Former Apple iPod and iPhone hardware development chief Tony Fadell wants to turn your home's thermostat into the next "must-have" gadget by imbuing it with an Apple-like design sensibility.
The Nest is the home heating and cooling thermostat-equivalent of a smartphone. It has a beautiful graphical user interface, and simple controls. It can sense your presence in a room, and adjust the heating/cooling to accommodate. It learns your daily routines and adjusts its behavior to save energy and money. It’s even internet-enabled, and there are iOS and Android apps you can use to run it when you’re away from home.
The installation is not too challenging, especially if you’re a little bit handy. Then, almost like setting up a new Apple TV, you go through a setup process to get it logged onto your wifi, and connected to a Nest.com user account. You can change the current heating or cooling temperature by spinning the Nest’s dial, but it’s much more fun to use the iPad app.
