Ambi Climate Blog

The smart add-on for your air conditioner. Automatically controls your AC for better comfort and energy savings. Learn more at http://ambiclimate.com!

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Ambi Climate 2016 Recap

2016 was an eventful year at Ambi Climate! Thanks to your support, we’ve introduced new features and expanded our global reach. Here’s a quick overview of what we’ve been up to:

New Features

Here are the Top 3 new features and upgrades we’ve introduced over the year: 

1. Insights 

The new “Insights” feature is designed for those who like to gain valuable information on their usage metrics and behaviours, such as average AC usage, modes and set points over the course of 4 weeks. It also displays a tailored analysis for each user from our AI (Artificial Intelligence) technology, where users can gain a better understanding on which factors (such as luminosity, weather, metabolism) affect their comfort level most! 

2. User Management 

We’ve also added a new user management feature on the app that allows you to invite others to control your Ambi Climate. Not only will it be more convenient in the long run, but the shared access will also mean higher transparency of AC usage for the whole family! 

3. IFTTT Integration 

The highly-anticipated IFTTT integration is now available! You can now connect your Ambi Climate to other devices that can act as triggers to control your AC, or vice versa. For example, you can turn on your AC before you arrive home or when you switch on the lights, send a tweet when it gets too cold and many more! Simply register on IFTTT now and build your own personal, comfy and automated smart home!

Worldwide Networks and Recognition

Earlier this year, we launched an additional online retail platform on Amazon, and thanks to your support, we’ve received a number of fantastic reviews from our customers worldwide!

One of our objectives at the start of the year was to begin a retail network, where our supporters can purchase an Ambi Climate unit offline. We made substantial progress with currently over 25 retail locations across Hong Kong, and distributors in both Thailand and Malaysia selling Ambi Climate. We are also happy to announce that Ambi Climate is now available in the new b8ta Santa Monica retail store in Los Angeles. With interests from distributors worldwide, we are constantly looking to expand into other regions, so keep your eyes peeled for updates!

Ambi Climate is now available in b8ta Santa Monica, United States 

We kept up the momentum and received several positive media reviews and awards, and generated a total of 130 + media coverages worldwide throughout the year! We were also honoured to be chosen as the winner of 2016 Hong Kong Electronic Industries Award under the ‘Smart Tech’ category and Mediazone’s 2016 ‘Most Valuable Service Award’ in Hong Kong.

Our Founder & CEO, Julian Lee (on the left), at the Hong Kong Electronic Industries Awards Ceremony 2016

2017: Looking Ahead 

The Ambi Labs team is working around the clock to bring you something more exciting next year, so please stay tuned! We will also be joining CES in January, and if you would like arrange a meet up with our Founders at the venue or simply reach out to us, please feel free to drop us an email ! We will be located at Booth 40266, The Smart Home Marketplace, Hall A-D at Las Vegas Sands Hotel between January 5 - 8th, 2017.

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

From all of us at Ambi Labs

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6 Summer Time Energy-Saving Tips

For many of us, summer means sunny days and warm nights. But with warmer weather, summer can also signify higher energy bills if you’re using more electricity to keep cool. We’ve rounded up a few simple yet effective tips on how to shave your energy spending. Keep these in mind through the summer months and your wallet will thank you!

1. Block the sun from your home

Insulation is one of the most effective ways to improve your home’s efficiency. According to a study by City University of Hong Kong from 2000 (1), as much as 45% of the heat in a home is from sunlight coming in the windows. Curtains and blinds are an easy and cost-effective way to block heat out of your home so that whether you’re inside or away for the day, you can keep your interior spaces cool and lighten the load on your AC. If you want to take insulation to the next level, installing insulated windows will seal your home from heat and sunlight in summer months while keeping it warm in colder weather during winter months. It’s also a good idea to make sure that all the vents, pipes and connections in your home are well-insulated so you’re cooling your home effectively. Consult an HVAC professional if you’re unfamiliar with how to do this.

2. Give your air conditioner a break!

We’re all about smart AC -- even if it means not using your AC! Get the most out of Mother Nature and cool your home naturally. Place screens over your windows so you can open a window when it’s cool enough to let outside air in. This will allow fresh air into your home and aid with natural air flow. Plants also naturally allow more evaporation and cooling into the home too. Place houseplants in front of sunny windows and they will effectively absorb the sun’s energy which will increase the efficiency of your ACs and fans. But watch out for rising humidity! If you live in humid climates, your window screens won’t be able to block out moisture in the air.

3. A fan can go a long way

A simple floor, box or ceiling fan can be very effective in creating large air flow. We like them because they use very little energy but help a great deal with air circulation and pushing warm air out of the room. With the aid of a fan you can raise your AC temperature by a few degrees and re-distribute cool air throughout your home. A 2002 study by TEPCO (2), a Japanese utility, found that consumers could save up to 22% of their AC electricity consumption by using a fan together with their AC. There are a few ways to do this:

Push out hot air: Point your fan towards an open window. Use the negative pressure to get rid of hot air indoor and bring in fresh air from outdoor.

Use a fan with your AC: Air conditioners tend to generate cold air that stays near the ground, leading to energy waste and uneven air distribution. If you place your fan along the same side as the air conditioner, but facing diagonally into the room, you can help the air conditioner to spread cool air around the room, and also effectively raise energy efficiency.

Use a fan at night: Set a fan parallel to your bed before you go to sleep. Let the air flow under the bed to the ceiling. This will create a cooling effect and avoid the air from blowing directly at your body.

4. Be good to your AC and clean your AC filter

If you haven’t had your air conditioner serviced in a few months (or years!), it’s probably time to take a look under the hood. Even if your AC appears to be running smoothly, it’s important to remember that your trusty air conditioner may need a professional clean to run as efficiently as possible. The difference between a dirty filter and a clean one can be up to ~5% so make sure to not skip on regular maintenance checks! Again, if you’re unsure how to do this, consult an HVAC professional to help you.

5. Get a grip on the humidity

If summer weather for you means feeling sticky and sweaty, try using a dehumidifier instead of an AC. Dehumidifiers and air conditioners are actually functionally the same but dehumidifiers do not refrigerate air and they do not push the hot air they produce outside. Nonetheless, a dehumidifier is an excellent tool for combating a moist room. They are designed to pull water from the air, and by extracting the moisture from the room, will help you to feel cool and dry. To get the most out of your dehumidifier, place it in the middle of the room and close the doors to increase efficiency. One thing to keep in mind is that since dehumidifiers are meant to dry out the room, you may not want to leave it on throughout the night to avoid drying out your hair and skin.

