Nest, the smart thermostat backed by Google, now comes in an upgraded third-generation version.

The latest Nest has managed to lose some girth making it thinner than ever. Despite this slimming down it's also managed to cram in an improved display.

The new screen is 40 per cent larger than the previous model. Nest says it's also brighter and squeezes in more pixels. The new resolution is 229ppi for a 25 per cent increase on the second-gen Nest. That should mean a clearer screen that's easier to read from further away, claims Nest. It's calling this Farsight, since you can see it from over 1 metre away now.

Furnace Heads-Up is a new feature. Since most heating systems have automatic shutoff to cover overheating Nest will monitor and learn these patterns. It can then indicate if there is a problem using an on screen notification. This update will roll out to the first and second generation Nest units also.

Other Nest Protect features on this, and coming to the older Nests, include the ability to shut off carbon monoxide leaks and display alarms in emergencies like smoke detection, improved Auto-Away to save energy and the ability to set Nest Cam to auto record when switching between Home and Away modes.

The third-gen Nest is available now for $250 while the second-gen Nest will now be priced at $200.

READ: Nest Learning Thermostat review: Intelligent home heating never looked better