Google bying NEST and how to make your own

Google intends to buy a connected thermostat that knows when you’re home and where you are within it. Google Gets a Nest, But Is It Flying Too High? When Google closes the Nest deal, privacy issues for the internet of things will hit the big time article tells that Google rocked the smart home market with its intention to purchase connected home thermostat maker Nest for $3.2 billion, which will force a much-needed conversation about data privacy and security for the internet of things. Google’s proposed $3.2bn purchase of Nest Labs, a maker of internet-connected round-the-home devices, shows that the online advertising giant considers the Internet of Things a serious proposition. A very serious proposition. Google values that company at more than 10 times its sales, derived from shipment figures. Nest cost Google more to buy than YouTube!

Actually, It’s Google That’s Eating the World column suggests that Google is getting too big. When the company was younger, most of its acquisitions related to its core businesses (search, advertising, network infrastructure, and communications). More recently, it’s been colonizing areas with a less obvious connection to search, such as travel, social networking, productivity, logistics, energy, robotics, and — with the acquisition this week of Nest Labs — home sensor networks and automation. Nest is best known for an internet-enabled thermostat and a likewise cloud-connected smoke detector, both snazzy looking but ultimately prosaic devices.

Internet of Things coverage tends to centre on the essential novelty of linking “non-technology” products, like thermostats, to the cloud to give them extended remote control. But these devices can also host sensors which feed back environmental data about the location in which they are situated. Google’s servers can crunch those numbers to analyze usage patterns and thus extract information.

When a company like Google — which has had numerous run-ins over privacy in the U.S. and abroad — plans to buy a company that makes products equipped with motion detectors that track what’s happening inside the home, it’s time that conversation about privacy and the internet of things takes a step forward. The reason is that ‘Any sufficiently advanced search, communications, and sensing infrastructure is indistinguishable from Big Brother‘.

What if you want smart thermostat without Google? There are also other players on the field you can look on. Some rival Internet of Things players, most notably Electric Imp, are trying to do: to become not a branded device-maker along the lines of Apple or Samsung, but a technology provider styled on Intel, with their own “inside” sticker placed alongside the manufacturer logo on the connected fridge, car, oven, thermostat, bike lock, burglar alarm, electricity meter et cetera. Plug those devices to your own cloud if you don’t trust the big brother.

What about a do-it-yourself open source option? Nest Who? Here’s How to Build Your Own Smart Thermostat, Move Over, Google Nest: Open Source Thermostat Is HeatingUp the Internet of Things and Building an Open Source Nest articles tell that in the wake of Google’s purchase of connected devices interest Nest, the gents at [Spark] set about to making one in roughly a day and for a fraction of the cost it took Nest to build their initial offering. They we spent about $70 on components to put this together (including $39 for the Spark Core) and did their prototype in in less than 24 hours Hackathon with 3.5 engineers involved. A place for all things related to ye olde Spark Thermostat Hackathon are at http://blog.spark.io/2014/01/17/open-source-thermostat/ and https://github.com/spark/thermostat[Spark]‘s aim is to put connected devices within reach of the average consumer, and The Next Big Thing within the reach of the average entrepreneur.  Building a new high-tech product is easier now than it’s ever been before thanks to many interesting open source development boards.

Links to more information on Google buying Nest:
http://gigaom.com/2014/01/13/when-google-closes-the-nest-deal-privacy-issues-for-the-internet-of-things-will-hit-the-big-time/
http://gigaom.com/2014/01/13/the-winners-and-losers-in-googles-acquisition-of-nest/
http://investor.google.com/releases/2014/0113.html
http://gigaom.com/2014/01/13/breaking-google-acquires-digital-device-maker-nest-for-3-2b/
http://tech.slashdot.org/story/14/01/13/2256228/google-buys-home-automation-company-nest
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/01/13/google_buys_smart_home_device_builder_nest_for_32_beeelion_in_cash/
http://www.tietokone.fi/artikkeli/uutiset/googlen_suuri_yritysosto_nest_kalliimpi_kuin_youtube
http://www.tietoviikko.fi/kaikki_uutiset/google+alkaa+nuuskia+koteja+uusilla+vempeleillaan/a959351
http://techcrunch.com/2014/01/13/nest-says-customer-data-from-devices-will-only-be-used-for-nest-products-and-services/
https://nest.com/blog/2014/01/13/welcome-home/
http://recode.net/2014/01/13/google-acquires-nest-for-3-2b/
http://daringfireball.net/2014/01/googles_acquisition_of_nest
http://www.wired.com/business/2014/01/google-nest-buy/
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2322719/google-spends-usd32bn-feathering-its-nest
http://www.elektroniikkalehti.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=833:google-panostaa-kotiautomaatioon&catid=13&Itemid=101
http://techcrunch.com/2014/01/13/nest-investors-strike-it-rich/?source=gravity
http://www.tietokone.fi/artikkeli/uutiset/googlen_suuri_yritysosto_nest_kalliimpi_kuin_youtube
http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_24834727/palo-altos-nest-labs-reportedly-raising-at-least

66 Comments

  1. girl says:

    When someone writes an piece of writing he/she maintains the idea of a user in his/her
    brain that how a user can know it. Thus that’s why this piece of
    writing is great. Thanks!

    Reply
  2. Tomi Engdahl says:

    If you reckon Google will never tap into Nest’s Wi-Fi thermostats, guess again
    What exactly do you think the web giant blew that $3.2bn on?
    http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/01/21/nest_ceo_data_sharing_changes/

    “At this point there are no changes. The data we collect is all about our products and improving them,” Fadell said on stage at the event in Munich

    Sensors made by Nest gather temperature readings and other information to control the user’s heating systems, learning how best to warm a home to suit its user’s habits. The wireless gadgets then upload the data to Nest’s cloud so the company can refine its products – and that’s a lot of useful information about when people sleep or are out of the house, the levels of comfort they expect, and so on. A $3.2bn database of information.

