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Engadget giveaway: win a SnapRays Guidelight set courtesy of Snap Power!
Whether you're looking to deter monsters lurking in the shadows or just save your toes from another bump in the night, a little light goes a long way. If you don't want to blow your nightlight budget on outlet filling beacons, you may want to consider a plug-and-play solution like the SnapRays Guidelight from Snap Power. These plates replace the old ones and simply snap onto your existing outlets to provide illumination triggered by on-board light sensors without using up valuable plug real estate. Snap Power has offered to supply five lucky Engadget readers with a Home Pack of 10 Guidelights each for this week's giveaway, and you even get to choose your color and style. Just head on down to the Rafflecopter widget below for up to three chances at winning this glowing home add-on, and say goodbye to Hulking out in the middle of the night when you do some serious toe smashing. Winners: congratulations to Matthew G (Rolling Meadows, IL), Jose Z (Mecca, CA), Nathan H. (Lynnwood, WA), Rick F. (Cottage Grove, MN) and Attila B. (Wyoming, MI).
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.
Smart light bulb fools burglars by pretending you're at home
There's no shortage of smart light bulbs that will save energy or set a special mood, but they don't usually do much for when you're away from home. What if you want to trick thieves into thinking you're still around? BeON Home might have tackled that problem with its new Burglar Deterrent. The lighting doesn't just come on for set intervals -- it learns your habits to make it look like you're at home, and it'll even listen for your doorbell to turn on the lights and spook would-be intruders. Each bulb has its own backup power, too, and they'll react to your smoke detector's sounds to light the way out during a fire.
These LED bulbs are brighter despite fewer diodes and a lower price
One of the toughest parts to swallow of LED lighting technology is just how costly it can be. Well, the folks at Cree have taken umbrage with that and developed a bulb that'll retail for around $5 per 40- and 60-watt-equivalent bulb -- less than some standard CFL lamps by a few bucks. How's it doing that? In part by changing the bulbs' design and eliminating the need for heat sinks. As IEEE Spectrum reports, instead of the collar that more or less does double-duty holding the LEDs in place and dissipating heat, the new models get rid of hot air via convection. Meaning, as diodes get warmer, they naturally draw cool air in from outside the bulb as the higher temperature rises upward and outward.
Stack's smart light bulb responds to the world around you
Many smart light bulbs... well, aren't. You can control them, but they're often blissfully unaware of what's going on in your home. Stack aims to change that with its recently unveiled Alba bulb. This sensor-packed illuminator changes brightness and color based on the time of day, location and who's present in the room. It'll start with cooler, more natural white hues when you're just waking up, but will switch to relaxing warm colors when it's late. It will also dim or shut off the lights when there's a lot of ambient light, or if you've left for work; alternately, it will come to life when there's a big commotion. There's a mobile app if you need to tweak settings, but the goal is to avoid using it as much as possible. Much like a Nest thermostat, Alba will learn appropriate behavior and (hopefully) let you keep your phone in your pocket.
Philips' Hue Beyond looks like a lamp, only smarter
Philips Hue Beyond is the company's attempt at taking its connected lighting platform to the mainstream. That's why the new range of light fixtures -- lamps, pendant and ceiling lights -- pair a color-changing module with a "tunable" white light for actually being able to see. We managed to sneak around to the back of Philips' booth at IFA and into a demonstration area where we got to see the gear in use for the first time. It was here that we learned that the company will break out a standalone Hue Beyond app, specifically designed to cater to the more complex dual-bulbed platform. We also learned that there are a trio of Hue modules powering both of the lights, while a single hockey puck-shaped component can be found lurking beneath the lamp's cover. Still unsure if Hue Beyond is worth the investment? Check out the snaps.
Philips' Hue Beyond brings smart lighting to lamps and table lights
Here's a thing that we learned today: an enclosed light fitting, like a table lamp or a pendant light is technically called a luminaire. The reason that we now know this, is because that's the phrase Philips is using to describe the latest addition to its lineup of connected lighting devices. Hue Beyond, despite the sci-fi sounding name, is a range of lamps and ceiling lights luminaires with a dual light source -- a "tunable" white light for seeing and a color-changing bulb that you can tweak to your heart's content. Of course, as a Hue device, it's this second element that'll offer the same smart integration with online services like email alerts and IFTTT recipes. It'll hit stores in the US and Europe toward the end of this month, but be warned, adding a little bit of technical ambience to your home doesn't come cheap. The table lamp version of Beyond, for instance, will set you back €330 ($430, £260), while both the ceiling light and pendant light editions are priced up at a whopping €530 ($695, £420)
Elgato announces $50 Avea smart lightbulb and Eve smart home sensors
Apparently, the world needs another smart lightbulb, and Elgato's going to sell it to you. Called Avea, the $50 bulb connects to your iDevice directly using Bluetooth (no external hub needed), and lets you set the mood in any room with an appropriate shade of light. Just one iPhone (4S and up), 5th gen iPod Touch or iPad (3rd gen or newer) can control a whole house full of lights and give users multiple lighting scenes to choose from. Plus, there's an alarm feature that wakes you with the gentle gleam of a 7W LED bulb pumping out 430 lumens (which is just a bit brighter than its competitor from Lumen, and is roughly equivalent to a 40W incandescent bulb).
