When you can’t innovate, sue? Unfortunately, that seems to be the extent of the competitive strategies chapter in today’s corporate playbook. The Verge — quickly becoming one of my favorite tech blogs, FYI — has a great post on how Honeywell sicced its lawyers on Nest, the home energy management startup behind the lust-worthy, iPod-inspired […]
Nest Floats 2.0 Update
What happens when you cloud-enable a smart thermostat? You get delicious updates, that’s what. Nest is rolling out updates to “Nesters” over the next couple of days. According to the smart energy startup, they include some neat touches like iPhone, Android or Web apps with more controls. An exciting new addition is Energy History. As […]
Nest: The iPod of smart thermostats
What does a former Apple exec that’s responsible for the iconic iPod do when the thermostats on the market are too lame for his new green home? He brings design and software savvy to bear on the problem. The result is the puck-like Nest, from Tony Fadell’s startup of the same name. It’s a learning, connected thermostat […]
Can Microsoft Kinect with the smart home?
Besides leading to explosive sales for Microsoft, its Kinect add-on for the Xbox 360 has also turned into an impressive “innovation platform,” to quote Tim O’Reilly. One of those innovations comes from Nitrogen (aka Mike) who hacked a Kinect sensor bar to interface with a home automation control system. As you can see in the […]
CES 2011 Green Watch: This year’s hits and misses
Move over 3D HDTVs, CES 2011 was a tablet maker’s playground. But beside the iPad fighters, what did the trade show have in store for green consumers? Let’s have a look at trends and companies that made this year memorable for eco-conscious techies, and those we’d rather forget. Hits Ford: Who needs an auto show? […]
