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I would agree that it breathes life into a pretty neglected piece of equipment, but my concern would be that it isn't in any way entertaining, and the common el

I would agree that it breathes life into a pretty neglected piece of equipment, but my concern would be that it isn't in any way entertaining, and the common element in the great innovations as of late have all catered to just that; keeping people entertained. Its defintely an exciting idea, but I just can't see anybody become truly taken with their thermostat.Perhaps its a jaded world view, but I feel that there is great demand for games and distractions, and not necessarily quality products or innovation. I can't help but consider that RIM is struggling for market share, and its largely been attributed to a lack of innovative games/apps. I do agree that this product presents a greater benefit to the earth and humanity as a whole, but my concern is that the populous may not notice. Will enough people buy in to make this economically viable? I certainly hope so....

CognitiveLens 15y ago
It sounds like they are actually trying to throw in some 'entertainment'/gamification features, according to the Wired article (http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2011/10/nest_thermostat/ http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2011/10/nest_thermostat/), such as a leaf icon (achievement badge) that shows up when you've set the temp to something eco-friendly. There's also a lot of potential with the web/mobile app, where system monitoring can be done in some interesting and interactive ways. I hate to bring in the cliches, but this actually has potential to have some kind of social media integration. A significant minority of people love keeping track of the personal data of their lives, and this can be another platform for exactly that.