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LED LIGHTING REVS HIT $15.4 BIL IN 2014, GROWING TO $22.1 BIL BY 2019, PENETRATION SLOW BUT HIT 5% IN 2014 AND 52% BY 2022

 

Analysts led off the Plenary Session on each day of Strategies in Light, reports MAURY WRIGHT, with growth projections for both packaged LEDs and lighting products slightly lowered relative to the 2014 presentations.

 

FIG. 1. Senior Strategies Unlimited analyst Stephanie Pruitt presented the research firm’s latest data on the packaged LED market.

The Strategies in Light (SIL) 2015 conference, held Feb. 24–26 in Las Vegas, NV, featured Plenary Sessions anchored by Strategies Unlimited market-research presentations on each of the two main-conference days. Strategies Unlimited Senior analyst Stephanie Pruitt reported that packaged LED revenue hit $15.4B (billion) in 2014 and projected growth to $22.1B in 2019. Philip Smallwood, co-chair of SIL and director of research at Strategies Unlimited, reported that LEDs penetrated 5% of the lamps market in 2014 and projected 52% penetration by 2022 based on units shipped. Smallwood reported LED penetration in luminaires at 33% in 2014 and projected 69% penetration by 2022.

Generally, the market projections were positive, but growth rates in terms of revenue were slightly down from the 2014 data (http://bit.ly/10zl855). We will discuss the new data in detail including reasons for changes that range from packaged LED prices dropping faster than expected to new methods of modeling the lighting market that have been instigated by Smallwood in the research program.

Packaged LEDs

The packaged LED presentation is directly comparable to the data presented last year as the methodology remained consistent in the component area. Still, there is one caveat. Pruitt presented preliminary data. The actual data will not be finalized until April when the report is due for sale (after this article was written). So beware of some changes, although we’d expect them to be minor.

Pruitt took the stage on day two of SIL (Fig. 1) and compared data in the most recent years. In 2014, Strategies Unlimited projected a 13% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for LED revenue through 2018. Pruitt said the new data suggests an 8% CAGR through 2019. The lower growth, however, is not in any way indicative of the research team expecting fewer LEDs to be sold. But LED component prices are eroding faster than expected. Moreover, parts of the LED forecast are driven by research on the lighting market, and Pruitt said the new forecast is "more conservative than last year due to lighting research" — in part the new models mentioned earlier.

Indeed, we can already see slower growth in revenue numbers reported for 2014. Pruitt said LED revenue grew from $14.5B in 2013 to $15.4B in 2014. That’s far lower than the 13% projection from last year. In fact, the 6% growth from 2013 even lags behind the new projection going out to 2019.

But before we delve into more details, let’s discuss the methodology of the packaged LED research. As with previous years, the scope includes all packaged LEDs but not bare LED die or chips. It certainly does include package-light LEDs such as products based on chip-scale packages (CSPs). We covered the CSP trend in our report from the LightBuilding event in Frankfurt last year (http://bit.ly/1mTY7Br), and there is much more in our conference keynote coverage in this issue (see p. 43).

The research is focused on revenue and not number of LEDs shipped or sold. The report covers products ranging from very-low-cost, low- and mid-power LEDs to the high-power LEDs that have been most prominently used in lighting until recently when mid-power LEDs entered that space. The scope also includes super-high-power LEDs, primarily chip-on-board (COB) products. Strategies Unlimited now also publishes dedicated COB LED research (http://bit.ly/1IgdBre).

The segmentation of the packaged LED market also remains largely consistent with prior years. The 0.5W dividing line between the mid- and high-power segments remains. But that line may create ambiguity in some of the data where applications are dissected relative to the types of LEDs used. Many LEDs that look like traditional mid-power devices in plastic packages with no secondary optics can be driven at levels of 1W and higher today.

FIG. 2. The packaged LED market grew by $800M from 2013 to 2014 with lighting applications leading the charge.

Application segments

The projected 8% CAGR through 2019 will lead to a packaged LED segment that totals $22.1B. Let’s look at the applications that will drive such growth and the nearand long-term prospects and trends for each. The primary application segments include:

• Displays/backlights
• Mobile
• Signs
• Automotive
• Lighting

Fig. 2 depicts the segments and the recent growth or decline in each segment from 2013 to 2014. As you might expect, lighting will remain the largest growth segment for the foreseeable future. Two years ago, Strategies Unlimited reported that general lighting had become the largest consumer of LEDs by revenue (http://bit.ly/1jD9DNa). Previously, the display-backlight sector had consumed more LEDs by revenue. Still, all of the applications listed above consume copious amounts of packaged LEDs.

FIG. 3. The display-backlight market for LEDs is in decline but is still significant.

Display backlights

Indeed, the display-backlight market for TVs and computer monitors remains robust and likely consumes more individual LED components that any other application. But the LEDs utilized are generally low- or mid-power LEDs and are among the most-commoditized products in the packaged LED space.

FIG. 4. LED revenue related to mobile devices is declining with falling LED prices.

In terms of revenue, the display sector is already in decline from $2.6B in 2014, as detailed in Fig. 3, with a -5% CAGR projected through 2019. The display sector will not suffer from the same type of saturation as the lighting sector that we will discuss later. Now the backlight segment is fully saturated, but consumers continue to buy new and better TVs or monitors. Still, LEDs used in displays will continue to fall in price. At the same time LEDs get brighter, resulting in fewer LEDs being required per display in some cases.

Pruitt noted, however, that technology innovation in the TV space could significantly impact the projection. Specifically, a larger-than-expected transition to 4k-pixel TVs, sometimes called ultrahigh-definition TVs (UHDTV), could result in more LEDs being sold into the application. Such higher-end TVs would almost assuredly rely on localdimming implementations where individual LEDs light a smaller area of the overall screen to provide optimum contrast ratio. Conversely, were an OLED manufacturer to solve the manufacturing issues with large screens, allowing that technology to drop in price, fewer LEDs might be sold into backlighting.

FIG. 5. The interior sub-segment of LED usage in automotive is saturated, but great growth potential awaits on the exterior.

Mobile devices

Moving to LED revenue in mobile devices, we find yet another application in decline. Fig. 4 depicts the details of the -5% CAGR projected by Pruitt through 2019. Still, the raw numbers are impressive. Mobile devices consumed $2.8B worth of LEDs in 2014 and the projection calls for around $2.1B in 2019.

The reasons for the decline in mobile are in part similar to the decline in displays, but OLED technology plays a larger role. The mobile market is nearly saturated, but the upgrade cycle continues to drive the sale of new devices. However, price erosion is heavy in the LEDs used in mobile devices for backlighting or lighting the keypad.

Moreover, OLED technology is already being used broadly by vendors such as Samsung in smartphones. LED revenue specifically for the phone market will go from $1.3B in 2014 to less than $1B in 2019. Declines in tablets and other mobile computing devices will be shallower.

Last year, we reported that expanded camera functionality in mobile devices was driving the need for more and higher-quality LEDs for both forward- and rear-facing camera-f lash functionality. Indeed, we covered that technology trend in our report on the conference sessions at SIL 2014 (http://bit.ly/1kXzh1e). Pruitt did not address the flash sub-segment in her SIL presentation, but that data will likely be included in the final LED market report due in April.

Pruitt also suggested that as with the display market, a transition to higher-resolution screens in mobile devices could positively impact the revenue for LEDs in the mobile segment. There will be some level of penetration of UHDTV technology even in the smaller devices as screen technology continues to improve.