    Fadell said he’d been won over by Google because Larry Page and others “got it,” when he explained where he wanted to take the company. Nest doesn’t just want to build home appliances, but to create an ecosystem where all devices can talk to each other and realize the promise of connected homes made in the 1950s Fadell opined.

    Google was just the company to do that he said, and the buyout also freed him from the worry of having to keep the company financed during the expansion phase.

    Reply
  3. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Nest Team Will Become Google’s Core Hardware Group
    http://techcrunch.com/2014/01/29/nest-team-will-become-googles-core-hardware-group/?source=gravity

    Google today sold Motorola to Lenovo for $2.91 billion. While many speculated that Google would release phones after it bought Motorola in 2011, it didn’t happen — Motorola remained a partner like other Android OEMs. Recently, Google acquired Nest, and TechCrunch has learned that Google has big plans for the team behind the connected device company.

    Google will keep the Nest group intact inside the company. The new division will still work on hardware devices, but not necessarily thermostats or smoke detectors. In fact, Google would like Fadell to work on gadgets that make more sense for the company.

    While Nest first became popular with its thermostats, Google didn’t buy the company for these devices.

    Reply
  4. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Google Cloud Needs Lower Latency
    http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1320945&

    Datacenter chips need lower latencies to keep up with the rise of sensor data, a Google fellow told attendees at the International Solid-State Circuits Conference (ISSCC). New kinds of computer architectures and security techniques will emerge to handle the challenges, added technical executives from ARM, Intel, and Fujitsu in an evening panel.

    Reply
  5. Tomi Engdahl says:

    How to Build Your Own $3.2bln Nest Startup Using Java SE Embedded Tech (Part 1)
    https://blogs.oracle.com/hinkmond/entry/how_to_build_your_own

    This blog series was inspired by Spark Team’s Arduino Based blog post at the spark.io. But, we’ll use a more powerful but still inexpensive Raspberry Pi, and we’ll base the software on Java SE Embedded which is a much more powerful programming language and platform than you can

    Reply
  6. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Nest Halts Sales Of Protect Smoke Alarm Over Safety Concerns About ‘Wave To Dismiss’ Feature
    http://techcrunch.com/2014/04/03/nest-disable-protect-smoke-alarm-halts-sales/

    Nest CEO Tony Fadell has just issued a notice recommending users disable the Protect smoke alarm’s ’wave to dismiss’ feature. In testing, it was discovered that people could accidentally trigger the dismiss feature, delaying a smoke alarm.

    Sales of the Nest Protect have also been halted.

    He recommends that users disable the feature for now, and says Nest is going to update units that will allow the feature to work correctly.

    Reply
  7. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Google unit suspends sales of high-tech smoke alarms
    A high-tech home monitoring device from Nest Labs is being partially disabled to prevent homeowners from unintentionally shutting the units down
    http://www.thestar.com/business/tech_news/2014/04/04/google_unit_suspends_sales_of_hightech_smoke_alarms.html

    The high-tech home monitoring device company Nest Labs is disabling a feature on its smoke alarms due to the risk that owners could unintentionally turn off the device with the wave of a hand.

    The Nest Protect costs about $130 (U.S.). In comparison, other smoke and carbon monoxide detectors typically range between $50 and $80.

    Consumers with a Nest Protect connected to a Nest account with Wi-Fi will automatically have Nest Wave disabled within 24 hours. No action needs to be taken and their smoke alarm will continue to work.

    Reply
  8. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Finnish Company to copy billion-Nestiä: save on heating costs, “by capturing the” network

    The Internet of Things will now be at a rapid pace towards the wallets of consumers. Finnish mobile developer Ceruus that the fall of the market for optimizing the energy consumption of the planned service.

    A web based service called Internet of Living (“Web of life”) allows for temperature control and optimization of energy, stated in the release.

    According to the company the service can be used to control individual room heating so that an electrically heated house will save energy from 15 to 25 per cent. Service components resemble Nest smart thermostats.

    Source: Tietoviikko
    http://www.tietoviikko.fi/kaikki_uutiset/suomalaisfirma+kopioi+miljardinestia+saastaa+lammityskuluja+quotsieppaamallaquot+verkkoyhteyden/a981657

    Reply
  9. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Nest Uses Its Data To Turn Electric Utilities Into Cash Cows
    http://techcrunch.com/2014/04/18/nest-uses-its-data-to-turn-electric-utilities-into-cash-cows/?source=gravity&cps=gravity

    When Google acquired smart thermostat maker Nest for $3.2 billion, the startup quickly stated that it would never share its user data with other Google services and outside companies. But according to a recent report by Forbes, the company is taking advantage of its data to create a lucrative revenue stream from electric utilities.

    The company has negotiated deals with multiple energy partners in the U.S. Some utility partners are willing to spend $30 to $50 per year and per thermostat to be able to turn the air conditioner up when it’s a hot day. This way, the utility can levels load on the grid. Partners don’t have direct access to the thermostats, they just sign a deal with Nest, and then Nest has access to the thermostats.

    More importantly, in other cases, Nest splits cost savings with the utility.

    According to Forbes, revenue from utilities will outweigh direct revenue from thermostat sales — we’re talking about tens of millions or even hundreds of millions of dollars per year.

    Reply
  10. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Nest recalls almost half a million potentially useless Protect smoke detectors
    http://www.itproportal.com/2014/05/22/nest-recalls-almost-half-a-million-potentially-useless-protect-smoke-detectors/

    Nest has recalled almost half a million of its Protect smoke detectors due to a design flaw which could render them useless in the event of a fire.