6. Automate your AC

Of course, our favorite tip is using Ambi Climate to smartly adjust your AC. Unlike your AC remote, Ambi Climate gives you greater control and flexibility over your air conditioning. For instance, if you find yourself keeping the AC on throughout the night, you could set a timer in the app so that your AC turns up the temperature 2 hours before you wake. Or maybe you keep your AC at the same temperature all year. Consider having Ambi Climate help you manage indoor temperatures based on your preferences, time of day and outdoor weather so you aren’t wasting energy overcooling the room. Ambi Climate learns what you like and takes care of the rest. You can also setup daily schedules and timers to pre-cool your home before you arrive or turn on just before you wake up to ensure you don’t find yourself freezing in the middle of the night.

With these easy tips, saving energy this summer shouldn’t be hard! What are your favorite ways to reduce summer energy usage?

Sources:

(1) 2000, City University, Joseph Lam. “Residential sector air conditioning loads and electricity use in Hong Kong”

(2) 2002, TEPCO, “エアコンを省エネに使うポイント”

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6 Smart Ways To Keep Cool In The Summer

Today marks the arrival of the Great Heat, as it’s known on the Chinese calendar. This period, which marks the hottest time of the year, usually falls between July 22 and 24. In Hong Kong, we’re certainly feeling the mercury rising!

As we brace our air conditioners to go into overdrive, we thought it useful to share some unique ways to keep cool in hot weather. A little ingenuity can go a long ways! Read on to learn more:

1.) Don’t let the heat go to your head

Traditional Chinese Medicine espouses that the head is the most “yang”, or sunny/light, part of your body. Since heat rises, it’s good to keep your head physically cool by putting a cold wet cloth on your head or neck. The back of your neck is believed to be the main point of clearing all heat from your body. If you don’t have a spare cloth, a bag of ice or frozen food should also do the job! 

2.) Go big: make a giant watermelon juice

Yes, you heard that right. When it’s hot outside and you sweat a great deal, it’s important to stay hydrated. We love this ingenious way of getting the most out of a fruit that’s not only tasty but particularly effective at cooling the body. All you need is a chilled whole watermelon, a drill and a hanger. Mix it up by adding other fruits, like raspberries, or seltzer water for a little fizzy fun. Cut a hole in the top of the watermelon, fold the hanger (sanitize it too, if needed), attach it to the end of your drill, and voila, you’ve got your own DIY watermelon juice. Check out the video to learn how to make own! (And check out tip #4 for more foods that will keep you nice and cool)

3.) Get your zzz’s on the floor

We all know that hot air rises so if you can, sleep as close to the ground as possible. You could pull your mattress onto the floor or set up a temporary bed on the ground. If you live in a multi-story home, try sleeping on the lowest floor possible. 

4.) Eat cool to stay cool

It’s not just hot weather that can make us sweat. Avoid generating more heat in your home by opting to cook lighter, smaller meals, and choose cool foods, like fruits, vegetables and legumes, when possible. These foods not only can help to hydrate your body but they also metabolize more quickly than, say, a giant steak. Lower carb foods will make you feel cooler because your body is not working as hard to digest them. Go for fruits -- like pineapple, which contains the enzyme bromelain, that can help reduce inflammation, or citrus, which has a great cooling effect on the body and promotes detoxification -- or dark leafy greens, which are 80-95% water and very easy to digest.

5.) Go natural

We’re not advocating going completely nude in the summer but wearing looser clothing and avoiding synthetic fibers like polyester or rayon is a great way to keep your internal temperature from rising. In general, the less fabric you have touching your body, the better, though if you prefer to stay clothed, any material you’re wearing will be useful in wicking away sweat. Opt for materials like cotton which are much more breathable and will absorb your sweat (don’t worry, it dries faster too).

6.) Rice to the rescue

If you’ve ever felt the blissful chill of ice cubes on a hot day, you’ll be happy to know you can take this feeling with you to bed. Similar to creating an ice pack, if you fill a sock with rice, tie it up and chuck it in the freezer for an hour. The compress will stay chilly for about 30 minutes, just enough time for you to enter dreams of ice cream-eating polar bears. Pro-tip: you can also microwave the rice pack in cold months, when you need a personal heat pack!

What are some tricks you’ve found for keeping cool in the summer? Share your ideas, we’d love to hear them!

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Smart AC Control with Ambi Climate: Timers

In warmer months, our daily habits and routines can change according to seasonal factors. Fluctuating humidity and scattered rainfall can affect our sleeping patterns while long, sunny days might impact how much time we spend indoors. And with summer well under way, travel plans will also play a role on our normal schedules. Life can be unpredictable so having the flexibility to keep things cool only when needed is both important and useful.

We designed Ambi Climate’s timers to give users flexible control in managing their air conditioners. While you can turn your AC on or off while away from your home, with Timers you have the ability to set custom schedules based on your routines. Choose the day, time and mode you’d like to use.

You can set timers for any or all of your air conditioners. Let Ambi Climate automatically turn off your AC when you’re out for work so you don’t waste energy, or schedule to turn on your AC before you wake up, so you don’t wake up freezing cold.

How would you use Timers? Let us know your ideas in the comments section!

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Smart AC with Ambi Climate: Away Mode

Whether you’re on vacation or in the office, Away Mode helps you manage while you’re away

Away Mode helps you take care of the climate at home while you’re out of the house. Set temperature and humidity thresholds and Ambi will make sure your plants, pets and clothes are protected from unwanted moisture and extreme temperatures. 

Ambi Climate has built-in intelligent sensors that measure temperature, humidity, sunlight and motion. Using this sensor data, Away Mode will only turn on your AC when the thresholds are met, and only for long enough to bring conditions back to "acceptable" levels.

Choose a heating, cooling, or drying limit. You can also select a timeout if these settings can’t be reached. Get a glance-able view of Away Mode for any or all of your rooms.

As you use Away Mode, the AI can minimize your energy costs by switching the AC on (or off) only when necessary.  In these situations, Ambi Climate can help to protect your home and belongings from changing outdoor conditions and prevent against weather damage.

We’ve also had a number of users tell us they use Away Mode for turning on the heater in their vacation home, to maintain low temperatures in their summer home and to help them ensure their stored inventory is not affected by high outdoor humidity.

We’d love to hear how you would use Away Mode. Share your ideas in the comments section!

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Smart AC with Ambi Climate: Comfort Mode

For us, truly smart AC needs to offer more than just the ability to turn on your AC from your phone. Ambi Climate learns what you like and is equipped with several sensors -- temperature, humidity, motion, and light -- to monitor your room for changing conditions. Then it automatically adjusts your AC based on these factors. 

