Lightsabers and flying cars might not exist yet, but you have to admit, science fiction gets it right sometimes. Just look at the smart home. Today, building a hi-tech smart home is no longer just a far-fetched, futuristic imagining of a visionary storyteller. And Google and Nest are spearheading the drive to make every home at least a little smarter.

Nest thermostats, for example, have opened up new possibilities for how smart home tech can be integrated together. And, since Google acquired Nest in 2014, Google’s products work seamlessly within the Nest framework for a perfectly coordinated symphony of home convenience, security, and energy efficiency.

Read on to learn how smartening up your living space can enrich you and your family’s life, and then enter this contest for a chance at winning the grand prize, which includes enough goodies to build your own domestic ecosystem. There are also second and third place prizes to be won!

A snapshot of smarter living with Nest and Google

If you’re a long time reader of the Best Buy Canada Blog, I’m sure you’ve read a lot about smart home technology by now in articles such as Leonard Bond’s comprehensive breakdown of Works with Nest, or Elliot Chun’s smart home series. But, if you’re still wondering what exactly a smart home is and how it can complement your day-to-day life, allow me to paint a picture of what life can be like in an AI-enabled home. And by simply entering this contest, living in a tech-enhanced home could soon be your reality:

Nest Smart Learning Thermostat

You pull up the driveway at the same time you do every day. It’s late Fall and Jack Frost is starting to make his presence felt with cold winds that let you know that it’s the beginning of a long winter. You hurry to the front door to escape the icy chill and step into cozy comfort. Your energy-efficient Nest Thermostat has learned what time you usually come home and turned itself on a few minutes before you arrive—no more waiting for cold rooms to heat up!

Voice-controlled Google Home answers questions, plays your music, and controls other smart devices, including Nest

 

 

As soon as you’ve settled in, you go to the kitchen to get dinner ready. It’s cheat day, you’re craving carbs, and everyone in the family loves Italian food, so you ask your voice-activated Google Home to tell you about a recipe for a tasty pasta dish, request some good cooking music, and set a timer to ensure your pasta is perfectly al dente, all without lifting a finger.

Just as dinner is ready to serve, your smartphone vibrates with a notification: your Nest Cam IQ in the front yard has detected someone you know in the driveway. Seconds later, your Nest Hello video doorbell rings. It uses facial recognition to identify the person and transmits the message to Google Home to tell you that your mother is at the door.

As you take your mother’s coat, your partner arrives with your hungry toddler fresh out of daycare. The four of you sit down to dinner and you ask Google to dim the lights and play some nice background music. After dinner, you and your other half head out to the movie theatre for date night while your little one and Grandma stay in to watch a Disney classic.

Nest Cam IQ records in 1080p and boasts a wide-angle lens to capture the entire room

At the theatre, before the movie begins, that familiar feeling of separation anxiety hits you right on time, and you wonder if everything is okay at home. Plus, you’ve also got a niggling feeling that you left the cooker on. With Nest Cams in the nursery, living room, and kitchen, as well as outside in the front and back yards, you open the Nest App to view the Full HD live feed on your smartphone.

Live feed on the Nest App of your kitchen’s Nest Cam IQ

 

While baby plays happily in the living room, you can see Grandma is reading nearby with a blanket over her shoulders. You adjust the room’s temperature from your phone so they’ll be nice and cozy. Then you switch over to your kitchen Nest Cam. It has a perfect view of the entire room with its wide angle lens, and you zoom in on your range. It’s off. Priceless peace of mind! Now, you can relax.

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This scenario only scratches the surface of how a smart home ecosystem can make your life more convenient. Nest and Google have been working tirelessly to make premium smart home products accessible to everyone. Installation is a doddle, and, as you can see, every individual item works together and can be controlled with your voice or from an app on your smartphone. There’s lots of goodies to be won in this contest, and if you’re wondering what other gear you’ll need to make a smart home platform work seamlessly in your house or apartment, remember this general rule of thumb: If you have a smartphone, you can have a smart home. It’s as simple as that.

HOW TO ENTER:

You can only submit one entry for this contest. Browse Best Buy’s smart home catalog, and in a comment below this article, tell us one smart home product that you would like to add to your daily life and why.

WHAT YOU CAN WIN:

We will randomly draw three winners. One person will win the grand prize, one person will win the second prize, and one person will win the third prize. The prizes are shown here, and also in the Rules and Regulations posted below.

Grand Prize 2nd Prize
 

  • Nest Temperature Sensor
  • Nest Wi-Fi Smart Learning Thermostat 3rd Gen
  • Nest Cam IQ Wi-Fi Outdoor 1080p Security Camera
  • Nest Cam Wi-Fi Outdoor 1080p IP Camera
  • Nest Cam IQ Wi-Fi Indoor 1080p IP Camera
  • Nest Cam Wi-Fi Indoor IP Camera – Black
  • Nest Hello Wi-Fi Video Doorbell
  • 2 x Google Home Mini
  • Google Home
  • Nest Cam IQ Wi-Fi Outdoor 1080p Security Camera
  • Nest Cam IQ Wi-Fi Indoor 1080p IP Camera
  • Nest Wi-Fi Smart Learning Thermostat 3rd Gen
  • Nest Temperature Sensor
  • Nest Hello Wi-Fi Video Doorbell
  • Google Home

 

3rd Prize

  • Nest Cam Wi-Fi Outdoor 1080p IP Camera
  • Google Home Mini

This contest runs from October 15th until October 28th.

