Google's Nest to open smart home platform, share data with developers including Google
Nest Labs, makers of the Nest Learning Thermostat and Protect smoke and carbon monoxide detector, announced on Tuesday that it will be opening its smart home platform to third-party developers and partners, which includes parent company Google.
In a post to Nest's official blog, cofounder Matt Rogers said the Nest Developer Program will allow other smart home product makers and app developers to connect with the Nest smart thermostat to make whole-home automation a reality.
Instead of sifting through proprietary apps and settings panels, the open API should allow for personalized, automated experiences. For example, a connected Jawbone UP24 band can sense when its user wakes up, signaling Nest to turn on the lights and warm the house.
As noted by The Wall Street Journal, parent company Google has already integrated with Nest to expand Google Now's functionality to support temperature adjustments.
Of course, with the opening of Nest's platform, the firm must share a certain amount of information gathered by its devices, something that doesn't sit well with privacy advocates. More specifically, Google's views on user data harvesting as applied to the company's huge targeted ad business made critics uneasy when Nest Labs was purchased by the search giant for $3.2 billion in January.
The program already has a number of "Works with Nest" integrations running, including LIFX light bulbs, Whirlpool appliances, Jawbone's UP24 fitness band and select Mercedes-Benz cars, though integration does not appear to be incredibly deep. Currently, the technology is being used to control on/off functions, though future implementations could harness deeper user metrics for added personalization.
While Nest is granting use of certain Nest Learning Thermostat functions, Rogers told Forbes that access to data from on-board motion sensors will be restricted.
"We've been building it for about a year," he said. "One reason it's taken us this long to build is we realized we had to be incredibly transparent with our user about data privacy."
Rogers said Nest plans to task a small team with vetting apps and how they link to Nest's platform. He went further by saying Google Now will not be able to harvest user data for Google's targeted ad business.
"We're clear our data can only be used for what a developer will use it for," Rogers said. "We don't want anyone to make the rob-my-house app."
Last week, Nest announced the $555 million purchase of connected home monitoring camera maker Dropcam, adding to Google's quickly growing smart home portfolio.
Apple is also rolling out its own smart home platform with iOS 8's HomeKit, though integration with third-party apps and hardware is in the very early stages of development. For example, Apple has yet to announce a centralized hub from which controls can be issued. Some speculate that the Apple TV could fill the role, though evidence supporting the theory has yet to been uncovered.
In a post to Nest's official blog, cofounder Matt Rogers said the Nest Developer Program will allow other smart home product makers and app developers to connect with the Nest smart thermostat to make whole-home automation a reality.
Instead of sifting through proprietary apps and settings panels, the open API should allow for personalized, automated experiences. For example, a connected Jawbone UP24 band can sense when its user wakes up, signaling Nest to turn on the lights and warm the house.
As noted by The Wall Street Journal, parent company Google has already integrated with Nest to expand Google Now's functionality to support temperature adjustments.
Of course, with the opening of Nest's platform, the firm must share a certain amount of information gathered by its devices, something that doesn't sit well with privacy advocates. More specifically, Google's views on user data harvesting as applied to the company's huge targeted ad business made critics uneasy when Nest Labs was purchased by the search giant for $3.2 billion in January.
The program already has a number of "Works with Nest" integrations running, including LIFX light bulbs, Whirlpool appliances, Jawbone's UP24 fitness band and select Mercedes-Benz cars, though integration does not appear to be incredibly deep. Currently, the technology is being used to control on/off functions, though future implementations could harness deeper user metrics for added personalization.
While Nest is granting use of certain Nest Learning Thermostat functions, Rogers told Forbes that access to data from on-board motion sensors will be restricted.
"We've been building it for about a year," he said. "One reason it's taken us this long to build is we realized we had to be incredibly transparent with our user about data privacy."
Rogers said Nest plans to task a small team with vetting apps and how they link to Nest's platform. He went further by saying Google Now will not be able to harvest user data for Google's targeted ad business.
