Home automation, location-based iPhone apps chosen for funding
An application that will allow you to control your household appliances and another for finding out what's going on around your current location are the first two pieces of iPhone software to receive funding under the iFund.
BusinessWeek reports that fund managers at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers have received submissions from 1,700 startups hoping to vie for a slice of the $100 million iFund, announced this past March at Apple's iPhone Software Roadmap event.
The venture capital firm has thus far funded just two of those companies, made an offer to a third, and is presently considering funding for another ten.
Pelago, a developer of on-the-go lifestyle applications, was reportedly the first to see funding for an iPhone version of its Whrrl application. By leveraging the mapping capabilities of the iPhone and other smartphones, the software tries to make it easy to find information about places and businesses within close proximity to a user's current geographical location.
"Say you're lost in Las Vegas and need a restaurant recommendation. With iPhone in hand, you can scan the locations of nearby restaurants, just Italian restaurants, or just those recommended by foodie friends," BusinessWeek explains. "Or you could search for the highest-rated bars or kid-friendly activities recommended by friends from your social network."
Joining Pleago as the only other company to receive an iFund grant at this time is iControl, makers of home automation software that would give iPhone users remote control over air conditioners, lighting, window shades, and so forth.
iControl for iPhone should let you kill the lights from the dent in your couch.
Not all third-party developers authoring iPhone applications for distribution over Apple's upcoming App Store are necessarily in need of funding. The same report notes that Loopt, which offers software that lets mobile users see the proximity of their friends, will announce deals with more mobile providers at "an upcoming event."
BusinessWeek echos the popular notion that June 9th, the first day of Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference, will see the unveiling of the company's much anticipated 3G iPhone. It may also offer a preview of one or more of the aforementioned applications.
BusinessWeek reports that fund managers at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers have received submissions from 1,700 startups hoping to vie for a slice of the $100 million iFund, announced this past March at Apple's iPhone Software Roadmap event.
The venture capital firm has thus far funded just two of those companies, made an offer to a third, and is presently considering funding for another ten.
Pelago, a developer of on-the-go lifestyle applications, was reportedly the first to see funding for an iPhone version of its Whrrl application. By leveraging the mapping capabilities of the iPhone and other smartphones, the software tries to make it easy to find information about places and businesses within close proximity to a user's current geographical location.
"Say you're lost in Las Vegas and need a restaurant recommendation. With iPhone in hand, you can scan the locations of nearby restaurants, just Italian restaurants, or just those recommended by foodie friends," BusinessWeek explains. "Or you could search for the highest-rated bars or kid-friendly activities recommended by friends from your social network."
Joining Pleago as the only other company to receive an iFund grant at this time is iControl, makers of home automation software that would give iPhone users remote control over air conditioners, lighting, window shades, and so forth.
iControl for iPhone should let you kill the lights from the dent in your couch.
Not all third-party developers authoring iPhone applications for distribution over Apple's upcoming App Store are necessarily in need of funding. The same report notes that Loopt, which offers software that lets mobile users see the proximity of their friends, will announce deals with more mobile providers at "an upcoming event."
BusinessWeek echos the popular notion that June 9th, the first day of Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference, will see the unveiling of the company's much anticipated 3G iPhone. It may also offer a preview of one or more of the aforementioned applications.
Comments
Maybe I'm just being a Scrooge, but I wouldn't have either of these apps on my iPhone, even if they were free.
Neither of these apps seem to me to warrant money from the iFund. Google maps can already tell you where restaurants are (OK no user feedback, but still), and iControl seems to be for such a limited user base, and it's not really innovative.
Maybe I'm just being a Scrooge, but I wouldn't have either of these apps on my iPhone, even if they were free.
Yeah, I have to agree. These seem like such pedestrian, uninspired choices. Esp. coming from a classic, savvy VC firm such as KPCB.
Neither of these apps seem to me to warrant money from the iFund. Google maps can already tell you where restaurants are (OK no user feedback, but still), and iControl seems to be for such a limited user base, and it's not really innovative.
Maybe I'm just being a Scrooge, but I wouldn't have either of these apps on my iPhone, even if they were free.
I agree with macFanDave. IControl is a natural progression of what we should be able to do with our electronics and appliances. But you are right, at this time the user base would be very small. We'll need to get some new standards in place to make it ubquitous. I think Bonjour networked devices would be a good start. It'll take a decade before we start to see any real change, but I think it's inevitable.
I'm a little confused by this other app. Maybe it does offer some things that Google doesn't. I guess I'll have to see it first. I wonder if this is an indiavation that the 3G iPhone won't have true GPS.
Neither of these apps seem to me to warrant money from the iFund. Google maps can already tell you where restaurants are (OK no user feedback, but still), and iControl seems to be for such a limited user base, and it's not really innovative.
