It turns out that, like Big Brother, the Nest Cam security device is always watching.

It turns out that the digital recorder lens/smartphone app doesn't exactly turn off, even if the user presses "off." While the camera appears to be off, it's only its LED light that goes dark.

A technology marketing research firm called ABI Research conducted a study on the project and subsequently discovered that the camera function continued to conduct a current of 340 mA even while it was in "off" mode. Even so, the current dip is still less than most devices when the Nest Cam goes from "on" to "off," according to ABI Research senior analyst Jim Mielke.

"In this case, the current drain only changed slightly when given the turn off command, reducing from 370 mA to 340 mA," said Mielke. "Typically, a shutdown or standby mode would reduce current by as much as 10 to 100 times." 

Nest Labs, a Google-owned company, insists that its product does not transfer any data despite its energy output and despite its detectable energy conduct. 

A spokesperson for Nest Labs claimed that the Nest Cam doesn't fully power off because it is expected that it will be turned back on at any time, and that when it is in off mode, it does not transmit video to the cloud.

Nest Labs also added that the camera's 128-bit SSL (secure sockets layer) encryption, as well as a 2,048-bit RSA key customized for each individual camera disables video accessibility entirely from any band of Wi-Fi.

Via: BBC News