FIG. 6. Exterior applications, especially in headlamps, will drive the growth of LED revenue in automotive.

Automotive and signage

Moving to areas of growth, automotive is probably the packaged-LED application with the greatest growth potential outside of general lighting. As Fig. 2 indicates, the sector experienced 10% growth between 2013 and 2014. Moreover, Pruitt projects 10% CAGR through 2019 as depicted in Fig. 5, with revenue going from $1.8B in 2014 to $2.9B in 2019.

FIG. 7. Lighting, and specifically general illumination, holds the greatest revenue potential for packaged LEDs. In 2014, general illumination accounted for 75% of the lighting market.

The automotive application includes both exterior and interior lighting. The dashboard sub-segment of interior automotive lighting is fully saturated. We will see more in-cabin use of LEDs for ambience including color-tunable lighting products. We covered an Osram Opto Semiconductors product designed for just such applications more than a year ago (http://bit.ly/1BJr2w0). But the LEDs used in automotive interiors will mostly be commodity products and falling component prices will keep interior revenue relatively flat.

The exterior automotive application, however, still has a lot of room to grow with penetration remaining relatively low in head-lamps. Moreover, the value proposition is twofold. Automakers will adopt LEDs for headlamps in mainstream cars to leverage the low power and long life inherent in LEDs. High-end vehicles will carry LED headlamps with functionality such as steered beams that can’t be realized with legacy sources.

Fig. 6 shows that LED revenue is projected to grow by 15% through 2019 in the exterior sub-segment with LED revenue in just that sub-segment exceeding $2B by 2019. The biggest growth will come in headlamps with that specific application consuming nearly $1B by 2019. Stop-and tail-light revenue will be the other high-growth area as automobile manufacturers add functionality in that application.

Signage is yet another LED application that is projected to grow. Pruitt reported that LED revenue in the application totaled $1.7B in 2014. Projection of an 11% CAGR will take the market to $2.9B in 2019.

 

FIG. 8. The Strategies Unlimited forecast states that 86% of the lighting market will be general illumination in 2019, and replacement lamps are expected to be the top consumer of LEDs by a wide margin.

General illumination

Lighting — specifically general illumination — however, will provide the real lift in LED revenue for the next five years. LED revenue in the lighting application totaled $5.3B in 2014 with 75% of that total dedicated to general illumination (Fig. 7). Retrofit lamps account for nearly half of the 2014 LED revenue in lighting. Pruitt projects a 14% CAGR through 2019, consuming more than $10B in LEDs for lighting.

Fig. 8 provides more details on the projection with general illumination accounting for 86% of the LED revenue by 2019. At the end of the projection, LED revenue for replacement lamps will grow to $6.6B with that application remaining well over half of the lighting consumption base. The other or non-general-illumination segment is the next largest in aggregate at $1.5B in 2019. That category, however, comprises a wide variety of small subsegments including entertainment, architectural, retail display, consumer portable, safety and security, off-grid, and strip and string lighting. Outdoor is the second largest general-illumination sub-segment today and in 2019 growing to consume $815M (million) in LEDs.

FIG. 9. The high-power LED segment will decline as a percentage of the total revenues of all LED classes.

LED types in lighting

Pruitt dug deeper into the LED market data relative to lighting applications. For example, Fig. 9 breaks down the total lighting application by types of LEDs used through the five-year forecast. The details rely on the aforementioned categorization of LEDs by power rating.

At first glance, the data is surprising. We’ve been hearing for several years about the rise of mid-power LEDs in a greater number of lighting applications. But the forecast projects that the mid-power share remains near-constant as a percentage of the total market. Still, the escalating overall market will take mid-power revenue from $1B in 2014 to $1.8B in 2019. But why doesn’t mid-power represent a bigger share percentage-wise? The answer is that many LEDs that are based on typical mid-power technology platforms operate well in excess of 0.5W today and are actually captured in the high-power segment.

FIG. 10. All classes of power LEDs will see growth in replacement lamps.

Despite the inclusion of some super-charged mid-power LEDs in the high-power category, that high-power segment will decline as a percentage of the total, as you can see in the chart. The super-high-power category composed primarily of COB LEDs will enjoy the biggest gains percentage-wise. That gain is due to a couple of primary factors. Price erosion is much lower in both high- and super-high-power LEDs relative to low- and mid-power LEDs. And COBs are much simpler for many lighting manufacturers to work with given that the LEDs have a single electrical interface and can be more simply mounted in a design. Moreover, optics manufacturers have made great progress in lenses for the relatively-larger COB LEDs, as was evident in a recent feature article on optics (http://bit.ly/1CDtat3).

FIG. 11. Mid-power LEDs will do especially well in commercial luminaires and specifically the troffer application.

In her SIL presentation, Pruitt also characterized types of LEDs used in specific applications, and a couple are of particular interest. Fig. 10 depicts the LED segments relative to replacement lamps, including A-lamps, directional lamps, and tubes. Arguably, replacement lamps are the most cost-sensitive portion of the general illumination market. Yet in terms of percentage of the LED market, high-power LEDs will remain predominant in the application. Moreover, COB revenue will grow at a higher rate than either the commodity mid- or low-power LEDs.

FIG. 12. LED revenue will continue to ramp in outdoor applications with the most growth coming in chip-on-board (COB) LEDs.

Mid-power LEDs will make the greatest gains in the commercial sector, as documented by Fig. 11. Ceiling troffers are widely used in the commercial sector. And LED-based luminaires that are focused on the traditional rectilinear troffer form factors are a good match to mid-power LEDs. The LEDs are applied in a linear fashion with the components closely spaced for even illumination.

The outdoor segment is one where COBs will really shine, according to Pruitt’s forecast. Fig. 12 shows highpower LED usage remaining relatively flat in outdoor applications while COBs ramp considerably. We’d speculate that the improved COB optics mentioned earlier will be a driver for the success of COBs in outdoor applications. In the past, luminaires that used COB LEDs relied on reflector-based designs for beam control. The new lenses can enable far superior beam control that had been only achievable with smaller sources.

Lighting market data

Now let’s transition to an examination of market data centered on lighting products presented in the Plenary by Smallwood on day one of SIL (Fig. 13). The presentation was entitled "How big can the LED lighting market get?" Smallwood addressed both the lamps and luminaires markets.

Smallwood moved into a leadership position in the Strategies Unlimited lighting practice in late 2013. He has since revamped the approach that the firm takes to characterize the lighting market. The research has been expanded to cover lighting products based on all types of light sources — not just LED-based products. The data is segmented for form factors and applications. And Smallwood has led development of a market model that can yield regional geographical segmentation of the market. Smallwood also said the new approach will enable more accurate prediction of saturation by long-life, LED-based products and the coincident shrinking of market potential.

FIG. 13. Philip Smallwood of Strategies Unlimited presented lamp and luminaire market research at Strategies in Light.

Starting with the lamps market, Smallwood said there are around 45B installed lamp sockets in the world with that number only growing incrementally in the coming years (Fig. 14). Today, 9B incandescent products are installed in those sockets with that number projected to fall to less than 2B by 2022. Smallwood’s projection shows that linear fluorescent and compact fluorescent (CFL) technologies will remain prevalent through 2022. Primarily, LED-based replacement lamps will replace the incandescent incumbent with some displacement of fluorescent and halogen technologies.

FIG. 14. The global installed base of lamps will remain a mix in terms of light-source technology through 2022.