"We're clear our data can only be used for what a developer will use it for," Rogers said. "We don't want anyone to make the rob-my-house app."
Last week, Nest announced the $555 million purchase of connected home monitoring camera maker Dropcam, adding to Google's quickly growing smart home portfolio.
Apple is also rolling out its own smart home platform with iOS 8's HomeKit, though integration with third-party apps and hardware is in the very early stages of development. For example, Apple has yet to announce a centralized hub from which controls can be issued. Some speculate that the Apple TV could fill the role, though evidence supporting the theory has yet to been uncovered.
Comments
Share data with developers?
Who's data? What data?
Google got caught off guard with HomeKit and HealthKit and they are now scrambling.
Nest will be toast soon.
They plan to compete with their partners on their own "Open" platform.
Where is Samsung on the "Open platform" partner's list?
"We're clear our data can only be used for what a developer will use it for," Rogers said. "We don't want anyone to make the rob-my-house app."
But you're not willing to work too hard on security. Are you?
"... we do not guarantee that Android is designed to be safe; its format was designed to give more freedom."
- Sundar Pichai, Google head of Android, Chrome, and Google Apps
So, no. They're not willing to work hard on security.
You just can't trust Google.
As Apple can testify, providing real is privacy hard and demands serious investment in APIs and oversight of developers.
When there's Android security scare stories out there with at least some semblence of evidence behind them why use a imaginary one to make a point?
You are either unaware or ignoring that Pinchai never said any such thing of course. The story that he did was the result of a mistaken trnslation from a Spanish paper covering a Google event a few months ago with No other bloggers or reporters at the presentationt corroborating the supposed quotes. The corrected story with his actual comments appeared the next day but wasn't nearly as click-worthy and never reported by AI AFAIK. DED as expected likes to repeat the erroneous quote as it fits his storyline.
DED as expected likes to repeat the erroneous quote as it fits his storyline.
This would be similar to the many bloggers who purposely misquoted Tim Cook's English language response about iPhone 5C sales to fit their story lines that iPhone 5C was a failure.
http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/10/google-announces-android-at-home-framework/
According to the story an actual team of real humans will be curating the 3rd party apps before they're approved to work with Nest. Sounds like Tony learned a couple of lessons while at Apple.
And from two years ago we have TechCrunch wondering Whatever Happened to Google’s Android@Home?
Here is how they word it: "Google, at the time, said that it wanted to create a service that would turn your entire home into a network of Android accessories, with Android as “the operating system for your home.” Since then, though, neither Google nor its partners have said anything about this initiative."
So Google wants Android in to every device in your home while Apple lets each vendor make their own devices with their own firmware design, which only connects to HomeKit via the optional iOS app that uses a standard communication and security protocols. That's a problem!
Now let's say that TechCrunch completely misconstrued Google's Project X wishes for Android@Home. Why did this happen? Did Google not spell it out well? Why was a Project X vaporware instead of a well thought-out solution that was baked in before it was announced? Do you think Apple wasn't thinking about Home Automation until June of this year?
Again, saying "FIRST!" is not the same as building well and I would bet within its first year we'll see 100x more HomeKit offerings (since for many it's just an update to current apps using new APIs) than we've seen from Google's vaporware in the 4 years since they announced Android@Home.
Yep it a desperate attempt to counter what Apple is doing. Apple just marginalize them to be another device hanging on the wall, one of many which you will be able to buy in the market place in the coming years. Apple just destroy the only thing which differentiated them from everyone else in the market.
Can you say another $3B down the drain.
Indeed it is not clear what happened to Android@Home since I/O 2012. My guess is that Google wasn't happy with the implementation and went back to work on it behind the scenes. But this definitely isn't a case of shouting first as at that time there wasn't even the slightest talk about Apple doing something like HomeKit.
In anyway my statement in the comment stands because saying Google was caught off guard by HomeKit is definitely an incorrect statement.