    The California-based, Google-owned organisation, which is known for its range of sensory driven, Wi-Fi enabled thermostats and smoke detectors has discovered a major flaw in its product, which is designed to save lives.

    In theory, a user could turn the device off accidentally

    Reply
  11. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Google Eyes Home Security, Dropcam
    https://www.theinformation.com/Google-Eyes-Home-Security-Dropcam

    Google’s Nest division is plotting a move into the home-security market and has considered acquiring connected camera-maker Dropcam to accelerate the push, according to several people close to Google.

    The status of any talks between Google and Dropcam, which makes a $150 camera that streams footage to phones and computers, isn’t clear.

    Nest’s exploration of home security in addition to thermostats and smoke detectors comes as the war among tech companies to turn run-of-the mill household appliances into Internet-connected devices is heating up.

    Reply
  12. Tomi Engdahl says:

    The heat is on: Honeywell is finally challenging the Nest thermostat
    The Lyric thermostat builds on Nest’s iconic design
    http://www.theverge.com/2014/6/10/5793536/the-heat-is-on-honeywell-is-finally-ready-to-challenge-nest

    The idea of a connected home — one smart enough to know your schedule, your routines, when you come and go, and adjust itself to meet your every need — is a decades-old concept. But in a world where companies are making refrigerators that you can send tweets from, we’re still sorely missing truly intelligent home appliances. Apple and Google are trying — Apple with its just-announced HomeKit iOS features and Google with its purchase of Nest — but there still isn’t a complete vision from either company.

    Now, the massive industrial conglomerate / prototypical thermostat maker Honeywell is rethinking the way it tackles home automation with Lyric. It’s a $279 Wi-Fi thermostat (available today to purchase through HVAC contractors; it’ll be available in Lowe’s stores by August) that is one of the most visually appealing products in the space, as well as an obvious response to the Nest Learning thermostat. But perhaps more importantly, Lyric is also a platform. The company’s ambition is to launch a full suite of Lyric products that can all be controlled your smartphone.

    Reply
  13. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Nest Brings Back The Protect At $99, But Waving Is Still Disabled
    http://techcrunch.com/2014/06/16/nest-brings-back-the-protect-at-99-but-waving-is-still-disabled/

    The Nest Protect is now available following its two-month hiatus after it was pulled for safety concerns. The smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector is now only $99, down from its $119 launch price. The Nest Protect is available from the Google Play store starting tonight. However, one of its key features is still disabled.

    feature that allowed owners to wave their hand under the sensor to silence the alarm, did not function properly.

    The Nest Protect will also ship with this function disabled although a company spokesperson told me that the company is “still looking into a solution.”

    Reply
  14. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Google’s Nest Buys Dropcam for $555 Million
    http://recode.net/2014/06/20/googles-nest-buys-dropcam-for-555-million/

    Dropcam, the popular home monitoring camera startup, will be acquired by Nest, maker of smart thermostats and smoke detectors. The deal is worth $555 million in cash.

    Dropcam has never disclosed sales, but it is routinely the top-selling security camera on Amazon, and it recently branched into selling in retail stores like Apple and Best Buy. The company’s newest camera sells for $199, and a version with lower resolution and less field of view sells for $149.

    The company originally tried to use existing webcams to support a hosted personal video archive, but found the ones on the market were not up to snuff. So it began making its own.

    Reply
  15. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Google’s Nest div flings HALF an INSTAGRAM at Dropcam buyout
    Dropcam? They’re the boys who build Wi-Fi webcams
    http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/06/23/googles_nest_buys_dropcams_eyes/

    Google’s home automation push has a new view of the world after its Nest subsidiary wrote a half-Instagram ($555m) cheque for camera-maker Dropcam.

    Dropcam’s cameras use Wi-Fi to beam video out of your home or office and into the cloud, from where it can either be beamed back to a variety of devices for you to watch it in real time or recorded for posterity.

    The cameras can also be programmed, using an app, so that if certain events take place you’ll receive an alert.

    The reality of the situation, however, is that Google now has a way to look inside your home.

    Reply
  16. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Nest To Share User Information With Google For First Time
    http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2014/06/24/nest-to-share-user-information-with-google-for-first-time/

    Nest Labs is set to share some user information with corporate parent Google for the first time since its February acquisition.

    Matt Rogers, a co-founder of the smart-thermostat maker, said in an interview that Google will connect some of its apps to Nest, allowing Google to know when Nest users are at home or not.

    The integration will allow those users to set the temperature of their homes with voice commands to a Google mobile app. It will also allow Google’s personal digital assistant, Google Now, to set the temperature automatically when it detects, using a smartphone’s location-tracking abilities, that a user is returning home.

    Users will have to opt in for their information to be shared with Google, Rogers said. “We’re not becoming part of the greater Google machine,” he said.

    It isn’t clear if Google would be capturing much new information about users. Its popular Google Maps app can already determine where users live and work based on where they carry their phones.

    “We’re not telling Google anything that it doesn’t already know,” said Rogers.

    Reply
  17. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Google’s Nest Labs Opens Its Platform to Outside Developers
    Nest Aims to Establish Itself as Operating System for Web-Connected Devices in the Home
    http://online.wsj.com/news/article_email/googles-nest-labs-opens-its-platform-to-outside-developers-1403582672-lMyQjAxMTA0MDIwMzEyNDMyWj

    Google Inc.’s Nest Labs is opening its platform to outside developers, a big step by the thermostat and smoke-detector maker to establish itself in a crowded market to be the operating system for Internet-connected devices in the home.

