Thermodo from Robocat Measures Ambient Air Temperature Using the iPhone's Headphone Jack

[MacRumors]

Robocat, the Danish software studio behind apps like Haze and Thermo, has launched a new Kickstarter project for a small thermometer that can be plugged into the headphone jack of a smartphone or tablet to measure indoor and outdoor temperatures.

You can measure the temperature indoors as well as outdoors. Track the temperature and see how it rises after you turned on the radiator or check how the temperature drops during a summer night. No network connection required. Thermodo comes with a neat little keyring so you'll always have it with you.

Thermodo, which comes with a cap and a keyring, functions with a custom companion app in addition to Robocat's already existing weather apps. The studio will also release an SDK, allowing other developers to create apps that work with the device.

The miniature thermometer comes in black, white, and a premium anodized aluminum version available through Kickstarter. It measures temperatures in the range of -20 °C to +50 °C (-5 ºF to 120 ºF).

Backers can get a Thermodo device for a $25 pledge, or the premium version for $39. The company has already met its Kickstarter goal of $35,000 and plans to begin full production in July, with an estimated shipping date of August.

Article Link: Thermodo from Robocat Measures Ambient Air Temperature Using the iPhone's Headphone Jack

 

[furi0usbee]

I don't know about others, but I use weather data in passing. Meaning, I really don't care what the exact temperature is. As long as I can get the ballpark number, I'm fine. I don't spend more than 15 minutes per year inside a weather app probably, and I'd spend even less plugging and unplugging this thing in my iPhone/iPad.

Bryan

 

[darkslayer13]

Damn thats 'cool'

 

[nefan65]

I'm going to get one and monitor the temperature changes in my flatulence. Is it hotter in the AM, or PM, etc...

 

[ToomeyND]

Could I connect it to an 3.5mm audio extension cable? Then I could run the cord from outside to my bedroom and plug in the extension in the morning to see the temp outside. THAT would be cool.

 

[extricated]

Not much appeals to me here except the novelty of it.

Since it isn't data network dependent, I could see a use if you were camping "off the grid", for example. Even at that, when I go camping I check the weather forcast ahead of time and then just deal with the temperatures as they come. If I'm in an "off the grid" situation, I don't need a thermometer to try and figure out why I'm cold.

 

[ArtOfWarfare]

Could I connect it to an 3.5mm audio extension cable? Then I could run the cord from outside to my bedroom and plug in the extension in the morning to see the temp outside. THAT would be cool.

I can't imagine why you wouldn't be able to.

How accurate is it? And -5F seems like an awfully high lower limit... How cold can my iPhone get while I use it?

 

[Adava]

I can imagine this just to see if my iPhone handles the current weather . Or the battery that is.

 

[fruitpunch.ben]

I was very close to pledging, but only works down to -20 degrees celcius?
Useless!

 

[Tankmaze]

it's a novelty idea, but can't really see the praticality in the concept.

here in singapore it's either hot or raining maybe people living in the northern hemisphere could benefit from this...

 

[Amazing Iceman]

Could I connect it to an 3.5mm audio extension cable? Then I could run the cord from outside to my bedroom and plug in the extension in the morning to see the temp outside. THAT would be cool.

it would need to be an audio extension with 4-segment plugs. A regular stereo cable wouldn't work.

Or, you could get one of those remote bluetooth or Wifi Weather Stations that work with an iOS device.

 

[Mlrollin91]

I was very close to pledging, but only works down to -20 degrees celcius?
Useless!

iPhone 5 Tech Specs..

Operating ambient temperature: 32° to 95° F (0° to 35° C)
Nonoperating temperature: −4° to 113° F (−20° to 45° C)

So obviously it was designed around the environmental requirements of the phone itself.

 

[Parasprite]

I was very close to pledging, but only works down to -20 degrees celcius?
Useless!

That's like half the year in Minnesota!

Okay, not really.

 

[fruitpunch.ben]

iPhone 5 Tech Specs..

Operating ambient temperature: 32° to 95° F (0° to 35° C)
Nonoperating temperature: −4° to 113° F (−20° to 45° C)

So obviously it was designed around the environmental requirements of the phone itself.

I don't think so. I think whatever temperature sensor they are using doesn't go down any further. I am hopeful that since they reached their goal so quickly, and since they can sympathize with below -20 weather presumably, being in Denmark, they will have a stretch goal with a better sensor

That's like half the year in Minnesota!

Okay, not really.

Lol yeah. It is almost half the year in some places in this country, although not where I am. Here we only have <10 days per year it drops below -20. But my friends in Carman, MB have a different experience

 

[Jessica Lares]

First Kickstarter I've ever supported. Me and my brother are huge weather nuts in this house. This is going to get used everyday.

 

[coder12]

Could I connect it to an 3.5mm audio extension cable? Then I could run the cord from outside to my bedroom and plug in the extension in the morning to see the temp outside. THAT would be cool.

Depends on where you live. If you live in a place that is commonly below -20ºC (like Fargo) then it wouldn't measure

 

[cmchsmjm]

Or you could buy this

This one has a whistle AND a compass.
Best of all it doesn't draw power from your laptop

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Thermometer...047?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20b788cf9f

$.99 inc shipping

 

[gatearray]

Could I connect it to an 3.5mm audio extension cable? Then I could run the cord from outside to my bedroom and plug in the extension in the morning to see the temp outside. THAT would be cool.

there's an app for that.

This one has a whistle AND a compass.
Best of all it doesn't draw power from your laptop

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Thermometer...047?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20b788cf9f

$.99 inc shipping

haha, a whistle! awesome.

 

[Ray Brady]

It can measure the temperature indoors as well as outdoors? What manner of voodoo is this?

 

[delnerdo]

It's a neat idea - I wonder how difficult it was to write the driver.
Does the iOS API support GPIO over that connector???

If it were a non-contact IR thermometer, then so much the better!

 

[Kissaragi]

No idea what it would be used for but its cool anyway. Amazingly compact too.

 

[RMo]

Could I connect it to an 3.5mm audio extension cable? Then I could run the cord from outside to my bedroom and plug in the extension in the morning to see the temp outside. THAT would be cool.

You could also get a thermometer. I can see the temperature any time of day, and I don't need to plug my phone into a cord that I've run outside to see it.

 

[pubwvj]

It needs much lower lower limit. Using an extension cable this could be interesting. Unfortunately virtually any price is going to be too high.

What I would really be interested in is being able to have an array of sensors that could be monitored by an iPodTouch, iPhone and iPad and then served up. Preferably wired so I don't have lots of batteries to deal with but wireless is also interesting - ideally both.

 

[vartanarsen]

I like the idea of peripheral devices that make use of iOS devices without needing Internet... Cause sometimes there isn't Internet...for example tomtom is a great app that uses GPS without absolutely needing Internet...

1 peripheral I woul love to invent if not already out there is a peripheral plug in that picks up local tv...perfect for storms etc that wipe out cable Internet and tv

 

[joueboy]

This should have been a built-in feature on iPhone along with the Weather app. Imagine when you swipe down notification and you can see temperatures both indoor and outdoor. I hope they'll integrate this in sometime in the future or maybe we'll see that on the iWatch this year.