by 
Honeywell is reputable name in A/C and thermostats and so it isn’t a surprise that they are getting in on the app enabled home trend. In fact, it is refreshing to see that new companies such as Nest are finally getting some solid competition, which is going to begin the process of lowering prices and creating a diverse market.
The Honeywell Lyric is currently available for installation and offers a lot of really interesting features. It uses intelligent geofencing to monitor your location and adjust temperatures based on when you leave and arrive. It monitors humidity and weather to help fine tune your comfort level. It can inform when your filter needs to be changed or if the temp gets to high or low. The Lyric certainly seems like the smartest thermostat currently on the market. 
“Most people don’t have a predictable pattern to how they live their lives; why not have a thermostat that adjusts based on your real-time schedule?” says Beth Wozniak, president of Honeywell Environmental and Combustion Controls. “With the Lyric thermostat’s geofencing capability, my house returns to my preferred comfort setting when I’m within a few miles from home. Quite simply, the Lyric thermostat offers me the ability to keep my life in tune – delivering comfort when I’m home and savings when I’m gone.”
The design of the Lyric is similar to the classic round design which has been in use since the 1950s, but with a modern design. It looks very much like the Nest thermostat, which I think is going to make both companies discover who does it best. I don’t dare bet which company will come out on top, but Nest is already seeing success and they have a head-start.
The only catch to the Lyric is that currently you can only buy it through a Honeywell certified installer, and self install kits wont be available until later this year. For now the price is listed at $279, but perhaps that will come down if the competition is fierce enough.
» Related posts:
Nest Unveils ‘Protect’ an iPhone and iPad Enabled Smoke Detector
Apple Reportedly Working on Home Automation System Ahead of WWDC
Adobe Plans to Release a Smart Pen and Smart Ruler for iPad
