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How to reduce your energy bill (in any season) with a single device
By Jennifer Pattison Tuohy This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter. When readers choose to buy Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, Wirecutter and Engadget may earn affiliate commission. Read the full blog how to reduce your energy bill (in any season) with a single smart home device. No matter where in the country you live, opening your monthly energy bill can feel like a crapshoot. What will the damage be? To improve your chances in this financial roulette game, consider a smart Wi-Fi thermostat. Smart thermostats can't work miracles, but they can save you real money—for example, Google says that Nest owners typically save 10 to 15 percent on their energy bill, and Ecobee claims savings as high as 23 percent for someone whose home is always set at 72. Smart thermostats, such as our pick, the popular Google Nest Thermostat E, accomplish this by optimizing your home's heating and cooling settings so that they aren't running as long or as often. That seemingly modest skill can save you cash (so long as you configure your device correctly). And if you're upgrading from an old-fashioned, non-programmable model, you may save even more. How much depends on things like the size and age of your home, the type of construction, what climate you live in, and the type of thermostat you're replacing.
Nest's $229 video doorbell is a useful addition to its ecosystem
Last September, Nest introduced several products to its connected home lineup: the Nest Secure home security system, the Nest Cam IQ Outdoor and the Nest Hello video doorbell. While both the Secure and the IQ outdoor cam have been out for a few months, the Hello had not come to market yet. That is, until now. Both the Hello and the previously-announced Nest x Yale Lock are now officially available for $229 and $249 respectively. Oh, and Nest is introducing something today as well: the Nest Temperature Sensor.
Nest's latest thermostat comes to the UK with hot water controls
A month after its US launch, Nest's third-generation thermostat has arrived in Britain. The hardware might look familiar, but it has a few extra tricks that separate it from previous versions and even its counterpart across the pond. For starters, Nest has given the circular design a nice little spec bump; compared to its predecessor, the thermostat has a larger (2.08 inches), brighter and pixel-dense (229ppi) display, making it easier to scroll through the interface with sleep-deprived eyes. The device's entire body is also slightly thinner, meaning it should look just a smidge more attractive in a hallway or living room.
Nest Thermostat gets a larger display that's easier to read
After updating its smoke detector and camera, Nest has finally decided to update the device that made the company famous; its Thermostat. The new smart controller has a slightly thinner profile, larger and higher-resolution display and will now alert users when their furnace is acting wonky. To make figuring out what's going on without walking across the room easier, the third-generation device will now display the target or current temperature or an analog or digital watch face on a larger display that's activated whenever someone walks into the room. The Thermostat now has a 480 x 480 (229 ppi) display. While the display got larger, the profile got smaller. The width of the device is now 1.21 inches instead of 1.26 inches. Not exactly a huge difference, but slimmer is slimmer. For furnace owners, the Furnace Heads-Up feature tracks shutoff patterns to see if there's a potential problem with the heater. This feature will be released for the first- and second-generation Thermostats later this year. The new third-generation Nest Thermostat is available now for $249.
Nest can now talk to Pebble and other home automation products
Nest's thermostat and smoke detector now works with more third-party home automation products, the first fruits of the developer program that the Google-owned company launched in June. First in the list is something you're likely familiar with: Pebble smartwatches, which you can now use to control and check the temperature in your home. Next? A voice-controlled home manager called ivee, which lets you know when a peak energy event starts and ends, as well as lets you use spoken commands to adjust the temperature for you. Then there's Life360, an app that monitors where family members or friends are on a map (with their consent), which automatically adjusts the temp when the last resident in the house leaves or when the first one comes home.
Feedback Loop: Warming up to ads, killing tablets and more!
In this week's edition of Feedback Loop, we take a look at the possibility of Google bringing ads to home appliances, discuss whether Microsoft is trying to kill the tablet, as well as the reasoning behind Nintendo pulling the plug on its Wi-Fi Connection and older online gaming services. Add to that our impressions of Steam's new streaming service, troubleshooting a weak home network connection and a whole lot more. Join us below.
Nest introduces connected smoke and CO alarm
The makers of the highly-touted Nest Thermostat have just announced pre-orders for the next smartphone-connected product for the 21st-century home: the Nest Protect smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) alarm (US$129). Like the Nest Thermostat, the Protect isn't the cheapest product in its category, but it's certainly the most intelligently designed. It comes in two colors -- black or white -- and two models, one that is wired into your home's AC circuitry and another that runs on batteries. Unlike the cheaper models that chirp incessantly when the battery runs down every few months, the Nest Protect battery version runs on 6 AA cells for several years. The wired version features backup batteries for protection even when the power is out. The outside design of the case has a "sunflower" pattern to move airflow through the device, and a glowing light ring shows you the level of fire danger. When an alarm goes off, a voice (English or Spanish) tells you what and where the danger is. If your cooking efforts set off the smoke alarm, a wave of your hand shuts it off without the need for climbing on a chair or waving a towel at it. And every alarm goes to your iPhone so you don't even need to be around to know that there's a problem. Nest Protect even provides notification that the batteries need to be replaced soon so that you can accomplish that maintenance task before it's too late. It's one more step towards a well-designed and very functional home automation and protection system.