Recognize, however, that there is a vast difference between the installed base and shipments of lamps throughout the forecast period; Strategies Unlimited’s new model allows the analysts to report both, and by region or globally. For example, Fig. 15 depicts the difference in the North America region specific to A-lamps. The installed base chart on the left of Fig. 15 shows a strong presence of incandescent products, whereas shipments of such products will drop precipitously as LED lamp shipments continue to rise.

FIG. 15. The installed base of incandescent A-lamps in North America will decline slowly, whereas new shipments of such products have already plummeted as LEDlamp shipments rise.

Smallwood reported that LED lamps represented 5% of the overall 2014 market globally. He projects that penetration to rise to 28% in 2018 and to 52% in 2022. Those numbers may sound low, but remember the total lamp market includes tubes, and fluorescent technology will remain a major player. Indeed, Smallwood projects that fluorescent tubes will still account for more than 20% of lamp shipments in 2022.

Ironically, Smallwood also reported a very bullish outlook for LED-based replacement tubes as he broke the data down by type of lamp. Smallwood admitted that he never believed the concept of an LED-based replacement tube to be a very good idea relative to products such as integral, LED-based luminaires. But the research indicates that the market will heavily rely on such tube products primarily because of the ease of retrofit. Smallwood projects a 29% CAGR for tube shipments through 2022, although the growth will flatten at the end of that period as sockets are saturated.

Overall saturation will be felt far more acutely. Total lamp shipments will decline by 44% through 2022. Other than the tube market, all of the other lamp types will be in decline in terms of units shipped by the end of this decade.

FIG. 16. Global lamp revenue will peak in about four years as socket saturation with long-life LED-based products takes place.

Still, the lamp market will remain sizeable in terms of revenue. Fig. 16 shows the lamp market charted by revenue and segmented by light-source technology. Revenue will peak at $21B in 2018 but still reach a hefty $16B value in 2022.

Smallwood also covered the luminaires space. And the Strategies Unlimited team has developed a far more granular model for the broad luminaires segment. The team is now segmenting the market by different types of fixtures including:

• Downlights
• Troffers
• High bays
• Suspended pendants
• Tracklights
• Street lights

Moreover, the new model includes the ability to sort the data by application including retail, office, hospitality, and more. The two types of segmentation can be applied individually or together. And in terms of LED-based fixtures, Strategies Unlimited is separately tracking fixtures that use LED-based replacement lamps and fixtures based on integral, LED-based designs.

In 2014, the combination of both types of LED fixtures represented less than 4% of the total luminaire market in terms of the installed base. But again installed base and shipments differ. Fig. 17 provides an excellent picture of both market size and the light-source technologies that will ship in luminaires. Luminaire revenue will only ramp from $59B in 2014 to $66B in 2022. But as mentioned at the beginning of the article, 69% of the luminaires will be LED-based in 2022

FIG. 17. The global luminaire market will grow slowly through 2022, but LED-based products will represent an increasingly large share of that revenue.

Smallwood closed his presentation with some interesting thoughts. He said,

"The lighting world has accepted that LEDs are the future,"

Still, he characterized the transition as an evolution from the filament to LED sources. He added, however, that there is a revolution afoot in addition to the changing light sources.

Smallwood said.

"The revolution is the ancillary products and technologies such as networks and controls that are coming along with LED lighting."

Smart lighting based on sensor-driven autonomous or programmatic controls is a good example. Smallwood also suggested that the revolution will deliver "lighting with a purpose." He said lighting will specifically target needs such as human well-being, productivity, security, and safety.

Smallwood asked the audience,

"Would you ever have thought Cisco would present a keynote at Strategies in Light?"

Indeed, that company did. For coverage of that keynote and other high-impact keynote speakers, see our feature article on p. 43

COMMENTARY:    Convincing consumers to switch to LED lighting is an interesting proposition. On paper, it seems a no-brainer: LED lighting uses 80 percent less energy than traditional lighting, and when used with energy management tools such as automatic on/off switches and dimmers, energy consumption can be reduced about 40 percent further.

Moreover, an average LED light can last up to 22 years – as opposed to an incandescent bulb that lasts for only six months. Unlike compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFL), the corkscrew bulbs, LEDs do not contain toxic mercury. The EPA website outlines the steps necessary to clean up a broken CFL bulb safely. After reading this, consumers might want to buy a hazmat suit in preparation. All these factors add up to one great product for the environment – energy savings, landfill reduction and the elimination of toxic materials.

When summarizing all of economical and environmental advantages related to LED lighting, it seems like a rational choice to switch over immediately to LED lights. So why aren’t people rushing to retrofit their homes? What can the lighting industry do to incentivize the average person to “do the right thing” and install LED lights in their home and offices?

The introduction of traditional CFLs left a very negative impression with consumers, who did not like their odd corkscrew shape, delayed warm up time, light quality or the occasional buzzing sound they emitted. To balance against this negative image of alternative or green lighting, LED lighting manufacturers have to reassure the public that their products are easy to use, are affordable and, furthermore, delight the public with new must-have features. Here are some steps manufacturers can take to make the public embrace the evolution to LED lighting.

The transition to LEDs is, literally, as easy as changing a light bulb, provided the LED lighting is compatible with the existing lighting infrastructure in homes and buildings. First of all, the bulbs have to have a similar form factor to traditional bulbs and fit into existing light sockets. Additionally, in the United States, there are more than 150,000,000 dimmers installed – a type of switch with which LED lights traditionally have not worked well. Some early users experienced poor performance using LEDs with dimmers including reduced dimming range, flickering, turning off unexpectedly and not responding properly to on/off commands when dimmer is set at lower dimming level.

The initial purchase price of LED lights is expensive when compared to other types of bulbs. An incandescent bulb costs less than a $1, while a CFL bulb costs around $1 to $2 depending upon whether or not it can be dimmed.  An average LED light to replace a 60W incandescent bulb, however, will set consumers back approximately $23. Even though it can be easily demonstrated that the $23 LED light bulb is the cheapest alternative in the long run, based on its life span and operational costs, the average person will balk at making this investment. A key factor that drives consumer acceptance of new technologies is to bring down costs to the threshold, say $10, that spurs mass adoption. LED manufacturers need to find ways to lower the price of their products.

 

The LED industry has to educate the public about benefits of LED lighting and especially the language or lingo of LED's.  

Contrary to common belief, wattage isn't an indication of brightness, but a measurement of how much energy the bulb draws. For incandescents, there is an accepted correlation between the watts drawn and the brightness, but for LEDs, watts aren't a great predictor of how bright the bulb will be. (The point, after all, is that they draw less energy.)  

For example, an LED bulb with comparable brightness to a 60W incandescent is only 8 to 12 watts.  Instead of using wattage a different form of brightness measurement should be used: lumens. The lumen (lm) is the real measurement of brightness provided by a light bulb, and is the number you should look for when shopping for LEDs. For reference, here's a chart that shows the watt-lumen conversion for incandescents and LEDs.

 

 

Courtesy of an article appearing in the May 2015 issue of LED Magazine, an article dated May 8, 2012 appearing in Forbes and an article dated March 26, 2013 appearing in CNET

GOOGLE BUYS THERMOSTAT MAKER NEST FOR $3.2 BILLION AS PART OF A STRATEGY TO ENTER THE SMART HOME AND SECURITY MARKET

After 12 years at Apple leading the design of the iPod and iPhone, Tony Fadell told his friends and family he was leaving one of the most valuable companies on the planet to make thermostats. (Could there be anything less glamorous?) Not surprisingly, his move elicited a collective, “Are you insane?” 

