Nest Unveils Outdoor Security Camera
Nest Labs Inc., a unit of Alphabet, introduced its first new connected-home gadget -the first one after the departure of its chief executive officer. The Nest Cam Outdoor takes the company’s indoor home-monitoring camera and puts it outside, using machine learning to alert homeowners to trespassers on their property. Plugged into a house’s external outlet, the Wi-Fi-enabled, weatherproof device provides constant live streaming to its users via an app, sending an alert when a person walks into its frame.
"We’re starting to think about what’s worth notifying you of," said product manager Mehul Nariyawala. "Peace of mind and the protection of your home is primary."
However, while the device can detect the difference between an animal and a person, for instance, it can’t yet distinguish between a burglar and a child.
The Nest Cam Outdoor is available for pre-order now, to be released in the fall for $199.
Nest needs a hit to revive sales and buffer its standing in Alphabet’s stable. Since being being bought by Alphabet’s Google in 2014 for $3.2 billion, Nest has struggled to release new products and saw the departure of its demanding CEO and founder, Tony Fadell, a former Apple product-design executive.