Google Buys Home Automation Company Nest 257
JDG1980 writes "Google just announced that they will be purchasing Nest, a company best known for their 'smart' thermostats and smoke detectors, for $3.2 billion in cash. What will this mean for Nest devices going forward — greater integration with Android, perhaps?"
More targeted ads? (Score:3, Informative)
"We've noticed that you've been running your furnace a lot recently. Here's a list of insulation installers in your area that you might be interested in."
Re:Track your every move (Score:5, Informative)
Slashdot 2015: Google announces end of life for Nest products, citing low advertising revenue from the platform.
Oh, well, one gone, but three more will pop up hoping for that multi-billion buyout.
Re:Track your every move (Score:5, Informative)
Pretty much. [techcrunch.com] To quote the relevant part:
Will Nest customer data be shared with Google?
Our privacy policy clearly limits the use of customer information to providing and improving Nest’s products and services. We’ve always taken privacy seriously and this will not change.
If they had plans to keep Nest's data away from Google after the acquisition, they'd have said it plainly as they have with everything else they say. The fact that they aren't doing that here makes it pretty clear what their intent is.
I have a Nest thermostat and have loved it, but I'm actually kinda glad I ran into some financial issues that led to my cancelling my pre-order for Protect smoke/CO detector for my entire house. I definitely won't be buying them now, and I'll be seriously considering whether or not I keep my thermostat.
Re:Track your every move (Score:4, Informative)
Any thermostat can have a remote on/off feature.
Phone -> Web server CGI -> soft-relay on PCI card (or use an Arduino board) -> higher voltage relay wired to make/break certain wires between the t-stat and the air handler (usually a "split system" or a "fan powered box").
Wire colors:
Black is ground.
Green is fan on/off.
Red is electric heat on/off. Second stage is usually orange, also on/off.
Yellow is gas heat, can be on/off or analog (4-20mA, 0-10V, or 2-10V).
White is DX (direct expansion) cooling on/off. ("Direct expansion" means that the cooling effect is due to the expansion of compressed liquid refrigerant into gas in the evaporator coil directly mounted in the airflow without any heat exchanger mechanism in between. If you're not running a "chiller" and/or don't know what a chiller is, you probably have DX cooling. This includes pretty much all home air conditioners.)
DX cooling and electric heat should both have an internal interlock (in the unit, not the t-stat) preventing them from running if the fan isn't running. But be careful with cheap residential-grade units, the manufacturer may cut that corner to save money.
You'll probably need a 24VAC transformer (yes, AC, not a DC power supply) to drive the whole thing, which allows you to buy a cheaper t-stat. A small (small is good enough for a home system) 24VAC transformer should run somewhere in the $10-ish range at a supplier like Kele [kele.com]. I also recommend their line of IDEC pluggable relays. They mount nicely to DIN rail.