But yesterday Google announced it was forking over $3.2 billion in cash for Fadell’s company, Nest, which makes a smart device called the Learning Thermostat and a smart smoke detector called Protect. Not such a crazy move after all. 

Contemporary Kitchen by Palo Alto Appliances Nest 

Chet Geschickter, an analyst covering energy management at research and advisory company Gartner says.  

“My initial reaction was ‘wow,’ Google would need to sell a lot of thermostats to get that money back, probably too many to validate the price.”

Geschickter believes the move is part of a broader strategy for Google.   He says.  

“They’re probably making a play at what we call the connected home, a ubiquitous networking with low-cost sensor devices, and they’ll start building all different kinds of functionality inside modern domestic environments.  The fact that they paid $3.2 billion for a company created with a very attractive product that’s getting traction — it’s a very large investment, even for Google. My take as an analyst is, this is part of a bigger strategy for home tech.”

But Google is acquiring so much more than thermostats and smoke detectors that go for $250 and $130, respectively.  It’s getting a learning algorithm that’s integrated in Nest products, which interact with homeowners rather than just implementing their commands.  Geschickter says.

“They’re purchasing the customer base and brand name, which Nest has done a good job of popping up very quickly.  When you break it down, there are a couple of different key pieces of intellectual property that have legs.”

Fadell (shown) founded the company with Matt Rogers, another Apple alum.

When a behemoth tech company like Google places its chips on the table, everyone starts to listen, and this could be the big break that the home tech sector has been looking for.  Architect Steven Randel says.   

“I’m really blown away by this news.  I think that Google sees a huge lapse in the technology in this specific area. They’re going to try and move in on it because no one else is doing it. All these different home tech devices, nothing is coordinated together; that’s what Google is trying to go for. You’ll see them begin to integrate all these different devices, and they’ll communicate to one source.”

Home tech writer Mike Elgan points out that Google had actually been working on a smart thermostat of its own and may have abandoned those plans.   He says.  

“The company is interested in home automation and the ‘Internet of things’ because Google’s specialty is better living through algorithms.  The Nest thermostat, as well as the company’s smoke detectors, are intelligent. They learn and adapt. Eventually all these smart things in the home will be connected to each other and to the people who live there through smart phones and wearable computing devices.”

Fadell and Rogers had set out with their company to make home products that users can control with smart phones, but also that learn on their own.  The thermostat, for example, learns homeowners’ living patterns and adjusts accordingly for the just-right temperature — allowing the homeowners to save on monthly energy bills.

Modern Other 

But if Rogers and Fadell gave the fledgling smart-home and energy-management industry a much-needed makeover, Google just gave it an arena in which to perform.  After all, it’s an industry that Geschickter says a lot of venture capitalists have all but given up on.   He says.

“Many of these companies have not done very well.  My prediction was about 60 to 70 percent would be out of business in two to three years. On the flip side, you can call Nest a winning racehorse. This is going to lead to a serious rethinking of the venture community home management automation space. It definitely shifts the playing field.”

The company purchase makes sense. Nest’s relationship with Google goes back to 2011 (decades in the world of Silicon Valley start-ups.) Google Ventures led Nest’s series B and C rounds of funding. Plus, Google isn’t entirely a stranger to the home design industry. 

In 2011 Google retired Google PowerMeter, its flirt with providing a free energy monitoring tool for which users provided smart meter data.   Geschickter says.  

“They couldn’t get any traction with it.  But now it seems they’ve come back around and jumped in with both feet.”

What’s more, in the early 2000s Google acquired a little-known software company called SketchUp, which makes a modeling program that lets architects create quick and easy designs they can share with clients. It later sold the software, but the program is ubiquitous among architects today.  Randel says.  

“Google’s money and power got the name of the product out there.”

Contemporary Living Room by Palo Alto Appliances Nest 

Geschickter believes home security could be the next step for Google’s Nest venture. The home security systems out there — take Xfinity home, for example — are bundled services that include home security, broadband (Internet and cable) and energy management.  He says.  

“It’s a triple play.”

Google could recoup its investment through a combination of product sales and recurring service streams. Again, a push into home security could be the next logical leap.   Geschickter says.  

“If you look at a basic ADT home security service, it’s $20 to $40 per month, plus you have to buy the home security hardware.  There are something like 150 million residences in America. If you get a small percentage paying a subscription fee, that’s good money.”

The move opens up potential partnerships with utility companies, too, Geschickter says. Companies like Opower currently provide utility companies with data about energy usage.   He says.  

“Many utilities in America have obligations to pursue and implement energy-efficiency programs; regulations require it.  So this could be an opportunity for Google.”

Elgan points to other possible opportunities for Google to integrate Next technology in its own initiatives.   He says.  

“There’s some evidence that Google’s Android @ Home initiative will be associated with Google Now, which is its preemptive search engine and virtual assistant.  So, for example, Google Now might help control the thermostat by checking both the weather and also the family calendars — knowing when nobody will be home. It might watch your commute to turn the heat up just in time for you to walk in to a warm house — that sort of thing.”

The NEST app being used on a smartphone to control the NEST thermostat. (Click Image To Enlarge)

But not everyone is welcoming the Google buy with open arms. Questions of privacy have already come up, although Nest said in a statement that its commitment to privacy would not be affected by the sale. One has to wonder, though, what a company like Google will do with the vast amounts of data that Nest products collect. Could we see a future where hackers are able to break into our homes? Or use data to see when we’re away on vacation? 

Geschickter is quick to throw cold water on that fear.    He says.  

“There’s a lot of talk about occupancy and watching patterns and targeting households that appear nobody’s home, but it hasn’t really come to pass yet.  Doesn’t mean it’s not a legitimate concern; it just hasn’t cascaded into some larger event.”

COMMENTARY:    According to the GSMA report "Vision of the Smart Home -- The Role of Mobile in the Home of the Future," connectivity is generally regarded as a high-end novelty in home devices, such as utility meters, thermostats, security cameras, TVs and Blu-ray players, rather than a feature for the mass-market. This view will become out-dated as we move to a future where connectivity is pervasive and embedded in virtually all household devices.  Many analysts believe that the smart home of the future is likely to contain 15 to 30 connected devices and sensors, all linked via a home area network and connected to service providers’ back-end systems and the Internet. Connected devices will range from ordinary household appliances through to solar panels and electric vehicle charging infrastructure that both consume and generate electricity.

The combined revenue from the smart metering, home automation and home energy manage- ment (HEM) segments will be worth more than $44bn in 2016, according to the combined forecasts from market analyst companies ABI and Berg Insight. The overall revenue potential of the smart home, however, will be considerably higher as devices from the entertainment, health and home security sectors also become connected.

Mobile connectivity will be a crucial ingredient in bringing together the different parts of the smart home puzzle. Without mobile networks’ extended coverage, smart home services will only be available in limited locations and will miss the mass-market opportunity. The mobile handset is emerging as a key interface and consumers’ constant companion for remote monitoring and control of smart home services. With deep expertise in technology change management and a long-term technology roadmap, mobile operators are attractive partners for smart device and service providers.

The smart home services market is not an entirely new opportunity. Home automation and home energy management companies already cater to wealthier niches of the overall market. However, in order to put together a package of smart home applications for the mass-market, different providers of devices and services will need to collaborate.  

