Article Contents1 The Good2 The Not So Good3 Setup and the basics4 App and features5 Living with the Nest Secure6 Conclusion Nest has made its name by adding smart features to things that you might already have around the house. It's worked pretty well in the past with devices like the Nest Thermostat, but home security is a more serious business. It's different than a thermostat—people rely on a security system to control access to their homes. The new Nest Secure is trying to take the place of an existing product with an important function. It's a balancing act between convenience and safety, and Nest mostly gets it right. The hardware is capable and innovative, and setup was a breeze for me. However, it's missing a few features, and the price is high at $500. That's just the starter pack, too. If you want to outfit all your doors and windows, get ready to spend a whole lot more. The Good The app The Nest app is excellent, and Secure integrates with all your other Nest … [Read more...] about Nest Secure review: Security comes at a price
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Nest Secure can now be armed using Google Assistant
Google and Nest products have always worked well together, and now that Nest is part of Google's hardware division, that point should be even more prevalent going forward. Most recently, Nest finally added Google Assistant integration for its Nest Secure home security system. This functionality is available as part of an update to Nest Secure itself, and the next time you open the Nest app you should see a notification saying that "a client has been updated." Assuming this is the one for Google Assistant support, review the permissions that are required for it to work, tap the "allow" button, and say "Hey, Google, sync my devices." Once this is done, you'll be able to control the entirety of your Nest Secure system using just your voice. A few examples of voice commands that Neset recommends include: Hey Google, set Nest Secure to Home and Guarding Hey Google, what's the status of my security? Hey Google, cancel security (must be done within seconds of arming the system) Hey Google, … [Read more...] about Nest Secure can now be armed using Google Assistant
Nest Hello review: The smartest doorbell for your home
In retrospect, I should have seen this coming long ago. The idea of a video doorbell isn't all that novel. It's just a basic button, camera, speaker and mic, with some flashing lights tossed in. That's not all that technologically advanced, right? Nor does such a thing need to do all that much. It needs to show you who's at the door. It needs to allow you to talk to that person, and you talk to them. And it needs to record all this somewhere accessible, should something untoward happen. No. Video doorbells, at their core, really are relatively simple products. So what could Nest Hello — the video doorbell entry from the Google-owned company known for its gorgeous thermostats, cameras, security system (and not-inexpensive prices) possibly do that hasn't been done by the likes of Ring (and others) already? A good bit, I've learned in a week or so of initial use of a Nest Hello purchased at retail. But also not without some room for improvement. Subscribe to Modern Dad on YouTube! … [Read more...] about Nest Hello review: The smartest doorbell for your home
Mid-range Pixel for developing markets could land this summer (joined in India by Home, Nest stuff, practically everything Google sells)
Whether you're selling phones or powering the platforms behind them, there's little that's more exciting for a company seeking out growth opportunities than a rapidly expanding market. As other markets around the globe see slumping projections or sales threatening to plateau, India's doing gangbusters, and last year sales of smartphones were up 14 percent. This growth hasn't gone unnoticed, and today we're checking out some signs of Google's increasing interest in India, including rumors of a possible new Pixel phone targeting India and other “price-sensitive” markets. Details are positively scarce, but supposedly this mid-range Pixel would launch sometime in July or April, ahead of a late-October refresh for the main Pixel lineup. But what mid-range positioning for this all-new Pixel would spell for the phone's design, its feature set, and maybe most critically its price, we just can't yet say with any authority. This wouldn't be Google's first foray into phones for the … [Read more...] about Mid-range Pixel for developing markets could land this summer (joined in India by Home, Nest stuff, practically everything Google sells)
Nest Hello review: The smartest doorbell
In retrospect, I should have seen this coming long ago. The idea of a video doorbell isn't all that novel. It's just a basic button, camera, speaker and mic, with some flashing lights tossed in. That's not all that technologically advanced, right? Nor does such a thing need to do all that much. It needs to show you who's at the door. It needs to allow you to talk to that person, and you talk to them. And it needs to record all this somewhere accessible, should something untoward happen. No. Video doorbells, at their core, really are relatively simple products. So what could Nest Hello — the video doorbell entry from the Google-owned company known for its gorgeous thermostats, cameras, security system (and not-inexpensive prices) possibly do that hasn't been done by the likes of Ring (and others) already? A good bit, I've learned in a week or so of initial use of a Nest Hello purchased at retail. But also not without some room for improvement. Subscribe to Modern Dad on YouTube! … [Read more...] about Nest Hello review: The smartest doorbell