    Through Nest, users will be able to communicate with appliances from Whirlpool Corp., cars from Daimler’s Mercedes-Benz, remote controls from Logitech International SA and other devices.

    Google itself is a partner, allowing its personal digital assistant, Google Now, to set the temperature on a Nest thermostat automatically when it detects that a user is coming home. Nest will share limited user information with Google and other partners, and people have to opt in for each new device, said Nest co-founder Matt Rogers.

    Nest will let partners link their software and applications to Nest’s thermostat, which will act as a control and information hub for devices in and around the home, Mr. Rogers said.

    Reply
  18. Tomi Engdahl says:

    The TRUTH about Google’s eyes on your Nest – report
    Internet of Things terror: Just when you thought you were all alone in the bath…
    http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/06/24/nest_google_server/

    Thought your home was safe from corporate surveillance? Think again, because Internet of Stuff supremo Nest is set to share tons of your personal data with its mother company, Google.

    As if Google didn’t know enough about you, it seems set on enabling Glassholes to carry out near-constant surveillance of their friends. Now even toasters, fridges and tellies could be keeping a watchful eye on citizens.

    Nest Labs has admitted to the Wall Street Journal that some Google apps will now connect to Nest, sending back information about whether a person is in their house or not.

    Google’s personal assistant app, Google Now, will be used for jobs such as setting one’s desired house temperature from afar

    “We’re not becoming part of the greater Google machine,” he insisted Matt Rogers, co-founder of Nest.

    Dropcam allows streaming video to be sent over the cloud, as well as triggering devices in the case of a certain event.

    Reply
  19. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Nest opens its APIs to developers and hackers
    Wants to define the smart home standard
    http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2351697/nest-opens-its-apis-to-developers-and-hackers

    GOOGLE’S NEST SUBSIDIARY opened its Developer Programme on Tuesday.

    The smart thermostat maker, which was bought by Google earlier this year for $3.2bn, has opened its platform APIs as a common standard for smart home devices.

    The company cited examples ranging from lightbulbs to surveillance cameras that can be made to work together under the “Works with Nest” banner. Parent company Google will also add commands that refer to Nest smart home functions to the Google Now personal assistant service.

    Reply
  20. Tomi Engdahl says:

    OK Google, crank the A/C: Nest announces new smart home API
    Nest co-founder Matt Rogers on user data and making the tech more affordable.
    http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2014/06/ok-google-crank-the-ac-nest-announces-new-smart-home-api/

    Today, in advance of Google I/O, Nest has officially announced a new developer program and API that will allow other companies’ smart devices to communicate with Nest’s Protect smoke alarm and Learning Thermostat.

    Among the companies that Nest is partnering with for this initial publicity push are IFTTT, Jawbone, LIFX, Logitech, Mercedes-Benz, Whirlpool, Chamberlain, and Google itself—the latter two companies will release Nest-compatible features this fall, while the others are all available today.

    All of the companies’ “Works with Nest experiences” focus on making Nest devices more useful when used together with other smart home gadgets—if the Nest Protect smoke alarm goes off, than LIFX’s lights can flash red to make it more obvious to the hearing impaired. A Chamberlain garage door opener can tell the Nest thermostat to enter and leave Away mode depending on whether the owner is entering or leaving the garage. And Google Now will let users control their thermostats with their voices and set proximity-based rules that will adjust their thermostats before they get home.

    “It’s not just integration for integration’s sake, or connectivity just to connect,”

    While the developer program’s goal of connecting Nest gadgets to other devices sounds pretty Google-y, Rogers told us that Nest had been working on the developer program “behind the scenes for about a year,” well before the Google acquisition happened. Nest is taking advantage of Google I/O and of Google’s sheer size to amplify the announcement and attract more interest

    Rogers also sees the Nest Developer Program as “complementary” to Apple’s recently announced HomeKit project. While HomeKit is going to allow users to control smart home devices with their iPhones and will supposedly make it easier to connect those devices to your network and to each other, Nest’s API focuses on making those devices work in tandem once connected.

    “This is less about ‘how do you get devices on your Wi-Fi network,’” said Rogers. “This is ‘after you get them on the Internet, what do you do with them after that?’”

    Reply
  21. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Nest developer program
    https://developer.nest.com/

    The Nest Developer Program isn’t about simply linking and remote controlling the devices in your home. Anyone can do that. This is about working behind the scenes to anticipate people’s needs and make their lives easier. And with the Nest Developer Program, we’re providing the tools to make that a reality.

    With the Nest Developer Program, we’re providing all the tools and support you need to start building across iOS, Android and the web. Our API servers use Firebase protocols to communicate with Nest in real-time. For authorization and authentication, we use the industry standards OAuth2.0 and SSL.

    Reply
  22. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Rooting The Nest Thermostat
    http://hackaday.com/2014/06/24/rooting-the-nest-thermostat/

    A few months ago, Google bought a $3.2 billion dollar thermostat in the hopes it would pave the way for smart devices in every home. The Nest thermostat itself is actually pretty cool – it’s running Linux with a reasonably capable CPU, and adds WiFi to the mix for some potentially cool applications. It can also be rooted in under a minute,

    As [cj] explains, the CPU inside the Nest has a Device Firmware Update mode that’s normally used for testing inside the Nest factory. This DFU mode can also be used to modify the device without any restrictions at all.

    Reply
  23. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Camel said at 4:49 am on June 25th, 2014:

    This isn’t a bug or a vulnerability. It’s a feature! If you buy a device you should be able to easily modify it.

    Now that you’ve done the legwork of rooting it I can actually buy one and integrate it into my nacent home automation system without giving data about my habits to 3rd parties. Thank you!