Nest updates iOS app and adds notifications
The popular Nest Thermostat has updated its internal software to version 3.5, and pushed out a new iOS app to control it. Most people should have had their thermostats updated automatically at some point yesterday. The software is being billed as summer enhancements to the thermostat aimed at better handling of high temperatures. %Gallery-187194% The new software allows the thermostat to make sure that sun shining on the hardware does not create false indoor temperature readings. The thermostat also has enhanced fan controls. The auto-away function has also been retooled, so it can better predict when you are coming home and have the house precisely at the temperature you want. The new iOS app supports these new hardware features by allowing you to control them remotely, and now feature notifications on when a filter change is due for your HVAC system. The app also displays seasonal savings and energy history. Apple and other retailers are selling the Nest Thermostat, which was designed by former iPod designer Tony Fadell. The app requires iOS 5 and is optimized for the iPhone 5. It's universal so it displays at full resolution on the iPad.
Nest Learning Thermostat gets refreshed with a slimmer design, improved scheduling features
It's been just about a year since former Apple exec Tony Fadell unveiled his newest project, the Nest Learning Thermostat. At the time, it was notable for being the sexiest thermostat in the history of household automation, with WiFi connectivity, mobile apps and an iPod-like click wheel for adjusting the temperature. Today, Nest Labs announced the follow-up to that product, and while it boasts the same tricks as the original, it's noticeably slimmer and will work with a wider array of heating and cooling systems. Oh, and the company is finally releasing an Android tablet app, while the current iOS and Android phone applications are getting updated with new features as well. It's up for pre-order now for $249, while the old model has gotten a price cut to $229. That's the short version, but if you head past the break we'll give you a more detailed walk-through of what's changed.
Online Apple store now selling Nest thermostat
Apple's online storefront went down for maintenance last night, and when it came back up the Nest thermostat from iPod "godfather" Tony Fadell had been added to the store's inventory. The thermostat retails for $250 and lets you control your house's heating and cooling systems from your iPhone, iPad or Mac. Thanks to everyone who sent this in. [Via Engadget and The Verge]
Apple Store now selling Nest Thermostat: automated toastiness to cost $250
Apple liked it so much, it's decided to let the Nest Thermostat share shelf-space in its bricks-and-mortar stores and online. Following rumors that Tony Fadell's latest project would appear at his former employer's store, it's now been confirmed with an online listing. Following some brief downtime on the Cupertino corp's retail site, the unit is set to retail for $250. Aside from sharing some design DNA, the thermostat unit can also be controlled from iPhones, iPads, iPods and Macs -- we presume that Android functionality is still there. Those that like their summers extra comfortable can hit the store link below.
Apple Stores rumored to be carrying Nest thermostats, we play it cool (to exactly 71F)
Tony Fadell might have left Apple to make the Nest Learning Thermostat, but it may be the case that Apple hasn't completely left him. If we go by a pair of rumors, Nest's Internet-savvy climate control could soon be in Apple Stores, presumably across the US, for the same $249 as it costs to splurge for one through Nest itself. We're definitely skeptical -- home appliances and automation aren't really Apple's strong suits, and Nest has already declined to comment -- but 9to5 Mac has heard that the thermostats are already in Apple's inventory system. If the reports are at all true, there won't be long to wait before you can buy a smart energy system while you're shopping for a new iPhone case.
iPod designer Tony Fadell takes on thermostats with Nest Labs
Tony Fadell, Apple's former Senior Vice President of the iPod Division, oversaw iPod and iPhone development between 2001 and 2009. Ten years after his most iconic project first saw the light of day, the "father of the iPod" has a new product: Nest, a home thermostat that's smarter than the average bear. Nest is a new breed of home thermostat that Fadell has developed with partner Matt Rogers, who led an engineering team at Apple's iPod division in 2009. Mike Matas, formerly of Delicious Monster and Apple, contributed to the design. "It's a thermostat for the iPhone generation," says Fadell. Aside from its striking looks and color-coded, digital display, the Nest thermostat boasts impressive features. For example, a motion sensor notices if there are people in a room and adjusts its temperature accordingly. It also learns your habits and preferences, so there's no programming to be done. Even fine-tuned adjustments of just a few degrees can make a big difference for consumers and the environment. The New York Times notes that each degree cooler (in winter) or warmer (in summer) a house is kept translates into a 5 percent energy savings, according to experts. John E. Bowers, director of the Institute for Energy Efficiency at the University of California, Santa Barbara, likes the idea of using an smart device to monitor those adjustments. "There is a huge amount that can be gained in homes, and an intelligent thermostat could be a great opportunity," he told the Times. The Nest will ship sometime in November at US$250, via the company's site and Best Buy's website. It certainly looks cool, but what would you expect from "the father of the iPod?"
