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Google Nest is a line of
smart home Smart or SMART may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Smart'' (Hey! Say! JUMP album), 2014 * Smart (Hotels.com), former mascot of Hotels.com * ''Smart'' (Sleeper album), 1995 debut album by Sleeper * ''SMart'', a children's television seri ...
products including
smart speaker A smart speaker is a type of loudspeaker and voice command device with an integrated virtual assistant that offers interactive actions and hands-free activation with the help of one "hot word" (or several "hot words"). Some smart speakers can al ...
s,
smart displays A smart speaker is a type of loudspeaker and voice command device with an integrated virtual assistant that offers interactive actions and hands-free activation with the help of one "hot word" (or several "hot words"). Some smart speakers can al ...
, streaming devices,
thermostats A thermostat is a regulating device component which senses the temperature of a physical system and performs actions so that the system's temperature is maintained near a desired setpoint. Thermostats are used in any device or system tha ...
,
smoke detector A smoke detector is a device that senses smoke, typically as an indicator of fire. Smoke detectors are usually housed in plastic enclosures, typically shaped like a disk about in diameter and thick, but shape and size vary. Smoke can be detecte ...
s, routers and
security systems Security is protection from, or resilience against, potential harm (or other unwanted coercive change) caused by others, by restraining the freedom of others to act. Beneficiaries (technically referents) of security may be of persons and social ...
including
smart doorbell A smart doorbell is an internet-connected doorbell that notifies the smartphone or other electronic device of the home owner when a visitor arrives at the door. It activates when the visitor presses the button of the doorbell, or alternatively, w ...
s,
cameras A camera is an optical instrument that can capture an image. Most cameras can capture 2D images, with some more advanced models being able to capture 3D images. At a basic level, most cameras consist of sealed boxes (the camera body), with a ...
and
smart lock A smart lock is an electromechanical lock that is designed to perform locking and unlocking operations on a door when it receives a prompt via an electronic keypad, biometric sensor, access card, Bluetooth, or Wi-FI from a registered mobile devic ...
s. The Nest brand name was originally owned by Nest Labs, co-founded by former
Apple An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple fruit tree, trees are agriculture, cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus ''Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, wh ...
engineers
Tony Fadell Anthony Michael Fadell (born March 22, 1969) is an American engineer, designer, entrepreneur, and investor. He was senior vice president of the iPod division at Apple Inc. and founder and former CEO of Nest Labs. Fadell joined Apple Inc. in 20 ...
and Matt Rogers in 2010. Its flagship product, which was the company's first offering, is the Nest Learning Thermostat, introduced in 2011. The product is programmable, self-learning, sensor-driven, and
Wi-Fi Wi-Fi () is a family of wireless network protocols, based on the IEEE 802.11 family of standards, which are commonly used for local area networking of devices and Internet access, allowing nearby digital devices to exchange data by radio wave ...
-enabled: features that are often found in other Nest products. It was followed by the Nest Protect
smoke Smoke is a suspension of airborne particulates and gases emitted when a material undergoes combustion or pyrolysis, together with the quantity of air that is entrained or otherwise mixed into the mass. It is commonly an unwanted by-product ...
and
carbon monoxide detector A carbon monoxide detector or CO detector is a device that detects the presence of the carbon monoxide (CO) gas to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning. In the late 1990s Underwriters Laboratories changed the definition of a single station CO de ...
s in October 2013. After its acquisition of
Dropcam Dropcam, Inc. was an American technology company headquartered in San Francisco, California. The company is known for its Wi-Fi video streaming cameras, Dropcam and Dropcam Pro, that allow people to view live feeds through Dropcam’s cloud-based ...
in 2014, the company introduced its Nest Cam branding of security cameras beginning in June 2015. The company quickly expanded to more than 130 employees by the end of 2012. Google acquired Nest Labs for
US$ The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...
3.2 billion in January 2014, when the company employed 280. As of late 2015, Nest employs more than 1,100 and added a primary engineering center in
Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
. After Google reorganized itself under the holding company
Alphabet Inc. Alphabet Inc. is an American multinational technology conglomerate holding company headquartered in Mountain View, California. It was created through a restructuring of Google on October 2, 2015, and became the parent company of Google and sev ...
, Nest operated independently of Google from 2015 to 2018. However, in 2018, Nest was merged into Google's home-devices unit led by Rishi Chandra, effectively ceasing to exist as a separate business. In July 2018, it was announced that all
Google Home Google Nest, previously named Google Home, is a line of smart speakers developed by Google under the Google Nest brand. The devices enable users to speak voice commands to interact with services through Google Assistant, the company's virtual ...
electronics products will henceforth be marketed under the brand Google Nest.


