Looks like the
Android-toting Cius wasn't the only tablet out of Cisco this week -- the company's also announced a countertop unit for home energy management with a 7-inch, 800 x 480 capacitive touch screen. Running Ubuntu Linux for MID on a 1.1GHz Intel Atom chip, the Home Energy Controller connects to smart thermostats and appliances over 802.11n WiFi or gigabit ethernet using protocols including
ZigBee. It then lets you keep tabs on your electricity usage, and suggests ways you could improve -- assuming you're using the tablet for its intended purpose instead of watching hardware-accelerated videos on Mediafly, browsing the included app store, or (potentially) using it as a phone of some sort.
Forbes reports the device will run $900 per installation, though it's more likely it'll arrive subsidized by a monthly power bill. See it in action right after the break, and hit up that PDF at the more coverage link for a full spec sheet.
posted June 29th 2010 10:48PM
Awesome. It's like a Sony Dash with extra win.
@Brad
Agreed.
I really like the looks of this. It'd be great to see more devices enabled for smart-home features. Some sort of standard that can easily hook in and talk to other devices, etc.
@Brad Cisco in general = win.
Though their cubicle farms are maddeningly quiet.
Meh, at least they are doing good work.
@Brad Okay, either I'm losing my marbles or I just don't get it, but Cisco is selling a $900 Tablet running Ubuntu stripped down to show energy levels only! You're kidding right?
@LDD CISCO are selling are selling a home management system that allows you to see what is burning a hole in your wallet. Then you can use the optional peripherals to control house hold electrical equipment like ones air conditioner so as it isnt running at maximum power in peak hours or when it isn't needed. As power bills climb over the next few years these types of devices will save you a fortune over 5-10 years.
Just what I was dreaming of...
It's definitely.... interesting. Certainly a good concept though.
@Ambient80
A great concept of just wonderful dreams.
Shooting stars, fireworks, and bursting light beams.
Oh wow! They managed a USB and Ethernet port without selling adapters for them. How in the world did they do that?
@Dafrety
Mate this is Cisco of course it has Ethernet, if they were making mobile phones the only problem that the R&D team would have, is how they can fit an Ethernet port in it.
@Dafrety
You idiot. Look carefully, the RJ45 is marked with USB icon, coax power jack is labeled Ethernet. Audio jack's saying it's the power inlet, and USB receptacle looks like it's a new Cisco Proprietary Dedicated Fast Console Serial Access Port.
I'm sure the only recommendation it will give I'd "stop using monitoring appliances that themselves waste energy. Just go turn some shit off."
Hmmm, very soon every touch panel computer/device will be called tablet.
I saw somewhere an analyst said that over the next five years Cisco was one of the five Tech companies to watch. More and more and starting to agree.
Looks like they adopted the design from openpeak
http://www.openpeak.com/OpenFrame7.php
@twelvetribes230 - OpenPeak have been in bed with Cisco a long time. This is from 2005 - http://is.gd/d9vZx
too bad you couldn't just get an app like this on your sony dash and rig an install some other way that was more intuitive. $900 is pretty expensive - i live in toronto, and toronto hydro just released online tools to track your electricity use during different times of the day, which covers a decent part of this functionality. it would be neat if you could schedule it to turn things on and off for you, like vacation timers on steroids, or remembering to turn off power bars for you when you go to sleep so your gadgets aren't sucking phantom power
@HauteTechBlog even better just have an app on your iphone or android smart phone or PC that talks to the power management devices via WiFi->Mains interface. I cant see why one needs a big assed console to be honest when most house holds with this type of disposable income have a PS or Laptop and or a smart phone.
The more zigbee stuff the better. I want my entire house running zigbee units.
OOooh nice :D
Fiasco Systems got into tablets.. I am so happy! Beware iFans, Cisco doesn't joke around (hopefully). I wonder if these tablets will have some sort of IOS CLI hehehe.
*After watching the video*
Very interesting device i think i'll buy it!
@Sor1
IOS doesn't have a CLI of its own it was stolen from the 1988 release of Dungeons and Dragons.
@Zenbillionaire
You just confused me, please explain. How D&D has to do with theCLI of Cisco?
Now is their chance to sell data to every council in every region about different household's specific energy uses.
This is hilarious. A $900 power monitor? Is cisco out of its mind? OOH! It runs linux! Cool!
If there were ever a solution in search of a problem, or a product in search of a market, this would be at the top of the list.
What a complete and utter joke.
@Zenbillionaire
Guess you skipped over the "subsidize" part of the article.
Okay, either I'm losing my marbles or I just don't get it, but Cisco is selling a $900 Tablet running Ubuntu stripped down to show energy levels only! You're kidding right?
I don't think CISCO is getting it. People buy iPad for it's thin design and apps. This thing is huge, underpowered for the OS it's running and it doesn't even look like a computer. Looks worse than my 10" Samsung picture frame.
@bathellfire It's not a tablet.
@bathellfire I don't think *you* are getting it, dude.
Two tablet thingies in one day! Wow! Now how about an Android iPad competitor now Cisco?
@ohnoitsaspider
The Cisco Cius runs Android
Why do they use at Atom processor, why not something more power efficient?
I have spent time getting my annual consumption down to 1000 kWh per annum, the 20W Cisco Meter would add 17% to my annual energy usage!!!!!!!
It is a waste to me.
Sorry but the main screen looks like the iPhone. Go to 3:05.
Sorry 1:24