    Source: Comment at http://blog.gtvhacker.com/2014/google-nest-exploiting-dfu-for-root/

    Reply
  24. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Google Makes Its Nest At The Center Of The Smart Home
    http://techcrunch.com/2014/06/23/google-makes-its-nest-at-the-center-of-the-smart-home/

    “Okay Google, turn down the heat.”

    Using Google Now, a homeowner will soon be able to talk to a Nest Learning Thermostat and complain about the heat. And that’s just the beginning.

    Google is turning the Nest Learning Thermostat into the hub of smart homes. With the “Works with Nest” developer program, announced today, gadgets, cars and universal remotes will all work with the Thermostat, providing automated actions agnostic of the brand. Suddenly the smart home world is much smaller.

    Reply
  25. Tomi Engdahl says:

    The Nest Developer Program is here.
    https://nest.com/blog/2014/06/23/the-nest-developer-program-is-here/

    Wouldn’t it be cool if our homes could be more aware? If they could learn from us? And help take care of us?

    At Nest, that’s always been our vision. We create thoughtful things that interact with people and their homes to keep them comfortable and safe.

    And now with the Nest Developer Program, we’re working with developers all over the world to do what no one else has been able to do – create a more conscious and thoughtful home.

    Reply
  26. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Nest Learning Thermostat has its security cracked open by GTVHacker
    http://www.engadget.com/2014/06/23/nest-thermostat-rooted/

    Update: Nest has responded, saying the team’s software “doesn’t compromise the security of our servers or the connections to them and to the best of our knowledge, no devices have been accessed and compromised remotely.”

    Reply
  27. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Spark Labs Raises $4.9 Million For An Internet Of Things OS
    http://techcrunch.com/2014/07/08/spark-io-raises-4-9-million-series-for-an-internet-of-things-os/?ncid=rss&cps=gravity

    Spark Labs, the same folks who made this open-source Nest-like thermostat, has raised $4.9 million in Series A funding

    Spark Labs develops two main products, the $39 Spark Core (which is a tiny development kit for creating IoT devices) and the SparkCloud (a platform that allows these Internet-connected devices to connect to each other and communicate). Today, the company has announced a third product called Spark OS, which allows developers to integrate their projects with an open-source OS, compatible with iOS and Android.

    The company has already shipped around 25,000 units of the Spark Core, and Spark Labs also offers a more intensive maker kit complete with the Spark Core, breadboard, jumper wires, resistors, capacitors, sensors, buttons, LEDs, and more for $99.

    See, the key to Spark’s products is that they’re easy enough for a n00b to enjoy, but sophisticated enough for even enterprise customers.

    Reply
  28. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Nest devices start talking to Google, washing machines and your car
    http://www.engadget.com/2014/06/24/nest-developer-program-begins/

    Reply
  29. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Led by Nest, ‘Thread’ for Home Automation is Most Promising IoT Standard Yet
    http://www.cepro.com/article/led_by_nest_thread_for_home_automation_is_most_promising_iot_standard_yet/

    Thread Group, launched today by Nest, Big Ass Fans, Yale and major chip makers, presents mesh network for 6LoWPAN; millions of deployments in the field already via Nest Weave.

    It’s hard to introduce a new “standard” for home automation or Internet of Things without being laughed out of the (enlightened) media, but this new protocol called Thread is the most exciting initiative I’ve seen since Z-Wave. And I’ve been doing this for 20 years.

    That’s because Thread takes the most ubiquitous networking protocol on the planet – IP – and turns it into a mesh network to optimize coverage and performance. Specifically, Thread is based on 6LoWPAN, the low-power wireless protocol that delivers IPv6 over an 802.15.4 radio – the same radio used for ZigBee.

    The new technology comes from the Thread Group (managed by Inventures), whose seven founders include chip makers and product manufacturers alike: ARM, Big Ass Fans, Freescale Semiconductor, Nest Labs, Samsung Electronics (chip division, not CE), Silicon Labs, and Yale Security.

    In addition to bringing mesh to 6LoWPAN, Thread adds a layer of security, enables point-to-point communications, and provides schemes for optimizing battery life.

    Not coincidentally, Thread borrows from the (previously?) proprietary Nest protocol called Weave, which also is based on 6LoWPAN and also adds “special sauce,” the likes of which can be found in Thread.

    Reply
  30. Tomi Engdahl says:

    A Cheap DIY Smoke Detector that Can Save Lives
    http://hackaday.com/2014/07/29/a-cheap-diy-smoke-detector-that-can-save-lives/

    A faulty wire, a discarded burning cigarette, or a left-on curling iron can trigger sparks of fire to engulf everything nearby until all that’s left is brittle mounds of smoldering ash. Which is why smoke detectors are so important.

    His home automation system (a Raspberry Pi running Node-Red) links to a Funky ATTiny84-based sensor and transmits the data wirelessly, redirecting the information to his phone. SMS messages can be sent, as well as emails and pushbullet notifications. Once the piezo siren starts to sing, the system alerts him that smoke has been detected and that he should check on it as soon as possible.

    Reply
  31. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Internet of Bling: Samsung Buys SmartThings for $200 Million
    http://recode.net/2014/08/14/internet-of-bling-samsung-buys-smartthings-for-200-million/

    Samsung has bought SmartThings, the startup that makes smart-home controllers. While the companies did not disclose the price, sources said the South Korean consumer electronics giant paid about $200 million.

    In an interview earlier today, Hawkinson said that the sale to Samsung would help accelerate its efforts. “I think at a high level, it has always been our vision to go really big,” he said, pointing out Samsung’s massive global footprint and range of consumer appliances, as well as access to retail channels. “It’s just scale and reach all around the world — imagine reaching hundreds of millions of consumers and many more developers.”