Maybe I'm just being a Scrooge, but I wouldn't have either of these apps on my iPhone, even if they were free.
If the iFund has any intelligent people, for their first round picks they should just fund existing companies with actual users (what a concept) who only lack the funding to take their product to the next level. After an initial round of guaranteed success, they could take greater risks on unproven companies and concepts.
If the iFund has any intelligent people, for their first round picks they should just fund existing companies with actual users (what a concept) who only lack the funding to take their product to the next level. After an initial round of guaranteed success, they could take greater risks on unproven companies and concepts.
I thought the idea of the iFund is to help small developers get their software on the iPhone and to encourage new ideas not existing ones!
I thought the idea of the iFund is to help small developers get their software on the iPhone and to encourage new ideas not existing ones!
Clearly they are not pursuing that goal very aggressively and since they are not, they should at least boldly support some existing apps.
Clearly they are not pursuing that goal very aggressively and since they are not, they should at least boldly support some existing apps.
I wonder how closely they are working with Apple. Perhaps Apple doesn't want them to fund apps and services that in anyway compete with Apple's current and future products and services. Man, I hope that isn't the case.
People get more or less interesting from moment to moment. Are they in a place you find interesting right now? Are they with people you find interesting? Then they themselves are currently more interesting than usual. Maybe you should give them a call, or text them - get in on it! Is a place full of interesting people? Is it having an interesting event? Then it is more interesting than usual. Maybe you should go on over. Where is the most interesting place in the world right now? I'm on a trip - what will the most interesting places be in Seattle next Tuesday?
Funding? Didn't get any. Heck, Apple hasn't even let me into the full iPhone developer plan yet. And it's annoying, developing a location-based app without being able to load it on frackin' phone! But I'm not going anywhere.
YHIHF.
I wonder how closely they are working with Apple. Perhaps Apple doesn't want them to fund apps and services that in anyway compete with Apple's current and future products and services. Man, I hope that isn't the case.
Same here... but it looks like Apple is not a part of this fund, only tangentially through Al Gore's involvement.
http://www.kpcb.com/team/index.php?all
iControl sounds cool. I've been wanting to get into home automation, but it's hard to know where to start. If there were a known device, such as iphone, out there that would act as a control, I think more people would get into it.
Home automation is still an idea without a market. The number of people who could really take advantage of this are infinitesimally small. Not the big winner I was expecting. For simple TV/entertainment center control, it would be fine.
I agree with macFanDave. IControl is a natural progression of what we should be able to do with our electronics and appliances. But you are right, at this time the user base would be very small. We'll need to get some new standards in place to make it ubquitous. I think Bonjour networked devices would be a good start. It'll take a decade before we start to see any real change, but I think it's inevitable.GPS.
Thanks.
I went to the iControl site and was a little depressed about how much emphasis on the Big Brother camera system there was compared to the scant attention to home automation.
Seriously, my family's schedule is so unpredictable that a thermostat with a timer is almost useless. The interface on the thermostat is so clunky, even modest changes require monumental effort. Of course, before we can expect our appliances to allow fine-grained control via our Macs, perhaps our Macs need more fine-grained control over their own scheduling (you can hardly believe what control you can have with the Terminal command "pmset" -- the Energy Saver scheduling is just the tip of the iceberg of what is possible).
Thanks.
I went to the iControl site and was a little depressed about how much emphasis on the Big Brother camera system there was compared to the scant attention to home automation.
Seriously, my family's schedule is so unpredictable that a thermostat with a timer is almost useless. The interface on the thermostat is so clunky, even modest changes require monumental effort. Of course, before we can expect our appliances to allow fine-grained control via our Macs, perhaps our Macs need more fine-grained control over their own scheduling (you can hardly believe what control you can have with the Terminal command "pmset" -- the Energy Saver scheduling is just the tip of the iceberg of what is possible).
I suppose homes that exhibited more "awaress" of where people were in each room, automatically shutting off lights, heat, a/c, etc. as they move around would be ideal, and if a house was smart enough to evaluate the inhabitants actions in the house and "think ahead" (possibly even to the point of sending out the iRobot to clean up when the room was empty) it would make relaxing around the house much more enjoyable.
Home automation is still an idea without a market. The number of people who could really take advantage of this are infinitesimally small. Not the big winner I was expecting. For simple TV/entertainment center control, it would be fine.
You are pretty narrow-minded. You deserve to be stuck with 20th century thinking.
As energy prices are rocketing up, that infinitesimal number will become appreciable. Also, if electric companies everywhere start charging differently for peak hour usage from off-peak and middle-of-the-night usage, then you might find a lot of people scheduling tasks when electricity is cheapest. Unless there is a quick, consistent and easy way to schedule water heaters, clothes dryers, ice makers, etc. to work at the optimal time, people will continue to waste money operating those appliances with expensive power.
