The Nest Thermostat Now Features Family Account Functionality
Rahul Kalvapalle — March 15, 2016 — Tech
Since its launch about five years ago, the Nest thermostats have done a great job using smart technology to learn household schedules and automate heating and cooling functionality accordingly.Now however, a new update is designed to make families safer and more comfortable whilst also including geofencing functionality for added security.
Nest thermostats now include Home/Away Assist functionality which can automatically identify whether anyone as home, with geofencing used to track user's phone and detect if they are within a certain distance of their home. This mode works in conjunction with the Family Account function, which allows the thermostat to ascertain if family members are within the geofenced region.
It's understandable that some people might be wary of this sort of functionality being used to infiltrate people's privacy, which is why Nest has set things up in such a way that each user has to voluntarily opt in to the Home/Away Assist function, so it doesn't automatically get armed. Furthermore, locations are only tracked relative to the geofenced region, so the precise location is not given away.
Secure and reliable, the high-tech Nest thermostats give families peace of mind without unduly intruding on their privacy.
Nest thermostats now include Home/Away Assist functionality which can automatically identify whether anyone as home, with geofencing used to track user's phone and detect if they are within a certain distance of their home. This mode works in conjunction with the Family Account function, which allows the thermostat to ascertain if family members are within the geofenced region.
It's understandable that some people might be wary of this sort of functionality being used to infiltrate people's privacy, which is why Nest has set things up in such a way that each user has to voluntarily opt in to the Home/Away Assist function, so it doesn't automatically get armed. Furthermore, locations are only tracked relative to the geofenced region, so the precise location is not given away.
Secure and reliable, the high-tech Nest thermostats give families peace of mind without unduly intruding on their privacy.
Trend Themes
1. Smart Home Thermostat Technology - The integration of geofencing and family account functionality in Nest thermostats offers opportunities for further advancements in smart home technology.
2. Privacy-focused Smart Devices - The opt-in feature and location tracking limited to a geofenced region in Nest thermostats demonstrate a growing trend towards privacy-focused smart devices.
3. Automated Home Comfort - The automation capabilities of Nest thermostats, including learning household schedules and Home/Away Assist functionality, pave the way for advancements in automated home comfort systems.
Industry Implications
1. Home Automation - The integration of geofencing and family account functionality in Nest thermostats align with the home automation industry's focus on creating innovative and personalized solutions for consumers.
2. Smart Security - The addition of geofencing and Home/Away Assist functionality in Nest thermostats presents opportunities for the smart security industry to enhance home safety and security measures.
3. Energy Management - The automation capabilities of Nest thermostats, coupled with the geofencing feature, can revolutionize energy management systems in residential and commercial settings.
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