Revolv’s Smart Home Gadget Goes Cold and Dark

Owners of the Revolv Smart Hub got some bad news on April 4 when they were informed their $300 devices would cease to function as of May 15. Revolv was acquired by Nest in 2014, just nine months after they themselves were acquired by Google. At the time, Revolv stopped selling the units but didn’t mention any plans to shut down the service. That’s changed according to the announcement on their website.

“We’re pouring all our energy into Works with Nest and are incredibly excited about what we’re making. Unfortunately, that means we can’t allocate resources to Revolv anymore and we have to shut down the service. As of May 15, 2016, your Revolv hub and app will no longer work,” the founders said in a letter to customers on the site.

The Revolv hub offered customers the ability to automatically turn off smart home devices, including lights, thermostats and speakers. But it’s not just an end-of-support issue. The company is deliberately making their hardware non-functional. On May 15 the Revolv app will stop working as will the API, according to the FAQ on their site.

“Revolv was a great first step toward the connected home, but we believe that Works with Nest is a better solution and are allocating resources toward that program,” Nest rep Ivy Choi told Engadget.

The company has declined to share just how many customers will be affected by the shutdown, nor have they offered any alternatives.

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