In some areas, companies from different sectors see themselves competing for “ownership” of the consumer: utilities companies have a route to the customer via smart meters; telcos can base their proposition on broadband hubs and set-top boxes; security companies can leverage connected security systems; and gaming providers can develop new applications for connected set-top boxes. But many of these companies will also need to co-operate to realise the full potential of smart home services. In fact, collaboration will be a must for the success of the smart home services market.

Courtesy of an article dated January 16, 2014 appearing in HOUZZ

IKEA'S CHIC NEW PS COLLECTION CALLS BACK TO THE COMPANY'S RICH 60-YEAR DESIGN HISTORY

IKEA PS Collection for 2012 - Pictures of working people by Anna Efverlund - $39-$99 (Click Image To Enlarge)

IKEA TO ITS DESIGNERS: MAKE OUR OLD STUFF BETTER.

Furniture designers don’t often get the chance to correct their mistakes: Their products are on the market for a couple of years and, with few awesomely popular exceptions, eventually get dropped from their manufacturers’ catalogs to make room for new stock. But Ikea, the go-to big box for affordable Scandinavian design, has given its designers the opportunity to revise their work (as well as that of their predecessors), adding increased functionality and sustainability.   Janice Simonsen, Ikea’s design spokesperson, says.

“[We] challenged our designers to bring their designs forward with innovative products that belong in the future.” 

IKEA PS Collection for 2012 - Bamboo dining table by Jon Karlsson - $179 (Click Image To Enlarge)

IKEA PS Collection for 2012 - Bamboo frame side talbes by Henrik Preutz - $29-$49 (Click Image To Enlarge)

IKEA PS Collection for 2012 - Chest of pine wood drawers by Ehlen Johansson - $399 (Click Image To Enlarge)

The results make their debut at the Milan Furniture Fair as part of the company’s PS collection, a curated series released every three years. This time around, the 60-year-old company decided to revisit its past as a way of creating pieces that address today’s needs for more flexible solutions to small spaces: chairs stack, furniture can transition from indoors to outdoors, a children’s table contains built-in storage, and various products have been upgraded using green materials such as bamboo.

IKEA PS Collection for 2012 - High-back armchair by Ebba Strandmark - $89 (Click Image To Enlarge)

IKEA PS Collection for 2012 - Pendant lamp with LED light diodes by Henrik Preutz - $99.99 (Click Image To Enlarge)

IKEA PS Collection for 2012 - Sofa by Nike Karlsson - $899 (Click Image To Enlarge)

Whereas the brother-and-sister design team Knut and Marianne Hagberg reimagined one of their own designs from the ‘80s, turning a children’s foam indoor chair into a plastic, stackable armchair that can also be used outdoors, Nike Karlsson updated a ’70s metal tube sofa with pocket springs, which not only add comfort but are easy to recycle.

IKEA PS Collection for 2012 - Three pot vertical plant stand by Nicolas Cortolezzis - $39.99 (Click Image To Enlarge)

IKEA PS Collection for 2012 - TV bench by Lisa Widen and Anna Wallin Irnarchos - $179 (Click Image To Enlarge)

IKEA PS Collection for 2012 - Armchair made from wood plastic composite - $59.99 (Click Image To Enlarge)

And while the inspiration for these and the rest of the 46-pieces are from the past, they should not be mistaken as being from another era. Peter Klinkert, Ikea’s PS project leader, says in the press announcement. 

“In the design world, it’s sometimes fashionable to talk about vintage and release new products in old styles.  We always said that we don’t want to relaunch old things. It’s not IKEA PS. It’s not new and developing IKEA onward.”

The PS Collection will roll into stores in August.

COMMENTARY:   Ikea's PS Collection is stylish and chick and priced just right for today's contemporary consumers.  I love the sofa an TV stand the most.  If you have a small space, and don't have a lot of money, IKEA is the way to go.

Courtesy of an article dated April 18, 2012 appearing in Fast Company Design

NEST LABS SECOND-GEN LEARNING THERMOSTAT RECEIVES RAVE REVIEWS, BUT HONEYWELL SUES FOR PATENT INFRINGEMENT

The Nest Thermostat prominently mounted on a wall in a modern day home

THE NEST LEARNING THERMOSTAT, INVENTED BY THE IPOD’S ORIGINAL PRODUCT MANAGER TONY FADELL, IS A GOOD CASE STUDY IN MAKING SMALL, THOUGHTFUL IMPROVEMENTS THAT HELP USERS.

When we first sat down with Tony Fadell, the CEO of Nest and the inventor of the Nest Learning Thermostat, we asked him what made Steve Jobs so great. Fadell is, perhaps, one of the best-qualified people on the planet to answer. He’s the one who first pitched the idea of an iTunes/iPod ecosystem. He’s the one who Steve Jobs hired to bring the iPod to life. And, working with Jobs, he shepherded 18 generations of iPods, and the first three generations of iPhones. At the time, Fadell simply said

"Steve had a way of scoping the problem bigger. He could just look at a problem and find the solution by thinking larger."

Tony Fadell, is the Father of the Apple iPod, and now runs Nest, creator of the Nest Learning Thermostat (Click Image To Enlarge)

That lesson certainly explains how Fadell arrived at the Nest Learning Thermostat, a simple, high-end device which has about as much in common with a regular thermostat as the first iPod had with an iRiver MP3 player. Unlike the thermostats you know, it learns your living patterns and senses whether you’re at home, managing your energy use. Programming it is a matter of adjusting a dead-simple, dial interface. When combined with an iPhone and web app, Nest is a solution to a much bigger problem of how much we know about our energy use, and how we learn about it.

 

But just a few months after the Nest’s introduction, it’s clear that Fadell and his new company also took another Apple lesson to heart: the constant need for tiny tweaks that are laser focused on making the user’s life easier. And also: the need to introduce big changes to the consumer slowly, over time. By looking at how Nest’s second-generation thermostat has evolved, we can see those two crucial ideals at work.

RETHINKING THE SET-UP EXPERIENCE

As Fadell has told Fast Company, one crucial element of its success was that its unboxing experience immediately worked hard to enchant the user with its ease and refinement. It was (and is) the iPod’s very first statement about how the device itself works, and its attention to detail. Along those lines, Fadell’s team made the Nest unboxing and install easier with a custom, ergonomic screwdriver for hanging the thermostat, and a level for indicating whether the device was hanging straight. Fadell told us. 

"This isn’t cheap.  But when you take it out of the box, you want it to be easy to install--at all costs."

Along those lines, the second-gen Nest boasts clever improvements. For one, the connectors on the backplate, which link the thermostat to your HVAC system, have been rethought. Previously, the layout meant that you’d have to push down on the connector with one hand, while threading the wire with the other. (You can see this layout on the left, below.) But the problem was that the push-down tab was too close to the opening for the wires, meaning your fingers would bump into each other. Now, they’ve solved that by placing the push-down tab on the opposite end of the assembly. Check out the new design (on the right below):

Click Image To Enlarge

Another subtle, but rather thoughtful detail that Nest thought about was the actual act of screwing it into the wall. Virtually every home today is dry wall; unfortunately, dry wall is an annoying surface on which to hang things. If you’re screwing into it, you usually have to use an anchor. If you’ve ever used one, you know they’re fussy and messy, and if you don’t get the hole right, you simply tear up the wall completely, leaving behind a divot nearly as wide as an iPod Shuffle. So instead, Nest actually engineered a new type of screw, which can grip into dry wall directly, without needing an anchor at all. Note how widely spaced the threads are. This is so that they can grip into the powdery dry wall, without having it crumble around the screw:

Click Image To Enlarge

To some people, those two changes would seem basic, perhaps even minor. But then again, how many companies can you think of that would spend so much time thinking about how users place their fingers when installing their product, and what the entire experience is like, from the very first unboxing to the screwing-in? As important as those human-centered solutions are, what’s just as important is the fact that they were a priority. Again, how many companies would have even thought to make these changes? And how many would think to release these changes fewer than six months after their first-generation product hit the market?