    The deal is part of a larger landscape in the home automation space, which has seen a number of significant transactions, most notably Google’s acquisition of Nest earlier this year for $3.2 billion. SmartThings — which debuted its developer platform and products at our D: All Things Digital conference (see below) — has focused on doing things like connecting locks, lights and other home devices to mobile apps.

    SmartThings — which is actually owned by a company called Physical Graph Corp. — started as a Kickstarter project in 2012. It has since raised just over $15 million in funding

    Reply
  32. Tomi Engdahl says:

    AV Week Podcast August 18, 2014 talks also on Nest thermostat and their security issues
    http://controlgeek.net/blog/2014/8/18/av-week-podcast

    Reply
  33. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Company September 6, 2014
    Nest is coming to the EU
    https://nest.com/blog/2014/09/06/nest-is-coming-to-the-EU/

    For the last two years, there’s been a thermostat underground. With Nest available in just the US, Canada and the UK, people have hidden Nest Thermostats and Nest Protect alarms in suitcases, had them shipped over by friends, bought them on eBay and installed them in over 120 countries.

    Soon the people of Belgium, France, Ireland and the Netherlands will be able to just buy the Nest Learning Thermostat and Nest Protect smoke and carbon monoxide alarm themselves.

    Reply
  34. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Smart thermostat maker Ecobee pokes Nest with a striking redesign
    And the promise of lower heating and cooling bills
    http://www.theverge.com/2014/9/16/6154675/smart-thermostat-maker-ecobee-pokes-nest-with-a-striking-redesign

    Lombard co-founded Ecobee, a Canadian company that made the world’s first Wi-Fi-connected thermostat, only to spend the past three years watching the world fawn over its competitor Nest’s futuristic design. Today the company is unveiling its answer to Nest, the Ecobee 3. It’s a jet-black square with rounded edges that looks like nothing else the company has made before, especially its predecessor: a white box with a touchscreen that Ecobee sold patterned Gelaskin stickers for, basically to hide the thing.

    By comparison, the Ecobee 3 is something the company wants you to stop and look at each time you walk by it in your house. When it’s not showing you the temperature inside your house, it doubles as a weather station, giving you the upcoming forecast. And just like Nest, Ecobee is pitching it as something that does all the scheduling for you, saving time and money in the process.

    The new thermostat uses a capacitive touchscreen, with colored pixels that pop out from a black background as you approach it. Where Nest and Honeywell’s Lyric zig with color, Ecobee zagged with dark contrast.

    The new design replaces Ecobee’s previous model, the Smart Thermostat. Ecobee still plans to sell its less expensive, $179 Smart Si thermostat, which it introduced two years ago as its entry-level model.

    “For a lot of people, that’s like their thermostat in their dining room,” Lombard says. That would be fine if people spent most of their time there, but in reality, they don’t. “Being able to put a sensor into a room that you actually use, and your ability to detect whether people are home or not and turn back your temperature goes up significantly.” That kind of setup is also easier than requiring everyone in your family to run apps on their phones that are tracking where they are, just to help the system out, Lombard argues.

    The new model also promises an installation that consumers can do themselves. Where previous iterations relied heavily on professional HVAC installers

    As for how all this will save on bills, Lombard says it’s all about scheduling, and touts Ecobee’s technology as the best at doing this. Citing figures from the US Environmental Protection Agency, he says that 80 percent of programmable thermostats go unprogrammed. By comparison, he says, the Ecobee 3 comes with a preprogrammed schedule that it adjusts based on information it gathers from its occupancy sensors and your local weather forecast.

    Reply
  35. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Honeywell takes on Google’s Nest with Single Zone thermostat
    Control your home heating with a smartphone for £139 without professional installation
    http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2373791/honeywell-takes-on-googles-nest-with-single-zone-thermostat?utm_source=Outbrain&utm_medium=Cpc&utm_campaign=Inquirer%252BReferral&WT.mc_is=977=obinsource

    HONEYWELL IS CHALLENGING Google with the launch of a Nest-like thermostat called Single Zone so energy customers can control their home heating with their smartphones.

    Priced at £139, Honeywell’s thermostat aims to allow people to afford wireless heating controls and scheduling without being tethered to a heating provider, so that they can freely choose their energy contracts.

    “Now, busy homeowners will be able to keep an eye on when and how they are heating their homes, wherever they are,” said Honeywell. “It incorporates connectivity alongside the thermostat technology that consumers use every day.”

    Reply
  36. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Can a Thermostat Save the Planet?
    http://www.mcdonough.com/news/can-thermostat-save-planet/

    “When I looked at the environment in 2010 people were working on [renewable energy sources and grid changes]. When you looked at the thermostat and it hadn’t changed in 30 years, you were like, ‘wait a second.’ This is ripe for innovation, this is ripe for disruption … lets go fix that problem,” Fadell said.

    In an effort to reduce the planet’s energy consumption, the Nest Learning Thermostat learns your schedule, programs itself, and can be controlled from a Smartphone. According to the Nest website, the Nest thermostat can lower you heating and cooling bills up to 20%.

    “This is about going being being ‘less bad’ toward being ‘more good.’ “

    Reply
  37. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Nest’s new sales tack: Free thermostats
    http://www.cnet.com/news/nests-new-sales-method-free-thermostat-from-electric-utility/

    A deal with Electric Ireland opens a new channel for the Google-owned company’s networked thermostats. Nest’s CEO expects that it’s the first of many such partnerships.

