Nest’s smart home products should need no introduction. The Nest Outdoor Security cam is another smart solution that lets you keep an eye on your property. It features a 130-degree wide-angle view, live video, and night vision with 8 infrared LEDs. Costs under $199 at this time.
In many ways, Nest Cam Outdoor is identical to the original Nest Cam (itself essentially a rebranded Dropcam). That’s good! It’s among the more capable home security cameras, with 1080p video quality, 130-degree wide-angle lens, and a two-way speaker so you can chat with interlopers. It’s got a night-vision mode powered by eight infrared LEDs. At $200, it even costs the same as its indoor counterpart.
The big difference is, of course, you can use Nest Cam Outdoor outdoors. The weatherproof case and 10-foot cable lets you wire it up outside, even if 10 feet does sound really short. The included AC adapter provides another 15 feet, which, come to think of it, 25 feet is still a little short. Still, a wired outdoor security camera arguably makes more sense than a battery-powered version, given that you’ll want as many assurances as possible that it’s actually working.
“We originally thought of a battery-powered solution, which are technically easy to install but also easy to steal,” says Nest product manager Mehul Nariyawala. “And they remain off all the time, until they detect motion.” Not only that, but Nest’s wired version is one of the only on the market that lets you plug in outside—thanks to a rugged power plug—rather than drill a hole through the wall of your house to scavenge some electricity. The downside to an outdoor plug is that it’s that much easier for a thief to unplug it, but in that event you’ll receive an alert and an image of the last thing the camera saw—presumably the face of the perp. No outdoor camera is immune from tampering, and the convenience of not busting out the drill seems worth the trade-off.
The outdoor considerations don’t end there; it’s not as simple as plopping an existing Nest Cam into a case. The Nest Cam Outdoor’s speakers are at the bottom, so that the sound can bounce off of the wall and to minimize the need for waterproofing. The camera itself is white, to prevent overheating. Even the internals have changed to make better use of its exterior position. “If your camera’s outside it’s going to be farther away from the router,” says Nariyawala. To make sure Wi-Fi connectivity still, well, connects, his team rearranged the antennas of the original Nest Cam to allow for better reach.
As with other Nest products, set-up is simple; just plug it in and mount it wherever you need the most peace of mind. If you add a $10 per month Nest Aware subscription, you get constant recording, with video feed stored in the cloud. In a few months, Nest Cams will be able to tell the difference between the movement of real human people and of animals, cars, or surprisingly large leaves, and will accordingly be able to winnow down the number of alerts it sends.
“Customers want to know when something is happening that genuinely deserves their attention,” says Nest marketing executive Maxime Veron. “Person alerts are the first of many innovations that will make Nest Cam a more helpful partner in securing the home,” said Veron.
What customers also want is a security camera that catches people before they’ve actually entered the house. Thirty percent of existing Nest Cam owners, Nariyawala says, point their devices out the window and hope for the best. Five percent actually place their units outside already (not advisable, friends!). And outdoor version has been the most-requested feature since Dropcam launched its very first product. And for good reason; a recent UNC-Charlotte survey of burglars, which is a pretty wonderful group to survey, found that a visible camera or surveillance system was the single most effective deterrent to entry—more so even than someone literally being inside the house.
Nest announced a few app upgrades today as well, which will apply to all of its camera products. A feature called Spaces will let people view their Nest products on a room-by-room basis, and individual camera feeds can be expanded to full-width for easier viewing. The app update will also make it easier to share feeds securely, by allowing password-protected livestream links that multiple parties can view.
Video Review:
It’s not clear whether the Nest Cam Outdoor is too late to pull Nest out of its funk. For customers in search of a durable security camera solution, though, it’s definitely better late than never.
In many ways, Nest Cam Outdoor is identical to the original Nest Cam (itself essentially a rebranded Dropcam). That’s good! It’s among the more capable home security cameras, with 1080p video quality, 130-degree wide-angle lens, and a two-way speaker so you can chat with interlopers. It’s got a night-vision mode powered by eight infrared LEDs. At $200, it even costs the same as its indoor counterpart.
The big difference is, of course, you can use Nest Cam Outdoor outdoors. The weatherproof case and 10-foot cable lets you wire it up outside, even if 10 feet does sound really short. The included AC adapter provides another 15 feet, which, come to think of it, 25 feet is still a little short. Still, a wired outdoor security camera arguably makes more sense than a battery-powered version, given that you’ll want as many assurances as possible that it’s actually working.
“We originally thought of a battery-powered solution, which are technically easy to install but also easy to steal,” says Nest product manager Mehul Nariyawala. “And they remain off all the time, until they detect motion.” Not only that, but Nest’s wired version is one of the only on the market that lets you plug in outside—thanks to a rugged power plug—rather than drill a hole through the wall of your house to scavenge some electricity. The downside to an outdoor plug is that it’s that much easier for a thief to unplug it, but in that event you’ll receive an alert and an image of the last thing the camera saw—presumably the face of the perp. No outdoor camera is immune from tampering, and the convenience of not busting out the drill seems worth the trade-off.
The outdoor considerations don’t end there; it’s not as simple as plopping an existing Nest Cam into a case. The Nest Cam Outdoor’s speakers are at the bottom, so that the sound can bounce off of the wall and to minimize the need for waterproofing. The camera itself is white, to prevent overheating. Even the internals have changed to make better use of its exterior position. “If your camera’s outside it’s going to be farther away from the router,” says Nariyawala. To make sure Wi-Fi connectivity still, well, connects, his team rearranged the antennas of the original Nest Cam to allow for better reach.
As with other Nest products, set-up is simple; just plug it in and mount it wherever you need the most peace of mind. If you add a $10 per month Nest Aware subscription, you get constant recording, with video feed stored in the cloud. In a few months, Nest Cams will be able to tell the difference between the movement of real human people and of animals, cars, or surprisingly large leaves, and will accordingly be able to winnow down the number of alerts it sends.
“Customers want to know when something is happening that genuinely deserves their attention,” says Nest marketing executive Maxime Veron. “Person alerts are the first of many innovations that will make Nest Cam a more helpful partner in securing the home,” said Veron.
What customers also want is a security camera that catches people before they’ve actually entered the house. Thirty percent of existing Nest Cam owners, Nariyawala says, point their devices out the window and hope for the best. Five percent actually place their units outside already (not advisable, friends!). And outdoor version has been the most-requested feature since Dropcam launched its very first product. And for good reason; a recent UNC-Charlotte survey of burglars, which is a pretty wonderful group to survey, found that a visible camera or surveillance system was the single most effective deterrent to entry—more so even than someone literally being inside the house.
Nest announced a few app upgrades today as well, which will apply to all of its camera products. A feature called Spaces will let people view their Nest products on a room-by-room basis, and individual camera feeds can be expanded to full-width for easier viewing. The app update will also make it easier to share feeds securely, by allowing password-protected livestream links that multiple parties can view.
Video Review:
It’s not clear whether the Nest Cam Outdoor is too late to pull Nest out of its funk. For customers in search of a durable security camera solution, though, it’s definitely better late than never.
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