Comfort Mode

Holistic AC comfort that goes beyond temperature control

So how do we do this? Our smart modes give you the ability to teach Ambi Climate what you like. Comfort mode is the "smartest" of the three modes. It basically takes over your AC controls and works to maintain what it knows you feel comfortable with, based on sensor readings and external weather changes. With Comfort Mode, the AC will get set to temperatures depending on the target the app has determined it needs to get to.

In the app, use the Comfort index to give Ambi Climate feedback based on the AC settings it has chosen for you. 

If you feel the current settings are too hot, tap the “hot” button. Freezing? Tap the “freezing” button. Our AI learns your preferences in the current conditions and remembers them so that over time, you don’t have to adjust your AC at all.

It takes about 7 days for Ambi Climate to learn what you like. During this week, users are asked to give a minimum of 8 feedbacks in different climate conditions within any of our smart modes so that Ambi Climate can learn and deliver optimal comfort. Whenever your comfort differs from the estimate the app shows you, tap the button to give feedback and let the app know how you feel.

For those interested in the intelligence behind our smart mode, the Comfort Mode model collates all the data into a general model, but is also predicated on paying attention to the user’s inputs and integrating this feedback into our model. 

When a user gives us feedback in the app, this contributes to the intelligent average that provides a more well-rounded model for all our users. The more feedback we receive from our users as whole, the more we are able to learn from the diversity of the data.

By balancing temperature and humidity, and auto-adjusting the AC for better temperature consistency, we’re excited that Comfort Mode has indeed provided greater comfort for our users. 

Have you been using Comfort Mode? Let us know how it’s been working for you!

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The Ambi Climate CES 2016 Recap

Last week we were fortunate to participate in this year’s CES. For anyone with the slightest interest in technology, CES is the world’s mecca for consumer electronics in both size and scope. This year’s show alone boasted 38,000 exhibitors, a level up from our prior experience at trade shows in Hong Kong, like the bi-annual HK Electronics Fair, which attracted a total of 1,040 exhibitors this year at both of its spring and autumn fairs combined.

We knew a show of CES’ magnitude could provide some very interesting leads, and considering the numbers, there’s really no trade show like it. Since it would be our first time attending, we elected to go with the Hong Kong Trade Development Council who organized the CES Hong Kong Pavilion.

In the run up to the show, we weren’t quite sure what to expect. While we’ve participated in a number of startup events and trade shows across Asia, this was our first US trade show. We also found our booth in Tech East was quite far from Eureka Park where the main startup and smarthome exhibits were located. And knowing central HVAC systems are predominantly used across the US, we were unsure how buyers would take to a device that works solely with remote-controlled AC units.

Any uncertainties dissipated once the show started. Despite our location, traffic to our booth was impressively steady and we found many visitors were specially making a trip to Tech East to look for us. We had opportunities to connect with global online retail platforms and meet a range of distributors and business development professionals from leading household brands. We were even visited by C-suite executives representing global white goods distributors and retailers whose annual sales exceed US$100m.

Most buyers appeared to be well-read in IoT product development and retail distribution despite some having less personal experience with remote-controlled ACs. Aside from the US, we enjoyed interest from a wide geographical range of markets including South and Central America, UAE, Europe, Australia, Korea and Taiwan.

For a young startup like ours, CES was a terrific place to get better exposed to the global market. Over the course of the week we networked, gained valuable new contacts, refined our evaluation of potential partners and exposed ourselves to cutting edge innovation. 

As our first event of 2016, CES definitely inspired feelings of excitement among our team, sending us back to Hong Kong re-invigorated at the prospect of new possibilities and by the receptivity of our first product. We’re excited to see how the year unfolds and look forward to sharing our latest developments here!

Never miss an update! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

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The Ambi Climate 2015 Recap

2015 turned out to be a momentous year for us! While it was a lot of work, we came away with many milestones, marking our progress in many areas. Here is a quick recap of what we’ve been up to in 2015:

Fully Redesigned Android/iOS App

Our loyal beta users will remember our “Ambi green” app from last Christmas. We spent 8 months in beta, listening to our users to improve our feature set and finetune the user experience.

With the the addition of our new UI/UX designer, Axel, and our new Android and iOS developers, Tom and Timmy, this year we completely rebuilt both the Android and iOS app, vastly improving the on-boarding process and overall interface. Unlike the beta app, the current app is gesture-oriented, far more responsive and offers a rich user experience through our improved smart modes and additional features such as historical graphs and customization details.

We’ve come a long way from the beta app. Now you can tap the comfort index if you’re too hot or too cold. Ambi Climate listens and adjusts your AC automatically. Set thresholds to automatically manage your indoor climate while you’re away.

More Hands On Deck

In less than one year we grew by 8 people, from a team of 11 to 19. Having additional support allowed us to scale up our production and manufacturing, streamline internal operations and ramp up our marketing and community management efforts. Without our newest team members, we would not have been able to increase our remote support by four times, manufacture over 10,000 units or ship to more than 360 cities.

Accolades and Awards

Julian gives the winning pitch at this year’s RISE Conference.

Having a larger team meant we were also able to mobilize ourselves to participate in various startup events and competitions around the world. In July, we attended our first Web Summit event, RISE, held in Hong Kong, and participated in the PITCH competition where Julian took home the grand prize. We were also honored to receive the Gold Award for Best Smart HK app from the Hong Kong ICT. 

As the RISE PITCH winner, in November we invited to attend this year’s Web Summit in Dublin, and more recently were invited to Jakarta as a finalist in the Samsung Singtel Regional Mobile App Challenge.

Ambi Climate in 39 Countries and Counting!

In the last 5 months, we took the feedback from our beta to test and manufacture our production units, obtaining FCC and CE certification and shipping out over 1000 units to date. With interest from distributors all over the world, especially during our participation at recent trade shows like the Electronics Fair and Global Sources, we’re happy to announce that Ambi Climate will be available at select retail stores in Singapore this holiday season. If you’re at ION Orchard in Singapore, stop by the Challenger Roadshow event before 3 Jan to check out Ambi Climate.

Bring home Ambi Climate today! Visit the Basement Atrium from now until January 3 and bring home ‪#‎AmbiClimate‬ today!

Media Reviews and Positive Feedback

Ahead of our retail debut in Singapore, we received positive media reviews from bloggers and journalists in both Singapore and Malaysia. Most notably we were pleased to find that CNET reviewer, Aloysius Tan, gave Ambi Climate 8.5/10 stars after testing a unit for 3 weeks. Check out his review to read more about his Ambi Climate experience:

“To my surprise, the Ambi Climate does as it claims – the amount of power used when Ambi Climate was active [for seven hours] easily matched that of my regular use, which is turning it off after three hours.”

“After spending about three weeks testing this, I’m pretty much sold on the idea. Given that most air conditioners in Asia are traditional, non-connected appliances, this device is an excellent add-on.”