History


Nest Labs before acquisition by Google

Nest Labs was founded in 2010 by former
Apple An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple fruit tree, trees are agriculture, cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus ''Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, wh ...
engineers Tony Fadell and Matt Rogers. The idea came when Fadell was building a vacation home and found all of the available thermostats on the market to be inadequate, motivated to bring something better on the market. Early investors in Nest Labs included
Shasta Ventures Shasta Ventures is an early-stage venture capital investment firm located in Silicon Valley that invests in enterprise and technology consumer startups. It is located on Sand Hill Road in Menlo Park. Funds Shasta's second fund of US$250 milli ...
and
Kleiner Perkins Kleiner Perkins, formerly Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers (KPCB), is an American venture capital firm which specializes in investing in incubation, early stage and growth companies. Since its founding in 1972, the firm has backed entrepreneurs ...
.


Acquisition by Google of Nest Labs, Dropcam, and Revolv

On January 13, 2014, Google announced plans to acquire Nest Labs for $3.2 billion in cash. Google completed the acquisition the next day, on January 14, 2014. The company would operate independently from Google's other businesses. In June 2014, it was announced that Nest would buy camera startup
Dropcam Dropcam, Inc. was an American technology company headquartered in San Francisco, California. The company is known for its Wi-Fi video streaming cameras, Dropcam and Dropcam Pro, that allow people to view live feeds through Dropcam’s cloud-based ...
for $555 million. With the purchase, Dropcam became integrated with other Nest products; if the Protect alarm is triggered, the Dropcam can automatically start recording, and the Thermostat can use Dropcam to sense for motion. In September 2014, the Nest Thermostat and Nest Protect (a smoke alarm) became available in Belgium, France, Ireland, and
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. Initially, they were sold in approximately 400 stores across Europe, with another 150 stores to be added by the end of the year. In June 2015, the new Nest Cam, replacing the Dropcam, was announced, together with the second generation of the Nest Protect; there were internal reports that sales of the rebranded camera fell. On October 24, 2014, Nest both acquired the hub service Revolv, and discontinued its product line, gaining the expertise of Revolv's staff.


Nest as a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc.

In August 2015, Google announced that it would restructure its operations under a new parent company,
Alphabet Inc. Alphabet Inc. is an American multinational technology conglomerate holding company headquartered in Mountain View, California. It was created through a restructuring of Google on October 2, 2015, and became the parent company of Google and sev ...
, with Nest being separated from Google as a subsidiary of the new holding company. In January 2016, some Nest thermostats stopped working, a fault attributed to a software update a fortnight earlier. There were no lawsuits, individual or
class-action A class action, also known as a class-action lawsuit, class suit, or representative action, is a type of lawsuit where one of the parties is a group of people who are represented collectively by a member or members of that group. The class action ...
, due to an
arbitration clause An arbitration clause is a clause in a contract that requires the parties to resolve their disputes through an arbitration process. Although such a clause may or may not specify that arbitration occur within a specific jurisdiction, it always bind ...
in the contract. All Revolv smart hubs, costing several hundred dollars, were deliberately remotely
bricked A brick (or bricked device) is a mobile device, game console, router (computing), router or other consumer electronics, consumer electronic device that is no longer functional due to corrupted firmware, a computer hardware, hardware problem, or ...
on May 15, 2016; notice was posted on the company's website in February. The story became news on April 4. The "lifetime subscription" to Revolv's online service, which had been sold with the hub, was defined by Nest to be the lifetime of the device, which ended May 15. Nest's decision to brick the hubs, and its "acerbic" corporate culture, faced substantial criticism from within Google/Alphabet and in press coverage. Many of Nest's staffers came from Dropcam and Revolv, and by November 2015, about 70 of about 1000 staffers had quit, causing management concern. Some countermeasures had been taken in takeover deals, to financially discourage senior people from leaving before set dates. Of the ~100 Dropcam staffers, about half had left by March 2016, when former Dropcam CEO Greg Duffy (who left 8 months after the takeover) wrote a post openly regretting selling his company to Nest. He stated that about 500 people had left (of a 1200-person staff). On June 6, 2016, Tony Fadell, the Nest CEO, announced in a blog post that he was leaving the company he founded with Matt Rogers and stepping into an "advisory" role. At this point the Nest acquisition was described by some press as a "disaster" for Google. As of mid-June 2016, Nest's problems were considered symptomatic of the limited market for home automation. According to Frank Gillet of
Forrester Research Forrester is a research and advisory company that offers a variety of services including research, consulting, and events. Forrester has nine North America locations: Cambridge, Massachusetts; New York, New York; San Francisco, California; McL ...
, only 6% of American households possessed internet-connected devices such as appliances, home-monitoring systems, speakers, or lighting. He also predicted this percentage would grow to only 15% by 2021. Furthermore, 72% of respondents in a 2016 British survey conducted by
Pricewaterhouse Coopers PricewaterhouseCoopers is an international professional services brand of firms, operating as partnerships under the PwC brand. It is the second-largest professional services network in the world and is considered one of the Big Four accounting ...
did not foresee adopting smart-home technology over the next two to five years.