As I predicted with Google/Motorola which was they would be out of the cellphone business in 2 to 3 yrs, Nest will be just a dried wet dream spot on Larry's pants in another 18 months.
Yes I would say google got caught, as I said above, they never expect Apple to take the approach to allow any hardware/software company get in to the home automation game. I said this before as well, home automation is a mess, hard to impletement and deal with all the various standards around the world. Apple solutions is clean is address the problem at hand, You can use what hardware you want and a software solution that works with your hardware and it all consolidate with apple homekit. This keep apple of the large number of issue of get home automation stuff playing well together, the hardwar and software company will field all the question not apple.
Apple provide a platform to make it all work well, it is the foundation which is not strong. Google solution was they hope that all the various hardware and software companies would implement android on and in their devices. Honest this was stupid form the start android is over kill for this kind of thing, most of home automation device run on a small amount of code, they do not need an entire OS on them to work.
There doesn't have to be, in fact, if Apple had already mentioned HomeKit then Google couldn't be first with mentioning Android@Home. It's how "FIRST!" works. But that's beside the point as automation, especially of the home, has been a common theme in modern (and past) cultures for a very long time.
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Sure they were. HomeKit disrupts the archaic and Microsoftian desire to put the same OS in everything. Android@Home is fundamentally different from HomeKit, or perhaps will be until tomorrow.
There doesn't have to be, in fact, if Apple had already mentioned HomeKit then Google couldn't be first with mentioning Android@Home. It's how "FIRST!" works. But that's beside the point as automation, especially of the home, has been a common theme in modern (and past) cultures for a very long time.
Actually that is not how "First!" works. That is when there are rumors about a company launching something and another company making a dash to release a similar product first. I.e. the Galaxy Gear (and as a result was a POS).
You use the word sure as if you have evidence which is not the case.
"FIRST!" is simply any company or any person trying to be first for the sake of being first. There doesn't have to be some elaborate rumour mill, just some asshat who wants to get a timestamp before anyone else without any regard for substance. But if you want to use a contrived definition I've already proven that home automation has been dreamed of for decade upon decade.
PS: What rumours are there about others eventually posting in a forum that gets some to post "FIRST!" in a thread? ZERO!
"FIRST!" is simply any company or any person trying to be first for the sake of being first. There doesn't have to be some elaborate rumour mill, just some asshat who wants to get a timestamp before anyone else without any regard for substance.
What rumours are there about others eventually posting in a forum that gets some to post "FIRST!" in a thread? ZERO!
In general that means they want to be "FIRST" to something else now doesn't it? You need a reference point in order to cry "FIRST!".
Edit: In forum's (which btw is an annoying habit of some posters) you are "First!" in comparison to the people you expect to follow after your post.
I gave you plenty of reference points.
If Google keeps Nest separately, this really could work for them- although it will almost assuredly be infiltrated by the big G eventually.
Caught off guard? I can give you the benefit of the doubt with HealthKit but HomeKit, really? Google has been experimenting with home automation with Android@Home since 2011.
http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/10/google-announces-android-at-home-framework/
Most likely caught off guard with it actually going to be a viable, and in production, and supported platform rather than an idea that was being thrown around and not a reality to integrate in the real world. If Android@Home has been a fully supported product for awhile now, then my point isn't valid.
Most likely caught off guard with it actually going to be a viable, and in production, and supported platform rather than an idea that was being thrown around and not a reality to integrate in the real world. If Android@Home has been a fully supported product for awhile now, then my point isn't valid.
Well, my point is that you can't call it being caught off guard when Google in 2011 already knew that the integration of mobile devices and home automation was going to be an important area. Which they clearly did else they wouldn't have experimented with Android@Home. I'm not talking about Google knowing exactly what Apple was planning on doing.
The rosy scenarios painted for widespread home automation advocates leave out the apartment renters, IMO. I'm seeing a future with fewer and fewer homeowners due to economic and demographic trends, not more.