Last week, I received some really cool gifts from Verizon as a part of the #VZWbuzz campaign. When I received the package,I didn't really expect anything too extravagant due to the weight and size of the box. When I opened the box, I was surprised to find three really high tech new age smart home products manufactured by Nest.

Nest Learning Thermostat

The actual product packaging wasn't really big in size so again, I wasn't expecting to be amazed. The first product I opened was the 3rd generation of the learning thermostat. The thermostat is unique because it learns your behaviors. Which is scary and cool at the same time. But the thermostat pays attention and learns the temperatures that you love and adjusts automatically to fit your needs. Having a large house with a lot of lights and plugged in electronics, you want to save money anywhere or anyhow you can and the learning thermostat does that by eliminating wasted run time when you house has reached the comfort zone that you like. Another cool feature with the thermostat is the ability to be controlled away from home. One of my biggest headaches is coming home during extremely hot or cold temperatures and the house being almost the same climate as outside. With this ability, you can turn off your air or heating unit and when you're on your way home, activate it from wherever you are. This way, you avoid the costs of leaving the systems on throughout the day.

Here are a few notable features that Verizon thought you should also know!

Auto schedule -No more programming hassles. Nest learns the temperatures you like and programs itself.
Remote Control -Connect Nest to Wi-Fi to change the temp or adjust your schedule from a smartphone, tablet or computer via the Nest app (available for iOS and Android.)
Furnace Heads-Up - Nest notifies you when your furnace isn't working as expected, so you have the information needed to take the necessary action.
Nest Leaf - The Nest Leaf icon appears when you turn Nest to a temperature that's energy efficient, guiding you to energy savings.
Auto-Away - To avoid heating or cooling an empty home, Nest automatically turns itself to an energy-saving temperature when it detects that you're away.
Energy History - View when your heating and cooling systems were on and what affected your energy usage.
Safety Alerts - Should your home become dangerously hot or cold, Nest will send you an alert.
Easy to install, simple to activate - Install Nest in your home (over 75% of customers install Nest themselves in under 30 minutes), following the step-by-step instructions in the Installation Guide. Or, if you'd like a professional to install Nest for your 24V system, buy Nest Concierge (an information card is included in every Nest package.)

Nest Protect

Along with the Nest Learning Thermostat, I received the Nest Protect. The protect is a dual operating smoke and carbon monoxide alarm. I serve as a fire prevention coordinator locally and one of the things I preach the most is the importance of both a smoke and carbon monoxide detector. Home fires are fast moving and every second matters when it comes to being notified of a fire and the safe evacuation of all of your loved ones and pets. The Protect is part of the smart home product line so of course the protect is described as being "smart". Why you might ask, because the Nest Protect thinks and talks in the event of an emergency. Something also really neat about the Protect is that it can differentiate between steam and smoke, which is a relief for those who deal with their smoke alarm going off after a hot shower. Another added level of protection is the built in light that illuminates in the event of emergency to help improve visibility. To be completely honest, moving forward professionally and personally - the Nest Protect will be my number one recommendation for smoke and carbon monoxide warning systems.

Here are a few notable features that Verizon thought you should also know!

A smoke alarm that communicates with you - With the Nest Protect, you receive notifications via your smart device in cases of smoke and carbon monoxide, when batteries are running low or if a sensor isn't working. So there are no unpleasant surprises when you come home after a day - or a vacation - away. And did we mention it's smart? If it detects a full blaze, the Nest Protect flashes red, sounds the alarm and tells you it's time to head for the door. If it's just a bit of smoke, it glows yellow as a precautionary measure.
It identifies and locates the danger for you - The Split-Spectrum Sensor looks for fast and slow-burning fires, and the 10-year carbon monoxide sensor tells you where the poisonous CO is hiding. If you have multiple Nest Protect units throughout your home, you can designate each one a name based on the room it's in, so your alerts will have even more detail when something occurs ("smoke detected in the kitchen", "fire in the bedroom", etc.).
Silence the alarm from the Nest app - We've all done it - pizza in the oven too long, burnt toast - there goes the alarm. No problem. Just use the Nest app to silence the Nest Protect smoke and carbon monoxide alarm from your smart device.
Useful, convenient, and never annoying - The Nest Protect checks itself over 400 times per day to ensure it is working properly and will let you know if something is wrong. The Steam Check feature means a long, hot shower won't cause your alarm to flare up, and as you walk underneath the Nest Protect at night, the Nest Protect smoke and carbon monoxide alarm senses your movement , triggering the white Path-light to light your way.
Nest Protect helps ensure a restful night's sleep - That low-battery chirp at 2 a.m. is never a pleasant wake up call. Nest Protect smoke and carbon monoxide alarm shows you everything is OK before you go to bed with the Nightly Promise feature. A green glow when you turn out the lights means the batteries are good.
Works with your Nest Thermostat and Nest Cam Wi-Fi video camera - If the alarm goes off, Nest Protect smoke and carbon monoxide alarm tells your Nest Thermostat to turn off the furnace, which is the most common source of carbon monoxide leaks and can spread smoke around the house when there's a fire. Your Nest Cam Wi-Fi video camera will record a clip while the alarm is going off so you can see what happened.
Easy installation - Both the wired and battery versions of Nest Protect smoke and carbon monoxide alarm take only minutes to set up with your iPhone® or iPad® or Android® device. Once they are connected to WiFi, every Nest Protect in your home will automatically connect to the others.

