More on the forthcoming Apple-powered Internet Of Things
With Google Inc.'s Nest unit shaking up a once-staid market, Honeywell International Inc. is striking back with a Wi-Fi thermostat being introduced today and by working with Apple Inc. The Lyric can be controlled by a smartphone and has a sleek round look with a large digital display, similar to Nest's.
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Honeywell has signed on to participate in Apple's HomeKit, a platform unveiled last week to run home gadgets including locks and lights. The new Wi-Fi thermostats also will be part of a "family of products" under the Lyric brand, said Beth Wozniak, president of Honeywell's Environmental and Combustion Controls unit.
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Revenue for so-called smart thermostats is poised to outpace the rest of the market, which usually tracks home starts and the replacement of air-conditioning systems. Annual revenue in the segment will surge 16-fold to $1.4 billion in 2020, according to a report by Navigant.
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Apple's foray into home automation may give Honeywell a lift. Cupertino, California-based Apple said June 2 its HomeKit will let customers tell an iPhone they’re going to bed -- turning off lights, locking doors and setting the thermostat. HomeKit participants include Kwikset locks and Philips Lighting.
BusinessWeek: Thermostat War Heats Up as Honeywell Takes Aim at Google
"We want the tech to feel really discreet, we didn't want to add a screen," [Ringley CEO Christina Mercando] said. Mercando was bit by the tech startup bug after leaving the music industry to join recommendation engine company Hunch, shortly before eBay acquired it in late 2011.
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Andreessen Horowitz is one of Ringly's investors, although the company has raised only $1 million so far, in a round led by First Round Capital. Ringly is selling the ring, which works with iOS and Android, through its site at a $145 promotional price.
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Mercando said there's more features coming that will take advantage of the Ring's size and technology. For example, she wants Ringly to be able to control your smartphone's actions through programed gestures. She thinks creating more functions for the ring is the key to keeping consumers interested.
"We all know that this space is as much about software, as it is hardware," she said.
c|net: Fashion forward or faux pas? Behold, the smart ring
Ringly, a stylish smart ring that alerts wearers of calls, texts, and emails, gives a whole new meaning to the idea of being wedded to your tech.
Wozniak, eh? |
