Google has just relaunched its Nest Aware home security plans, complete with a simplified pricing structure and a host of new features. Most important among them: the ability for Google's smart displays and speakers to alert you if they hear something suspicious.
Users who post $ 6 per month ($ 60 if paid annually) for the standard Nest Aware subscription can set up their Google Home and Nest devices to detect the sound of breaking glass and smoke detectors. The subscription covers all Nest devices in your home and includes 30 days of cloud storage for event recordings made by Nest security cameras ('Events' are recordings caused by motion or sound). A subscription of $ 1
2 per month / $ 120 per year gives you 60 days of event storage in the cloud, plus 10 days of 24/7 video recording.
It's a useful feature that essentially turns a dumb smoke detector into a smart smoke detector and matches the similar (but free) Guard feature for Amazon's Alexa-powered Echos. speakers and screens.
Ben Patterson / IDG 