Quotables

"The Ambient Information Network represents one of the largest, if not the largest, datacasting networks in the United States" Alan Reiter, president of Wireless Internet & Mobile Computing

"The Orb has become an essential part of our development process." Gerry Miller, Global Program Manager at Microsoft

"I remain a big believer that computing will become more intuitive once it hops off the desktop and gets embedded smartly in our surroundings." Leslie Walker, Washington Post

"When you think about the magic of the Orb, it's a thermometer for the rest of your life." Seth Godin, bestselling author and entrepreneur

"Filtering information in this way makes sense, since trying to process too much information is a source of stress and can lead to mistakes." David Lewis, psychologist and advisor in aircraft cockpit design

"Ambient is a poster-child fifth-wave startup" Michael Copeland and Om Malik, Business 2.0

"Ambient augurs future relief from information overload." Paul Saffo, research director, Institute for the Future

"The customers with Orbs conserved twice as much electricity.." Mark Martinez, Southern California Edison

Recent Press

Ambient Devices releases Baseball ScoreCast
January, 2008
Read the press release (PDF)

Ambient Devices taps Carl Yankowski to help drive next growth phase
January, 2008
Read the press release (PDF)

Ambient Devices releases new Football ScoreCast
December, 2007
Read the press release (PDF)

Ambient Devices receives 2008 CES Innovations award
December, 2007
Read the press release (PDF)

Ambient Devices releases new 5- and 7-Day Forecasters
September, 2007
Read the press release (PDF)

Ambient Umbrella on UrbanDaddy.com
August, 2007
Read the article on UrbanDaddy.com

Ambient Umbrella on Good Morning America
July, 2007
Watch the review on ABC's site

Ambient Devices Launches World's First Weather-forecasting Umbrella
July, 2007
The Ambient Umbrella automatically receives weather data from Accuweather.com via Ambient’s Infocast™ Network. Whenever precipitation is expected in the next 12 hours, the Umbrella’s handle illuminates to suggest “today is the day to take me with you.”
Read the Press Release (PDF)

Ambient Devices receives Usability Impact Award at the 2007 MITX Technology Awards
June, 2007
The MITX Technology Awards, presented by the Massachusetts Innovation & Technology Exchange, recognize innovative technologies developed in the New England area, as well as the individuals and organizations responsible for driving these advancements. Read the Press Release (PDF)

NPR's Future Tense
November, 2006
"As the cost of computation and connectivity fall, we will have the ability to embed a little bit of sense and sensibility in everyday objects." MP3 of this broadcast

Engadget Reviews the Ambient Clock
October, 2006

Weather Watcher on Good Morning America
October, 2006 QT Movie of this broadcast

LG releases ground breaking wireless technology in home appliance market.
May, 2006
Global appliance leader LG launches a high-end refrigerator with Ambient's datacasting technology inside. Press Release

American Telemedicine Conference
May, 2006
Ambient announces three partnerships with healthcare companies, which expand the usefulness of its magically simple Ambient Orb. These relationships provide new rich streams of data to make the versatile Orb able to track personal activity, the state of remote loved ones, or medication adherence. Press Release Examples

Pacific Gas & Electric rolls out Energy Orbs
May, 2006
The Cambridge-based company has now expanded its uses to include tracking weather forecasts, traffic congestion and most recently energy usage. PG&E’s Energy Orb is programmed specifically to indicate when energy-reduction events are forecasted or underway.

Behind the analog face of Ambient Device's Executive Dashboard lies of flurry of digital activity.
May, 2006

E Ink and Ambient to Develop Consumer Electronic Products
January, 2006
Two innovative MIT offshoots have joined forces to make a simple household device that reliably forecasts the local weather.

An Orb with a Galaxy of Uses
July 21, 2005
"It turns out that behind the infodelic appearance of the orb and its cousins, is a surprisingly usable, flexible tool. And part of what makes it so useful is its side effects, which is why orbs are showing up at companies like Microsoft and Google."

How to Ride the Fifth Wave
July, 2005
"'Ambient is a poster-child fifth-wave startup."

See the Ambient Orb on HBO
July, 2005
Watch all season as hotshot agent Ari (Jeremy Piven) rants from his office with not one, but two Ambient Orb's in HBO's Entourage..