Nest as a part of Google hardware division

On February 7, 2018, it was announced by hardware head Rick Osterloh that Nest had been merged into Google's hardware division, directly alongside units such as
Google Home Google Nest, previously named Google Home, is a line of smart speakers developed by Google under the Google Nest brand. The devices enable users to speak voice commands to interact with services through Google Assistant, the company's virtual ...
and
Chromecast Chromecast is a line of digital media players developed by Google. The devices, designed as small dongles, can play Internet-streamed audio-visual content on a high-definition television or home audio system. The user can control playback with ...
. It would retain its separate Palo Alto headquarters, but Nest CEO Marwan Fawaz would now report to Osterloh, and there were plans for tighter integration with Google platforms and software such as
Google Assistant Google Assistant is a virtual assistant software application developed by Google that is primarily available on mobile and home automation devices. Based on artificial intelligence, Google Assistant can engage in two-way conversations, unlike t ...
in future products. Shortly after the announcement, co-founder and chief product officer Matt Rogers announced his plans to leave the company. On July 18, 2018, Nest CEO Marwan Fawaz stepped down. Nest was merged with Google's home devices team, led by Rishi Chandra. During the
Google I/O Google I/O (or simply I/O) is an annual developer conference held by Google in Mountain View, California. "I/O" stands for Input/Output, as well as the slogan "Innovation in the Open". The event's format is similar to Google Developer Day. His ...
keynote on May 7, 2019, it was announced that Google Nest will now serve as the blanket branding for all of Google's home products. The
Google Home Hub Google Nest, previously named Google Home, is a line of smart speakers developed by Google under the Google Nest brand. The devices enable users to speak voice commands to interact with services through Google Assistant, the company's virtual ...
was retroactively renamed Google Nest Hub, while a new and larger version of the product is now available called the Nest Hub Max with both a larger screen and an amplified speaker, for a greater low-end audio experience. Also, product lines such as Chromecast, Google Home, and Google Wifi will now be marketed under the Google Nest brand. In addition, Nest began to deprecate its own internal platforms, announcing the discontinuation of the existing "Works with Nest" program in favor of Google Assistant going forward, and pushing users to migrate themselves from Nest's account system to
Google account A Google Account is a user account that is required for access, authentication and authorization to certain online Google services. It is also often used as single sign on for third party services. Usage A Google Account is required for Gmail, ...
s. Google published Nest-specific privacy information outlining a commitment to transparency, not selling personal information, and giving users control of their data.


Partnership with ADT

In August 2020 Google announced intent to invest $450 million in ADT Inc. for a 6.6% stake in the company. The companies intend to integrate Nest devices with ADT's security monitoring services and eventually make them the “cornerstone of ADT’s smart home offering”, according to Nest. Upon the announcement, the shares of ADT doubled in value and hit all-time high of $17.21.


