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Connected Objects Sleep

Bedjet 2 cools, heats beds to the rhythm of the night

As anyone who’s tried to get comfortable during a sticky summer heat wave or gelid winter frost knows, temperature is an important component of nighttime comfort. Indeed, we’ve already seen sleep monitoring projects that include monitoring temperature along with other factors such as noise and ambient light. But while these products can help you understand if the temperature is keeping you awake, they can’t do anything about it.

patent-claimedThat’s no obstacle for Bedjet v2, earlier versions of which have already seen Kickstarter success and Shark Tank failure. Designed by a former NASA engineer, Bedjet uses a noise-dampened blower to adjust the temperature during the nightly horizontal excursion. The result is, to quote the campaign, a “magical event in your bedding.” Stealing a page from the Select Comfort air mattress (the Sleep Number guys), it can service each side of a bed independently to match personal preference.

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Home

Thermoneystat lets homeowners budget their energy usage, regulates temperature and cost

Utility bills are an inevitable part of life. It’s hard to keep track of how much money is spent on them and no one truly knows the cost of what they’re using until they receive the bill. Of course, by then it’s too late to do anything about it.

patent-claimed Thermoneystat is a thermostat that works in reverse. It lets the user set how much money they’d like to spend on heating and cooling for that month. In turn, the thermostat does its best to provide the most comfortable temperature at the best price. To do this, the system uses current energy prices, weather forecasts, and weather history to plan for the month. It also lets the user input their own scheduling preferences for maximum comfort.

All told, Thermoneystat provides an innovative way for homeowners to cut down on their energy costs, despite its cringeworthy name. To receive one unit, backers must donate $250, but it’s important to keep in mind that furnishing an entire house might require a few more. Estimated delivery is currently set for September 2015, provide the product can meet its $100,000 goal on Kickstarter by March 31, 2015.

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Smart Home

The Room Central Bluetooth controller keeps the temperature just right

The more ubiquitous Bluetooth technology becomes, the more the disparate elements in people’s lives are united so as to be easily controlled. Things all around and outside the home used to be governed by mechanisms needing physical action, but now can be adjusted with simple taps of a button. This technology, along with the sensors that work in tandem with it, allow users a level of control previously unfamiliar.

A good example of that is the Room Central Bluetooth controller. It connects to heaters, coolers, or anything with a mechanical heating or cooling controls (like greenhouses or rice cookers) and relays temperature information to an iOS or Android smartphone. Its companion app allows for scheduling and remote control from up to 25 feet and imparts lots of smarts on previously dumb items in the home. An LED display on the unit itself ensures users won’t need to unlock your phone every time they need to check on temperature, too. The Room Central controller goes for $100 and is expected in March 2015 provided the campaign reaches its $64,900 goal.

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Smart Home

Tank Utility lets your smartphone keep an eye on your propane tank, makes Hank Hill proud

The use of propane to heat a home can sometimes be a pain. Supply levels must be kept up with or else homeowners will find themselves without shivering. This can also lead to frozen pipes and flood damage, both which can be extremely costly to any homeowner. The Tank Utility helps ward off these problems by being your personal propane assistant. The remote smart meter monitors your propane tank level by connecting to your Wi-Fi network, relaying that information back to your smartphone for review. You’ll receive personalized alerts when you’re low and schedule deliveries right on your phone. In the meantime, it’ll be able access diagnostic information about consumption trends, efficiency, and other problems like disconnected Wi-Fi or low battery, all while keeping an eye out for leaks and other strange usage. With the device requiring no tools to install and able to work in temperatures as low as -20°, it is an incredibly useful tool to effortlessly keep on top of things around the home. Combine this with other home automation solutions like the ActuSwitch and the Ninja Sphere to really keep things under control. Expected in May 2015, the Tank Utility is priced at $200 and is looking for $20,000 in funding.

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Home

Tibio lamp answers hot air’s call to “blow me down”

TibioEveryone knows that heat rises, which can be annoying to deal with in the winter. The top of your living room is nice and toasty while the bottom where everyone sits is frigid. Tibio is a small product about the size of a roll of paper towels that hangs on your wall above the heater. A built-in fan helps to circulate warm air down to where the people hang out. Tibio is decorative with several options for its design and blends right into your home. It seems like a simple, but effective way to save money on one’s heating bill and much less bulky than the Hot Tube. One costs backers £55 with a campaign goal of £48,000 on Kickstarter.

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Home

Hot-Tubes help reduce heating costs by recirculating the heat

Hot TubesJust in time for the cold winter months comes an idea for intercepting the tracks of the iceman who cometh to steal the warmth out of humble homes. Okay, maybe that’s a bit dramatic. However, Hot Tubes seems to have a seriously good idea for helping people save on heating costs. The tubular fan system works to bring heat that collects near the ceiling down to living space level so that, take note gentlemen, there can finally be a little peace in connection to the battle of the thermostat. And much to most ladies’ delight, no tools are required for instillation. Backers get one 11” tube for $35, with an expected delivery of December 2014.

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Smart Home

Cosy is another smart thermostat that plans to leave the Nest… behind

The Premise. In the extremes of seasonal weather, coming home can be less about relaxing and more about suffering in the elements while waiting for the thermostat to kick in. One UK company believes that a home should be welcoming to its occupants the moment they walk in the door, without the presence of insanely high power bills.

The Product.  Not to be confused with another heating-themed project with a similar nameCosy is a home heating system designed to make all the arrangements that make a house a home. Using Legato protocol, each portion of the Cosy system communicates wirelessly using an 868MHz radio frequency and is upgradeable, allowing the inventors to add more components and more connectedness over time. Using the app on phones or tablets, Cosy can get the home to the perfect temperature at any time in advance, and cut back on heating costs when there’s nobody inside.

The Pitch. Green Energy Options, or GEO, has a short, sweet video that goes through all four of the compact parts of a Cosy system – the hub, the display, the switch, and the app. Each of these components is explained and illustrated in greater detail in the campaign explanation, showing how all of these devices work in tandem. The home heating system is ready for market, but GEO is raising £20,000 for WelcomeHome, an add-on using custom Smart Plugs that can be used with lamps or other electric devices so that they can be on and ready when residents arrive at their homes.

The Perks. As of right now, Cosy systems are only available to backers in the UK, and a pledge of £150 will give backers the system, the app, and 1 Smart Plug, available next month.

The Potential. Cosy knows they’re not the first ones to market with a smart thermostat. Aside from existing units like Nest and its competitors, there are other connected thermostats taking the crowdfunding approach. What Cosy expects to be able to do better than all the others is offer a complete-home heating system, covering everything from individual preferences to hot water, and even including a frost-protection system to eliminate the possibility of freezing pipes. The price is right for something like this; Cosy would indeed by s smarter thermostat.