Looking to elevate the security of your nest? Nest Labs can help.
The Alphabet-owned company, best known for its Learning Thermostat, today announced a slew of new home security gadgets, including the Nest Secure alarm system, Hello video doorbell, and an outdoor version of the Cam IQ security camera it launched earlier this year.
"The current home security offerings are … a huge pain to live with — whether it's bulky hardware, false alarms or loud and stressful countdowns," Nest Founder and Chief Product Officer Matt Rogers said in a statement. "We set out to design a product that isn't just effective during a security incident, but is delightful and easy to use when people are at home with their families, living their lives, which is the vast majority of the time."
The Nest Secure system includes several products: an "all-in-one security base" called Nest Guard, which provides the alarm, keypad, and motion sensor; a separate sensor called Nest Detect that can be placed on a window or door to keep tabs on whether it's open or closed, along with the motion in a room; and Nest Tag, a fob that attaches to your keychain, letting you arm and disarm the alarm system without a passcode.
Aside from using the fob, you can arm and disarm the system via the Nest app, or by entering a code on the Nest Guard keypad.
Meanwhile, Nest Hello "takes all the familiarlity of a doorbell and combines it with all the great technology of a Nest Cam," Nest General Manager Michele Turner said during the company's launch event today in San Francisco. The device lets you talk with guests and strangers at your door "from anywhere;" it can also "detect a person, then send an alert and a snapshot" of the individual, even they they don't actually ring the bell, Nest said.
Finally, the new Nest Cam IQ Outdoor now only shows you what's happening outside your home, but alerts you with "critical, actionable information," like when someone unfamiliar is in your yard.
The original Nest Cam IQ, designed to be used inside the home, received an "excellent" rating in PCMag's review. Users will soon have the option to add Google Assistant to their Cam IQ indoor, Nest said today. The feature is slated to roll out via a free software update this winter.
The Nest Secure system is available for pre-order today and will hit store shelves and doorsteps in November. Those who opt for the $499 Nest Secure starter pack will get a Nest Guard, two Nest Detects, and two Nest Tags. Additional Nest Detects are $59 and Nest Tags are $25.
The $349 Nest Cam IQ outdoor is also available for pre-order now and slated to launch in the US, Canada, and select European markets next month. The Nest Hello video doorbell is expected to arrive in the US and Canada in the first quarter of 2018 and reach Europe "later next year," Nest said, though there's no word yet on pricing.
Stay tuned for PCMag's hands ons with all the new Nest gadgets.