Nest users will soon be able to set their thermostat through Alexa, the voice assistant of Amazon.
In a blog post, Matt Rogers, founder of Nest and head of Engineering, said that the first official collaboration between Nest and Amazon's Alexa is launching in a few weeks. The integration will allow Nest users to give out commands to Alexa when they need to turn the temperature up or down.
According to Rogers, one of the commands that users can give would be "Alexa, set my bedroom thermostat to 68 degrees." However, Rogers added that Alexa is also capable of learning new skills. In other words, users will be able to give out other useful commands in the near future that will include saying "Alexa, tell the thermostat that I'm too hot."
When Amazon launched Alexa, it was initially limited to 13 skills. These include playing Amazon Music, setting timers and telling the weather. However, Alexa's list of skills eventually grew with the help of third-party developers. Currently, there are more than 300 third-party skills that are available on Alexa.
There is also the potential to ask Alexa about the current humidity and temperature levels. Furthermore, Nest users can tell Alexa that they are leaving the room, probably as a way to halt any further setting on the temperature.
Rogers added that the collaboration will allow Amazon Fire TV and Amazon Echo to connect with the Nest Learning Thermostat.
Amazon recently announced two new devices that work similar to Echo and are also powered by its Alexa voice assistant. Dubbed Amazon Tap and Echo Dot, these new devices are arguably smaller and cheaper than the Echo.
With these new devices, it would be safe to assume that Amazon wants Alexa to be more than just an innovative way for users to manipulate their speakers and other household devices. Users can actually take advantage of Alexa as their voice-powered command center where they can easily connect with their devices.
"If you have an IFTTT system in place, you have more options," says Rogers. "Nest and Alexa already have over 50 recipes that allow you to turn on the fan or just say 'good morning' to turn up the heat. Alexa will even listen if you have a Vivint home automation system."
