By Andrew Liszewski
When it comes to the technology of Star Trek, I’m not sure if I’d be willing to try out a transporter, but having something like the ship’s computer at my beck and call is right up my alley. And while this voice activated thermostat known as Kelvin is no where near as advanced as the systems on-board the Enterprise, it’s also not a work of fiction. In fact it’s been endorsed by the National Federation of the Blind because it allows the user to program and raise or lower the temperature simply by clapping their hands twice and saying “raise” or “lower.”
It also responds to the word “thermostat” which will trigger Kelvin to vocalize the current time, the current temperature setting and the actual indoor temperature. However, it seems like the voice prompts only work from a distance of about 6 feet away, which I assume is a limitation of Kelvin’s built-in microphone. So while hollering at the thermostat from the living room might not work, I’m sure it’s nothing a simple megaphone won’t fix. Kelvin’s available from Hammacher Schlemmer for $99.95.
[ Kelvin Voice Activated Thermostat ] VIA [ The Green Head ]