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CES 2013: Nest updates to version 2, fights for more compatibility
We're big fans of the Nest custom controlled thermostat here at TUAW -- it's a great product that got better last year with an update to version 2. Along with a thinner, updated design and brand-new firmware, the version 2 update also jumped up to be compatible with 95 percent of home HVAC systems, up from around 70 percent for the previous model. Nest was at the CES Digital Experience last night, and talked with us briefly about the new model and how it's coming along. The version 2 model just became available to the public late last year, and "we're selling lots," the Nest rep said, while declining to provide any more concrete sales numbers. The holiday was apparently a big sales boost for them, and Nest is obviously hoping to see more sales going forward. There are no new versions of the thermostat planned, so 2013 will see Nest just focusing on the current product, with possibly a few firmware updates and bugfixes coming down the line as the year goes on. Nest is continuing to improve and grow over the next year, and we'll look forward to seeing just what the company is working on next.
Daily iPhone App: Coffee Cellar helps you track coffee tastes
Coffee Cellar is a great little app put together by developer Christopher Waite, with a very singular goal: To track and chart the various coffees you try from day to day. Yes, if you don't usually partake in java, you probably don't need this app. But if you do like to try various roasts and blends and would like to keep a running record of what you've tried, Coffee Cellar is a great way to do it. The app has been available for a while, but it's been completely revamped for this version 2.0, with smoother graphics and more options for various coffee stats. Not only can you track the name of each blend and where it's from, but you can snap a picture for your records, and even use a much improved flavor interface to remember just what each coffee taste like. You can also share various coffees with friends, via email, Twitter, or Facebook, and then search your saved blends as well. There's more that could be done here -- it would be nice to maybe get local recommendations, or see what the most popular coffees in the system might be. But the app's well done as it is, and it's currently half off for a version 2.0 launch sale. You can pick up Coffee Cellar for just 99 cents -- about 1/4 the price of a big cup these days.
Romo the iPhone robot is back, Kickstarting version 2
Romo is a little iPhone-powered robot that showed up on Kickstarter around this time last year. It was successfully funded and distributed out into the world, making everyone happy by cycling itself around with the buzz and whirr of tiny mechanics. But as is usual with these things, the team behind Romo had even more ideas and other thoughts about how to make Romo work even better, and do even more things. So they did what worked before: They're back on Kickstarter, this time trying to put together $100,000 to remake a next-generation Romo. In addition to a redesigned circuit board and a friendlier base, this robot will have advanced functionality in terms of moving around and navigating the world. Plus, the team wants to work on some really advanced procedures, doing things like facial recognition, two-way telepresence (so you could see what the robot sees and show up on the screen yourself), and other features. The production line for this robot is already set up, says the team -- it's the software that they are Kickstarting for, as well as the actual product costs, obviously. There is one big drawback, and it's that this new Romo won't work with an iPhone 5 -- the production line that's set up currently works with the old dock connector, not the new Lightning connector. That could be an issue, since lots of early adopters will probably already have moved on to the new dock format. But the Romo team says the next robot is set to work with the iPhone 5 (and be female, by the way), so the hookup is coming, at least. At any rate, if you like the project and want to support this once-successful team yet again, the Kickstarter page is open right now. [via Engadget]
Sketches 2 available now for creating even better art on your iPhone
Our friends at LateNiteSoft sent word that they've updated Sketches, one of the first iPhone apps I ever picked up, to version 2.0. The app has been released [iTunes link] as an entirely new download, so even upgraders from version 1 will have to pay the current price of $1.99. LateNiteSoft tells us that upgrade price is temporary -- they plan to keep the original app on the store as "Sketches Classic" for 99 cents, and eventually the price of the new version will go up a few more bucks. If you want to upgrade, go grab Sketches 2 as soon as you can. Tthe new app offers a number of improvements, including a completely revamped UI designed to quickly run through large collections. The new UI also keeps tools handy, but out of the way, as you use them. As you can see in the screen shots above, all the tools are stashed at the bottom of the screen instead of covering up your picture while you're working on it. Sketches 2 now lets you paint using brushes, which makes for some nice choices in terms of marking pictures, canvas, maps, or whatever else you choose as a background in the app. The zoom functionality has been updated, with new gestures and a smoother shape adjustment interface. As with the original Sketches app, you can share and export your work however you like. You can use the app to create a masterpiece and then tweet about it, or just mark some notes on a map and send it off to a friend. Sketches 1 was a bargain back when I picked it up for $7 in the earliest days of the App Store, and this new version adds even more features at less than half the price. If you have any inkling about making some art on your iPhone, it's a solid buy.
Found Footage: CNBC says iPhone 2.0 to be released
CNBC reports that Apple is hard at work at the 2nd generation iPhone before the first one is even announced. Says CNBC, if Apple puts out "a new and improved anything, there are people who will rush to get it." This interview features Engadget's Peter Rojas.
