Nest Cameras Get New Smarts
Tipped in August and more formally announced this week, Nest cameras are getting a boost of intelligence as Google rolls out Gemini AI to more products and services. While Google’s line of cameras were already able to detect motion and discern animals from humans, this month’s update uses Gemini’s AI powered image recognition to generate descriptions of the feed. For instance, instead of notifying the user that ‘motion was detected’ Gemini will relate what is being seen by the camera, “three children jumping into a swimming pool chasing a pool toy”. And Gemini will be able to relate specific events- ask the AI assistant ‘when did the kids go into the pool’ and the assistant can reference the time it observed kids jumping into the pool.
The Circana Take:
- We’ve only seen the beginning of AI’s true impact on the Smart Home market. While image recognition is an obvious area where AI assistants can help users, look for these applications to assist in scene setting, help users connect and install new products, and leverage usage data to be more predictive of users’ needs.
- With each major smart home platform company building its own AI application, each company’s intelligent agent will impact the industry differently.
Level Unveils its Smallest Lock
Last week Level unveiled the Level Lock Plus Matter, the company’s smallest smart lock device. The lock utilizes the Matter-over-Thread standard for controlling interconnected devices and supports Bluetooth and Apple Home Key, making it compatible with virtually every Smart Home ecosystem. The lock system features just a few components (so the smart lock looks like an ordinary deadbolt on the door) and is available for $329.
The Circana Take:
- Smart Locks continue to be a growth sector in Smart Home, serving consumers looking to securely monitor their homes. Level’s smaller formfactor will appeal to homes looking to preserve a design aesthetic who are looking to add smart conveniences to their homes.
- The addition of Matter and Home Key will appeal to tech enthusiasts and those with multiple smart devices and platforms in the house.