Use with Amazon Alexa

As of mid-2022, Google's newer Nest cameras will now work with
Amazon Alexa Amazon Alexa, also known simply as Alexa, is a virtual assistant technology largely based on a Polish speech synthesiser named Ivona, bought by Amazon in 2013. It was first used in the Amazon Echo smart speaker and the Echo Dot, Echo Studio and ...
devices such as
Amazon Echo Show Amazon Echo Show is a smart speaker that is part of the Amazon Echo line of products. Similarly to other devices in the family, it is designed around Amazon's virtual assistant Alexa, but additionally features a touchscreen display that can be ...
,
Fire TV Amazon Fire TV (stylized as amazon fireTV) is a line of digital media players and microconsoles developed by Amazon. The devices are small network appliances that deliver digital audio and video content streamed via the Internet to a connected ...
, and
Fire Tablet The Amazon Fire, formerly called the Kindle Fire, is a line of tablet computers developed by Amazon. Built with Quanta Computer, the Kindle Fire was first released in November 2011, featuring a color 7-inch multi-touch display with IPS tech ...
to view captured security camera footage.


Products


Nest Learning Thermostat

The Nest Learning Thermostat is an electronic, programmable, and self-learning Wi-Fi-enabled thermostat that optimizes heating and cooling of homes and businesses to conserve energy. It is based on a machine-learning algorithm: for the first weeks users have to regulate the thermostat in order to provide the reference data set. Nest can then learn people's schedules, at which temperature they are used to and when. Using built-in sensors and phones' locations it can shift into energy-saving mode when it realizes nobody is at home. The Nest Thermostat is built around an operating system that allows interaction with the thermostat via spinning and clicking of its control wheel (or swiping and tapping on the 2020 Nest Thermostat), which brings up option menus for switching from heating to cooling, access to device settings, energy history, and scheduling. Users can control Nest without a
touch screen A touchscreen or touch screen is the assembly of both an input ('touch panel') and output ('display') device. The touch panel is normally layered on the top of an electronic visual display of an information processing system. The display is often ...
or other input devices. As the thermostat is connected to the Internet, the company can push updates to fix bugs, improve performance and add additional features. For updates to occur automatically, the thermostat must be connected to Wi‑Fi and the battery must have at least a 3.7 V charge to give enough power to complete the download and installation of the update. The operating system itself is based on
Linux Linux ( or ) is a family of open-source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991, by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged as a Linux distribution, which ...
2.6.37 and many other
free software Free software or libre software is computer software distributed under terms that allow users to run the software for any purpose as well as to study, change, and distribute it and any adapted versions. Free software is a matter of liberty, no ...
components. Nest is currently available for sale in the United States, Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Belgium, France, Ireland, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Italy, and Spain. It is, however, compatible with many heating and cooling automation systems in other countries. In September 2017, Nest released the Thermostat E, a lower-priced version of the original Nest Thermostat. It is similar in functionality to the standard model, except with a plastic, ceramic-like bezel ring (instead of metal) and a "frosted" overlay for its display. Unlike the original, the screen only activates when the device is being used; these design changes are intended to make the device appear more natural within a home. The Thermostat E also does not feature as many wiring connectors as the higher-end model; Nest stated that this would make it support at least 85% of homes (as opposed to 95% for the standard model). In October 2020 Google released the "Nest Thermostat" for the North American market. Pricing was made more accessible and features a mirror-like face, among other significant physical changes. The rotating ring found on other Nest models was replaced with a touch-sensitive strip on the right side of the thermostat body, with swiping and tapping of the touch-sensitive strip being the input method for this model. Learning features have been removed along with support for remote sensors. HVAC compatibility is the same as the Nest Thermostat E, although the bases of the 2020 Nest Thermostat and Nest Thermostat E are not interchangeable.


