The New Nest Learning Thermostat

Technology is not only changing how we work, but how we live.  Take the new Nest Learning thermostat.  An updated version was recently released that works with more heating and cooling systems and is thinner than the previous model.

The Company

Nest was founded by former Apple designer Tony Fadell and is based in Palo Alto, California.  It has around 130 employees with many of them former staff from Google, Microsoft, as well as Apple.

What’s So Great About the Nest?

This thermostat uses technology is a new way.  With improved algorithms, it can now detect when no one is home and turn off a heater or air conditioning unit.  Previously, it waited two hours to shut down, but the new version only takes 30 minutes.

The Nest has an elegant, simple design that fits in any home.  What’s amazing about it is how it works.  It learns your patterns and then follows them to save you money by lowering the temperature when it’s not needed.

You can also connect the Nest Learning Thermostat to your Wi-Fi to be able to control it from a smartphone or tablet.  You can change the temperature even when you’re away from home.  You can change the schedule and adjust the settings; it even allows you to keep track of how much energy you use.  Nest also sends an energy report each month and you can see detailed history for the last 10 days on the internet or your mobile app.

Nest is easy to install and the manufacturers say that most people can do it in thirty minutes or less.

Prices start around $250 at Amazon.com and you can find it at physical locations such as Lowes, too.  The money you will save with the timer and scheduling of the thermostat will make it pay for itself quickly.

[Image via  arstechnica & gigaom]