Amazon teams with Tado to provide Alexa support for its smart air conditioning units

As it nears its two-year anniversary this November, Amazon’s Echo has steadily planted itself into millions of homes across the country due in large part to its wide-ranging feature set. Capable of working with a variety of smart-home hubs, thermostats, and even light bulbs, Amazon just announced it’s adding yet another feather to its already impressive cap: Tado Smart AC control compatibility. A groundbreaking move for both parties, the collaboration represents the world’s first hands-free air-conditioning solution for owners of remote-controlled AC units. In other words, there’s now no need to peel yourself off the couch to turn on your AC this summer.

For those unaware of Tado and what it offers, the company — and more specifically, its Smart AC Control — provides those living in apartments or houses without central AC the ability to not only enjoy on-demand cold air but a system which automatically detects when its users are nearby. For instance, as soon as someone gets near a room controlled by Tado, the device kicks on and adjusts the area’s temperature accordingly. Moreover, when owners are away from their residences, the Tado conserves a significant amount of energy by essentially shutting itself off.

Tado

“The integration of Tado with Amazon Echo addresses the millions of homeowners and tenants that don’t have central air,” said Tado CEO and co-founder Christian Deilmann. “We’re thrilled to expand our relationship with Amazon to bring greater control, convenience, and savings to the connected home.”

What makes the Tado particularly smart is its connection to local weather stations and utilization of adapting algorithms to correctly adjust temperatures based on the exact weather each day. Owners even have the ability to raise or lower the temperature of their home via a few quick swipes on their smartphone, no matter where they’re located at the time. Concerning the partnership with Amazon, a simple voice command to Alexa activates Tado and allows for the adjustment of temperature.

For years, Tado has partnered with Amazon as one of its major retailers so it seems a partnership utilizing Amazon’s Echo devices was inevitable. Though no exact date was given, it’s assumed owners of Amazon’s Echo and a Tado Smart AC Control can make use of this collaboration immediately.

from Planet GS via John Jason Fallows on Inoreader http://ift.tt/290sYew
Rick Stella