Google Buys Nest For $3.2B

They had major issues rolling out the 4.0 upgrade over the recent holidays, (excessive wifi over-draining the battery) and mine had to be rolled back for a couple of weeks. Now at 4.01, works perfectly. And yes, there are cheaper smart thermostats out there, even your electric utility will give you a smart thermostat if you sign up for specific rate plans (usually based on peak usage hrs). But I'm still very happy with mine, just it's ability to turn itself off when I'm not at home is a huge deal.

I'll be honest, if the Nest was initially a Google or Apple product I never would've bought it.
 
Ponder said:
In all honesty a simple programmable unit would work 99% of the time(same savings as a nest) if the consumer had the time/interest/knowledge to program it wisely. Basically set it to an comfortable energy efficient settings and have it reset to those settings every x hours.
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Not really. The big advantage of the Nest is not that it's programmable, it's that it programs itself based on the owner's usage patterns. More importantly, it actively searches for periods when it can shut off to save energy, and then gives you a daily and monthly energy report Programmable thermostats don't do any of that.
 
Have a nest; the single biggest advantage over any "programmable thermostat" (except expensive DIY solutions) is not the scheduling (any stupid thermostat can do that) but the auto-away feature. Especially for people with an unpredictable schedule (only in house sometimes during the weekends, variable work hours, etc etc). I do hope that the Google acquisition increases integratibility into existing home automation systems (e.g. Iris, Z-wave, etc).
 
Nest is cute but seems like way too much $ to spend on a riced up thermostat. My programmable Honeywell, while I can't control it remotely, fits the bill for me.

Now that Google is taking over Nest, I read on CNN people joking about SkyNet (like some here have done) and Google advertising on the Nest UI depending on what you do to the temp. and the season. :eek:
 
beowulf7 said:
Nest is cute but seems like way too much $ to spend on a riced up thermostat. My programmable Honeywell, while I can't control it remotely, fits the bill for me.
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"I don't know anything about this product, but I am reasonably certain that something else is roughly equivalent."
 
It seems funny to me that Google would be interested in the thermostat market. Unless it has something to do with the fact that they want Tony Fadell and Matt Rogers. If you didn't know they were part of the designers working on the iPod, iPad, and iPhone.
 
chillenweasel said:
It seems funny to me that Google would be interested in the thermostat market. Unless it has something to do with the fact that they want Tony Fadell and Matt Rogers. If you didn't know they were part of the designers working on the iPod, iPad, and iPhone.
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I think Google has plenty of high profile designers already.

This has more to do with them getting a foot into the consumer hardware market. There are dozens of unloved devices in your home that Nest could redesign. All those devices will collect data.....which is something Google is good at.
 
chillenweasel said:
It seems funny to me that Google would be interested in the thermostat market.
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Thermostats and Smoke/CO detectors now....I'm certain Home Security alarms/monitoring is next on the drawing board- especially since many security panels now use cell connections instead of landline. Maybe lighting and sprinkler automation not far after that.
 
Terpfen said:
"I don't know anything about this product, but I am reasonably certain that something else is roughly equivalent."
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It's an intelligent thermostat What else is there to it? I guess it's best for those who have an unpredictable schedule that would be defeated by a typical programmable thermostat.
 
chillenweasel said:
It seems funny to me that Google would be interested in the thermostat market. Unless it has something to do with the fact that they want Tony Fadell and Matt Rogers. If you didn't know they were part of the designers working on the iPod, iPad, and iPhone.
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The three major software developers main goal is to run/automate your household. This is a pretty big patent pick up for Google. In a few years we will probably be able to select our homes operating system.
 
beowulf7 said:
It's an intelligent thermostat What else is there to it?
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My point is that it's pretty easy to answer your own question, and that you should definitely answer your own question prior to posting in the first place. What contribution do you believe your post made?
 
Ponder said:
The problem is not normally the idea, but the implementation and execution. That and generating enough capital.
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lol ya, I got a thousand ideas and so do a lot of other people but I am not an apple engineer so now one is going to drop millions of venture capital into my lap.
 
BTW expect the nest 2, to have a camera built in. Kinect in the front, phone in your pocket and your thermostat watching your back. No way you can flinch without the NSA knowing it and google selling your move for an ad.
 
Saturn_V said:
Thermostats and Smoke/CO detectors now....I'm certain Home Security alarms/monitoring is next on the drawing board- especially since many security panels now use cell connections instead of landline. Maybe lighting and sprinkler automation not far after that.
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I would look at washers, dryers, dish washer, ovens, furnace, water heaters, light bulbs, and then personal robot assistant. :cool:
 
Terpfen said:
My point is that it's pretty easy to answer your own question, and that you should definitely answer your own question prior to posting in the first place. What contribution do you believe your post made?
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I'll turn it around and ask what contribution have your condescending posts made? If you're going to throw stones, then at the least, don't live in a glass house.
 
chillenweasel said:
It seems funny to me that Google would be interested in the thermostat market. Unless it has something to do with the fact that they want Tony Fadell and Matt Rogers. If you didn't know they were part of the designers working on the iPod, iPad, and iPhone.
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Ding ding
 
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