The new product was created by ex-Apple executive Tony Fadell, who is credited with the title "grandfather of the iPod." The thermostat is the first product from startup Nest Labs, which was founded by Fadell after he left Apple in 2010.
Last week, word first surfaced that Apple would also begin stocking the Nest thermostat at its brick-and-mortar stores. The inclusion of the thermostat is interesting, as the device is not directly associated with an Apple product. Most third-party products carried by Apple are offerings like iPhone cases, speakers and other accessories.
Though he is the former vice president of Apple's iPod division, and the Nest thermostat has its own iPhone application on the App Store, Fadell no longer has any official ties with Apple.
"The Nest Learning Thermostat helps you stop wasting energy, while providing control using your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Mac," the official product description reads on Apple's online store.
"Consider that your thermostat controls about half your energy billâmore than TV, appliances, and lighting combined. But it's wasting energy every time it turns on the heating or cooling system in an empty house. The Nest Learning Thermostat solves this problem by programming itself, turning itself down when you're away, and keeping track of your energy use."
The Nest thermostat is advertised as being compatible with the iPhone 4S, iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, all iPad models, and the fourth- and third-generation iPod touch. Features of the device, as highlighted in the Apple store, include:
- Remembers preferred temperatures
- Creates a personalized schedule
- Turns itself down when your house is empty
- Uses Airwave to automatically lower cooling costs
- Change the temperature from anywhere
- Control Nest anywhere with iPhone, iPad, or Mac
- Shows exactly when heating or cooling was on
- Points out what causes spikes in energy use
The product available for sale comes with the thermostat display, the thermostat base, installation and "Start Here" guides, mounting screws and labels, and an optional mounting kit. Customers can also visit the official Nest website to ensure that the product is compatible with their existing air condition system.
54 Comments
What is THIS tripe?!
What's wrong with "Apple Store Online" as a page title?!
This isn't Micro Center, for frick's sake. This is Apple.
Also, the Nest thermostat doesn't seem to be under any category at all, so you have to know it's there and search for it by name to find it.
The inclusion of the thermostat is interesting, as the device is not directly associated with an Apple product. Most third-party products carried by Apple are offerings like iPhone cases, speakers and other accessories.
Actually AI, it's not interesting because Apple has been selling a host of third-party App-Enabled Accessories such as an iGrill Grilling/Cooking Thermometer, blood pressure monitor, Golfsense sensor, and so forth for quite sometime. At least you weren't as ignorant as Gizmodo when they sarcastically asked, "what's next, domestic appliances?"
I've been waiting for these to come to the UK since I first read about them. They're a cracking little device and I was even willing to change my boiler to one compatible (need a new boiler anyway). Sadly they don't make an EU version or ship outside of the US at the moment. Meh.
[quote name="markbyrn" url="/t/150371/nest-thermostat-now-available-for-250-in-apples-online-store#post_2118075"] Actually AI, it's not interesting because Apple has been selling a host of third-party App-Enabled Accessories such as an iGrill Grilling/Cooking Thermometer, blood pressure monitor, Golfsense sensor, and so forth for quite sometime. At least you weren't as ignorant as Gizmodo when they sarcastically asked, "what's next, domestic appliances?"
[/quote] Didn't all those items come out with access exclusivly via an Apple device whereas Nest was designed around iOS and Android from the start?
What is THIS tripe?!
What's wrong with "Apple Store Online" as a page title?!
This isn't Micro Center, for frick's sake. This is Apple.
What's wrong with it? Tripe is false or worthless - certainly you are not claiming that the information is false - so you must think it is worthless (unless you are simply mis-using the word tripe).
Assuming that you are in fact claiming that the information is worthless I would posit that that this is a matter of opinion - and you know what they say about opinions.
So exactly what is your beef with a page title that goes beyond the most simplistic information?
Do you also not like the iPod page title that says: Apple - Play Music and More on iPod -- surely even aboriginal people in the outback of Australia know what an iPod is and what you can do with it and Apple should stop wasting the extra bandwidth it takes to transmit those extra bytes every time someone hits the page and spend that money on R&D.
How about the iTunes page title: Apple - iTunes - Everything you need to be entertained. That sounds like to me like the basis for a class action lawsuit - how can iTunes be EVERYTHING you need to be entertained - surely you need a device on which to run iTunes, maybe some popcorn...
While we are at it - lets not leave others out of this - www.usa.gov has this page title: USA.gov: The U.S. Government's Official Web Portal -- who would have guessed.
Seriously - did someone wiz in your Wheaties this morning or what? for all the folks who post on these pages that the original AI content is lacking of newsworthiness did you really think your rant about a page title would set the internet abuzz with meaningful discussion?