The dog days of summer are upon us, and Friedrich welcomes the heat wholeheartedly, thanks to a new, smart room AC unit the company has manufactured. The Kühl is a smart grid-enabled, smartphone or computer controllable room AC unit. Using a mobile app, users can set customized 7-day schedules and make adjustments to the settings on the go. The high-tech air conditioners can even be grouped together into temperature zones, functioning like a central air conditioning system. “There’s no more worrying about the family pet during a sudden heat wave or stressing out about energy costs when you’re out of town,” says Jane Deming, Friedrich marketing manager.

And unlike many room AC units which are a real eyesore, the Kühl ACs comes with the option of colorful front panels: deep red, designer white, black onyx, cobalt blue, pink diamond and classic beige. The panels retails for $49.99 each.

Friedrich expects the Kühl air conditioners to retail for $599 to $2,499, and Wi-Fi access to add $39.

Lisa Montgomery - Contributing Writer

Lisa Montgomery has been writing about home technology for 15 years, with a focus on the impact of electronics on a modern lifestyle.