Nest Protect

In October 2013, Nest announced its second product, the Nest Protect smoke and carbon monoxide detector. The Nest Protect is available in both black and white (the black is exclusively sold through Nest directly) and also comes in battery or AC-powered models. The Nest Protect features a multicolored light ring which is color-coded to indicate different operations, such as yellow to indicate an early warning or red if an alarm is sounding. The ring also has a motion detector which turns it white briefly when someone passes under to provide illumination. The Nest Protect warns of an alarm sounding briefly before it does. It is also able to communicate with the Nest Thermostat to provide the Auto-Away feature information that someone is present in the house, as well as to shut off the furnace in the event of a fire or carbon monoxide. It is available for sale in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Belgium, France, Ireland, and the Netherlands. On April 3, 2014, sales of the Nest Protect were suspended, due to the potential for the alarm feature to be accidentally disabled. 440,000 existing Nest Protect units were recalled because of this problem on May 21, 2014, and a software update was distributed to disable this functionality. On June 17, 2015, Nest launched a new version of the Nest Protect (officially termed the "second generation"). The differences from the first generation Nest Protect includes an improved sensor, which uses two wavelengths of light, allowing it to detect both smoldering and flaming fires. The carbon monoxide sensor lasts longer, resulting in the new Nest Protect lasting 10 years, whereas the original Nest Protect lasts seven years. The new Nest Protect can be silenced using a
smart device A smart device is an electronic device, generally connected to other devices or networks via different wireless protocols (such as Bluetooth, Zigbee, near-field communication, Wi-Fi, LiFi, or 5G) that can operate to some extent interactively and ...
, if not in the US or Canada. When not home, the new Nest Protect will test itself using a built-in microphone. Safety Rewards allows Nest Protect users that have their insurance through American Family and
Liberty Mutual Liberty Mutual Group is an American diversified global insurer and the sixth-largest property and casualty insurer in the United States. It ranks 71st on the Fortune 100 list of largest corporations in the United States based on 2020 revenue. B ...
to get savings off their bill.


Nest Cam Indoor

In June 2014, Nest acquired Dropcam, maker of the Dropcam security camera. In June 2015, Nest announced the Nest Cam, an upgraded and rebranded security camera based on the Dropcam. Features are a 1080p video resolution, a rotating, magnetic stand, night vision, two-way talk, sound and motion alerts, and optional Nest Aware cloud services for an additional fee. It was renamed Nest Cam Indoor following the announcement of the Nest Cam Outdoor in July 2016. In 2021, Google announced the second-generation Nest Cam Indoor, which is either battery-powered or wired. Several security flaws with Nest Cam products were reported in March 2017, allowing a burglar to hack the camera's always-on
Bluetooth Bluetooth is a short-range wireless technology standard that is used for exchanging data between fixed and mobile devices over short distances and building personal area networks (PANs). In the most widely used mode, transmission power is limi ...
signal and stop recording. Nest released a security update later that month that fixed the vulnerabilities.


Nest Cam Outdoor

Nest Cam Outdoor was announced in July 2016 and is a version of the Nest Cam adapted for outdoor monitoring. The main differences from the Nest Cam Indoor is in its design which is built to withstand outdoor conditions. In 2021, Google announced the second-generation, battery-powered Nest Cam Outdoor.


Nest Cam IQ

Nest Cam IQ was announced in June 2017 and is a more premium model of their Nest Cam Indoor. It features a 4K camera sensor with HDR. It also comes with the ability to recognize and distinguish between different faces when using the Nest Aware service. It also has several minor upgrades, such as better wi-fi connectivity, brighter infrared LEDs, a more powerful speaker in addition to added microphones, and a close-up tracking view, which zooms in on action occurring within view of the camera. A weatherproof outdoor model was announced in September 2017. The indoor version of the Cam IQ also received an update to add
Google Assistant Google Assistant is a virtual assistant software application developed by Google that is primarily available on mobile and home automation devices. Based on artificial intelligence, Google Assistant can engage in two-way conversations, unlike t ...
functionality to the device in 2018. In 2021, the Nest Cam IQ Indoor and Outdoor were both discontinued ahead of Google's planned launch of a new line of security cameras.


Nest Secure

Nest Secure is a home security system announced in September 2017. The system consists of Nest Guard (an alarm, keypad, and motion sensor with embedded microphone), Nest Detect (a door/window and motion sensor), and Nest Tag (a key chain fob). The product was released in November 2017. Nest also has a partnership with
Brinks Home Security Monitronics International, Inc. (doing business as Brinks Home) is an American company that offers home security systems. Brink's had a business line in home security named Brinks Home Security that accounted for 15% of Brinks revenue in 2008; i ...
for a monthly plan so that the Nest Protect system can be professionally monitored. In February 2019, the Nest Guard received an update to add Google Assistant, allowing it to effectively double as a
smart speaker A smart speaker is a type of loudspeaker and voice command device with an integrated virtual assistant that offers interactive actions and hands-free activation with the help of one "hot word" (or several "hot words"). Some smart speakers can al ...
similar to
Google Home Google Nest, previously named Google Home, is a line of smart speakers developed by Google under the Google Nest brand. The devices enable users to speak voice commands to interact with services through Google Assistant, the company's virtual ...
for general voice commands. This addition has faced criticism, as the presence of a microphone inside the device was not adequately disclosed in product specifications. Google stated that its inclusion of a microphone was accidentally not included in the listed specifications, and was originally intended to enable future sensor functionality. On 19 October 2020, Google confirmed that the production of Nest Secure were discontinued officially. Google did not explain the reason behind discontinuation of Nest Secure, but did confirm the continuation of the service for the existing users.


