Is This the World’s Smartest AC Unit?

The Nest of cooling your home is here

June 8, 2016 9:00 am

Todd Barry on air conditioners:

“I have friends who claim they don’t like air conditioning. ‘Oh, it’s hot in here.’ *Click.* ‘Now it’s cool in here. You’re right, that does suck.’ It reminds me of a time when I was hungry and ate that food.”

But the average AC unit can still use some major improvements — which is where Noria comes in.

Like Nest, Noria is a design-forward, space-efficient “smart” device for you home.

At approximately thirty pounds and less than six inches tall, the svelte design was built to address all the problems with current air conditioners. It’s easy to install and store, and won’t block the view from your window.

Using an integrated smartphone app, you control Noria (or multiple Norias) from your phone. That means you can schedule Noria and return to a cool home without running your electricity all day.

But the clever design and app integration aren’t the only advantages it offers over other units. With the press of a button, you can turn off the compressor and bring in fresh air on cool nights, and an internal thermostat stops the room from getting too cold while you sleep. It’s also caveman-easy to use, letting you control the temperature without any fussy modes or settings.

The Noria Kickstarter campaign just ended, raising $1.4 million — five times the original goal. But a $299 donation to Noria’s newly launched Indiegogo campaign will still get you a unit, and according to Justin Bain, CFO & Treasurer, it’ll be available “throughout the summer.”

To buy, at least. Noria is estimated to be ready for shipping by April 2017.

Right in time for next year’s hot summer months.

—Rebecca Klar

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