Google Is Turning Off the Works-with-Nest API • Hacker News Board

Re: Google Is Turning Off the Works-with-Nest API

#131

Post by Causality1 » Wed, May 08, 2019, 1:59 AM UTC

If you're even slightly surprised by this you weren't paying attention when Google bought the Revolv smart home ecosystem then took it out back and shot it. All the customers got when their expensive smart home devices shut down was a "Thanks for playing, here's a coupon for saving when you buy a Nest because we just turned off all your shit".

Google is a company with severe ADHD. Consumers expect home appliances to operate for decades. That is not a good mixture. If the whole "internet of things" trend dies out and people stop buying, you bet your ass Google will happily shut Nest's servers down and leave every single one of their customers out in the cold. They've already done it.

I've got friends with home automation systems from the early 80s. They work flawlessly. You think any service or device Google sells will be functioning in twenty years? Thirty?

Call me when IBM is offering a smart hub.

Re: Google Is Turning Off the Works-with-Nest API

#132

Post by ImprovedSilence » Wed, May 08, 2019, 1:59 AM UTC

hyeonwho4 wrote: post #111

mc32 wrote: post #66

I used to be a fan of Google. They were the good ones, the open ones. Ha! I’ve feel like they played the long sucker game. How times have changed. Even Android feels like a ruse. And Chrome. And maps. The last thing will be search. At some point it’ll be curated for my own good. To be fair, Everyone has to make a living, but be honest don’t take people for suckers of make them into suckers.

It feels like Google search is already curated. At home I cannot find academic articles which appeared in the search at work, because my girlfriend trained the home's recommendation engine on searches for cute cat pictures and domestic things. In DuckDuckGo, at least I know I will be able to find the same results for the same search terms no matter where I am.

Wow, I agree. Lately I've noticed search sometimes just pops in websites just because I visited it from a previous search, relevancy be damned! and it suuuuuucks.

Re: Google Is Turning Off the Works-with-Nest API

#133

Post by pugworthy » Wed, May 08, 2019, 1:59 AM UTC

johnwheeler wrote: post #125

pugworthy wrote: post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why exactly? How does this decision impact you personally?

You keep repeating this in your comments like a broken record. What do _you_ care that people care? People obviously do care or they wouldn’t be voicing on HN? Why does that bother you so much?

Because I believe many of the responses are irrational, and not expressing what the actual underlying feelings are of the commenters.

People are upset that there is a reduction in the openness of things, which I understand. People are upset that their personal projects and home hacks will stop working, which I understand.

They should just state that though, and not the "That's it I'm never buying Nest again" type of angry response.

If you want to hack your home, there are many open source alternatives.

Re: Google Is Turning Off the Works-with-Nest API

#134

Post by Klathmon » Wed, May 08, 2019, 1:59 AM UTC

amanzi wrote: post #30

If a developer has gone to the effort to integrate their solution with Nest, I'd be very surprised if they don't get their solution integrated with Google Assistant, and Apple HomeKit too while they're at it. So I assume that when end-users switch over their Nest devices to the Google Assistant platform, their existing Nest integrations will be available on the Google Assistant platform too. Doesn't appear to be as d…

I believe the kind of Google Assistant integration you would need to replicate this kind of access is impossible in publicly available APIs currently.

Google has much more integration capabilities, but they seem to be this far "invite only", you can't request it.

Re: Google Is Turning Off the Works-with-Nest API

#135

Post by [deleted] » Wed, May 08, 2019, 2:02 AM UTC

jredwards wrote: post #69

Literally bought a nest thermostat yesterday. Glad it's still in the box. Wondering what the best alternative is now.

[deleted]

Re: Google Is Turning Off the Works-with-Nest API

#136

Post by cortesoft » Wed, May 08, 2019, 2:04 AM UTC

DivisionSol wrote: post #57

electrograv wrote: post #38

I see Google API/ecosystem fans often defending or dismissing Google’s pattern of behavior here, using arguments like this: “Well, sure, they shut down that API I don’t use — big deal; all things come to an end eventually! But, they’d NEVER do that to this API I rely on — that would be so horrible, Google just would not do it!” I hope we all can acknowledge that this argument is on perpetually eroding ground, at the…

I've been considering pasting this: https://killedbygoogle.com/ every time the argument comes up. Maybe Google proponents will make one for other companies notorious for killing services, but at least for now, the Google Graveyard grows.

I don't quite get what people expect... do they think that once google creates something, they are obligated to continue it indefinitely? That seems like an unreasonable expectation.

Re: Google Is Turning Off the Works-with-Nest API

#137

Post by [deleted] » Wed, May 08, 2019, 2:04 AM UTC

jasonhansel wrote: post #43

Honestly, I think that IoT manufacturers should be required to provide open APIs. Preventing third-party developers from interfacing with smart devices, especially after they've already been sold to consumers, seems dangerously monopolistic.

[deleted]

Re: Google Is Turning Off the Works-with-Nest API

#138

Post by michrassena » Wed, May 08, 2019, 2:06 AM UTC

I wonder if it's time to re-evaluate the concept of "not invented here". Services that exist at another company's pleasure aren't a platform to build a business on. This is effectively a type a single sourcing. There are no contractual obligations to you on the part of the service provider, and tremendous leverage to undermine you if you ever get big enough to get noticed.

Re: Google Is Turning Off the Works-with-Nest API

#139

Post by cortesoft » Wed, May 08, 2019, 2:06 AM UTC

dotBen wrote: post #29

gergles wrote: post #22

> I’m a Works with Nest developer. Will I be able to access and control Nest devices moving forward? > No. The Actions on Google Smart Home platform does not provide open API access to Nest devices, so it cannot be used to access and control Nest devices. Instead, managing and controlling Google Home, Nest, and thousands of third-party smart home devices is done through the Google Home app and the Google Assistant. W…

Yup, they just did a Twitter. I lived through the Twitter ecosystem collapse and now I'm a VC I worry about investing in startups that are built on any large ecosystem where there isn't an alignment of clear economic interest. Google of all people doing this just made it tougher for everyone else to maintain confidence in large vendor platforms.

I would worry about ANY company that is completely reliant on any other one company. You should never get in that situation.

Re: Google Is Turning Off the Works-with-Nest API

#140

Post by cortesoft » Wed, May 08, 2019, 2:08 AM UTC

tetrisgm wrote: post #7

What's the point of creating an ecosystem if you won't support it? Typical Google. I understand shutting down or refocusing services that don't work. But decisions like this or to shut down Inbox make no sense to me. It feels like complete disregard of the user base.

They didn't create the ecosystem, they bought it. They didn't want it, they wanted everyone to be in their ecosystem instead.