Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Nest Teams Up With Automatic for Energy Saving Temperature Tweaks Based on Vehicle Activity

MacRumors

MacRumors

macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
68,534
39,375



During CES 2015, Nest announced a number of new partnerships, including one with auto accessory maker Automatic. For those unfamiliar with Automatic, the company produces an easy-to-use OBD port accessory that plugs into a range of different vehicles to provide at-a-glance car information on the iPhone.

Automatic's Connected Car Adapter is now capable of interfacing with the Nest Thermostat, letting customers create new interactions that will allow the Nest Thermostat to be adjusted based on vehicle activity.

For example, users can create a setting in the Nest app that wakes the Nest up when the car gets near to the house, or set it to Away mode when leaving to save energy. The Nest and Automatic integration allows the thermostat to detect the location of the car, so it's possible to set the Nest Thermostat to adjust house temperatures as a user is driving towards their home.

A wide variety of rules can be created through the new integration between the two products, using filters for location, time of day, day of the week, and more, for more precise control over temperature when away from the home.

automaticnest-800x274.jpg
The Automatic integration offers customers a chance to maximize potential savings through intelligently chosen rules that give the Nest thermostat a more timely understanding of when heating or cooling is needed--and when it's not needed.

"At Automatic, we've focused on saving people money from the very start with our fuel-efficiency coaching, which has saved many users hundreds per year on fuel costs. Now we're thrilled to extend the connected car's benefits into people's homes, to make life more automated, convenient, and efficient," said Thejo Kote, CEO of Automatic. "The home and car are people's two most expensive budget items. The Automatic and Nest platforms now work together to make those less of a burden in every way we can."
Click to expand...
Both Nest and Automatic have been working hard to build partnerships to connect their products to a range of other devices. Automatic, for example, also integrates with the Jawbone UP, select Ford vehicles, and app IFTTT.

​
The Nest Thermostat now works with an even wider range of products, including Whirlpool washers and dryers, Philips hue lights, Kevo Smart Lock, Dropcam, Rachio sprinklers, August Smart Lock, and more.

The Nest Thermostat can be purchased from the Nest website for $249.

The Automatic connected car adapter can be purchased from the Automatic website for $99.95.

Article Link: Nest Teams Up With Automatic for Energy Saving Temperature Tweaks Based on Vehicle Activity
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2015/01/08/nest-automatic-partnership/
Isn't Google Now+Nest integration supposed to give you the same capibility??
 
I don't understand why the Nest iOS and Android apps don't add Geofencing support to use your phone's location to determine when you are and aren't home. Why do you need to rely on a third-party device for your car to achieve this?!?
 
smileyborg said:
I don't understand why the Nest iOS and Android apps don't add Geofencing support to use your phone's location to determine when you are and aren't home. Why do you need to rely on a third-party device for your car to achieve this?!?
Click to expand...

You can do this using the Skylark app. Works a treat, and caters for multiple people. Only sets away when last person has left the house.
 
smileyborg said:
I don't understand why the Nest iOS and Android apps don't add Geofencing support to use your phone's location to determine when you are and aren't home. Why do you need to rely on a third-party device for your car to achieve this?!?
Click to expand...

Exactly, and especially when that third party device doesn't have any sort of GPS anyway. They're letting the Automatic app act as the geofencing source rather than the smartphone's own native API. This is gimmicky and, dare I say it, stupid.

My wife's first question when I showed this to her was, "So the heat is going to turn off on me whenever you leave the house?" Yes, yes it will.
 
The day Nest was bought by google was the day I stopped purchasing anything nest related.
 
smileyborg said:
I don't understand why the Nest iOS and Android apps don't add Geofencing support to use your phone's location to determine when you are and aren't home. Why do you need to rely on a third-party device for your car to achieve this?!?
Click to expand...

Google now does geofencing with Nest but it should be integrated with the Nest app. The reason they likely don't do it is because Google wants all that sweet location data for traffic etc. Unlikely to see it built into the Nest app native.
 
macslayer118 said:
How does this work with 2 or more people living at one house. When one drives away suddenly the Nest is set to away?
Click to expand...

I was just thinking the same thing. Why don't they just use geofencing? It works fine for Reminders and doesn't drain my battery. Works fine in other third party apps too that constantly check my location, such as Dark Sky. Also where is my Nest Widget?

Eventually I'll dump Nest when a decent competitor comes along that integrates well with HomeKit. Not a fan of Google buying them. I've considered buying that Automatic thing to diagnose some error messages since we have older cars, but I hope that Automatic doesn't send their logs to Google (speed, acceleration, emissions, dates and times I travel, etc) so that they have even more data on me.
 
macduke said:
I was just thinking the same thing. Why don't they just use geofencing? It works fine for Reminders and doesn't drain my battery. Works fine in other third party apps too that constantly check my location, such as Dark Sky. Also where is my Nest Widget?