INTRODUCING BIG SHIFTS SLOWLY

Fadell told us previously.  

"If we’d come out with the iPhone of home-energy management, people would just get confused."

Meaning that if the very first Nest thermostat had boasted all of the functionality and features that Nest plans for it, it would have been too confusing a product to get mainstream adoption. You have to let people buy into a device first, before building a world of functionality around it. Thus, Nest 1.0 was basic by design. And the current generation introduces a far richer set of features. But they live behind some very simple changes to the mobile and laptop apps.

Click Image To Enlarge

Nest clearly wants to move in the direction of becoming not just a thermostat but a central nexus for managing your energy use. (Think here of the way an iPod is not merely a music device but is also connected to a famously well-developed iTunes ecosystem.) They’d like for the thermostat to be a smart device, capable not just of reacting to your commands but helping you live better, using less. Along those lines, look at the new app for managing the thermostat. One bar tells you how much heating or cooling you used on each day. (Green Arrow.) If your energy use is relatively high or low, an icon tells you what was behind the changes. (Blue Arrow.) And if you want to see an energy bar with finer detail, there’s an expanded view that tells you exactly what went on. (Red Arrow.)

USER-CENTERED DESIGN IS THE BEST MARKETING

A skeptic about all of this would point out that thermostats aren’t at all like iPods. You don’t buy them every two years. You don’t want to think about them. They’re designed to be taken for granted. But Nest--along with any top-notch designer--would probably say that wanting to interact with a product is precisely the problem that design is supposed to solve. By offering delight where there was once annoyance, the hope is that you can draw your customers in closer. And once you have them close? Well, look at what Apple did. How many people who first bought iPods then upgraded to iPhones? How many people with iPhones later bought a Macbook Air?

Sure, there’s a sense in which the Nest seems almost over-designed--all of this care for a one-time experience of screwing it in might seem excessive. But the fact is that user-focused design is also a form of good will--and a better sort of marketing than any ad could ever be. What happens if Nest starts creating all kinds of other products, for keeping track of your home or, hell, even managing your entertainment and utility bills? Consumers won’t forget the experience they had. And it will sell them on the next new thing.

COMMENTARY:    I first covered the Nest Learning Thermostat in a blog post dated October 26, 2011, and was very impressed with the amount of venture capital (estimated at $50 to $80 billion) that Tony Fadell had raised from VC's, including Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Myers.  You see folks, it helps to be a former Apple alumnus and creative genius behind the iPod.  I described Tony's new thermost as a "hot idea, whose time has come."  Was I right?   

I don't have any sales figures to give you, as Nest is very glum on this topic.  

The Reviews

The Nest Learning Thermostat reviews are very good to excellent:

The N.Y. Times says:

"The Nest is gorgeous, elegant and very, very smart."

Slate says:

"If you're in the market for a new thermostat, get this one."

Amazon.com listed 24 reviews averaging four stars (out of five stars) and it broke into Top 100 in Home Improvement.

CNET says:

"The Good: Easy to install and easy on the eyes, the Nest Learning Thermostat learns your heating and cooling preferences over time, so you don't have to set it. Wi-Fi networking and a tasteful app let you control and monitor your Nest from afar."

"The Bad: At $250, the Nest is so very expensive."

"The Bottom Line: The Nest Learning Thermostat makes home climate control, yes, interesting. With lovely design, charming extras (it reports the weather!), and integrated Wi-Fi, this thermostat of the future can restart an industry."

Honeywell Sues Nest

On February 6,  2012, Honeywell, a company long known for its commercial and residential thermostats, filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Nest Labs. 

The suit claims the Nest Learning Thermostat infringes on seven of Honeywell’s patents, spanning categories as generic as a “natural language installer” (a set-up menu, by any other name) to an “HVAC controller,” a standard component of any temperature control system.

Honeywell environmental and combustion controls president Beth Wozniak said in a statement issued the same date as the lawsuit filing.

“Competition is good and we welcome it, but we will not stand by while competitors, large or small, offer products that infringe on our intellectual property.” 

As for Nest, the company is keeping mum on specifics: Nest Labs spokeswoman Kate Brinks said in an e-mail to Wired. 

“We have not yet reviewed the actual filing, which we learned about this morning through Honeywell’s press release.  We will provide comment once we’ve had the opportunity to review it.”

Tony, welcome to the world of patent infringements.

Courtesy of an article dated April 16, 2012 appearing in Fast Company Design

 

 

THE CRYOSCOPE HAPTIC WEATHERVANE IS A THERMOMETER THAT LETS YOU ACTUALLY FEEL THE TEMPERATURE OUTSIDE

AFTER DECADES OF WEARING THE WRONG COAT, NEVER AGAIN, I SAY!

Thermometers are superb at measuring temperature but lousy at describing it. A bulb of mercury tells me it’s 55 degrees--but what’s 55 degrees? When was the last time I walked into a room and said,

“This place feels exactly 55 degrees.”

Cryoscope from Robb Godshaw on Vimeo.

The Cryoscope Haptic Weathervane, created by Robb Godshaw of Syyn Labs, conveys the temperature by allowing you to experience it. Syncing with Wi-Fi to online weather reports, you can touch this aluminum cube to actually feel the outside temperature rather than simply reading about it through numbers or whimsical sunshine icons.  Godshaw tells us.

“I sought to develop a device that conveyed the forecast in a manner which left nothing to the imagination.  It provides a thorough and instantaneous understanding of what awaits the user outside.”

Technically, the 4-inch milled aluminum cube is stuffed with quite a bit of hardware, including an Arduino that controls a Peltier element and a heat sink, which work in tandem to pump heat appropriately. After the first weather sync, it’s just a few minutes before the device comes to temperature.

Click Image To Enlarge

But the best trick of the Cryoscope isn’t its ability to hit a perfect temperature, but its ability to hit the perfect perceived temperature.  Godshaw writes.  

“Due to the ‘cold’ nature of metal, the temperature is adjusted to match human perceptions of hot and cold.”

For the cube to feel neutral on human skin, it’s set to an 85°F baseline. From there, the cube adjusts its temperature by the number of degrees the outside differs from 73°F room temperature. In other words, if it’s 60°F outside, the cube will technically cool to 72°F.

So the imperfect temperature ends up feeling perfect.

Currently, Godshaw is open to commercializing the proof of concept, but that hasn’t stopped him from considering improvements to the simplistic temperature-only design to include all aspects of weather.  Godshaw writes.  

“A version of the device that could communicate precipitation or wind would be beneficial.  The addition of water would present numerous technical challenges. An Internet commenter suggested that a lightning feature should be added, where it gives the user a small shock. I do not plan to implement that feature.”

And if I might add, the water mixed with lightning sounds especially dangerous.

COMMENTARY:    I never thought I would say this, but this is the worst design for a household temperature thermometer that I have seen in a long time.  Steve Jobs designed the Apple cube idea too, and it didn't work.  The ability to feel the perceived outside temperature by simply touching the cube is a novel idea, but I would like to know the actual temperature displayed on a digital display.  How many individuals can tell the difference between 85 and 90 degrees fahrenheit, do you suppose? See my point?  

