I think the reason why people are maikil on Shabbos clocks, is that we know there is a machlokes Bais Shammai and Bais Hillel regarding Shevisas keilim. Beis Hillel says you are allowed to turn on your sprinkler before Shabbos and water your lawn all Shabbos, and many other cases in the Mishna in the first perek of Shabbos. Rav Moshe said now that we have Shabbos clocks, technically one could run his entire factory or business on Shabbos with automated machines, and not be in violation, but would certainly be non-Shabbosdig. He says that although there is no issur, he is sure that chazal would have been gozer. This is a tremendous chidush, as we normally say that we have no power to make new gezeiros since the close of the gemarah. It is a very extreme svara. He says we can use it for lights, since the Rov Olam does, and it is not for business, but mainly to help people sleep (I believe, since haven’t seen teshuvah recently). Possibly people feel that air-conditioners are not unshabbosdig, and they can’t afford to have them running when they are not needed. Maybe, anyway, the thermostat is no different than a Shabbos clock, as it also turns on and off the motor when needed. So since it is not a commercial item, but just for comfort, people are maikil. However, to actually run a business of some kind on Shabbos by remote control, probably most people would follow Rav Moshe and not do it.
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