    DUBLIN, Ireland — Google’s Nest subsidiary on Tuesday announced the first partnership in a new sales strategy, a deal in which Irish citizens can get a free Nest thermostat by signing a two-year utility contract with Electric Ireland.

    By signing a two-year contract with the utility company, “1.6 million households in Ireland now can get a free Nest,” Nest Chief Executive Tony Fadell said at the Web Summit tech conference here. Ordinarily, Nest charges $250 for its smart thermostat, which is wired for remote control, interaction with other devices and automated actions for energy efficiency.

    Detailed terms of the deal weren’t announced. By subsidizing Nest thermostats, though, Electric Ireland can potentially attract more customers — deregulation has opened up Ireland’s electricity market over the past decade — and reduce churn through a multi-year commitment.

    Ireland is just the start.

    Reply
  38. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Unrest at Nest
    http://www.strictlyvc.com/2014/11/12/unrest-nest/

    Sitting on stage last week at a San Francisco conference, Greg Duffy, the 28-year-old co-founder and CEO of Dropcam, which makes Internet-connected video cameras, fielded questions from an audience of startup founders. It should have been a time to celebrate. After all, last June, Duffy sold Dropcam to Nest Labs for $555 million. As the panel discussion came to a close, however, Duffy sounded an ominous note. Referring to a longtime colleague who was sharing the stage with him, he told the invite-only crowd that Liz Hamren is “the best VP of marketing in the business.” He then added, laughing, “She’s also my former VP of marketing. You can read from that what you want into my current situation.”

    Some of these Glassdoor reviews claim that Nest is “killing everything that was special about working at Dropcam” and that “everything we built is being carelessly dismantled after [the] acquisition.” One review states, “Everything revolves around the CEO. It’s a dangerous mix of cult of personality and Stockholm syndrome. Comments like ‘He’s the next Steve Jobs’ are not uncommon, while people proudly say things like ‘I’m used to Tony screaming at me.’ Everyone dreads meetings with Tony because he will flip if he doesn’t like what he sees. Somehow that’s perceived as good leadership.”

    Reply
  39. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Google-owned Nest debuts first TV ads for its thermostat, smoke alarm, and Dropcam monitors

    Come On, Put This Google-Owned Surveillance Device in Your House. It’ll Be Great!
    http://recode.net/2014/11/16/come-on-put-this-google-owned-surveillance-device-in-your-house-its-gonna-be-great/

    How do you convince regular people to buy Google-owned monitoring gadgets and install them in their homes?

    First, don’t mention Google in your nationally televised ads.

    Next, make those ads pretty funny.

    That’s the strategy Google’s Nest is taking in TV ads — its first campaign — that started running today for its connected thermostat, its connected smoke alarm and its Dropcam monitors.

    Reply
  40. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Raspberry PiPhone Thermostat Monitors Your Entire House — Or At Least That’s The Plan
    http://hackaday.com/2014/12/06/raspberry-piphone-thermostat-monitors-your-entire-house-or-at-least-thats-the-plan/

    [Jeff McGehee] or how he likes to be known, [The Nooganeer] just finished his first big tech project after finishing grad school. It’s a connected thermostat that makes use of his old iPhone 4, and a Raspberry Pi.

    Now most thermostats just use a single thermosensor in order to determine the temperature — since he’s got a Raspberry Pi, he figured he’d add temperature sensors in a few rooms using a Spark Core kit! The software he’s using is written in Python for visualizations, and he’s using a MySQL database in order to collect analytics.

    Raspberry Pi Thermostat Part 1: System Overview
    http://www.nooganeer.com/his/?p=112

    Reply
  41. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Google for Android and iOS updated with Nest integration
    http://venturebeat.com/2014/12/15/google-for-android-and-ios-updated-with-nest-integration/

    The “Works with Nest” program has a new addition: the Google app.

    Starting now, Nest thermostat owners can use Google’s self-titled iOS or Android apps to control their home’s temperature, much like they do with Nest’s own app. They can also use voice commands to ask Google to change or set their temperature.

    To help users better manage their home’s temperature, the Google app brings up Now cards (suggested actions and settings based on time and location relevancy) they can use to adjust their temperature before even getting home.

    Reply
  42. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Tale of two thermostats: Nest teardown
    http://www.edn.com/electronics-blogs/eye-on-iot-/4437962/Tale-of-two-thermostats–Nest-teardown?_mc=NL_EDN_EDT_EDN_today_20141216&cid=NL_EDN_EDT_EDN_today_20141216&elq=4efd5635fc814e5e8527625c1769263f&elqCampaignId=20685

    Home automation is the application where many consumers are getting their first introduction to the Internet of Things (IoT), so it seemed appropriate to explore how vendors are approaching device design in this market. I selected two devices to explore. One was the Nest thermostat, which generated considerable buzz in the market when it came out a few years ago. The other was a more recent introduction: the Honeywell smart WiFi thermostat. Both are available at various chain home improvement stores.

    The main board of the Nest, with metal shield removed, shows a TI Sitara CPU, power management and USB chip, Flash, 32Mx16 SDRAM, and a Murata WiFi module. There is also a ZigBee network coprocessor, implying that the device may offer expansion options in the future.

    My feeling is that the Honeywell device is an old design with network connectivity added as a remote interface. There is no utilization of the network’s ability to log data, correlate with other information sources, or the like. The Nest seems to be a true IoT design, with network connectivity an integral part of its operation and features.

    Reply
  43. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Arduino Thermostat Includes Vacation Mode
    http://hackaday.com/2014/12/19/arduino-thermostat-includes-vacation-mode/

    When [William’s] thermostat died, he wanted an upgrade. He found a few off-the-shelf Internet enabled thermostats, but they were all very expensive. He knew he could build his own for a fraction of the cost.