Finally, as home power generation starts to take off (solar, maybe some wind turbines) people may want to use as much of their own power as they can until net metering laws become fair for the homeowners.
You are pretty narrow-minded. You deserve to be stuck with 20th century thinking.
As energy prices are rocketing up, that infinitesimal number will become appreciable. Also, if electric companies everywhere start charging differently for peak hour usage from off-peak and middle-of-the-night usage, then you might find a lot of people scheduling tasks when electricity is cheapest. Unless there is a quick, consistent and easy way to schedule water heaters, clothes dryers, ice makers, etc. to work at the optimal time, people will continue to waste money operating those appliances with expensive power.
Finally, as home power generation starts to take off (solar, maybe some wind turbines) people may want to use as much of their own power as they can until net metering laws become fair for the homeowners.
Oh, brother. I love that you immediately attack the person, in this case a person you do not know, instead of addressing the idea or the comment. Thanks, Dave. Thanks a lot.
Well, for your information Dave, my comments were made based on reality as it is, not as we wish it to be. I'm a fan of automation, but it's not widely used now, nor will it be for a long, long time. Reading between the lines, you seem to be a big fan, but Dave you are in the minority of people capable of affording or using such a system. That's a simple fact.
You are pretty narrow-minded. You deserve to be stuck with 20th century thinking.
As energy prices are rocketing up, that infinitesimal number will become appreciable. Also, if electric companies everywhere start charging differently for peak hour usage from off-peak and middle-of-the-night usage, then you might find a lot of people scheduling tasks when electricity is cheapest. Unless there is a quick, consistent and easy way to schedule water heaters, clothes dryers, ice makers, etc. to work at the optimal time, people will continue to waste money operating those appliances with expensive power.
Finally, as home power generation starts to take off (solar, maybe some wind turbines) people may want to use as much of their own power as they can until net metering laws become fair for the homeowners.
I believe his point was cost. How much money people are welling to pay for the controlling devices compared to the simple schedule ones? What about maintenance and support?
Few years ago I was part of the design team for a 20,000 sf. Villa. I remember the owner wanted to control every room temperature, lights, AC, TVs, speakers, power outlets, and security system from a handheld tablet like device. It was an amazing custom made system for which he paid a LOT of money.
The technology is there. The question is how many can afford it?!
I believe his point was cost. How much money people are welling to pay for the controlling devices compared to the simple schedule ones? What about maintenance and support?
Few years ago I was part of the design team for a 20,000 sf. Villa. I remember the owner wanted to control every room temperature, lights, AC, TVs, speakers, power outlets, and security system from a handheld tablet like device. It was an amazing custom made system for which he paid a LOT of money.
The technology is there. The question is how many can afford it?!
Right on target.
They way I look at it, the apps that you want most right now, are probably being developed by companies that have the resources to do it already. Other killer apps will be developed by low-cost programer/entrepreneurs and will grow into something big because they had a great idea or plan. But there are some fliers that will need resources and time to create a market that does not yet exist. Both of the examples listed are going to need time (and money) to integrate all the information/functions before they even have a chance to be compelling to the average iPhone owner.
I would agree with the slew of early posters that the two announced projects do not sound earth-shattering. However, remember that we are looking at a 2 or 3 line write-up by somebody who (probably) has not seen the full proposal. And none of us know what these ideas could grow into.
Remember, if it was an obvious pitch or a guaranteed hit, they wouldn't need VC money--they could go to the bank with a business plan.
You are pretty narrow-minded. You deserve to be stuck with 20th century thinking.
I think you may have misinterpreted his post. It reads to me that we are all on the same page here. Just as I said it would take a least a decade he said it was an idea without a market. To me, that is the same thing. We have tech, have had the tech, but without simple integration the cost will remind prohibitive to all but a few.
I believe his point was cost. How much money people are welling to pay for the controlling devices compared to the simple schedule ones? What about maintenance and support?
Few years ago I was part of the design team for a 20,000 sf. Villa. I remember the owner wanted to control every room temperature, lights, AC, TVs, speakers, power outlets, and security system from a handheld tablet like device. It was an amazing custom made system for which he paid a LOT of money.
The technology is there. The question is how many can afford it?!
Forget home automation for a second, I'd love to have a remote control for an entertainment system that knows who has the controller. For instance, an integrated fingerprint reader on the side so when you pick it up it reads who you are and sends info back so that it sets up your preferred music and video library, DVRed TV and favorite chsannels and shows are now the focus on the TV when using the remote. This could also prevent children from seeing anything questionable when the remote registers them.
I know this farfetched, but I am trying I think of a more dedicated automation system that could help lead us onto a more encompassing system.