“The app is simple and easy to use.”

Singapore blogger Jeremy Li of JeremySG also had a favorable experience setting up Ambi Climate, keeping his room comfortable and learning how much AC energy he is consuming.

“After using it for more than half a month now, I find it pretty useful especially when I am in the room working on my laptop or while sleeping. I like putting it in the comfort mode, so I can either leave it to the gadget to decide how cool my room should be.”

“The Ambi Climate also respond when I tap on my original air conditioner remote, taking note what I have told the air conditioner to do.”

“It does helps me to keep in check how much unnecessary cooling and my usual temperature setting to keep me comfortably cooled.”

We are also always delighted to hear how Ambi Climate is working for our users. Alexander found Ambi Climate keeps him and his family comfortable day and night:

2016: Looking Ahead

We hope to release some exciting new feature set updates soon, so please stay tuned. We’ll be heading to CES in January, so if you’re around, please stop by and say ‘hi’! You can find us at Booth 57011 in the Hong Kong Pavilion in Westgate East at the Westgate Resort and Casino.

Wishing you a very merry holiday season!

The Team at Ambi Labs

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The Ambi Climate September Roundup

Between shipping our new Kickstarter production units and traveling around the region for startup events, September shaped up to be a busy month for us. Here are some major highlights from the past month:

Manufacturing and Shipping

In late August we received CE and FCC certification and finished manufacturing. We began shipping our remaining Kickstarter units in batches, ramping up our system slowly to support an influx of ~800 new Kickstarter units, which has entailed greater reinforcement on both the user support end and our server-side development.

CNET Review and NPS

We received a strong review from CNET and a solid NPS score from our users. CNET’s reviewer, Aloysius Low, gave us 4 stars out of 5 after trying Ambi Climate for 3 weeks. He had many encouraging remarks including:

“After spending about three weeks testing this, I'm pretty much sold on the idea. Given that most air conditioners in Asia are traditional, non-connected appliances, this device is an excellent add-on.”

“To my surprise, the Ambi Climate does as it claims -- the amount of power used when Ambi Climate was active [for seven hours] easily matched that of my regular use, which is turning it off after three hours.”

“The app is simple and easy to use.”

“If you live in Asia and want to cut down on your power consumption from turning on your air conditioner to chase away the tropical heat, Ambi Climate is an excellent choice to help you with that.”

We also ran our first Net Promoter survey, a management tool that helps companies to gauge customer loyalty. The average score for B2B is 29 and B2C 32. For an early stage startup, we were fairly pleased with a score of 45 among our users. In comparison to other products, such as the iPhone which scored 67 or Blackberry, which scored 28, our NPS seems to be a healthy reflection of our initial traction and user satisfaction. It’s also a good prompt to continue looking for ways to improve our user experience and product offerings.

Startup Asia Tokyo

In mid-September we headed to Tokyo for this year’s Startup Asia Tokyo conference. Japan has always been a very interesting market for us because of their national energy saving efforts, unique AC usage habits and general awareness of smart technology.

We managed to meet a major Japanese electronics distributor and Japanese mobile carrier for very initial discussions. We also participated in Startup Tokyo’s Startup Investor Speed Dating, which provided a unique opportunity to gain a wide range of insights on our product development and target goals.

After Startup Asia Tokyo, Julian headed to Kyoto for Bdash Camp, Japan’s largest invitation-only conference for local and overseas startups. It was another wonderful chance to learn from other successful startups and network with CXO-level investors, business developers and corporate development executives.

Hong Kong Events

Back in Hong Kong, we participated in a panel on IoT startups in Hong Kong as part of the first ever Made in HK Week, a series of events and talks hosted by General Assembly, featuring Hong Kong born-and-bred brands, companies and startups.

Julian was also invited to speak at September’s Web Wednesday gathering, a networking group with monthly events throughout Asia and Europe. Julian candidly shared our experiences building a hardware startup from the ground up, and touched on facets such as our “Asia-first” approach to solving problems specific to consumers in Asia.

Now that October is here, we’re gearing up for a few more events before the year end including:

35th Hong Kong Electronics Fair Autumn Edition (12-16 October, HKCEC): Julian will be speaking on a panel about IoT and its business applications. If you’re in attending, visit us at Booth CH-M02 in the Smart Tech Zone.

Global Sources - Mobile Electronics (18-21 October): We will also be at the Global Sources Trade Show as an exhibitor. Stop by Booth 9H07 in Startup Launchpad arena.

Web Summit: In early November, Mathis, our head of AI, and Julian head to Dublin for one of the biggest tech conferences in Europe.

As we ship out units, we are already receiving positive feedback about Ambi Climate from our new users. We look forward to sharing these insights and October’s recap with you soon. Stay tuned!

[ambiclimate]

Ambi Climate’s #RISEConf 2015 Recap

Months before RISE landed in Hong Kong, we knew this was going to be a very big deal for Asia, much less Hong Kong. Web Summit, the renowned organizer behind RISE, has put together some of the tech world’s largest conferences, gathering huge names and thousands of founders, developers, marketers and reporters at each event. With an event this big coming to our home city, we had to make the most of it!

We started the week taking advantage of any opportunity to learn from the experts, meet visiting startups and simply enjoy Hong Kong with them - after all, it’s a place we often take for granted!

Once Friday came, we were buzzing with excitement built up from the week’s events. It was a fun experience to see familiar faces we had met over late night #startupsiuyeh and various pre-conference meetups. Moreover, it was truly incredible to have 500 startups from all over the globe gathered right here in Wanchai!

While at RISE, we were able to get acquainted with both startups new to us and catch up with longtime startup companions. Here are a few we wanted to highlight:

Lamplight Analytics - We love what this team is doing in the analytics space: They’re building a powerful platform focused on listening to online conversations happening in Asia!

Nanoleaf - Creators of “the world’s most energy efficient lightbulb”, this team is lighting up the lighting industry. (Pun intended)

Floship - A logistics ally for HK startups! We’ve personally seen how Floship understands the needs of startups. They’ve even helped us with shipping for our own Kickstarter campaign!

Soundbrenner - The team behind one of the world’s most advanced wearables for musicians. Made by musicians for musicians, Soundbrenner has a lot of people talking about their work!

Ezeecube - The makers of the “smart media center”, Ezeecube has been unstoppable since their impressive Indiegogo campaign. Their modular media player is a game-changer.

Dragon Law - Every business needs good legal counsel, especially startups, and Dragon Law has been a great resource for the HK startup community.