If I want to feel the outside temperature, I go outside. I want to feel just how the temperature feels to the skin of my face.  If it's too hot, I will know.  I will instantly go into a sweat.  The Cryoscope Haptic Weathervane just does not shake my world.  I just don't think that this cube gives you the sensitivity of the outside temperature as it would feel on your face.  For a blind individual who can't see a temperature reading, this might work wonders, but for normal people, this is not very practical.  In my opinion the Cryoscope Haptic Weathervane is a dude.

Courtesy of an article dated February 13, 2012 appearingi n Fast Company Design

 

THE STRANGEST AND MOST UNIQUE BATHROOMS IN THE WORLD, INCLUDING A GOLD-PLATED BATHROOM IN MILAN, ITALY

Pollee Public Urinal For Women

Click Image To Enlarge

Location:  Denmark 

Background:  Created by Danish design studio UiWE,  the Pollee portable urinal for women is a star-shaped toilet system that looks a bit like a giant toy pinwheel and accommodates four girls at a time. Instead of the classic urinal, which is designed to be stood in front of, Pollee urinals are long and thin so that they can be easily straddled. Girls just do a semi-squat and go. 

Why It's Unique: Pollee urinals don't takeup much room and are very easy to setup almost anywhere they are needed.  Girls can’t pee standing up, and the Pollee provides a great option to a regular toilet seat.  Finally, a portable urinal that is not debasing to women.

Vertebrae Vertical Bathroom

Click Image To Enlarge

Location:  Various 

Background: Occupying a mere 4.3 square feet, this "Swiss Army Knife Bathroom" takes space conservation to a whole new level, packing a toilet, sink, cistern, two storage units and two shower heads into one compact system. 

Why It's Unique: Named for its resemblance to the spinal cord, the bathroom's modules all connect to a central axis. Everything feeds from the top of the structure, which attaches to the ceiling. Users have the option of directing the waste pipes downward through a hole in the floor, or into the wall through a hole at the back of the toilet. To enable shower drainage, the Vertebrae must be installed in a sealed wet room with adequate slope to the floor, according to the brochure. "Real estate is priceless in the bathroom," says Judith Balis, an interior designer with experience constructing restrooms.

Space Bathroom

Click Image To Enlarge

Location:  International Space Station 

Background: With no gravity to ensure that water stays in the toilet bowl or to force waste down, NASA was forced to build pumps and harness airflow to create an effective and hygienic bathroom for astronauts. 

Why It's Unique: Because the entire system relies on air, creating a tight seal between the user and the toilet bowl is essential. Foot straps and pivoting bars anchor the astronauts to the ground, and an intricate network of tubes, pipes and ducts handles the waste. Far removed from water treatment plants, the ISS must treat waste on its own and actually converts a large percentage into potable water. A hose-suction option is also available in lieu of the main toilet bowl.

Bulletproof Bathroom

Click Image To Enlarge

Location: Beijing, China 

Background: The 15-ton, $100,000 public bathroom in Zhong GuanVillage Plaza may be the safest in the world. 

Why It's Unique: Immune even to TNT explosives detonated from within, this bunker of a bathroom is part of a string of anti-terrorism products debuted in China after 9/11. For the Chinese, the bathroom isn't much of a draw. Originally, usage instructions posted outside were in only English and French, but even after adding a Chinese translation in 2006, the toilet remains unpopular.

P-Tree Out-In-The-Open Public Urinal for Men

P-Tree AANDEBOOM from AANDEBOOM on Vimeo.

 

Location:  Netherlands 

Background:  Here to rescue Mother Nature from full bladders everywhere is AANDEBOOM, a Dutch design studio that has invented either the world’s cleverest or the world’s grossest makeshift restroom. P-Tree is a rotation molded recycled plastic receptacle that straps onto a tree trunk, transforming your resident oak into the backdrop for a public (very public) urinal.

Why It's Unique:  P-Tree urinals can be installed virtually anywhere there is a tree.  The P-Tree costs very little, and can be installed in a jiffy, anywhere you need them.  They are great for public parks and recreational facilities, outdoor festivals, almost anywhere you can imagine.   

Aquarium Bathroom

Click Image To Enlarge

Location: Akashi, Japan 

Background: Like many beach-side bathrooms, the Mumin Papa Cafe is decorated with deep-sea creatures. But the live three-wall aquarium enveloping the stall one-ups standard wallpaper by a large margin. 

Why It's Unique: The underwater restroom cost $270,000 to build and is ladies-only, except for the giant sea turtle swimming around. The surrounding aquarium was designed to mimic the feeling of relieving yourself while swimming in the ocean.

South Pole Urinal

Click Image To Enlarge

Location:  Antarctica 

Background: This urinal was constructed just 350 meters from the geographic South Pole, and drifts 10 meters closer to the pole every year. Now that's an impressive piece of plumbing. 

Why It's Unique: Chris Curtis, the photographer of this picture, says that this urinal "marks an elusive destination and goal that was not able to even be reached until the early 1900s and carries with it the suffering and the loss of life of several explorers; and one that is at a place that is not only off the beaten path but literally 'miles from nowhere' ... in fact, no other urinal in the world or even space can compete with the efforts and loss of life that went into [this fixture's] eventual permanence at the South Pole. What it may lack in beauty it more than makes up for in dignity." Hear, hear.

Disappearing Bathroom

Click Image To Enlarge

Location: Various 

Background: This modern bathroom conceals a washbasin, toilet and shower tray beneath folding wooden shelves and benches, enabling a sleek transformation from bathroom to multipurpose room. 

Why It's Unique: Though the designers say the wooden coverups add elegance, Balis says they're simply unnecessary. "You can put the most beautiful shade of lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig. You're really not fooling anyone." Purportedly, the bathroom could be installed on one wall of a larger room (such as a living room) or in a very small space so as to enable a more flexible house design process without sacrificing sophistication.

Arctic Outhouse

Click Image To Enlarge

Location: McMurdo Station, Central West Antarctica 

Background: In a place where humans attempt to make no environmental impact, waste must be handled carefully. 

Why It's Unique: Normally, people in Antarctica walk around with bottles for collecting urine, and then empty the day's contents into a bigger drum called a "U drum." Outhouses are for solid waste only, and contain a five-gallon plastic bucket lined with a plastic bag. After the bucket's been filled, it's sealed, placed on a pallet, and shipped off. Arctic outhouses are said to be mostly aroma-free, and the sturdily built units make for a temporary respite from cold and wind.

Ebb Bathroom

Click Image To Enlarge

Location:  Various 

Background: Taking "streamlined" to a whole new level, these combined-function Ebb designs make for a modern, almost futuristic bathroom. 

Why It's Unique: Balis calls the Ebb bathroom "fabulous, both visually and functionally." The main building material for the fixtures in this bathroom, which was designed by UsTogether, a British and Irish group, is LG HI-MACS, a natural acrylic stone made out of aluminum hydroxide. The material improves impact strength, heat and scratch resistance, visual homogeneity, and thermoplastic moldability over mainstay bathroom materials such as marble, granite and glass.

Dolce and Gabbana's Gold Room

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Location: Milan, Italy 

Background: Part of an A-list restaurant simply named "Gold," this opulent bathroom has been host to several stars such as Giselle, Kylie Minogue and Paris Hilton. 

