One of the projects leads of the Apple iPod has come up with a novel design for a household thermostat. Tony Fadell’s Nest thermostat has the brains of a smartphone and the looks of a product made by Apple. Instead of complex programming steps, the device learns from every day use. It can be controlled from an iPhone or iPad and through a computer. It will be interesting to see if this product really catches on. Optimal adjustments to the temperature in a home can potentially save a lot of energy. There also seems to be ample R&D and funds behind the product. Just purchasing the domain nest.com was probably quite an investment. The Nest thermostat should be available for sale late this year for $249.
Yesterday a lot of the people in the world learned almost instantly of Steve Jobs passing via devices that he helped create. Steve will truly be missed by many and specially by Apple itself. His passing is also a testament that all the money in the world cannot buy health in this age. Steve was able to survive several more years than other people with a similar condition and this was probably due to the fact that he had access to numerous treatments. Many have heard the rumors that Walt Disney was cryogenically frozen to preserve the body until a time when there was a cure for his sickness. Disney died of complications of lung cancer in 1967. Like Disney, Jobs could potentially also be frozen to preserve his great mind and intellect. Assuming that he is thawed within this century, it will be interesting to see if his innovations can still be applied to the more advanced technology available at that future time. R.I.P. Steve.
By now many people are using their smart phones to wake up every morning instead of a traditional alarm clock. In the case of the iPhone, there are numerous applications that enhance this with images, weather updates, and other features. The Lark alarm goes much further by including a wrist band that can softly wake you by slightly vibrating. This is particularly useful because it will typically only wake up the wearer of the wrist band and not the sleeping partner. It also includes a sensor and » Continue Reading
Some of us remember the Apple PowerBook Duo with a native docking station. Since then, there has not been a nicely designed dock solution. Henge Docks now offers a great option for MacBooks and MacBook Pros. The dock accepts a system vertically and it attaches to connectors on the bottom of the enclosure. The dock can be configured to offer only the desired connectors while hiding others. It can be used in combination with an external display or a media system setup. The system also reuses a user supplied MagSafe power adapter » Continue Reading
Computers are more and more forming part of a home entertainment system. An Apple Mac mini for example now comes with an HDMI connector and supports native HDTV resolutions. It is often cumbersome to have to deal with a traditional keyboard and mouse in the family room. A great alternative is the Mobile Mouse Pro application. It allows for wireless remote control of a Windows or Mac computer using an iPhone. The application works in tandem with a program that runs on the computer being controlled. It is a great buy for $1.99 at the iTunes store. » Continue Reading