For us it was also very cool to see bigger, international startups like Singapore-based TradeGecko, who are tackling the challenges of inventory software, as well as members of Australia’s Xero, the revolutionary cloud-based accounting software for small businesses (like ours!) and New York’s Canary, the Kickstarter-funded wireless security system that has singlehanded changed traditional home security.

We were so excited to meet everyone who came by our booth. We had a range of team members attend RISE (from app development to manufacturing to accounting) so it was a rewarding experience for each of us to share what we are doing at Ambi Labs. In just one day, we met industrial designers from Kiev, engineering students from Hong Kong, property developers from India, and entrepreneurs from Thailand, Indonesia, Israel and more! A big “thank you” to all who came to visit our booth.

We are also happy to share that we won the PITCH competition! We have been completely overwhelmed by the encouragement we have received in the last few days. We were up against stiff competition with Soundbrenner and Prenetics, both of which are HK-based startups with impressive products, plenty of industry experience and passion to match. It was an honor to be chosen for the PITCH finals among Danny and Florian.

We have an outstanding network of support through the HK startup community and appreciate how RISE underscored just how vibrant Asia’s startup ecosystem is. We are also indebted to media like e27, TechinAsia, The Bridge and StartupsHK, who not only covered the PITCH event but covered the entire RISE weekend and have been instrumental in sharing startup stories like ours.

In the next two weeks we’ll be shipping out all remaining Kickstarter units and our pre-order units will be going out as well. #RISEConf came at just the right time, giving us some added momentum to keep moving forward. We really loved meeting so many new faces and can’t wait to have everyone back in HK in 2016!

Images:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/riseconf/

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Our Top 4 Takeaways From RISE

Even though RISE officially starts tomorrow, the days leading up to the conference have been jam packed. On Monday we went to a fireside chat with Web Summit founder Paddy Cosgrove, and on Tuesday, a presentation by the team at Brinc, a Hong Kong-based hardware accelerator. Both were highly insightful for different reasons so we thought we’d share our top 4 takeaways:

1. Try, and try again

Today Web Summit tech conferences attract thousands of attendees each year. But it wasn’t always like this. Paddy shared how his first event was very small. Undeterred, he threw the same event the following year and before he knew it, attendance was exploding.

2. Use your data to pay attention to details

Paddy’s team designs their events to help attendees maximize their time. How? By gathering data and paying attention to details. They use GoPro cameras to observe how people move around the conference venue, then they utilize AI to strategically place exhibitors in areas where they will benefit most.

3. Asia is an exciting place for startups -- especially hardware startups

Both Paddy and the Brinc team vouch for Asia’s undeniable energy. Bay McLaughlin from Brinc said Pearl River Delta’s unparalleled access to logistics and manufacturing make it the most ideal place in the world to launch an IoT product.

4. Understand the ecosystem of your product

If you’re going to create something different, think beyond just your first product, says Bay. Have a product roadmap and figure out how your software or hardware can maintain exponential value.

That’s just the start of it! Here’s what else we have in store for RISE:

We’re pitching at RISE on Friday!

Come hear Julian pitch Ambi Climate (in 4 minutes!) at the Pitch Stage at 10:30am on Friday. There will be a public Twitter vote afterwards - vote for us by tweeting “@ambiclimate for #risepitch”!

Visit our booth on Saturday!

If you’re attending RISE, please come visit us at our booth (B114-1 in the Builders Area) on Day 2! See a live demo of Ambi Climate and get a hands-on look at our app.

Ambi Climate Demo at our HQ

If you can’t make it to RISE, come to our office for a live demo on Friday! Get in touch via [email protected] and we’ll set something up.

Our iOS app will be in the App Store tomorrow!

Check back here for release information - we can’t wait to share the iOS app with everyone!

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8 Insanely Smart Gifts That Connect You To The Internet Of Things

Internet of Things Holiday Gift Guide 2014

IoT friends, quantified self lovers, and all-around connected device enthusiasts, this one's for you. With Christmas right around the corner, we’ve created an Internet of Things 2014 Gift Guide for all the quantified self lovers and their friends and family.

Tons of IoT gadgets exists out there in the wild, so these are just a few of the products we’re really excited about. If you're looking to bring in the new year better health, a better peace of mind, or the opportunity to unleash the tinkerer within, take a look at these connected devices below. We think they’d be great gift ideas for anyone looking for an IoT product to bring in the new year (and after reading this list, you may even want to get something for yourself).

As a significant number of our readers live in Asia, we wanted to provide a list of products that are available or can be shipped within Asia. So, with a few exceptions, most of these products can be shipped to places like Hong Kong, Singapore, and other locations in the Asia Pacific region.

Enjoy!

10 Insanely Smart Gifts That Connect You To The Internet Of Things from Ambi Labs

BEST FITNESS TRACKER/WEARABLE GIFT: Jawbone UP3

It’s impossible to talk about IoT gadgets, the quantified self, and Christmas gifts without bringing up the New Year and your list of resolutions. If better health and fitness are on your list for 2015, the Jawbone trackers are worth looking into. The newly released Jawbone UP3 helps you track your fitness, activity, and sleep with a wearable wristband (and we think it's the best fitness tracker out there).

Why we love it

If you’re a serious athlete or swimmer or want to monitor your heart rate and workouts, UP3 is the device you’re looking for. The UP3 has an increased water-resistance of up to 10 meters compared to the UP Move and UP24 which were only splash proof. The Fitbit Flex can also be submerged up to 10 meters, but isn't designed to track swimming workouts (see “Water Resistance and Swimming”).

The Jawbone UP3 is an upgrade from the UP24 with new features highlighted below.

New Features

1) A wearable heart monitor (Heart Health Monitoring): Jawbone saw there weren't many well-designed updated wearable heart monitors out there, so they created their own sensor platform to solve this problem.

Through UP3’s new multi-sensor platform, this connected device uses bioimpedance technology to measure your respiration rate, galvanic skin response (GSR or skin conductance), ambient temperature, and resting heart rate over time. This means UP3 can track whether your resting heart rate is going up (meaning its at risk for heart disease) or going down (a sign of a healthier heart). To learn more about how the UP3 is a wearable heart rate monitor, visit their blog post here.

2) Learns your habits (Auto Activity Classification): The UP3 learns your habits through different sensors and an accelerometer to analyse patterns in your movement. This helps the UP3 understand how different activities like yoga or swimming impact your fitness.

3) Advanced sleep tracking: The UP3 uses bioimpedance sensors to track your heart rate and skin temperature to understand how well you are sleeping. It tracks your deep sleep and REM cycles.

Where the UP3 stands above competitors like Apple Watch or Fitbit is that its technology is completely dedicated to health monitoring, it doesn't even have a time display.