Nest Doorbell

The Nest Doorbell (originally launched as Nest Hello) is a series of smart video doorbells with facial recognition. It was originally slated to launch in February 2018 but was delayed until March in the United States and Canada, and was launched in the UK in May 2018. In 2021, Google announced the battery-powered Nest Doorbell, while the original Nest Hello was rebranded as the Nest Doorbell (wired). In October 2022, the 2nd generation Nest Doorbell (wired) was launched in the US, adding back a number of features that were missing from the Nest Doorbell (battery) even when wired, including 24/7 recording with Nest Aware Plus.


Nest × Yale

Nest × Yale is a
smart lock A smart lock is an electromechanical lock that is designed to perform locking and unlocking operations on a door when it receives a prompt via an electronic keypad, biometric sensor, access card, Bluetooth, or Wi-FI from a registered mobile devic ...
produced in collaboration with
Yale Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wor ...
, released March 2018. It is connected to Nest Connect or Nest Guard. Powered by four AA batteries, the lock includes a terminal at bottom where a 9V battery can be connected for emergency access.


Nest Wifi


Nest Cam with Floodlight

In 2021, Google announced the Nest Cam with Floodlight, a version of the
Nest Cam Outdoor Google Nest is a line of home automation, smart home products including smart speakers, smart displays, streaming devices, Smart thermostat, thermostats, smoke detectors, Router (computing), routers and security alarms, security systems includ ...
equipped with two
floodlights A floodlight is a broad-beamed, gas discharge lamp#High-intensity discharge lamps, high-intensity artificial light. They are often used to illuminate outdoor playing fields while an outdoor sports event is Night game, being held during low-li ...
on each side.


Works with Nest

Works with Nest was a program that allowed third party devices to communicate with Nest products, such as virtual assistants, along with many third-party home automation platforms. Additionally, many smart device manufacturers have direct integration with the Nest platform, including
Whirlpool A whirlpool is a body of rotating water produced by opposing currents or a current running into an obstacle. Small whirlpools form when a bath or a sink is draining. More powerful ones formed in seas or oceans may be called maelstroms ( ). ''Vo ...
and
GE Appliances GE Appliances is an American home appliance manufacturer based in Louisville, Kentucky. It has been majority owned by Chinese multinational home appliances company Haier since 2016. It is one of the largest appliance companies in the United Stat ...
. On May 7, 2019, it was announced that Works with Nest would be discontinued effective August 31, 2019. Users are being directed to migrate to
Google account A Google Account is a user account that is required for access, authentication and authorization to certain online Google services. It is also often used as single sign on for third party services. Usage A Google Account is required for Gmail, ...
s and
Google Assistant Google Assistant is a virtual assistant software application developed by Google that is primarily available on mobile and home automation devices. Based on artificial intelligence, Google Assistant can engage in two-way conversations, unlike t ...
integration instead; doing so will remove the ability to use Works with Nest. Google stated that this change was for security and privacy reasons; as third-party devices may only integrate with the Nest ecosystem via Google Assistant, they will be heavily restricted in the amount of personal data and access to devices they will have access to. Google stated that it would give "a small number of thoroughly vetted partners" access to additional data. The change faced criticism for potentially resulting in a loss of functionality: vendors such as Lutron and
SimpliSafe SimpliSafe is an American home security company based in Boston, Massachusetts. The company produces and sells self-installed wireless security systems. History SimpliSafe was founded in 2006 by then-Harvard Business School students, Chad and E ...
announced that their products' integration with the Nest platform (which allow them to be tied to the thermostat's home and away modes) would be affected by this change, while Google explicitly named
IFTTT IFTTT (, an acronym of If This Then That) is a private commercial company that runs online digital automation platforms which it offers as a service. Their platforms provide a visual interface for making cross-platform if statements to its us ...
as a service that could not be integrated due to the amount of access it would need to operate. ''
The Verge ''The Verge'' is an American technology news website operated by Vox Media, publishing news, feature stories, guidebooks, product reviews, consumer electronics news, and podcasts. The website launched on November 1, 2011, and uses Vox Media' ...
'' estimated that affected devices would also include
Philips Hue Philips Hue is a line of color-changing LED lamps and white bulbs which can be controlled wirelessly. The Philips Hue line of bulbs was the first smart bulb of its kind on the market. The lamps are currently created and manufactured by Signify ...
,
Logitech Harmony Logitech Harmony is a line of remote controls and home automation products produced by Logitech. The line includes universal remote products designed for controlling the components of home theater systems (including televisions, set-top boxes, D ...
, Lutron lights,
August Home August, Inc is a San Francisco home automation company, focusing on Wi-Fi connected door locks and doorbell cameras. The company was founded in November 2012 by Yves Béhar and Jason Johnson. On October 19, 2017, Swedish lock manufacturer Assa ...
, and
Belkin Wemo WEMO, a subsidiary of Belkin, are a series of products from Belkin that enable users to control home electronics remotely. The product suite includes electrical plugs, motion sensors, light switches, cameras, light bulbs, and a mobile app. Pr ...
switches. Furthermore, ''The Verge'' argued that this change created a
closed platform A closed platform, walled garden, or closed ecosystem is a software system wherein the carrier or service provider has control over applications, content, and/or media, and restricts convenient access to non-approved applicants or content. This ...
, and would lead to fragmentation of the smart home market by potentially blocking integration with products that directly compete with those of Google. On May 16, 2019, Google clarified its deprecation plans for Works with Nest: existing integrations will not be disabled after August 31, but users will no longer be able to add new ones, and the service will only receive maintenance updates going forward. Google also stated that it was working on replicating Nest platform functions as part of Assistant, such as integrating Nest's Home/Away triggers into the "Routines" system, and maintaining integration between Nest and Amazon Alexa.


