Skip to main content

Works with Nest program expands to incorporate Weave language

When it works with Nest, it just works.
Google announced two Internet of Things systems at I/O earlier this year, Project Brillo and Weave. The latter is a common language for smart devices, allowing a “knock-on effect” that triggers once the user changes a setting on one device and allows devices to speak to each other.

That language is part of the Works with Nest program, now. Alphabet’s smart-home subsidiary announced that Weave would be incorporated into the Works with Nest program later this year.

This should mean greater collaboration between Works with Nest developers and engineers. Instead of only being able to use the APIs and libraries Nest adds to the system, any developer that is part of the Weave community will be able to write lines of code that can be applied across the platform. Nest claims it has been using Weave on all its products for some time now and is finally ready to make the language public.

We still aren’t sure where Project Brillo — Google’s own smart-home platform — fits into Works with Nest. Perhaps Project Brillo will be used more for business projects, while Works with Nest tackles the consumer side of the Internet of Things.

A new camera API is coming to Works with Nest in the near future, allowing developers to integrate with Nest Cam. A few devices have already added functionality for Nest Cam, including SkyBell, Philips Hue, August, and Petnet.

Introducing the Linus Yale lock

Nest also announced a partnership with Yale to develop a smart door lock that is able to message the homeowner and tell them who is at the door. It can create lock codes for different family members and the homeowner can set guest codes.

The Works with Nest program is definitely big at the moment, mostly due to Nest’s heavy investment in building APIs and helping developers get off the ground in the smart-home market. Apple’s own smart-home platform, HomeKit, is a major competitor, which allows the iPhone to become the central hub for all the smart devices.

David Curry
Former Digital Trends Contributor
David has been writing about technology for several years, following the latest trends and covering the largest events. He is…
The new Nest Doorbell has an hour of onboard video storage
Someone presses the Nest Video Doorbell in front of their home.

In the past, the Nest Doorbell has been a popular option thanks to its versatility and clear image quality, but the battery was always a consideration. The latest iteration of the video doorbell does away with the battery in favor of a hardwired connection, ensuring you never have to worry about the battery running out of juice. It also has another nifty feature: an hour of onboard video storage backup. This means that if your Wi-Fi drops, you'll still be able to see anything that happens (for an hour, anyway), and the footage will automatically be uploaded to your cloud storage as soon as the connection resumes.

Like other Nest products, you'll only get three hours of event video history on the free tier. To get 30 days of footage, you'll need to upgrade to Nest Aware at $6 per month or $60 per year.

Read more
What is a smart lock and how does it work?
Lockly lock installed on a door and person uses the smartphone app.

Smart locks are an increasingly common sight around neighborhoods. These gadgets bring some modern amenities to your front door, letting you eschew your traditional key to operate your deadbolt with a password, fingerprint, or Bluetooth. If you’re curious to learn more about smart locks before adding one to your home, here’s everything you could want to know.
What is a smart lock?

At its most basic, a smart lock is an electronic lock that connects to your home and lets you open your door without needing a traditional key. This can be done using a keypad, smartphone app, and sometimes a fingerprint scanner.

Read more
There’s no new Nest Hub, but that’s OK
Hosting a Zoom conference through Nest Hub Max.

Google held its I/O 2022 event yesterday, but one much-rumored device was noticeably absent: The Nest Hub. Rumors had originally stated that there would be a Nest Hub with a detachable front screen that would work as a sort of "smart tablet." These were based off leaks that most likely pointed to the newly announced Pixel Tablet, releasing sometime in 2023.  While there is some disappointment among Nest fans, it's not the right time for an update for several reasons.
The 2nd Gen Nest Hub released last year
The 2nd Gen Nest Hub released on March 30, 2021. That means it's been just over a year since new hardware entered the market. The previous iteration of the Nest Hub released three years before that, and even with those three years to develop for it, the hardware didn't change that much. The biggest changes were sleep-sensing capabilities and better audio quality. While a detachable screen could work as a sort of portable tablet, there's not much use for it -- not realistically. Anything a portable smart tablet could do can also be done on your phone, and probably faster.

The one hardware upgrade I can see Google pushing for is a significantly larger screen -- perhaps something to compete with the Echo Show 15. Right now, Alexa has cornered the market on smart displays. The Echo Show 15 is massive and feels like a true smart device, while the Echo Show 10 caters to those who use Amazon's communications features. Both of those devices have a specific purpose, but the Nest Hub has always felt vaguely like an afterthought.
Software is the next frontier
The only smart-home related announcement at Google I/O 2022 focused on new feature updates for the Nest Hub Max (not even the standard Nest Hub.) These updates relied on the Nest Hub Max's built-in camera to recognize when you're looking directly at the device, eliminating the need to say "Hey Google" repeatedly. This is a key feature that makes it more convenient to use; after all, wake words can sometimes be irritating. While watching the event, my own Nest devices triggered several times from the audio cues.

Read more