Never miss an update Follow AppleInsider ConEd will help NYC residents connect their air conditioner to their iPhone for free As part of ConEd's coolNYC program, customers can sign up to receive up to five free smartAC kits — which normally retail for $120 each — from New York-based ThinkEco. The smartAC plugs in between the wall outlet and a window unit, connecting the outlet to the cloud and enabling remote control using a companion iOS app. Using the app, consumers can turn individual window units on or off at any time and adjust the temperature, even after they have left their apartment. The app also keeps track of power consumption and attempts to quantify the effect of easing off the thermostat by equating energy savings with reduced carbon dioxide emissions and gasoline consumption. Additional cloud-based software can be used to configure each smartAC kit to operate on a schedule. The target temperature could be automatically increased five minutes after a consumer typically leaves for work, for example, and decreased a few minutes before they usually arrive home.

The program does come with one stipulation: consumers who receive the kits must agree to participate in ConEd's demand response program, which will automatically raise the target temperature of connected units when the utility believes demand will be highest, easing load on the grid. ConEd says they will notify users one day before any event — of which they anticipate up to five throughout the summer — and that consumers can opt out of each event individually. As an incentive for participation, consumers will also receive a $25 gift card at the end of the summer. Survey finds 14% of watch-wearers interested in hypothetical $350 Apple 'iWatch' Needham raises Apple target to $97, expects Swift programming language to enhance iPhone superiority On Topic: App Store The CW launches Apple TV app, no cable login requiredAdobe Lightroom for iOS now supports RAW shooting on iPhone 7, 7 Plus Skype for iOS gets Siri and CallKit support in latest updateApple activates Search Ads ahead of Oct. 5 launch, gives developers $100 credit for first campaignGoogle launches Allo 'smart' messaging app with Google Assistant AI

If you don't have an air conditioner and can't take the heat (or you just don't feel like running yours), here are five DIY ideas to stay cool this summer.wall mounted ac units price If you don't have an air conditioner, hopefully you have a fan. how to clean car ac air filterOn its own, however, a fan isn't always sufficiently cooling. small air handling units ukIf your home is a hot air trap, blowing that hot air around isn't going to help much. Instead of just running the fan and hoping for the best, take a shallow bowl and fill it with ice. Place the bowl in front of the fan and as the ice evaporates, it will cool the air.If it isn't hotter outside than it is in your home, you've probably cracked a window already to at least cool things down a little bit.

If you're finding an open window isn't sufficient, spray a sheet with cold water and use it to cover the window's opening. As the breeze passes through, the cold and damp sheet will cool it bringing in chilled air and further helping to reduce the temperature in your home.If all you have are windows to work with, you can still use them to your advantage. While the difference is more significant in arid environments, the temperature outdoors cools at night, and that's the air you want to let into your home. If you keep your windows closed while the sun is up and open them while the sun is down, you can trap the cooler air in your home and keep the temperature a few degrees lower. Even better: Set up a couple of inexpensive box fans in windows on opposite sides of a room to create a nice through-breeze.Much of the heat in your home comes from heat-generating sources within it. If you avoid generating large amounts of heat you won't have as much of a need to cool. Things like air drying your clothes, skipping the dry cycle on your dishwasher and turning off your computer(s) when they aren't in use are all good ways to keep the temperature down.

Sometimes the best alternative to an air conditioner is an air conditioner, especially when you can make it yourself on the cheap. Even better, make it portable. Check out our tips from last year's Beat the Heat and build this portable air conditioner, or try this easy and cheap dorm-legal one. Want more tips for staying cool this summer? Here are more easy ways, reader tips on non-AC cooling and the overall best tips from Lifehacker readers. Have some of your own tips for keeping cool in the summer? Let's hear them in the comments. Title photo courtesy of Becca Schall. Dog photo via MeeksAir. Where to BuyMajor Appliances Locate a dealer for GE refrigerators, cooking products, dishwashers, home washers and dryers, and other kitchen products. Our leading team of consultants, designers and the right staff, make it all work. We’ll work with you to repair or replace your current HVACR equipment to provide a comfortable and safe environment. With more than 60 years of servicing and installing HVACR equipment and an unmatched reputation in the industry, our superior mechanics can diagnose any air-conditioning, heating or energy management control problem.

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