An article in the New York Times points to a radical new design of an everyday home item: the programmable thermostat. 

In an article titled: "A thermostat that's clever, not clunky," the Nest Learning Thermostat gets a positive review. The product is designed by Tony Fadell, who helped design the Apple iPod. 

The programmable thermostat category presents opportunities for improvement, according to Nest, in terms of functionality, style and ease of use.