Google paying US$3.2 billion for smart thermostat company Nest gave an indication of the company's vision for the connected home Now, almost a year later, the company has integrated control of the thermostat with its Google smartphone app, letting owners control their Nest via voice commands and enabling location-based services.
Available on both iOS and Android devices, the Google app allows users to access and control the functions of their phone using their voice. Within this, the Google Now function can offer information such as traffic reports and weather based on the user's location.
Where Nest owners would otherwise have to fire up the dedicated Nest app, they can now control the temperature in their home from within Google's offering. After getting the app to listen up by saying, "OK Google" or tapping the mic button, users can control their Nest with commands like, "set temperature to 73 degrees."
The Google Now functionality will also see the user sent alerts in the form of Google Now cards, recommending setting the temperature of their home just as they are leaving work, for example.
Source: Works with Nest
