Create a cozy nest with this incredibly-easy-to-install smarty-pants of a thermostat. It learns your heating and cooling home habits, plus helps you to understand how you're using energy and where you can cut back and save.

$249, nest.com

Learn how to care for your plants with this genius little device. A Wi-Fi plant sensor communicates with your smartphone or computer and gives feedback on feeding, watering, and sunlight conditions. It will even provide you with an individual care plan for each plant in your home, making you the most precise green thumb in the neighborhood.

$153, koubachi.com

The Jawbone JamBox works nearly every tablet, computer, and smartphone to stream music, make Internet phone calls, and access your phone's voice-command function in a portable little box. And because the battery lasts 15 hours, you can do all of it while on a picnic or working in the backyard.

$299, jawbone.com

Haven't you always wanted to tell your television what to do? Samsung's newest in a series of Smart TVs allows you to do exactly that with voice control, gesture control, and face recognition so you can watch TV, play with apps, access the Internet, and view it all with an exceptionally clear picture.

$3749, samsung.com

Robot-enabled appliances are emerging as their own category of high-tech housekeepers. With this high-capacity cleaner meant especially for pet-hair-prone homes, you can set it, head off to work, and come home to a completely spotless living room floor. We can't guarantee the dog won't be tempted to chase.

$329.99, amazon.com

Even if you're not a penny pincher, the Belkin Conserve is a great experiment in understanding how you use energy. Plug the device into your socket and then plug in your television, phone charger, or computer and watch it calculate and display how much you could be saving in energy costs by unplugging or lowering usage.

$29.99, belkin.com

Just program with Belkin's ScreenCast into your television and gaming devices to streamline accessibility and entertainment.

$249.99, belkin.com

Home tech and lifestyle blogger Pilar Clark recommends the Lorex Wireless monitor when checking in on the little one. A portable video camera puts an eye on the crib and transmits the image and sound to your phone. It also has a built-in timer, temperature sensor, and lullaby capability. Consider it your robot nanny.

$249.99, lorex.com