Ambience
May, 2005
"The value of such devices is unquestionable-- thermometers and clocks have been around for a very long time-- and they make clever use of wireless technology as an information-delivery platform"

Wall Street Journal heralds Weather Beacon as easiest to use forecaster
April, 2005 (sub req'd)

Ambient Devices Launches Wireless DataCasting Kit
March 24th, 2005
“The Ambient Information Network represents one of the largest, if not the largest, datacasting networks in the United States. The large number of transmitters in Ambient’s mature wireless network typically provides better coverage and in-building penetration than an FM subcarrier network like Microsoft MSN Direct.”"

Orb named Top 10 gift for the holidays
Dec 10th, 2004
"'Forrester has drawn on its research into consumer technologies in North America and Europe to suggest 10 products for your holiday shopping list.'"

Glow for Savings
December, 2004
"'A glowing orb...provides [energy] price signals to businesses and residences by glowing bright red during periods of high electricity usage and a cool blue during periods of low. Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric are testing the orbs in a trial run in several businesses and homes. So far, the orbs are more effective in many cases than the traditional phone call utilities made to their demand-response program subscribers..'"

Ambient Dashboard named 100 Best New Products for Men
November 27th, 2004
"'Never has desk candy looked this demure, or done this much.'"

IBM: Making the world calmer through ambient technology
"When you think about the magic of the Orb, it's a thermometer for the rest of your life," said business writer Seth Godin. Godin programmed his Orb to track sales of his books on Amazon.com to save time and "increase my peace of mind."

RadioShack offers the gift of wireless weather through Ambient-powered products this holiday season
October 05, 2004
Wireless Weather Forecaster provides five-day local weather updates. The Ambient Wireless Weather Forecaster allows people to quickly and visually check five-day weather forecasts from Accuweath without having to use a computer, radio or television.

Start-Up Builds Less Demanding Machines
October 14th, 2004
"Such objects offer the sort of visual and auditory cues that help us process information faster than modern computers, which require us to grab a mouse, click around and read text... I remain a big believer that computing will become more intuitive once it hops off the desktop and gets embedded smartly in our surroundings. " - Leslie Walker

Glowing orb warns of electricity rates
August 21st, 2004
"Derington said she sees the orb as more than a money-saving device. "I think we have a big problem, as far as energy use as a country," she said...she hopes the orb will cause her customers to be more aware of their energy uses." - Ashlee Bodenhamer

Wireless without worries?
June 30th, 2004
"Other, major technology developers, such as Microsoft and Phillips, also are eyeing this market, hoping to ease the anxiety that many consumers feel regarding new wireless devices." - Gene Koprowski (UPI)
(via Forbes)
(via Washington Times)

Background Illumination
June 10th, 2004
"'Filtering information in this way makes sense,' says David Lewis, a psychologist who advises aircraft-makers on cockpit design, 'since trying to process too much information is a source of stress and can lead to mistakes.'"

INC: Five Ideas to Watch
June, 2004
"'Retailer Brookstone is pushing glowing orbs and beacons from Ambient Devices in Massachusetts. The gadgets change color with the weather or the Dow (e.g., red = your stocks are up; blue = find a ledge). Ambient's David Rose hopes that soon, "people will have a dozen in their house, just like clocks."

Future of 'Glanceable' Technology Glows
April 16, 2004
"'When you think about the magic of the Orb, it's a thermometer for the rest of your life,' said author Seth Godin, who writes on business and social trends. Godin hopes to program his Orb to track sales of his books on Amazon.com to save time and 'increase my peace of mind.'" - Michael Felberbaum (Associated Press)
(via USA Today)
(via MSNBC)

News at a Glance
March, 2004
"Replace those clacking balls with a real desk accessory. A quick glance at Ambient's Executive Dashboard gives you updates on local traffic, the markets, the temperature outside, and personal data like how many emails are clogging your inbox." - Seth Feman (Wired Magazine)

Traditional take on data clutter
February 5, 2004
"Ambient Devices are looking to build on research done at MIT on how to reduce data clutter and present information in a clear fashion." - Alfred Hermida (BBC)

Microsoft, Ambient glance at nontraditional wireless devices
February 2, 2004
"The market has evolved to the point where even ordinary, seemingly benign objects are now connected to a network. Clocks, watches, paperweights, pinwheels and other items are among the newest players in the sweeping world of wireless. Such gadgets fall under the ''glanceable'' class of wireless devices." - Mike Dano (RCR Wireless)

What did Newsweek, Wired, and the New York Times have to say about Ambient?
More news about Ambient Devices here