Nest Cam

The last item I received was the Nest Cam. The Nest Cam is a camera that you can mount almost anywhere in your home and access the love HD video from your mobile device. Personally, I'm really nervous of having a home security camera thanks to the Paranormal Activity series lol. But in all seriousness, this camera couldn't have come at a better time. My family and I are currently in the process of a major renovation in our home and most times, we're not home. We set ours up in a location where we can change the positioning of the camera and we're able to monitor the front entrance, upstairs hallway, upstairs living room, and the upper deck. That's a lot of covered ground! My sister also has a 9 year old son. He sometimes gets easily distracted with whats going on outside or by whats on the TV. Having the Nest Cam, my sister is able to check in on him from her room and see if hes on task. The cool part is that she can actually talk to him through the Nest Cam. Another benefit from having Nest accessories is being able to log into to your camera and check on your house after being alerted by your Nest Protect! That's the most convenient peace of mind, ever!

Again, here's some product information that Verizon wants you to know!

24/7 live video streaming - Any time, day or night, see what's going on in your monitored space, by simply pulling up the feed through your app. With a 130-degree wide-angle view of the room, you can see what takes place via the secure stream to your phone, tablet or laptop in 1080p HD. You can even zoom in and enhance for a closer look.
Get alerts when something happens - The Nest Cam Security Camera is always on the lookout for motion and sound. If something happens, it will send an alert to your mobile device.
See in the dark - Night Vision LED sensors let you see the room at night compared with other cameras that only give you a spotlight view. The built-in sensor detects light volume and triggers the transition to night mode.
Say something and listen to the sounds - With the mic and speaker you can hear what's going on in the room and even talk back using the Nest app. When someone is about to speak, Nest Cam Security Camera will chime to get your attention.
Bank-level security - The Nest Cam uses bank-level security with 128-bit SSL encryption, Perfect Forward Secrecy and a unique 2048-bit RSA key.
Easy set-up - Set up Nest Cam in 60 seconds! Just plug in the power cord, download the free app and set up Nest Cam using your Android® or iOS® device. Finding a place for the Nest Cam is easy - the magnetic stand works in all types of homes and on various surfaces. Watch Nest Cam video using the Nest app for iOS 8 or later, Android 4 or later, or on the web at nest.com/home.
Nest Aware - Set up your Nest Cam, then take advantage of your 30-day trial offer of the Nest Aware service. Up to 30 days of video in the cloud is stored via Video History, so you can go back to see what you missed, save clips and more. After the trial has expired, you can opt for Nest's subscription-based cloud storage. The entry-level plan offers up to 10 days of video history (100+ GB) stored in the cloud, while the upgraded offering lets you save up to 30 days of video history (300+ GB of cloud storage) for later review and reference.
Get more from your Nest Cam - When used in conjunction with Nest Protect, the Nest Cam Security Camera will start recording when fire or smoke is detected by Nest Protect and then store the videos for the insurance company, discovery and validation if needed - no paid subscription required.
What's In the Box - One Nest Cam Security Camera, one stand, one 10-foot USB cable and power adapter, one wall-mounting plate, Nest screws, quick start guide, welcome guide and window decal.

When I opened the products, I shot an unboxing video and posted it to my YouTube account, check it here

Phil is working with Verizon as an influencer with the #VZWbuzz program. This is a sponsored post.