Eventually I'll dump Nest when a decent competitor comes along that integrates well with HomeKit. Not a fan of Google buying them. I've considered buying that Automatic thing to diagnose some error messages since we have older cars, but I hope that Automatic doesn't send their logs to Google (speed, acceleration, emissions, dates and times I travel, etc) so that they have even more data on me.
Click to expand...

The way it works is this:

You register Nest as 2 person home. You tell Nest you are both home. Person 1 leaves, Nest retains temperature. Person 2 then leaves, Nest changes temperature. Person 1 or 2 returns, then temperature changes again. Then Nest later sees both people back home. Nest made 249 and Automatic made 99*2. Now you both leave, in the same car. Your utility company now made more money. because Nest thinks someone is home. See how everyone wins but you? Don't buy Nest. Don't buy Automatic. You save $450 or more. Simply adjust your thermostat yourself and your utility company won't make extra.

OH MY GOD! This is brilliant. I just saved over $450!!!!! Now you and your wife go to the Apple Store and buy the upcoming iWatch. You can then fight over who gets it. :D
 
Iconoclysm said:
Exactly, and especially when that third party device doesn't have any sort of GPS anyway. They're letting the Automatic app act as the geofencing source rather than the smartphone's own native API. This is gimmicky and, dare I say it, stupid.

My wife's first question when I showed this to her was, "So the heat is going to turn off on me whenever you leave the house?" Yes, yes it will.
Click to expand...

No it won't, the Skylark app does exactly this type of geofencing and if I leave home and the wife is still there it alerts me "your nest was not set to away because someone is home" as she has it on her phone too.
 
God forbid you should get home before your house has been cooled or warmed to your specifications automatically based on the movements of the 5,000 pound hunk of metal you're using to transport yourself. Oh wait, I forgot, this is "green" tech.
 
MatthewFBS said:
I have my Nest go auto-away when both of our iPhones leave the home network. Saves a *ton* of money in Phoenix summers.

I just ping the phones and control Nest via https://github.com/gboudreau/nest-api (from our fileserver Mac Mini in a closet somewhere in the house).
Click to expand...

That sets the nest away not auto-away. Different things that have a different impact on how the nest works. A true built in geofence auto-away would be best.
 
MatthewFBS said:
I have my Nest go auto-away when both of our iPhones leave the home network. Saves a *ton* of money in Phoenix summers.

I just ping the phones and control Nest via https://github.com/gboudreau/nest-api (from our fileserver Mac Mini in a closet somewhere in the house).
Click to expand...

That sounds really cool. I have a Raspi laying around that could do that. Would you be willing to share your scripts and how you set it up?
 
The Honeywell thermostat much like the Nest already does this but with your phones GPS so there's no need for an additional piece of equipment.

Mercedes and others already integrate their car with Nest to do this too so there's no need for the Automatic stuff.
 
octothorpe8 said:
God forbid you should get home before your house has been cooled or warmed to your specifications automatically based on the movements of the 5,000 pound hunk of metal you're using to transport yourself. Oh wait, I forgot, this is "green" tech.
Click to expand...

Sure, when you look at it that way ...

But when you consider *actively* allowing your home system to *slow* heating or cooling based on the fact that you have left, it's not a bad concept. The concept is probably already in 1970s or 1980s sci-fi/fantasy, but the tools to effectively make it happen are pretty 2012, and it takes time to execute on those tools to actually get a useful result.

Don't be such a luddite! ;)
 
macslayer118 said:
How does this work with 2 or more people living at one house. When one drives away suddenly the Nest is set to away?
Click to expand...
That requires software that takes that into account, general a server based product. OW, the phones have to keep track of others location.
 
The dog in that video...

The dog in the video is thinking, "I'm so glad you're home! Whenever you leave it gets so freakin' cold in here!"
 
This isn't new technology!

Alarm.com has been doing this for years. For example when I arm my system away, my lights will turn off, my thermostat will adjust to temperature I choose it at, and all my front door lock will be lock.

Alarm.com has been using the geo-fencing for over a year now. It's funny how Nest and these other companies have been stealing these features from Alarm.com.

And problem with Nest and these other home automations devices you saw from CES is at they rely on Wifi network. So if your away from home and your internet goes out (which happens every so often) then your screwed. While if you use Alarm.com its uses Cellular communication so you never have to worry about if the power goes out or wifi cuts off because it will still work.
 
Google has direct pipe into your car for tons of data. They have a scary amount of info. No wonder they are going into the car insurance business. They will have some of the best risk modeling in the industry with all this data.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back