Whoops.Īs for the unit's performance, we came away quite satisfied with the Aros' ability to cool a room ( per Energy Star, an 8,000 BTU air conditioner is best suited to cool about 350 square feet). The Aros comes with easy-to-follow instructions, although they seem to have left out the step where you attach the catches for those ventilation flaps onto the side of the machine. Installation was fairly straight-forward, especially if you've installed an AC unit before. At any rate, you'll definitely want a friend to help you lift the thing into your window. I say "lugged" because the Aros weighs over 60 pounds, which is more or less on par with other 8,000 BTU air conditioners, if not 5 or 6 pounds above average. To test the Aros out, we lugged the thing out to one of our engineer's homes, then installed it in the window of his living room. You'll definitely want a friend to help you lift the Aros up into your windowsill. To me, that seems like an especially smart place for it. That'll make for a nice IQ boost, as IFTTT integration means you'll be able to sync your Aros with popular Web services, as well as other smart devices like Belkin WeMo Switches, the Netatmo Weather Station, and the SmartThings network of sensors.Īdditionally, a SmartThings rep has confirmed to us that, like the Quirky Pivot Power Genius, the Aros will soon be directly integrated into the SmartThings ecosystem via SmartThings Labs. Moving forward, Quirky expects Aros to get a dedicated IFTTT channel in the near future, just like the rest of the Quirky+GE lineup. The fact that I'd be getting those kinds of smarts for a similar price to what I'd pay for a comparable non-smart unit only makes them all the more appealing. Smart Budget in particular seems like a feature that I'd use regularly, as I love my conditioned air, but hate big power bills. If you need to use Aros a little less in order to hit your target, the app will let you know.Īll in all, I came away impressed by what the Aros has to offer. The app will use the usage rates for your specific area to track your consumption as the days go by. Using Smart Budget, you'll be able to tell the Wink app exactly how much you'd like to spend on your air conditioner each month. Screenshots by Ry Crist/CNETĪside from a smart scheduling feature that will let you program the Aros to turn on and off automatically at set times, the other key feature is Smart Budget. The Wink app offers basic remote controls for the Aros, along with advanced smart features. It's a nice feature that you don't appreciate until it's gone, as I learned with Aros. Other apps that use geofencing, like the Revolv app and the IFTTT app, will let you adjust the size of that circle on the map - the area you call home. I only wish that it offered that same sort of customizability over the geofencing distance, which is locked to 100m by default. You can set it to turn off when you leave, or just set it to turn down, for instance. I liked that the Wink app offers full customization over what you want the Aros to do when you exit or enter the area. Most notable among these is Smart Away, which uses geofencing-based presence detection to track when you're home and when you aren't - and turn the Aros on and off accordingly. You'll also find access to the Aros' smart features within the Wink app. Each and every control located on the Aros is also located within the app, so whether you want to adjust the target temperature, change cooling modes, or just turn the machine on or off, you'll be able to do it from your phone. The Wink app offers basic remote controls over the Aros using a display that mimics the face of the machine itself. Leave the Aros running for a few minutes, and the LEDs will turn off for a more inconspicuous look.Ĭonnecting the Aros with the Wink app was a quick, painless process. Those LEDs will change to display the target temperature as you adjust it up and down, then change back to the actual temperature after a few seconds. LEDs on the face of the machine will let you know what settings you're currently running, along with the current room temperature. That's an understandable omission, but I think I'd still prefer to have a dedicated remote for those times when my phone is charging in the other room. One basic difference between the Aros and most other modern air conditioners is that the Aros outsources all remote controls into your smartphone, with no physical remote control for the unit. All three modes are capable of blasting air at low, medium, or high settings. There's a Cool mode for those especially hot days, a Fan mode for basic air circulation, and an Eco mode that alternates between the two. Standout design aside, you'll use the Aros in much the same way you would any other air conditioner.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |