Nest Announces Product Line Makeover

Photo of author

Tim Higgins

NETGEAR logoNest has released new models and upgraded features across its three product family.

The maker of popular smart home products yesterday introduced new versions of its IP camera, smoke and CO alarm, new features for its thermostat and a redesigned app that controls all three products.

The redesigned Nest Cam’s improvements include 1080p HD resolution, new body design with a pivoting mount with screw base for more flexible positioning, secure streaming and improved night vision. You can also now stream live directly to YouTube.

The new Cam still provides no local recording option and can eat up a significant portion of your internet uplink bandwidth. It has a $199 MSRP and requires purchase of a Nest Aware with Video History service with 10-day or 30-day retention for $10 or $30 per month, respectively.

You can purchase the Nest Cam today, with shipment coming later this month.

Nest Cam and Protect

Nest Cam and Protect

The second generation Protect is slightly smaller and incorporates a "split-spectrum" sensor using two wavelengths of light to look for fast- and slow-burning fires. Other changes include the ability to silence alarms from the app, easier installation, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) radio to improve pairing during setup and automatic monthly alarm horn and speaker check using a built-in microphone.

For those worried about Google listening into home activity, Nest’s FAQ say the microphone is only on for a few seconds during the check and that the automatic check can be disabled.

The new Nest Protect lists for $99 and can be ordered today for shipment starting in July.

Nest’s Thermostat changes are strictly on the software side and apply to both first and second generation models. New features include temperature alerts sent to the Nest app, Nest Protect integration so you can view smoke and CO level alerts directly on the Thermostat and have the Thermostat automatically shut down your heating/cooling system when a smoke or CO alert is issued and expanded multi-zone support for up to 20 Thermostats.

The new features are a free upgrade that will be automatically installed over the next two weeks.

Finally, the Nest app 5.0, which is available now from the Google Play and iOS App Stores, integrates control and monitoring of all three Nest products into a single app. Check the press release for details on all its new tricks.

Related posts

Mvix Intros “Most”-Format 1080p Networked Media Player

Mvix today launched its Ultio media player supporting the "largest array of AV formats and codecs ever supported by any media player".

Gizmo Project adds Yahoo Messenger and Windows Live free calling

SIPphone today announced the launch of its latest desktop VoIP product. Gizmo Project 3.0 adds "meta-voice" capabilities, which enable free calling to Yahoo Messenger and Windows Live users.

The new capabilities allow users to call four of the most popular voice and IM networks with one client for the first time. All calls to Yahoo Messenger, Windows Live, Google Talk, Jabber, and Gizmo Project users are free. Gizmo Project 3.0 users can also call international Yahoo Messenger users for free in France, Spain, and many other countries.

D-Link adds $100 network camera

Updated 6/14/2008

D-Link yesterday announced two low-cost wired and wireless network cameras that will retail for around $100.

The D-Link DCS-920 Wireless G Network Camera and DCS-910 10/100 Fast Ethernet Internet Camera can be accessed and controlled using any Java-enabled browser and take snapshots and record directly from the Web browser to a local hard drive.