Litigation

In February 2012,
Honeywell Honeywell International Inc. is an American publicly traded, multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. It primarily operates in four areas of business: aerospace, building technologies, performance ma ...
filed a lawsuit claiming that some of its patents had been infringed by Nest. In April 2012, Nest stated they believe that none of the allegedly infringed patents were actually violated. Honeywell claimed that Nest infringed on patents pertaining to remotely controlling a thermostat, power-stealing thermostats, and thermostats designed around a circular, interactive design, similar to the
Honeywell T87 The Honeywell T87 Round Thermostat is a thermostat that Honeywell International, Inc. first manufactured in 1953. Henry Dreyfuss designed the thermostat based on a concept by Honeywell engineer Carl Kronmiller. References External links "Ho ...
. However, Honeywell held patents that were almost identical to those that expired in 2004. Nest has taken the stance that they will see this through to patent court as they suspect Honeywell is trying to harass them, litigiously and financially, out of business. On May 14, 2013, Allure Energy also filed a lawsuit, alleging infringement of a patent on an "Auto-adaptable energy management apparatus".
First Alert First Alert is the retail brand of American safety equipment manufacturer BRK Brands, Inc., established in 1976 and based in Aurora, Illinois, with a production plant in Juarez, Mexico. Products sold with the brand include carbon monoxide detecto ...
sued Nest in 2014 in regards to voice alert functionality and a design trait of the Nest protect. In 2016, Nest announced that the devices of Revolv customers would be
bricked A brick (or bricked device) is a mobile device, game console, router (computing), router or other consumer electronics, consumer electronic device that is no longer functional due to corrupted firmware, a computer hardware, hardware problem, or ...
on May 15, as they were shutting down the necessary cloud software. Karl Bode and Emmanuel Malberg of ''
Vice News Vice News (stylized as VICE News) is Vice Media's current affairs channel, producing daily documentary essays and video through its website and YouTube channel. It promotes itself on its coverage of "under-reported stories". Vice News was create ...
'' compared the move to a remote deletion of purchased Xbox Fitness content by Microsoft. The
Federal Trade Commission The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is an independent agency of the United States government whose principal mission is the enforcement of civil (non-criminal) antitrust law and the promotion of consumer protection. The FTC shares jurisdiction ov ...
entered into an investigation of the matter. In May 2016, an employee filed an unfair labor practice charge with the
National Labor Relations Board The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is an independent agency of the federal government of the United States with responsibilities for enforcing U.S. labor law in relation to collective bargaining and unfair labor practices. Under the Natio ...
against Nest and Google. In the charge, the employee alleged that he was terminated for posting information about Tony Fadell's poor leadership to a private Facebook page consisting of current and former employees. The charge also alleged that Nest and Google had engaged in unlawful surveillance and unlawful interrogation of employees in order to prevent them from discussing the work environment at Nest.


