Why Is Everyone Going Nuts For Nest's 2.0, Futuristic Thermostat You Keep Hearing About? We Explain

You might not consider a thermostat the most interesting bit of technology. But when the smart thermostat "Nest" was introduced last year, it was acclaimed as a drastic improvement to the traditional beige box that controls a large portion of your energy bill. Now, the "Nest 2.0" has been introduced with increased capability for energy savings and, like many next-gen devices, has an even sleeker design.

The Nest Learning Thermostat -- technology that "learns your schedule, programs itself and can be controlled from your phone" -- was praised when it was first introduced for its design, but now it's 20 percent thinner. The new design also includes increased compatibility with systems in the U.S. and Canada, working with 95 percent of heating and cooling systems.

But more notable are changes to the Nest software. As Nest founder Tony Fadell puts it in a company blog post, he kept a promise to first generation Nest users.

"We told them that their Nest would keep getting better, and we meant it. So every Nest owner with a Wi-Fi connected Nest will be updated to the same 3.0 software as the new Nest in the next few days," Fadell wrote.

This means that Nest customers don't have to get a new thermostat to take advantage of many of the upgrades.

Watch Nest's video about the technology:

The new technology includes "system match" to help Nest work with heating/cooling that is not the conventional on/off-switch system. The system can also now detect within 30 minutes when no one is home in order to switch to more efficient setting. This is an upgrade from Nest 1.0, which waited two hours after people left to make the adjustment, CNET reports.

Nest already allowed users to control thermostat settings remotely, but the new version expanded the devices that can support this action. It also added more language settings.

CNET reported that the new Nest also learns how long it takes a user to get home, adjusting the home's temperature accordingly so it's ready when they arrive. It factors weather conditions into this estimate as well.

“Our mission is to keep people comfortable in their homes while helping them save energy, and with the next-generation Nest Learning Thermostat, we’re able to spread that comfort and savings to even more homes – and to help higher-efficiency systems perform the way they were meant to,"Fadell said in a statement. CNET reminds us that Fadell, a former Apple employee, is also considered "the father of the iPod."

In a separate post reviewing the product, the tech site gave Nest 2.0 almost a perfect score, noting its largest issue as the $250 price tag and that larger homes may need more than one.

"[It is] easy to install and easy on the eyes, the Nest Learning Thermostat learns your heating and cooling preferences over time, so you don't have to program it. Wi-Fi networking and tasteful apps let you control and monitor your Nest from afar," CNET's review said of the positive aspects of Nest 2.0.

Watch Lindsey Turritine's review for CNET:

(H/T: Business Insider)