Remember, you can only enter once. However, you probably know someone who would love to add some incredible smart products to their home, so please share this contest and they too will have a chance to win one of these prizes.

Win Google and Nest Smart Home Goodies Rules and Regulations

Good Luck.  

We frequently have many contests running at Best Buy, so check out the “contests in progress” page for more great contests to enter.
Kevin McElligott
Kevin McElligott
Kevin cut his teeth as a journalist writing articles for trade publications in Dublin. He moved to Vancouver and honed his craft first as a copywriter, and now as an Editor at Best Buy. He enjoys cooking when he has the time, playing soccer, and just recently ran in his first marathon. Fitness is important to him, and he needs the exercise thanks to his fondness for donuts.
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1307 COMMENTS

  2. The Google Home sounds amazing! I had no idea it could do all those things. I love listening to music while cooking. So getting a recipe read to me while being able to listen to some jazz sounds juicy to me! Plus hooking it up to all the other smart home pieces is really cool. ‍

  3. I would add the Nest Cam Wi-Fi Outdoor 1080p IP Camera because my hubby sometimes needs to work out of town and the camera would make me feel more secure.

  5. The Nest Cam Wi-Fi Outdoor 1080p IP Camera would be my fave, the neighborhood is not safe anymore, need extra security.

  7. I would love it if we had the Nest Wi-Fi Outdoor 1080p IP Camera. We get wildlife and and it would fell so good to know if they are around before we go out.

  11. The Nest Cam Wi-Fi Outdoor 1080p IP Camera would be my fave. We live on a small farm, with a farm stand at our driveway, selling eggs , berries and honey. Somedays the theft is staggering. But then someone comes along and leaves me an IOU which restores my fave. It would also be nice to have our house monitored.

  12. Browsing the catalogue, I realise that our upcoming move to an out of town property will greatly increase my need for so many of these products, particularly the video doorbell and Nest Cam IQ Wi-Fi outdoor 1080p Security Camera…actually, that camera would be beneficial now..so many of these products are or will be needed. At the current moment as the Mom of those who lose keys, I am eyeing the Nest x Yale Wi-Fi Smart Lock with Nest Connect with great interest. Thanks for this wonderful opportunity.

  15. The Nest Cam IQ Wi Fe Outdoor 1080p Security Camera would be a welcome addition to our home. My husband works very odd hours so it would give me peace of mind.

  18. I am always having to adjust the temperature in my home, so the Nest Wi-Fi Smart Learning Thermostat 3rd Gen, would be beneficial to me.

  19. Nest Hello Wi-Fi Video Doorbell would be great for the security of our home. We could see who is at our door.

  23. I would love the nest cam outdoor 1080p security camera to watch the deer who are eating my garden and see how they are getting in the yard!

  25. i think if i had the choice i would love to have the Nest Hello Wi-Fi Video Doorbell. that is something that i would feel safer , and more secure

  27. I would love a Nest Hello Wi-Fi Video Doorbell & Google Home Mini, preferably in charcoal. This would be so handy to be able to identify who is at the door, especially when I am home alone.

  28. We need the Nest Cam IQ Wi-Fi Outdoor 1080p Security Camera in our home…there have been vehicles broken into in our neighbourhood and a security camera would make me feel safer.

  29. I would add the Bose noise-masking sleepbuds to my life because it is very important to get a good nights sleep, every night!

  30. I have really been wanting a Nest Hello Wi-Fi Video Doorbell. My doorbell has been nonexistent. If I could see who it was I could react appropriately.

  32. I will accept any of these great prizes you are giving away – but I really like the NEST CAM WiFi Outdoor Security Camera – that would sure help this senior out very much. Thank you

  33. I have recently started a new line of work where unfortunately it has me on the road an away from my family. It would give me some satisfaction and sense of security knowing when my son comes home from school with the use of the Nest Cam or even the Nest Ring. Also when my family are home alone and things go bump in the night they can investigate with these great Nest items just to reassure their worries and concerns.

  34. I would love to have the Ring Spotlight Wireless Outdoor 1080p IP Camera – 2 Pack – White – Only at Best Buy, because it would be so nice to see who is at my door, or on my property without going outside myself, to see. Thanks for the great contest!

  36. Would love to win the Nest Si-Fi Smart Learning Thermostat 3rd Gen because winter is coming and my husband and I always have a hard time figuring out which temp each likes, would be great to get Nest to learn our preferences. 🙂

  38. I would love to have the Nest smart Thermostat as the one we currently use is not the most efficient and would help reduce my heating bill.

  39. I would like to add the Nest Hello Wi-Fi Video Doorbell so that I will always know when any packages are left at the door.

  42. I would love to have a Nest Smart Learning Thermostat to control the temperature in my home and help to save on our heating and cooling bill.

  44. I would love to have a Nest Smart Learning Thermostat to control the temperature in my home and help to save on our heating and cooling bill.

  46. I would love the Google Home as it would be great to have a little helper around since I am no longer a spring chicken.

  47. Have no doorbell. So could use Ring Wi-Fi Video Doorbell Pro & Amazon Echo Dot 3rd Generation – English – Charcoal

  49. I would like to add a Ring Spotlight Wireless Outdoor 1080p IP Camera so that I would feel more secure when my kids are home alone.

  50. Nest Cam IQ Wi-Fi Outdoor 1080p Security Camera , need some extra security to much crime in the neighborhood lately.

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