Tony Fadell, best known as the team lead for Apple’s iPod (through eighteen revisions) and three revisions of the iPhone now turns over a new leaf, focusing on household energy savings with the Nest Learning Thermostat. True to the Apple philosophy of taking existing concepts and simplifying and beautifying them, the Nest thermostat retains the circular shape of classic non-programmable thermostats and their ease in adjustment by rotating a dial. Large, easily viewable white digits in the center display the temperature. Unlike most programmable thermostats on the market, the Nest doesn’t require programming in a series of times and corresponding temperatures to use in a schedule. Rather, it learns what the user’s preferred settings are as he/she makes immediate adjustments throughout the day and adapts to them, building its own schedule within about a week. It even claims to sense when you’ve left the house, and adjusts itself to avoid unnecessary heating or cooling if you don’t return for at least two hours.
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Additionally, the Nest is internet connected, allowing temperature changes made from a notebook computer or an iPhone app. The thermostat tracks energy usage history, letting users know if their usage was affected most by the weather, by their own adjustments, or by the auto-away feature. A green leaf appears on the Nest’s display too, to indicate when your setting choices are resulting in an energy savings.
The Nest thermostat is not yet shipping, but is available for pre-order on Best Buy’s website, at a price of $249.99.
This is so boss. If it works as they claim, it could end up on every Dad’s Christmas list within a few years.