Google killed old Nest thermostats, but hackers are making them work again

Google removed cloud support for 1st- and 2nd-generation Nest thermostats, disabling their remote features, and developer Cody Kociemba’s Hack/House project released an open-source workaround called No Longer Evil (NLE) that uses custom firmware to intercept device traffic and reroute it to a replica Nest API to restore remote control and notifications. The solution effectively makes affected units independent of Google’s servers but is still experimental; the author warns against deploying it for essential heating until reliability improves. The episode underscores the operational risk of cloud-dependent IoT devices and highlights the growing role of community-maintained firmware as a mitigation path for decommissioned hardware.

Analysis

Google disabled cloud support for first- and second-generation Nest thermostats, removing remote features and leaving otherwise functional devices unpaired; the article states the cut caused loss of phone control, notifications, and other remote functionality. Developer Cody Kociemba of the Hack/House project created an open-source workaround called No Longer Evil (NLE) that installs custom firmware to intercept device network traffic and reroute it to a custom server hosting a replica of the original Nest API, effectively tricking thermostats into believing they are still connected to Google servers.

The project restores remote control and notifications but is explicitly described as experimental; Kociemba advises against installing NLE on systems relied upon for essential heating. Documentation and code are available on the No Longer Evil website and GitHub, indicating community-led remediation rather than vendor support.

Signals show a mildly positive aggregate sentiment_score of 0.22 and low market_impact_score of 0.08, while per-ticker sentiment for GOOGL/GOOG is negative at -0.3, reflecting reputational or customer-friction concerns. The episode highlights operational risk in cloud-dependent IoT and elevates themes of Technology & Innovation and Cybersecurity & Data Privacy, with community firmware reducing immediate device obsolescence but introducing reliability and security uncertainty for end users and investors.

Key Decisions for Investors

• Monitor GOOGL/GOOG customer communications and any escalation in consumer backlash or litigation risk given the per-ticker negative sentiment of -0.3, as these are the primary near-term channels that could affect brand value
• Avoid large directional trades solely on this incident given the low market_impact_score (0.08); consider modest hedges or trim positions only if additional negative signals (widespread failures, regulatory scrutiny) emerge
• Track adoption metrics and issue reports for the NLE project on GitHub and the No Longer Evil website as a real-time proxy for consumer pushback and potential security vulnerabilities that could influence downstream hardware replacement demand