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  The new Nest thermostat is operated with a touch-sensitive ring interface. [credit: Google ]

Roughly five years have passed since the third-generation Nest thermostat was introduced, and a lot has happened since then—like an acquisition of Nest by Google. Today marks the first big overhaul to the Nest thermostat since that acquisition, and as you might expect, Google Home integration is a big part of the update.

As with most other smart thermostats, the main pitch behind this device is that it could both save you money on utilities and make your home more eco-friendly. That's possible because it lets you do things like set different temperatures for different situations, like when you are at home, when you're out, or when you're sleeping.

For example, the Nest thermostat could save energy by automatically lowering the temperature in your home while you're away, then returning it to a comfortable level once you get back.