest devices in my home -- including a Nest Hub smart display in my bedroom. Ultimately, consumers need to weigh the pros and cons before putting, say, an Amazon Echo or Nest Mini in their homes.

Now, Google is partnering with some hotels to put Nest Hub smart displays in their rooms. In other words, when guests enter their room, they will be confronted by the smart device. While some privacy pundits will decry this partnership, I welcome it. First of all, the functionality does not require the guest to login -- it will work without that. While the Nest Hub smart display has a microphone, it can be totally disabled via a hardware switch. Best of all, Nest Hub has no camera, so there is no risk of it recording video of your... adult activities. The search giant promises no audio recordings are stored either. Seems all good to me!

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Amazon has been putting its voice assistant Alexa into as many devices as it can dream up, leaving Google trailing in its wake. Two years ago, the search giant announced its Amazon Echo Dot competitor, called the Home Mini, and today at its Made by Google ’19 event it debuted that device’s successor.

Nest Mini -- Google is rebranding its home hardware with the Nest name -- comes with an upgraded Google Assistant, and twice the bass. That’s not all though.

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I live in a house with very thick walls and floors, so as a result, my Wi-Fi coverage always used to be extremely patchy. I tried various solutions over the years, including a number of range extenders, but eventually I cracked the issue by switching to Google Wifi, a smart networking system that creates a whole home wireless network.

Today, at its Made By Google ’19 event, the search giant unveils the successor to its mesh solution -- Nest Wifi.

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We have already seen Apple launch its new range of iPhones, and OnePlus bring new additions to its range of handsets -- now it is Google's turn.

Tomorrow in New York, the company is holding its Made By Google '19 event, and at it we can expect to see not only the launch of the Pixel 4 and Pixel XL, but also -- in all likelihood -- the Pixelbook Go. There may be a few other surprises, and you can tune into the live stream to get the news as soon as it happens -- and find out how many of the rumors are true.

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Smart home devices have proven to be a godsend for homeowners. Not only can things like smart thermostats, cameras, and lights make your life easier, but when paired with a voice assistant, they can help people with physical handicaps to act more independently.

One of the best makers of smart home devices is Nest. The Google-owned company (now known as "Google Nest") became popular thanks to its iconic round smart thermostat, but it has since branched out to cameras, smoke alarms, security systems, and more. Today, Google announces that Nest owners can finally migrate their Nest account to a Google one -- something the search giant previously promised.

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Google is rolling out updates to its Nest Cam, Dropcam and Nest Hello cameras that removes the option to disable status indicator lights.

Citing privacy, Google says that users should "always see a clear visual indicator when your Nest cameras are on and sending video and audio". The company might be introducing the change in the name of privacy, but owners of the devices are far from happy about it.

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There been many concerns voiced about the privacy and security implications of many smart products. Some are well-founded, as a new admission from Google that its Nest Cams could be used to spy on people goes to show.

The problem does not center around hackers, but people who have sold or given away their Nest Cams. Even after the new owner performed a factory reset of the camera -- following Google's own instructions -- it was still possible for the original owner to access the camera feed.

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When it comes to the smart home, I consider myself "all in." I have smart lights, a smart sprinkler system, a Nest thermostat, and a few audio-only Amazon Echo devices. The outside of my house is monitored by internet-connected cameras too. Despite all of that, I don't feel comfortable having cameras inside my home as part of a hardware assistant. For example, I would never buy a Facebook Portal or Amazon Echo Show for my home.

Earlier today at its I/O 2019 conference, Google unveiled its all-new Nest Hub Max (under the new Google Nest branding), and I find myself intrigued. With that said, I am also terrified of inviting a camera made by the world's biggest advertiser and data collector into my home. Should I allow my intrigue to overcome my desire for privacy?

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When Google established Alphabet as a parent company for itself, things got very confusing. The newly established company became obsessed with establishing sub-company names under all letters of the alphabet -- seriously. In other words, Alphabet was taking its namesake way too literally. It felt forced and not at all organic.

Ultimately, it was decided that Nest Labs would be separated from Google, so it could represent the "N" for Alphabet. This has proven to be quite foolish, as it has seemingly slowed Google's innovation in the smart home market. Since then, Amazon has been making huge strides in the smart home segment. Google has apparently had enough of having its lunch eaten by an online bookseller. As of today, the Google and Nest Labs hardware teams are together again.

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Feeling cold, hot or insecure? There are many solutions provided by the Internet of Things, from lights, cameras, locks, thermostats and much more. You need to choose carefully though as not all work as claimed, and some have rather glaring security problems. But, if you're up for the challenge, then you can set up a fairly cohesive and secure system in your home.

One of the top purveyors of some of these products is Nest, part of Google/Alphabet. If you have been looking for a smart thermostat or security camera then this may be a good time to pull the trigger.

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