Access your Nest Thermostat from your Mac menu bar
The Nest Thermostat has been a hit since it was announced in late 2011. Apple sells them along with other retailers, and they were created by Tony Fadell, one of the fathers of the iPod when he was at Apple.
The Nest can be accessed from a browser, or iOS apps that let you control all aspects of the thermostat from anywhere. On a Mac, there is a web page. Now, developer Joe Workman has improved that by creating a small app for your menu bar called Climate.
The US$2.99 app, now available in the Mac App Store, places an item in your menu bar to log into your account. The app persistently displays your minimum and maximum temperature settings. Click it to see a screen similar to what you find on your iOS device or the web. You can change settings, modify your schedule and set the Nest to auto-away mode or do anything you could do from a browser or your iPhone or iPad.
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Why would you buy an app when you can get the same info for free? First, Nest doesn't have a Mac app. You have to navigate to its web page and log in to your account. I find Climate a lot more convenient to use, and it is always a click away. If there is anything I would change, it's what is displayed in the menu bar. I know my minimum and maximum temp settings, and they rarely change. I'd prefer my current house temperature, or maybe a switch that lets me select outside or inside temperatures, or maybe display both.
Those are small quibbles. Climate is a handy app for your Mac, and I think most Nest owners will find it useful.
