If we had to guess what famed Apple hardware and software engineers Tony Fadell and Matt Rogers would do after leading the team responsible for the first 18 generations of the iPod, and the first three generations of the iPhone — revolutionizing the thermostat wouldn’t immediately spring to mind. Now, after launching the Nest Learning Thermostat ($250), it’s obvious we should leave the predictions up to the eight ball. Packed with six sensors and Wifi connectivity, the Nest monitors everything from the temp, ambient light level, humidity and even motion, including fingers approaching the dial to the movements of people in and out of rooms. It then learns your “routine” and can program itself in under a week to automatically adjust temperature levels based on time of day, when you usually leave and return, and what rooms you tend to congregate in.
Outside of its handy predictive skills, controlling the Nest has all of the delightful tweaks you’d expect from a former Cupertino devotee, including a click wheel. The device’s round display turns blue or red (like your own personal HAL9000, minus the homicidal urges) depending on whether you’re cranking the heat or cooling things down. Thanks to Wifi, the Nest can also be adjusted remotely on computers and iOS devices, with Android compatibility promised shortly.
Got a big house with pesky kids? No problem. Any number of Nests can communicate with each other to intelligently manage bigger spaces, while setting a maximum/minimum temp range can prevent excited dial-touchers from sinking your energy bill no matter how much they fiddle.
Setup is supposed to take 20 minutes on your own — but you can always leave that up to professionals. Check out the video demo below for a better sense of what Nest can do.
Buy Now: $250 (Available November)