Product Description

Window units used to cool spaces can now have the automation and monitoring capabilities offered for centralized air-cooling systems. Aros, which is the latest product from a product-design partnership between Quirky and General Electric, is a smart thermostat that turns a technology that trends less-energy-efficient into the latest gadget to join “the Internet of things.” Designed for use in rooms measuring approximately 350 square feet, the 8,000-Btu unit distributes cold air from its top rather than its front. The concept was devised through Quirky’s crowd-sourced product development process and initiated by a former U.S. Department of Energy executive. The Wi-Fi enabled unit can be controlled using a related smartphone app that monitors cooling costs and recommends settings to help users stay within a budget.