Learning Thermostat
Thermostat
2014 (manufactured)
2014 (manufactured)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The Nest thermostat is a new kind of smart device for the home. Loaded with sensors and connected to the Internet, it is designed to learn your schedule in order to automatically regulate the temperature of your home.
The company Nest was founded by Tony Fadell, who previously worked at Apple on the iPod and iPhone. The thermostat is intended to appeal to consumers interested in new technologies and innovative product design.
Part of a generation of products that ushers in the Internet of Things, the thermostat collects data about your habits – such as when you are at home. Nest claims this information can reduce home energy consumption by up to 20%. In 2013, Nest was acquired by global search giant Google, raising concerns in the press about data privacy.
Google, a company which assembles personalised profiles of users of its products based on their online activity in order to deliver targeted advertising, now has a foothold in our homes. Architect Rem Koolhaas, speaking at a press conference in March 2014, described smart devices such as the Nest thermostat as ‘the first step toward an architecture of betrayal’. As with much new technology today, the device provides personalised service in exchange for personal information. This object, and the services it communicates with, neatly capture this contemporary dilemma. The Nest Learning Thermostat is a fascinating device, a beautiful object of design, containing within it a potentially threatening future.
The company Nest was founded by Tony Fadell, who previously worked at Apple on the iPod and iPhone. The thermostat is intended to appeal to consumers interested in new technologies and innovative product design.
Part of a generation of products that ushers in the Internet of Things, the thermostat collects data about your habits – such as when you are at home. Nest claims this information can reduce home energy consumption by up to 20%. In 2013, Nest was acquired by global search giant Google, raising concerns in the press about data privacy.
Google, a company which assembles personalised profiles of users of its products based on their online activity in order to deliver targeted advertising, now has a foothold in our homes. Architect Rem Koolhaas, speaking at a press conference in March 2014, described smart devices such as the Nest thermostat as ‘the first step toward an architecture of betrayal’. As with much new technology today, the device provides personalised service in exchange for personal information. This object, and the services it communicates with, neatly capture this contemporary dilemma. The Nest Learning Thermostat is a fascinating device, a beautiful object of design, containing within it a potentially threatening future.
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Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 10 parts.
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| Title | Learning Thermostat (manufacturer's title) |
| Materials and techniques | Plastic and metal case and glass screen |
| Brief description | Learning Thermostat by Nest Labs, California, USA, 2014 |
| Physical description | Learning Thermostat by Nest Lab round thermostat with silver casing with a black screen. The thermostat slots on to a stand with a circular base. |
| Dimensions |
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| Production type | Mass produced |
| Gallery label |
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| Summary | The Nest thermostat is a new kind of smart device for the home. Loaded with sensors and connected to the Internet, it is designed to learn your schedule in order to automatically regulate the temperature of your home. The company Nest was founded by Tony Fadell, who previously worked at Apple on the iPod and iPhone. The thermostat is intended to appeal to consumers interested in new technologies and innovative product design. Part of a generation of products that ushers in the Internet of Things, the thermostat collects data about your habits – such as when you are at home. Nest claims this information can reduce home energy consumption by up to 20%. In 2013, Nest was acquired by global search giant Google, raising concerns in the press about data privacy. Google, a company which assembles personalised profiles of users of its products based on their online activity in order to deliver targeted advertising, now has a foothold in our homes. Architect Rem Koolhaas, speaking at a press conference in March 2014, described smart devices such as the Nest thermostat as ‘the first step toward an architecture of betrayal’. As with much new technology today, the device provides personalised service in exchange for personal information. This object, and the services it communicates with, neatly capture this contemporary dilemma. The Nest Learning Thermostat is a fascinating device, a beautiful object of design, containing within it a potentially threatening future. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | CD.36:1 to 10-2014 |
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| Record created | May 2, 2014 |
| Record URL |
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