The Internet of Things can be a blessing and a curse. We all want devices that work for us, and home automation has become big business. Lights, among many other things, can be set or simply controlled from a phone or tablet, and thermostats are going that way as well. The problem is security, as IoT devices can have all sorts of problems that people haven't faced before. Nest can change your home's temperature on its own and a hacker could, potentially, do the same. That's part of what this update is designed to address, though there are other features as well. The Google-owned company is today announcing new safety software. "Every Nest Thermostat has a Safety Temperature. You tell it what temperature your house should never reach -- like when your pipes could freeze -- and Nest will turn on the heat if it’s getting too cold. It works even when you’ve turned the thermostat off", Nest states. The app can now send you an alert if the temperature gets too high or too low. The update also adds smoke and carbon monoxide alerts to your thermostat, providing you are also using a Nest Protect. "The Nest Thermostat and Nest Protect have always worked together to help keep you safe from carbon monoxide. Because furnaces are one of the top sources of deadly CO leaks, a CO alarm on Nest Protect will prompt your thermostat to turn off the heat". In addition, the Nest account will now allow for control of up to 40 thermostats. Quite a lot and likely much more than anyone will use. The update is rolling out now, so expect it anytime.
Nest is currently rolling out a software update designed to address potential security flaws with the device which could allow hackers to control the device, altering home temperatures. Other new features announced today include setting a "safety temperature" and sending alerts to the smart phone if the temperature gets too high or too low.