Another cool feature is that the Jawbone UP has IFTTT integration. This means you could integrate Jawbone Up24 with other IoT tech or smart home devices. Check out the IFTTT blog for ideas like automatically turning on your lights with the WeMo Switch when the Jawbone has logged that you've had enough sleep. The Jawbone has other IFTTT recipes too, like changing your smartphone’s wallpaper when you’ve logged a new mood.

A few things to look out for

These new features cut the UP3’s battery life to just up to 7 days rather than the 14 days of the UP24, however, this is still more than Fitbit’s Charge HR, coming out in early 2015 which will only last 5+ days. Not to mention, most other smart watches with fitness trackers built-in like Android Wear and Apple Watch which will only last 1-2 days before needing to be charged. You can compare Jawbone’s trackers here and decide for yourself which one you like most. 

Where to buy it

If you’re looking to buy this IoT fitness tracker in Hong Kong, Singapore, other parts of Asia or elsewhere, check out their list of retail partners here. You can also look for the older Jawbone Up24 on the Apple Store.

Price $180 USD

BEST SMART WATCH GIFT: Pebble

The Pebble is a smart watch that lets you see your smartphone notifications on your watch and lets you customise the time display along with a myriad of other functions. Thanks to a recent update, the Pebble also allows for passive step tracking and integrates with the Jawbone UP app (on Android/iOS) as well as Misfit. It also is water resistant up to 50 meters as well as has a battery life of up to 7 days. It’s the perfect gift for friends or siblings who are constantly glued to their phone. With Pebble, they’ll only take out their phone when they really need it.

Why we love it

There are a lot of competitors for smart watches, but the Pebble remains a simple and uncomplicated option with long lasting battery life, a variety of colours and wristbands like "Fresh Green" and "Cherry Red," and great third party developer support with hundreds of applications on the Pebble marketplace. It's a simple connected device that allows for a lot of customisation.

And if you’ve been vying for the Pebble for yourself or a friend, the recent price cut puts Pebble on the lists of IoT tech gadgets just under $100 USD, making it a more affordable option for you this Christmas. However, if you are okay with a higher price and looking for a smart watch that will go better with your office attire, the Pebble Steel is an option at $199 USD.

The Pebble's 7-day battery life is also a lot longer than most other Android Wear devices like the Moto 360 and LG G Watch R which only offer 1-2 days of charge.

A few things to look out for

If you're looking for your watch to be a fashion statement, Pebble might not be your best option with the rectangular plastic screen, though it has been called "geek chic."

Where to buy it

The Pebble ships globally.

Price $99 USD

BEST VALUE FOR MONEY GIFT: Tile (APP)

Tile is a great gift for the forgetful person, especially around the holidays when things are a little less routine. Stick it on your keys, in your bag, on your laptop, or on your bike. Tile relies on bluetooth and through an app on your phone, you can find your misplaced or lost things by sound or text clues.

Why we love it

It’s an affordable internet of things gift at $25 USD. If you buy multiple Tiles, the price per tile also goes down. Another cool feature is the Tile’s ability to crowdsource locations for your lost things. For example, if you’ve placed Tile on your bike and you forgot where you locked it, Tile can communicate with all the other Tiles around your Tile and send you notifications of where your lost item might be.

However, this only works if you live in an area with a lot of other people also using Tile. In June, the number of Tile users was approaching 200,000 according to ZDNet. ZDNet also suggests a great idea of having your friends and family who live in the same area as you use Tile so that you can crowdsource the locations of lost things from them.

A few things to look out for

The Tile only works with iOS at the moment, so if your friend’s an Android user, Tile is probably not the best gift for them until the Android app comes out. (However, Tile did recently announce that they will be supporting Android soon starting with the Galaxy S5.)

Also, Tile doesn't have a removable battery, so users won't be able to use it after about a year's time. Another downside is that the Tile doesn’t ship to Asia, but if you’re an expat living in Hong Kong for example, Tile could be a great gift to send your parents, friends, or family living in Europe, the US and Canada, or Australia and New Zealand. Alternative trackers that do ship to Asia are the Pebble Bee and XYFindit.

Where to buy it

You can get Tile shipped to US, Canada, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand through their website.

Price $25 USD

BEST GIFT FOR PET OWNERS: PETCUBE

Petcube is a tiny iPhone-connected cube equipped with a camera, motion sensors, and a laser toy, allowing users to watch over their pets and play with them while they’re not at home.

Why we love it

Petcube not only helps pet owners, but the company has also given back to the community and our furry friends by partnering with animal shelters in the US. With Petcube in animal shelters, app users can play with animals that would otherwise not get a lot of attention.

A few things to look out for

If you're looking for this gift to arrive on Christmas, this might not be it. Petcube will only start shipping in January but can be preordered now on their website.

Where to buy it

You can get Petcube shipped to anywhere in the world through their website. Note: Petcube will only start shipping in January 2015.

Price $199 USD

BEST FAMILY GIFT IDEA: Little Bits

Another family-friendly option may be Little Bits which can be a great gift idea for kids and adults. This company has created easy-to-use electronic modules that snap together so that you can create and prototype different things without having to solder or know how to code (although, you can integrate Little Bits with code if you want).

Little Bits allows you to create DIY electronic projects, perfect for makers, hackers, and those who love to tinker. These are inventions that can start anywhere, from a spoon-connected-device that stirs your apple cider to curtains that open automatically for you when the sun comes up, turning your room into a connected home. Little Bits lets you create little life hacks with ease.

Why we love it

Little Bits is extremely customisable and allows you make almost anything an internet of things device, which gives you the freedom to use it to solve day-to-day problems or even explore your interests.

For example, you can build something with Little Bits to let you know when your refrigerator door has been left open or you can explore interests like music. If you want to get really creative, check out MoMA’s window display made with Little Bits for some inspiration. You may even be looking for an alternative for LEGOs this Christmas, which Little Bits can be; but it can also integrate with LEGOs too. Check it out here.

A few things to look out for

If you’re considering this as a holiday gift idea for your little ones, you may want to look into the reviews to check if your kids are at a good age to enjoy Little Bits, especially for its price. A few reviews on Amazon had some things to say about this.

Where to buy it

Little Bits ships to most countries including those in Asia. It is also available in some stores in the US.

Price

Little Bits has several packages and add-ons. The starter kit is $99 USD. They also have smaller holiday DIY kits like DIY holiday ornaments for $29 USD as well as a smart home kit for $249 USD.

BEST SMART HOME DEVICE GIFT: LIFX

LIFX is an energy efficient light bulb you can control with your smartphone. It’s wifi enabled and multicoloured. You can ease into your morning by using its app to slowly turn on the lights or you can change the mood in the room by changing the colour of the bulbs through your smartphone.