Why It's Unique: "It's the little luxuries we allow ourselves that probably come into play in the bathroom more than anywhere else," Balis says. Indeed, the bathroom is luxurious, with golden bamboo lining the walls, giant mirrors and marble counters; Dolce and Gabbana stays true to its high-end name. The clincher is the constant loop of Goldfinger playing inside every golden stall on plasma screens.

Bar 89

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Location: New York City 

Background: The bar's bathroom doors use liquid crystals to selectively turn opaque when the customer enters and closes the stall. 

Why It's Unique: The crystal innovation in this stall is called Privacy Glass, which harnesses light diffusion in order to create privacy while still allowing light to enter. The sheet of liquid crystal is sandwiched between two normal panes of glass, and the molecular array of the crystals is naturally random enough to disperse light, creating privacy. But when voltage is applied to the sheet, the crystals arrange themselves into a neat parallel formation that permits the passage of light, making the bathroom door transparent.

UriLift Public Pop-Up Toilet

Click Image To Enlarge

Location: Various 

Background: A bold move to hamper alcohol-induced nighttime public urination, the semi-permanent Urilift Pop-Up Urinal emerges at 10 pm and disappears at 3 am, coinciding with prime bar-hopping hours. 

Why It's Unique: These misdemeanor-fighting urinals cost $70,000 each; the unit consists of three adjoining 6-foot-tall stalls. The urinals connect to main water lines in order to flush away waste, and pipes lead directly into the underground sewage system. The alcoves lack much privacy (there are no doors), but users don't seem to take issue with that triviality. The toilets recede into the ground during the day in order to avoid obstructing traffic, and police are pleased with the installments so far, noting a reduction in arrests, fines and aggressive behavior following the installation.

See-Through Toilet

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Location: Basel, Switzerland 

Background: This one-way glass stall looks like a mirror to an outsider, but completely transparent to an insider, leading to a nerve-wracking bathroom experience. 

Why It's Unique: The bathroom was designed by artist Monica Bonvicini, who enjoys delving into public versus private life in her exhibitions. This piece is entitled "Don't Miss a Sec," and was inspired by her viewers' reluctance to use the bathroom during art shows, fearing they might miss out on something important. One-way mirrors work their magic by having one side painted with a very thin reflective coating, then strategically adjusting lighting. For the outside to look like a mirror, it must be very bright so that the mirror's surface has plenty to reflect. The inside must be kept dark so that light can't pass through the glass. If the placement of light is switched, however, the walls become windows and your business becomes everyone's business.

COMMENTARY:  That's what I call some rather unqiue and outrageous bathrooms and public restrooms.   If you know of any other unique restrooms or bathrooms post a comment.  The saddest is that Arctic Outhouse, and the kinkiest is definitely that See-Through Public Restroom.

Courtesy of an article appearing in the January 2012 issue of Popular Mechanics                               

CAN NEST LABS AND ITS NEW 'NEST LEARNING THERMOSTAT' DISRUPT HOME THERMOSTATS LIKE THE IPOD DID PORTABLE MUSIC PLAYERS?

The Nest Learning Thermostat is gorgeous, intuitive, and more necessary than you think. Just like a certain blockbuster MP3 player was once upon a time.

Tony Fadell invented the iPod. Okay, he didn't do it singlehandedly--but the former Apple executive conceived it, got Apple on board, and then went on to shepherd the development of 18 (!) generations of the company's signature pre-iPhone product. In 2008 he left Apple and several years later founded a stealth startup called Nest Labs, which was revealed this year to be in the... thermostat business. Wait, what?

Tony Fadell (far left) at Apple together with (from left to right) Jon Rubistein Jonathan Ive, Steve Jobs and Phil Schiller posing for forTime Magazine

Tony Fadell as he appears today

Yeah, you read that right. But not just a thermostat--the iPod of thermostats: a device so desirable and intuitive that it'll turn home energy management into a must-have symbol of sustainable living. Fadell told Co.Design he intends the Nest Learning Thermostat, which will retail for $249.99 starting in November, to be "a jewel on the wall... most people try to hide the thermostat, but we're trying to make it sexy and coveted so that you cherish it, and at parties people ask you about it and you're proud of it." Big talk--but watch this teaser video and you just might become a believer:

 

The Nest thermostat actually is iPod-like:  The display and primary interaction are instantly intuitive and physically irresistible.

To adjust the temperature, turn a ring on the rim of the device--if you're making it cooler, the display turns blue, and if you're making it warmer, it turns red. The temperature itself is displayed in a clear, bright numeric readout--no more squinting at tick marks on a dusty dial. There's also a little green leaf that appears on the screen to guide to you into tweaking your settings for optimal energy savings. And Fadell, no stranger to the importance of a good "unboxing" experience, even went so far as to include a high-quality, custom branded screwdriver with every unit. Fadell says.  

"When you take it out of the box you want it to be easy to install. Apple taught me not to cut corners, and that you don't give up on user experience--ever."

As Fadell notes, the thermostat business was ripe for disruption, and a tantalizing business opportunity as well. He stumbled upon it when he was building his own dream home, an experiment in cutting edge green design in Lake Tahoe. As he considered spending tens of thousands of dollars on a heating and cooling system, it just seemed wrong to link all that tech up to a $90 thermostat from Home Depot that barely worked as advertised, simply because it's design was so poor. So he simply waited for a better product to come along, but it didn't. Upon investigating the market further, he discovered that 10 million thermostats are sold every year. Meanwhile, only 6% of programmable thermostats are actually programmed, even though a programmed thermostat can save 30-40% in heating and cooling costs. That's was clearly a serious design problem.

Click Image To Enlarge

So for users, the best thing about the Nest Learning Thermostat is under that gleaming case. It's equipped with software that analyzes and tracks your usage patterns over time, so that you only have to twist that dial a dozen times before the thermostat can simply anticipate your climate-control needs and take care of it automatically.  Fadell says.

"Instead of programming their thermostats, most people have given up and treat it like a light switch.  But, you have to make those manual adjustments about 1,500 times a year if you want to see any real energy savings."

Nest's version elegantly lets you set it and forget it--at least after that initial learning period. But this thermostat is so sexy, you probably won't mind. 

COMMENTARY:     I love the sleek, elegant, minimalist and simple design of the Nest Learning thermostat.  It definitely shows its Apple roots.   Who would've thought that the home thermostat was due for disruption.  Looks like Tony has definitely solved the home thermostat problem with a thermost that blends into the home and literally "learns" how to save energy as you set temperature settings.    The installation is overcome, too.  Nest sells the Learning thermostat with installation, and will even connect you with an installer located in your zip code.  

A Recap of the Nest Learning Thermostat:

 

Venture capital has rained down on Nest Labs.  In May 2010, the Nest Labs team raised somewhere in the vicinity of $50 million to $80 million from Kleiner Perkins, Google Ventures, Shasta Ventures, Al Gore's Generation Investment Management, Lightspeed Venture Partners, and Intertrust to build a better thermostat. VCs close to the deal put it at a ridiculously high valuation. As Vinod Coleslaw says, "$1 billion valuations are the new black."

In October 2011, Nest Labs finally came out of stealth mode to unveil its new product, the Nest Learning Thermostat.  Who would've guessed that in a world of social networks, mobile devices, and apps, that the next new cool device would be a damn wall thermostat.   Okay, it's not pretty, but it's cool.  No, it's Hot.  I mean its a hot idea, whose time has come.  We shall see if Tony Fadell and his team of engineers and designers got the wall thermostat right.

Courtesy of an article dated October 25, 2011 appearing in Fast Company Design