Former Apple senior vice president Tony Fadell has definitely left the nest, but the iPod creator hasn’t flown the coop. Instead—and pardon us while we mix these metaphors just a little bit more—he’s borrowed a page from Justin Timberlake and brought the sexy back to…thermostats. No, really! Look at this thing!
Nest Learning Thermostat
That’s the Nest Learning Thermostat, and if the still doesn’t do it for you, skip to the video at the end of the article. The company, Nest Labs, announced the product Tuesday, describing it as a device that never stops learning from your behavior, increasing efficiency all the while.
In essence, the device programs itself by learning from user behavior, and it does so, “through a combination of sensors, algorithms, machine learning, and cloud computing.” The company said that the device offers tips to help users make energy-saving choices.
“Nest tracks the temperatures you typically set and guides you to more energy-efficient ones, displaying the green Nest Leaf as a reward when you set the temperature to a more energy-efficient setting,” the company said in a statement. “The Auto-Away feature uses sensors to detect when you’re not home, lowering the temperature and saving energy. You can also check Energy History to see how much you saved.”
It’s also WiFi-enabled, allowing users to control it from a computer or through your iPhone with an iPhone app (that’s not yet available). In keeping with Mr. Fadell’s iPod past, the device is controlled through one rotating outer ring.
“It was unacceptable to me that the device that controls 10 percent of all energy consumed in the U.S. hadn’t kept up with advancements in technology and design,” Tony Fadell, said. “Together with the team, Cofounder Matt Rogers and I set out to reinvent the thermostat using advanced technologies, high-quality manufacturing processes and the thoughtful design elements the iPhone generation has come to expect. The resulting Nest Learning Thermostat is like no other thermostat on the market. We hope it will not only save money and energy, but that it will teach and inspire people to think more about how they can reduce home- energy consumption.”
The company was founded by Mr. Fadell, who serves as CEO, as well as Matt Rogers, another former Apple engineer.
Nest Learning Thermostat is priced at US$249. The company hasn’t offered up a release date yet, but it is available for pre-order at the Nest website or through Best Buy.
Nest Learning Thermostat Promotional Video