Why we love it

If you’re looking for a way to ease into a smart home this Christmas, LIFX is a good option. These bulbs are supposed last up to 23 years. According to PCMag, the colour is a lot richer and luminosity a lot brighter than alternatives like the Philips Hue. The LIFX also doesn't require an extra hub for control, which is unlike many smart home devices. For example, the Philips Hue needs an extra hub.

A few things to look out for

The LIFX is not compatible with IFTTT which is a major drawback to those wanting to integrate their LIFX with other smart home devices this holiday season, however, the LIFX team says that IFTTT integration should be coming with their new release of the LIFX Cloud according to Smart Bulb Reviews. This IoT device is also a pricier option compared to alternatives like Philips Hue which is $60 USD.

Where to buy it

You can get their bulbs shipped globally online.

Price Normally $99 USD, currently $79 USD for their Black Friday Special.

BEST HOME-SECURITY CAMERA GIFT:  Y-cam Cube HD 720

Home security may be on your mind during the holidays with taking time off and going out of town to visit family. With the number of people coming in and out of your home for dinners and gatherings, you might leave the door unlocked more often than normal. The Y-cam Cube HD 720 camera can be a good solution. You can monitor your home through your smartphone with Y-cam’s iOS or Android app.

Why we love it

Dropcam may be the top home security option on all the review lists right now, but it requires a subscription service for saving video to the cloud which can get quite pricey over time. With Y-cam, you can save the video to your own networks with compatibility with a variety of 3rd party services.

The company also has another product called Y-cam HomeMonitor with 7-day free cloud storage, but HomeMonitor only ships to North American and the EU. We’d suggest Dropcam for those who want a simple solution (you can get it shipped to parts of Asia through Amazon). If you’re a tinkerer and want a more flexible subscription-free solution, try Y-cam.

A few things to look out for

Y-cam Cube HD does ship to Asia, but it may be considered a pricier option to alternatives like Samsung’s Smartcam on Taobao, Xiaomi’s Xiaoyi (Dropcam’s unsurprising doppelganger), or ZMODO’s ip camera (also a variation of Dropcam’s design).

Where to buy it

Ships globally from their website.

Price $262 USD

BEST CONNECTED TOY: OSMO

If you’re looking for a family gift idea, this could be it. Osmo is not technically an internet of things gift, but it's an educational toy that bridges the physical world with the digital one in such a cool way that we thought we'd make it an honorary member of this holiday gift list. Osmo has various games that take place not only on your iPad's screen, but also in the physical world. Osmo comes with 3 games to start with: Tangram, Newton, and Words. For example, with Newton, players can hand draw environments like slopes or slides. Then, falling spheres on the screen will react to the environments as if they were being pulled down by gravity. Players can also put physical 3D objects onto the playing field and have them reflected on the screen.

The Wall Street Journal describes the value of Osmo perfectly as a digital toy that “brings iPad-addicted kids back to real life.” (Of course, Osmo isn't going to replace something like going on a hike, but it is a good alternative for parents who want their kids to spend less time completely absorbed by a screen.)

Why we love it

Osmo is a perfect example of the way technology can be used to transform lives in a positive and meaningful way.

While on the Osmo blog, we saw this letter from Pam, a 78-year-old woman caring for her 87-year-old husband (previously a professor of Optical Sciences) who is now in the early stages of cognitive impairment, possibly Alzheimer’s.

Pam has been using Osmo to help stimulate his brain. She describes using Tangrams and even uploading old photos through myOsmo to help her husband retain or retrieve old memories of his early life and family life.

A few things to look out for

Considering the price, Osmo’s current game selection is limited and could be a downside for anyone looking for more options out of Osmo.

Where to buy it

Osmo ships to Japan, India, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand in the Asia Pacific Region as well as to locations within the US, Canada, and parts of the EU. You can get it shipped to other parts of Asia through the Apple Store. 

Price $79.99 USD

Let us know if you enjoyed our Internet of Things 2014 Gift Guide or if you have any other recommendations for awesome Internet of Things gift ideas.

We’d also love to hear your experience with any of these products! Happy Holidays!

Looking for gifts for makers and hackers? Check out our Brilliantly Geeky Gift Guide for DIY Hackers!

Like this? Then please share with your friends! :)

[ambiclimate]

How Does Ambi Climate Work With Any Remote-Controlled Air Conditioner?

Hi there! We’ve been getting a lot of questions throughout our Kickstarter campaign, and we wanted to take some time to personally answer a few of them.

Check out Part I of our Founders’ Series for an inside look at how we make Ambi Climate work with your AC through infrared codes:

Stay tuned next week to hear from Paul, who will talk about design decisions for our hardware. 

If you liked Part I, please take a moment to share it with your friends! And if you backed us on Kickstarter, don't forget - you can upgrade your pledge by $15 for every friend you refer. Get all the details here. Thanks for watching!

[ambiclimate]

It’s Time To Rethink Air Conditioning.

Over the past two years, we have talked to hundreds of people about one thing: their air conditioner. Our conversations with various individuals all over the world usually reveal some very telling details about how we use our air conditioners.

Some people concede to keeping their AC at one temperature, all year long. Many say they have given up on finding a suitable temperature and resort to switching their AC on and off to stay comfortable. Still others admit to not knowing exactly what all the buttons on their AC remote do. Do any of these tricks or habits resonate with how you use your air conditioner?

Indeed, smart AC units are becoming more widely attainable but in the meantime, many of us must make do with the units we have. For us, creating a path to greater usability was the impetus in developing Ambi Climate. Ultimately, the mechanical limitations of an outdated or ageing air conditioner can lead to poor usage habits and worse yet, compromised comfort.

How many times have you gone to sleep with the perfect temperature only to wake up freezing cold? Or toggled between temperatures to make the room feel "just right"? This infographic is a visual representation of the problems we have found users have with their air conditioner, based on extensive user surveys and academic research. It also addresses the technical limitations of current remote controlled air conditioners in providing optimal comfort. Both are a case for better air conditioning, and for a device like Ambi Climate. 

If you liked this post, please share it with others! Our campaign still has two weeks to go so anything you can do to help us spread the word is greatly appreciated. Thanks for your support! 

[ambiclimate]

How Much Can Ambi Climate Save You On Your Energy Bill?

We’re now in Week 2 of our Kickstarter campaign and many of you have been asking, “How much can Ambi Climate actually save me?” That made us wonder: What would happen if everyone used Ambi Climate? 

We took a moment to crunch the numbers and here’s what we found - check out what could happen if you used Ambi Climate for just one year:

We're almost at our second stretch goal: IFTTT and our open API. It has been exciting to see how Kickstarter backers are broadening the functionality of Ambi Climate. Perhaps you could effectively save even more than $110/year, with some creative protocols or IFTTT recipes.