    The primary unit synchronizes it’s time using NTP. This automatically keeps things up to date and in sync with daylight savings time. There is also a backup real-time clock chip in case the Internet connection is lost. The unit can be controlled via the physical control panel, or via a web interface.

    The panels include a DHT22 temperature and humidity sensor, an LCD display, a keypad, and support electronics.

    Arduino Thermostat Project
    http://www.dudley.nu/thermostat/

    When my “smart” thermostat died last year, I went to the store to replace it. The thermostat market has changed since I last bought one. There used to be only four tiers of thermostats:

    “Dumb” ones, full manual control of the temperature. seven days of the week. Priced below $20 (All prices US $).
    “One day” programmable ones: assumes every day has the same schedule. Priced below $30.
    “Five/Two day” programmable ones: assumes that the weekend and weekdays are on two different schedules, but the weekdays are all the same and Saturday and Sunday are the same. Priced below $50.
    “Seven day” programmable ones: Allows seven different programs for the seven days of the week. Priced between $50 and $100.

    Now, there’s a fifth tier: “internet” and “phone controlled” thermostats, which run an eye-watering $250. I thought “that’s stupid, I can make a better one than that, and it’ll be waaaaay cooler than any of these.”

    Several months of hacking and coding later, I have succeeded. I finished the project just in time for the heating season to end last year, but winter 2014 heating season is under the control of my own thermostats.

    Reply
  44. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Chris Welch / The Verge:
    Nest adds 15 new partners, now integrates with smartlocks, lighting and home appliances

    Nest’s thermostat gets smarter with support for more third-party devices
    http://www.theverge.com/2015/1/5/7487735/nest-thermostat-smart-devices-august-phillips-lg-ces-2015

    August smart lock, Philips Hue lights, and Automatic’s driving assistant now work with Nest

    Reply
  45. Tomi Engdahl says:

    The number of homes with smart thermostats doubled in 2014
    http://www.berginsight.com/News.aspx?m_m=6&s_m=1

    According to a new research report from Berg Insight, the number of North American and European homes with a smart thermostat grew by 105 percent to 3.2 million in 2014. The North American market recorded a 107 percent growth in the installed base of smart thermostats to 2.5 million. In Europe, the total number of homes with a smart thermostat grew by 96 percent year-on-year to reach 0.7 million. Berg Insight forecasts that the number of homes with smart thermostats in Europe and North America will grow at a CAGR of 64.2 percent during the next five years to reach 38.2 million in 2019.

    Smart thermostats is a particularly attractive opportunity in the smart home market, as these systems are of great interest for consumers, energy companies and HVAC service providers.

    Consumers embrace smart thermostats primarily due to the potential for energy savings, increased comfort and convenience. For energy companies, smart thermostats open up new possibilities to introduce consumer-friendly demand response and energy efficiency programmes.

    The North American smart thermostat market is led by Nest, Honeywell and Ecobee that each has sold hundreds of thousands of thermostats, primarily through the retail, utility and professional installer channels.

    The number of smart homes in Europe and North America reached 10.6 million in 2014

    According to a new research report from Berg Insight, the number smart homes in Europe and North America reached 10.6 million in 2014. The North American market recorded a 70 percent year-on-year growth in the installed base of smart homes to 7.9 million at the end of the year

    The strong market growth is expected to last for years to come, driving the number of smart homes in North America to 38.2 million by 2019, which corresponds to 28 percent of all households. The European market is 2–3 years behind North America in terms of penetration and market maturity. At the end of 2014, there were 2.7 million smart homes in Europe and the market is forecasted to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 61 percent in the next five years to reach 29.7 million smart homes by 2019

    Reply
  46. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Kif Leswing / Gigaom:
    Nest to replace old Dropcams for free before they go dark April 15 — One downside of having products that require cloud services in order to work is that the physical objects can suddenly become obsolete. — Over the weekend, Dropcam announced a “legacy camera replacement program,” …

    Nest to replace old Dropcams for free before they go dark April 15
    https://gigaom.com/2015/01/26/nest-to-replace-old-dropcams-for-free-before-they-go-dark-april-15/

    One downside of having products that require cloud services in order to work is that the physical objects can suddenly become obsolete.

    In a statement provided to Droid-Life, Dropcam said that eligible users will be contacted directly and offered the replacement.

    The two affected products are the original Dropcam and the Dropcam Echo, both of which came out between 2009 and 2011. Both were launched way before Dropcam was purchased by Nest (which, in turn, is owned by Google.)

    Dropcam hasn’t explained why it was sunsetting its older products

    Even for early adopters, Dropcam declaring end-of-life on its early products isn’t the biggest problem considering the free camera upgrade. That’s one benefit to a startup being purchased by a deep-pocketed giant like Google.

    Reply
  47. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Kyle Russell / TechCrunch:
    Nest Touts Three Studies Claiming Its Thermostat Pays For Itself In Two Years
    http://techcrunch.com/2015/02/02/nest-touts-three-studies-claiming-its-thermostat-pays-for-itself-in-two-years/

    Reply
  48. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Nest seeks audio talent to delight … someone
    Home audio about to get Googled, aren’t you thrilled?
    http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/03/12/nest_seeks_audio_talent_to_delight_someone/

    Google subsidiary Nest has decided the next thing to be Internet of Thinged is going to be the sound system, and wants to get there first.

    Shortly after irritating Dropcam users by telling them to create a Nest account – even if they don’t own any Nest product – Nest has posted advertisements seeking someone to head up Nest Audio.

    The boss of the noisy Nest will run a team covering “acoustics, audio electronics, audio SW, audio test and validation” to deliver “delightful user experiences and innovative features”

    Reply

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