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

  1. I love love lone Nest products, but. would absolutely love to have either the Nest Security Cam or the Nest Hello- both wold help to provide an added sense of security. We have had break in scares before, and hading the added security of a camera would definitely help settle some nerves.

  2. 100% the temperature sensor! Never really at home until the late evenings anymore, being able to control the temp from anywhere would save on heating!

  3. I would love to win anything honestly but the Google home peeks my interest! I love the device and I know it can do so many things so easily. I would love to be able to listen to music and this device would save me so much time as I won’t have to find my phone whenever I need information on anything!

  5. The Nest Cam IQ Outdoor would be great to have so I could keep an eye on my Dog when she goes outside by herself.
    I live in on a farm in rural area so it would great to monitor my house when away.

  6. Obviously I am going to start with Google Home. Then couple it with LG’s 55 inch 4k UHD TV. This will be this month. After that it is right for Nest Thermostat. Start by controlling your house’s temperature from anywhere. For example: It is important to know that if your partner is home sick and you are stuck at work worrying, that you can adjust the heat so she doesn’t have to get up and the thermostat that saves you money by normally reducing the heat during the day, can now be turned up so your better half is taken care of. A little thing but a great start to a smart home.

  7. As a high school robotics/coding teacher, not only would I love the chance to make my home a little “smarter” but it would the perfect opportunity to teach the students about security hardware, wiring, and the importance of protecting yourself at home and online.

  8. I would love a security camera, so many break in’s around my home these days, this would make me feel a little more secure .

  9. On my wish list is the nest thermostat so that I can save money and save energy while Keeping my home cozy warm.

  10. I would love the best outdoor camera for checking when my kids get home. It would give me a price of mind. Also could keep tabs on deliveries that have been made.

  11. I really like the Nest Cam IQ Wi-Fi Outdoor 1080p Security Camera in White would make us feel more secure.

  12. I would like the Nest Cam IQ Wi-Fi Outdoor 1080p Security Camera to help keep an eye on things outside my home

  14. I would add the Nest Hello Wi-Fi Video Doorbell to my daily life because of how much it would come in handy when I get packages from UPS or who ever

  16. I would add the Nest Hello Wi-Fi Video Doorbell to my daily life because of how much it would come in handy when I get packages from UPS or FedEx!

  17. Nest IQ Outdoor cam. Been worried about security lately and it would be nice to have the ability to record video and get person alerts at my place!

  18. I would like the Nest Cam IQ Wi-Fi Outdoor 1080p Security Camera to help keep an eye on things outside my home

  19. Nest Smoke & Carbon Monoxide alarm – best and easy way to protect your loved once from anywhere.

  20. I really like the Nest Cam IQ Wi-Fi Outdoor 1080p Security Camera in White as we live in a rural area and this would make us feel more secure.

  21. A Nest indoor cam would be amazing, I’d use it to be able to check in on all my pets (A dog and 3 cats) remotely throughout the day.

  24. Really love to add some smart home temperature control to my new home! The Nest Wi-Fi Smart Learning Thermostat 3rd Gen is just what I need to help us be more energy efficient and get through the harsh

  26. I would like to add smart features to my garage door, whether it is with a retrofit system or completely new opener (a belt drive would be a nice upgrade from my current loud chain!).

  30. I would like to add two systems one is the best hello doorbell to allow me control who comes to my house and the security system to receive alerts if someone tries to brake into my house
    Thanks

  31. I would love to add a Video doorbell to my home for security and the ability to see who is at the door before opening. (Frosted glass door panes prevent viewing and my wife refuses to open the door without seeing who’s there).

  33. I think I would like to try the Nest Hello Wi-Fi Video Doorbell because with so many unsolicited people showing up all of the time, it would be easy to check who is there. A nice layer of security and convenience.

  34. I just purchased a new home and would like to bring it up to the latest technology. I would add a nest thermostat to take advantage of saving money on heating and be able to control the settings while away. Security would be my second choice, having a nest camera, or a few, around my home would help to deter any no good doers.

  35. The NestxYale lock. As a mom, juggling groceries, packages, car seats and little toddler hands to hold, it’s always a pain to pull out my keys. Would love to use my phone from the car to unlock the door (especially if it’s raining!) or even use IFFT to set up a GPS fence and have it do it automatically for me!!!

  36. I would love the Nest Cam IQ Wi-Fi Indoor 1080p IP Camera to use as a baby monitor for my newborn!! It would be so great for us and family.

  37. Nest Hello would be a great upgrade to your dummy door bell, it also acts as a security cam to monitor my deliveries

  38. As a recent dad of twins I’ve found having a few smart home devices around a life changer. A home mini allows me to play music in their room while they sleep and lets me control lights hands free. An addition I’d love to add is some cameras around the house and a temperature sensor in the kids room.

  39. Google Home. I love streaming music and it would be great to have voice activated music whenever I want.

  40. I would like a nest Thermostat so I could always come home to the house at the right temperature as well as save money on heating.

  41. I would love to add a Nest Hello doorbell to our home. Having a video doorbell is a great idea, and adds lots of convenience and security to your home.

  42. I would love to try the nest home thermostat, ive currently got a google home and this would be a great addition to the home. Would love to be able to regulate temperatures while im away from home.

  43. The Nest hello door cam looks like it would be a great upgrade to include in a smart home, handy for when you can’t get to the door.

  44. The Nest Cam! Our home security is getting outdated and having the cam helps us keep tabs on our two gentle giant Great Danes when we’re not home.

  47. As we are fairly new in Canada, I would love to add the Nest Smart home for us to be able to control the temperature when it is needed and save on electric and gas expense.

  48. Hi,

    I like Nest Cam IQ Wi-Fi Outdoor 1080p Security Camera. Have it, I can monitor outside of my home whenever I am away.

  50. The Google Home. I love listening to streamed music but this would also save me so much time as I always seem to be on the internet looking up information, searching for addresses, hours of businesses etc. It would be so much easier and faster to not have to stop what I’m doing but just call out “Hey Google”

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