The Nest thermostat connects to the Internet and can be programmed remotely.
Is it possible to love a thermostat? Yes, if it’s Nest — the brainchild of Tony Fadell and Matt Rogers, two former Apple employees who brought along everything they learned designing iPods when they formed a startup to build a $249 “learning thermostat.” With its round stainless steel case, color touchscreen and elegant software, Nest has Apple-like panache. More important, it can help you save energy and money: It uses a motion sensor to crank down your HVAC system when you’re not at home, and encourages you to keep the temperature just a tad warmer or cooler than usual if it’ll conserve energy. Rarely has anything so mundane been so engaging.