said by OldCableGuy:I'd never put their "cloud" based garbage in my house. Sure, today, there is no subscription fee... but a simple software update and your NEST brand smoke alarm might be forced to ping Google when it detects smoke to make sure your account is in good standing before it sounds the siren......
A natural disaster can hit and render every home improvement I've made moot too, but yet I still improve. Life's way too short to worry constantly about what might happen.
If Nest starts fleecing people for monthly fees for the existing functionality, I'll just put my Z-wave thermostat back on. It probably won't though, imagine the false advertising lawsuits.
My Vera Z-wave controller also uses a "cloud" type connection, but I can also connect to it directly if the company goes belly-up. Cloud type connections are common because they're the most foolproof way of offering control of stuff behind people's firewalls.
My HVAC has been internet-controllable for a good 7 years now. It's nice to be able to have the house at the temperature I want it when I get home. I really think nefarious people have better and more interesting things to do than diddle with my temperature settings.