Within five years, comparable units value simply $20, and the first shots have been fired in tech’s pricing wars. Developed by the “godfather of the iPod,” Tony Fadell, the Nest Learning Thermostat was the first sensible home gadget to seize mass market interest following its launch in 2011. Pairing the iconic spherical form of classic thermostats with a full-color display and Apple-like software, the Nest features appreciable processing power. The search engine large turned the system into the center of its smart house strategy with hopes of ushering in an age of interconnected gadgets that will make on an everyday …