Company to unveil 'smart' home thermostat

PALO ALTO, Calif., Oct. 25 (UPI) -- A former Apple executive says he's moved on from smartphones and computers and set his sights on the next digital challenge -- the humble home thermostat.

"We've built the world's first learning thermostat — a thermostat for the iPhone generation," Tony Fadell said of the effort of his new Silicon Valley startup, Nest Labs.

Fadell, who led iPod and iPhone development at Apple from 2001 to 2009, said his team of 100 computer and software experts have changed the thermostat from a dumb switch to a smart digital helper that can save homeowners money and reduce energy consumption, The New York Times reported Tuesday.

The high-tech programmable thermostat has lots of tricks up its sleeve, like motion-tracking sensors that know when people are present and make appropriate temperature adjustments.

Nest Labs co-founder is Matt Rogers, who formerly worked in the iPod division at Apple.

"I loved my job at Apple, and had a great team," Rogers said. "But in essence, we were building toys. At Nest, you can build a product that could have a huge impact on a big problem."

Nest Labs said its programmable thermostat would go on the market in November at $249.