Tony Fadell, the man who helped oversee the design of Apple's iPod and iPhone, has designed a new thermostat, as beautiful as any Apple device and just as smart inside; a thermostat that promises to 'learn' the patterns of its users.

The global premium and luxury car industry was worth €319 billion in 2013. As Audi, BMW and Mercedes compete for market share, can Mercedes' Predictive User Experience – which accurately predicts the driver’s behaviour and adjusts to their preferences – put it on top?

A new wave of technological advancements is making it easier than ever to plug into a techno-utopian automated lifestyle, as people increasingly expect to exchange minimum input for maximum output.

As you leave for work, you yell “lock” and “camera on” to keep the house secure, before telling your vacuum to clean the bedroom carpet while you're out. It's not a sci-fi film - the technology is available now. But do we really want our homes to be controlled by technology?