Parody after Google acquisition

On May 7, 2014, German activist group
Peng Collective The Peng Collective is a group of culture jamming activists based in Berlin. In 2016, the collective was part of the Berlin Biennale, in 2018 of the Manifesta Biennale and the Athens Biennale. In 2018, they were awarded the Aachen Peace Prize. It w ...
released a parody website named ''Google Nest'', satirizing Google's privacy policies and practices with fake products imitating Google art style, supposedly created as a result of "an intensive period of studying user behavior" in response to the " public debate around privacy and
government surveillance Surveillance is the monitoring of behavior, many activities, or information for the purpose of information gathering, influencing, managing or directing. This can include observation from a distance by means of electronic equipment, such as ...
". The site described four purported new services lampooning Google's data gathering tendencies made possible with Nest's technology: ''Google Trust, Google Hug, Google Bee'' and ''Google Bye'', respectively a "data insurance" paid with personal data, a location service encouraging in-person emotional interactions, a "personal
drone Drone most commonly refers to: * Drone (bee), a male bee, from an unfertilized egg * Unmanned aerial vehicle * Unmanned surface vehicle, watercraft * Unmanned underwater vehicle or underwater drone Drone, drones or The Drones may also refer to: ...
", and a memorial website created from automatically collected information. The next day, Google trademark lawyers issued a
cease-and-desist A cease and desist letter is a document sent to an individual or business to stop alleged illegal activity. The phrase "cease and desist" is a legal doublet, made up of two near-synonyms. The letter may warn that, if the recipient does not disc ...
letter to Peng, asking them to change the site and to transfer the
domain name A domain name is a string that identifies a realm of administrative autonomy, authority or control within the Internet. Domain names are often used to identify services provided through the Internet, such as websites, email services and more. As ...
to Google. The site replaced its content with a note explaining the situation, and the
Electronic Frontier Foundation The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) is an international non-profit digital rights group based in San Francisco, California. The foundation was formed on 10 July 1990 by John Gilmore, John Perry Barlow and Mitch Kapor to promote Internet ci ...
responded on behalf of Peng with a public letter saying that noncommercial political commentary is not prohibited under
trademark law A trademark (also written trade mark or trade-mark) is a type of intellectual property consisting of a recognizable sign, design, or expression that identifies products or services from a particular source and distinguishes them from others. ...
, and that the site would not likely be confused after the ample press coverage received.


Controversies

Per the terms of service, Google will provide law enforcement with Nest data “ we reasonably believe that we can prevent someone from dying or from suffering serious physical harm…for example, in the case of bomb threats, school shootings, kidnappings, suicide prevention, and missing person cases.” In certain situations, this may be done without a warrant.Google’s Nest Will Provide Data to Police Without a Warrant
/ref>


See also

*
Internet of things The Internet of things (IoT) describes physical objects (or groups of such objects) with sensors, processing ability, software and other technologies that connect and exchange data with other devices and systems over the Internet or other comm ...
*
Machine learning Machine learning (ML) is a field of inquiry devoted to understanding and building methods that 'learn', that is, methods that leverage data to improve performance on some set of tasks. It is seen as a part of artificial intelligence. Machine ...
*
Android Things Android Things is a deprecated Android-based embedded operating system platform by Google, announced at Google I/O 2015, and launched in 2018. Android Things Dashboard shutdown began on January 5, 2021. After January 5, 2022, Android Things Dash ...
* X10 * ecobee


References


Further reading

*
Milestones:The CP/M Microcomputer Operating System, 1974 - Engineering and Technology History WikiLegacy of Gary Kildall: The CP/M IEEE Milestone Dedication
(33 pages)


External links

* {{Home automation 2010 establishments in California American companies established in 2010 Companies based in Palo Alto, California Google acquisitions Home automation companies Applied machine learning Google hardware IOS software Android (operating system) software Internet of things companies 2014 mergers and acquisitions Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning companies Smart home hubs