【A Thought of Ecstasy】

Nest just expanded its product lineup in a big way.

The A Thought of Ecstasycompany's offerings now include a home security system, a connected doorbell, and an outdoor security camera. Nest introduced the new products at a press event in San Francisco Wednesday.

Nest Secure, the company's take a on a home security system, uses an array of motion sensors, speakers, NFC key fobs, and, of course, Nest's app. The company says one of the biggest advantages of the $499 system over a traditional alarm system is that it doesn't require professional installation.

Instead, it's powered by a small Google Home-like base station called a Nest Guard. The Guard allows you to enable and disable the alarm, and is equipped with a speaker, motion sensors, and "panic button." Indicator lights on top let you known when it's enabled or disabled.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Additionally, there are standalone motion sensors, called Nest Detect, which attach to doors and windows to let you know if someone is trying to get in. If the sensors detect motion, an alarm on the Nest Guard sounds, and you'll also get an alert on your phone via the Nest app.

The final piece of the puzzle is the Nest Tag, an NFC-enabled key fob that lets you enable and disable the system by tabbing it on the Nest Guard. The Nest Tags are also customizable (again, via the Nest app) so you can allow people to access your home with a dedicated nest Tag only at certain times of the day.

One of the benefits of paying for a professional security system is that the companies who install them provide monitoring services that can alert law enforcement if someone does break in. Nest Secure, on the other hand, relies on homeowners to keep tabs on their house using the app.

The company says it does have a solution, though, for those who can't or don't want to keep tabs on their home at all times. To fill that gap, Nest will partner with Moni, a professional monitoring service, though it's not clear how much that will cost.

Nest Secure is available for pre-order now and will ship in November. The "starter kit," which includes the Nest Guard base, two motion detectors, and two NFC keychains, will cost $499. You can buy additional motion detectors for $59 each and Nest Tags for $25 each.

The company also showed off two new products meant to be used outside the home: the Nest Hello doorbell and a Nest Cam IQ Outdoor security camera.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Much like other "smart" doorbells, Nest Hello is a Wi-Fi-connected doorbell with a built-in camera and speaker. The doorbell has the same face detection tech as Nest's security cameras, so it can alert you if people at the door are friends you know or strangers.

You can also record canned "Quick Responses" that allow the doorbell playback pre-recorded messages like "leave the package at the door."

The Nest Hello is shipping in the first quarter of 2018, but the company didn't reveal a price yet.

Nest Cam IQ Outdoor is an outdoor version of Nest's security camera with the same name. The company says it can detect faces from several feet away and uses the same face detection as the Nest Hello and Nest Cam IQ.

It's designed to be "tamper proof," with the camera's power cable running directly into the wall it's mounted on, so potential burglars will have a harder time disabling the camera. It was also designed to withstand rain, wind, and snow so it should holdup through most bad weather.

The Nest Cam IQ Outdoor is available for pre-order now for $349 and will ship in November. Like the company's other security camera, you'll have to pay extra for a subscription if you want access to Nest's premium features, like alerts when motion is detected on the camera.

gof

Expert writer and contributor. Passionate about sharing knowledge and insights on various topics.