Streetlight
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Wi-Fiber’s streetlights are an easy way to make cities smart
The difference between the technology in our pockets and that lining our streets is growing ever more pronounced, and that's a problem. It's one of the reasons that smart city technology is going to become an increasingly visible part of the world over the next few years. Communities need to catch up, and companies such as Wi-Fiber are hoping that offering a way to retrofit new equipment into existing infrastructure is the solution.
BMW's new street lights will charge your electric car
Street lights are already brimming with electricity, so it stands to reason that they'd make great charging points for electric cars, doesn't it? BMW certainly thinks so. It has developed Light and Charge LED street lights that could keep your EV topped up (Beemer or otherwise) using existing urban infrastructure instead of dedicated power outlets and charging stations. It should be cheaper for cities to implement, of course, but it could also take a lot of the anxiety out of driving a gas-free vehicle -- you could theoretically park on any street knowing that your car will have more energy when you come back.
Philips Simplicity shows off vision for the future of street lighting
In these green times, companies are looking everywhere to make a buck -- er, save the planet. Philips Simplicity didn't go much further than the sidewalk to find inspiration for its latest eco-friendly innovation, the Light Blossom, a self-sustainable street lamp that has triple-duty petals. They're peppered with energy-efficient LEDs to illuminate the street, naturally, but also have solar panels on top and can spin around in a stiff breeze to recharge. At night they'll emit a soft glow, intended to cut down on light pollution, but will grow brighter whenever a pedestrian comes by. It all sounds wonderfully efficient, but with lights popping on and off as you go, it could make that late-night walk of shame a little more conspicuous than you might like.
