Nest is also expanding its Works with Nest program with Nest Weave, a scalable protocol which provides communication among devices. To help with development, Nest has partnered with Dialog, Freescale, Qualcomm Technologies, and Silicon Labs. With a simple software update, devices can use Nest Weave to talk directly to Nest devices.
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Nest is about to get a whole lot more developer-friendly. Initial debut companions comprise P&G, GE’s marked amount of light manipulates, Hunter Douglas, Philips Hue, iHome, and Lutron Electronics. The lock can also set a Nest thermostat to “away” mode when it’s locked (I asked how the lock would know that the resident was leaving or locking the door from the inside, but Hu demurred). Nests’ web site lists a variety of device manufacturers working on devices that can use the Weave communication protocol. It runs over Thread and has very low power requirements, which means that even battery-powered devices can rely on it without expiring in short order: Nest says “many years” in fact. No control panel is needed, and the latency between the door opening and the light coming on is greatly reduced (Nest claims end-to-end latencies of less than 100 milliseconds, even on a large network).
Since Nest Labs unveiled its first Internet-connected thermostat in 2011, the company has aimed for simplicity.
The big winners in connected homes will be vendors of whole platforms, not individual products, and Google’s Nest division is pushing hard to play that role.
Along with Weave and the online store, Nest introduced an API for Nest Cam, the device, refurbished its Dropcam acquisition, it launched this summer.
As people increasingly reach for “intelligent” appliances and tools, companies have raced to offer them. The company said over 11,000 developers have already synched up with its two other products, with one out of eight Nest products now linked to a different company’s smart device. As mentioned earlier, the Linus lock is an example so users can just pop open the Nest app and quickly manage their device.
One of the Linus lock’s key features will be a message that flashes on its numeric keypad if a Nest Protect installed in the home detects the presence of risky levels of carbon monoxide. August, Mimo, Petnet, Philips hue and Skybell are the first third-party products to launch Nest Cam integrations providing improved safety and awareness in the home.
The availability of connected devices has exploded in recent years. You’ll find Weave in things like light bulbs, door locks, and security systems. The front door lock, which will hit the market in 2016, allows owners to see if they left it unlocked and give friends and guests temporary passcodes to get in for a certain period of time.
“We wanted to let these products and technologies that we’re providing in the home enable other products from other manufacturers to really take flight”, Hu said. That’s why we want to make it easier for developers…
Nest doesn’t believe in setting up a hub and probably won’t have one. It’s a future that so many other companies are exploring.
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With the addition of Nest Weave to the Works with Nest program, any product – even power-constrained ones – can connect with Nest.