Check out our Kickstarter campaign if you haven't yet - your support will help us reach our next stretch goal! And let us know if there are questions you have about Ambi Climate, we'd love to hear them!

[ambiclimate]

6 Factors That Impact Your Thermal Comfort

We’re now 3 weeks into our Kickstarter campaign, and many of you have be asking how Ambi Climate really manages to manage your indoor thermal comfort. While our most recent Kickstarter update goes into this topic, we wanted to go a bit more in-depth on our blog.

In this post, we’ll share with you the 6 factors that contribute to your thermal comfort and how Ambi Climate can help set the perfect temperature for you, while saving you energy, money, and time.

Several factors actually contribute to our thermal comfort, and these factors are constantly shifting and changing throughout the day. When your mind is thinking it’s “too hot,” “too cold” or “just right,” you’re thinking about your thermal comfort. Take a look at all the factors that play into your thermal comfort below:

As autumn begins, cooler days start to scatter themselves throughout the week. While outdoor temperatures affect our indoor climate, we rarely remember to adjust our AC accordingly. Gabrielle Ho of Green Sense, said to the WSJ that people just don’t think about it, “they just turn [their ACs] on—like turning on the lights.”

Another factor is radiant heat, which can come from sunlight, electronics, and even other people. It’s the heat that “radiates from a warm object” [1].  This is why a room will feel warmer when you’re having a party or cooler on a cloudy day. Sunlight levels can fluctuate constantly, affecting the amount of heat radiated indoors. In a past post, we talk about how you can place plants in front of sunny windows to normalize the amount of heat coming into your home.

Humidity also has a big impact on thermal comfort. The body sweats to release heat, but when the air is too humid, sweat has a harder time evaporating, and our bodies can’t naturally cool themselves as well.

Did you know that our ACs inherently remove humidity from the air? This is great for summer when humidity is typically highest; but when ACs remain at the same low temperatures into autumn when there’s less humidity around, you may find your indoor climate feeling too dry, so it’s important to adjust your ACs accordingly.

When the air moving around the body is cooler than body temperature, it can help cool the body [1]. Air flow can also help sweat evaporate from the body. This is why sometimes using a fan along with your AC can help you save on your energy costs.

Have you ever noticed feeling colder in the mornings than when you went to bed? This is because our metabolic rate also influences our thermal comfort. The more physical activity we engage in, the more heat we produce, and the more our bodies try to lose this heat so that we don’t overheat [1]. Since most of us move relatively little while we’re asleep, we actually need less AC in the night than during the day.

Clothing acts as an insulator for our body heat and is a major contributor to our indoor thermal comfort. In a past post, we talked about how wearing too much when you sleep can actually spike your energy bill.

Why does thermal comfort matter?

Good thermal comfort keeps our body healthy and even helps our productivity. Andrea Ayres-Deets wrote on Medium that our bodies “fight to maintain 36.7 degrees Celsius (or about 98.06 degrees Fahrenheit) [because] it is the optimal temperature at which your body is able to keep fungal infection away.” Max Nisen at BusinessInsider found that “the further you get from the general human comfort zone (about 64 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit) the more productivity falls.”

Despite the fact that thermal comfort is so important, it’s an issue that hasn’t been dealt with adequately. A Fast Company article found that as much as “60% of workers complained of thermal stress” -- of being “too hot or too cold in their workplace.” With all of these factors in mind, shouldn’t there be a device that takes all of this into account?

While there are many things you can do as an AC user for better thermal comfort and energy savings, it can be time consuming to manually make these changes, and sometimes even impossible for you and your AC to take all of these factors into account to produce your ideal indoor comfort without irresponsibly using energy. Ambi Climate measures the majority of external thermal comfort factors, including temperature, radiant heat, and humidity, and provides other thermal comfort tips to improve your A/C habits, which is why we believe Ambi Climate is an especially poignant device. Check out some of the specific reasons we think Ambi Climate is the perfect solution to your thermal comfort below:

Every Ambi Climate device is equipped with a temperature sensor. Since each Ambi Climate is a standalone device, rather than a wall or AC mount, you can place your Ambi Climate in the middle of the room or wherever you’re sitting so that the device senses the temperature that’s most relevant to you, rather than how hot or cold it is at the edge of the room.

Because humidity is actually better at predicting thermal comfort than temperature alone, the Ambi Climate app can use humidex to interact with our users. Humidex or “humidity index” is one way to measure humidity and temperature. It is the "feels like" temperature that takes humidity into account. For example, when there’s 40% humidity in the air, 30C (86F) will really feel like 34C (93F).

Ambi Climate pulls data from local weather stations in conjunction with its own temperature sensor to calibrate your AC settings for that day. If there is a series of alternating cold and hot days (a common pattern in summer-fall swing seasons), Ambi Climate can automatically adjust your AC with that in mind. Ambi Climate also has a luminosity sensor so it can sense whether or not your specific room gets a lot of sun throughout the day - a contributor to the radiant heat in your room affecting indoor climate. For micro-location, with the smartphone app, Ambi Climate will sense when you’re coming home or when you’re not in the room and adjust accordingly.

We wouldn’t want to forget about the personal preferences of individuals and groups.

Imagine it’s a Friday night and you’re hosting a party. Our algorithms and sensors will notice that you have guests over (noticing a lot of activity is in the room), but that on that day, there was a lot of sunlight coming into the room (via our luminosity sensor). Ambi Climate also notices that humidity was high because it rained (local weather readings and our humidity sensor), and that the room temperature is especially high now because you’re also baking cookies for your party (our temperature sensor). Ambi Mode will take all of these factors into account, and adjust accordingly. Your guests will think you’re the best host ever because they never had to ask you to turn the AC up or down.

Ambi Climate is simple when life’s chaotic.

If you liked this post, comment below and let us know how Ambi Climate would help with your thermal comfort. We’d love to hear what you have to say.

Sources: [1] www.hse.gov.uk

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Order Your Ambi Climate Today: We're Live On Kickstarter!

If you have been following us on social media, you are well aware that we have been working tirelessly on our Kickstarter campaign. This morning it took off with a bang as we watched our Limited Edition Betas sell out before lunchtime and our Super Early Birds disappear not long after. We were even chosen as a Kickstarter Staff Pick!

That's right - we are also ecstatic to share that we are now 122% funded! But that's not the end of it -- we still have plenty in store for our backers. Read our first Kickstarter update with a note from our Julian, our CEO to learn more.

If you haven't yet claimed your own Ambi Climate, don't wait too long -- these units are going fast! Get on Kickstarter and join us in our journey to bring intelligent air conditioning to everyone.