MIT's flying robot keeps moving photo subjects bathed in light
Pro photographers can spend ages setting up lighting for a shoot. That work may quickly go out the window if the subject moves, however, and an assistant won't always be there to help. Thankfully, MIT researchers have devised a clever solution to the problem: meet Litrobot, an aerial lighting drone. The unmanned craft uses a combination of LIDAR and the main camera's imagery to track subjects and keep them bathed in just the right amount of rim lighting, whether they've stepped across the room or are just striking a new pose. The robot also adapts to the photographer's movements, and there's even an "aggressive" mode that automatically takes a shot the moment the drone is in position -- potentially perfect for action scenes. Litrobot is just a proof of concept at this stage, but it's easy to see future light-bearing UAVs helping out in the studio.
GE promises smart light bulbs without the usual steep prices
Many smartphone-controlled light bulbs cost a pretty penny, even if you're not interested in mood-setting colors or other elaborate tricks. How are you supposed to afford enough bulbs to illuminate your entire abode? That's where GE's new Link bulbs could save the day. While you'll need a hub ($30 by itself) to get everything connected, the LED-based white lights cost just $15 to $25 each -- in contrast, Philips' upcoming Lux models are $40 a pop. There's also a kit that includes two 60W-equivalent bulbs and a hub for $50, or half as much as you'd pay for an equivalent Lux bundle.
Toyota's LED-lit concept car lets your kids customize the hood
If you complained about your family's drab-looking car when you were a kid, you're going to love the latest incarnation of Toyota's Camatte concept. The vehicle lets children (and creative adults) customize the look by translating their drawings to nearly 7,000 LED lights on the hood; you could change styles at a moment's notice without having to swap panels (as with the 2012 Camatte) or break out some paint. There's no word on the possibility of this technology reaching production models, although we wouldn't count on it in the near future -- even if higher energy consumption isn't a factor, a light-up hood could get quite expensive. Still, Camatte raises hope that cars will one day be as unique as their drivers.
Philips helps to re-create Times Square in a Moscow shopping mall
Russia and the US may not be best buds right now, but that hasn't stopped the former building a homage to one of New York's famous landmarks in its newest shopping mall. The VEGAS Crocus City teamed up with Philips' booming lighting business to build a scaled-down version of Times Square, complete with the red bleachers found on the TKTS booth on 47th street. Naturally, the lighting company supplied both jumbo screens and its Color Kinetics LEDs for the inside and outside of the building, which can show off 16 million colors and broadcast text and graphics depending on what's required. We bet the team over at the Allianz Arena are now casting some envious glances east.
Microsoft puts on an 'infinite' light show to make data pretty
If you're Microsoft, how do you convince people that data is more than just a dry set of charts and graphs? You put on one heck of a light show, that's what. The company recently marked the launch of a database server app by opening the Infinity Room, a temporary art installation that dazzled the public with all the data behind the quarters in their pockets. The project, built by Universal Everything, relied on an array of choreographed LED lights and pixel spheres to produce animations in a mirrored room, giving guests the impression that they were standing in an endless sea of information. As you'll see in the video below, the effect is very Matrix-like -- and certainly more memorable than a run-of-the-mill slideshow. You sadly can't visit the Infinity Room in person anymore, but Microsoft has a 360-degree version at the source link if you want to get a sense of what it was like.
Interactive chandelier turns data streams into a light show
Most hotels have fancy chandeliers hanging in their lobbies, but a new one in Palo Alto has something a lot more apt for its location: a "participatory" light fixture. This high-tech chandelier, which has a hundred bulbs that can dim and move independently, was designed by engineers from the IDEO Digital Shop. It's been basing its light shows for the past month on math equations and noise functions, but since it's not your run-of-the-mill lighting, it works in many different ways -- like visualizing data streams from online sources such as social media. For instance, it can come to life when someone mentions the hotel on Twitter or Facebook, or move in a way that mirrors the weather in the area according to info from the internet. It can also light up in step with someone moving up or down the stairs and match the level of activity at the hotel bar. You can see this chandelier in person in The Epiphany, but if going to Palo Alto is not quite possible, you can watch it flicker and undulate into life after the break. (PS: We'd really like to see this chandelier in the same room as this interactive floor.)
BMW wants to put super-efficient OLED tail lights on your next car
The tail lights on most existing cars leave a lot to be desired: they're big, power-hungry and need reflectors to be visible from all angles. BMW is clearly frustrated with those clunky designs, as it just shared a load of details about its upcoming, OLED-based Organic Light technology. The extra-thin, uniformly lit strips promise tail lights (and some interior lights) that are both easy to see without reflectors and use just a fraction of the power of existing systems. They should also lead to more exotic-looking cars -- BMW can already cut the OLEDs into any 2D shape it likes, and it's planning both flexible and 3D lights in the future.
Philips Hue app-controlled lighting family add three new members
The Philips Hue app-controlled lighting products were among the first "Internet of Things" products we covered here at TUAW, and the product line has become quite popular. Now the company has announced three new products in the Hue line, including a new lower-cost model. Hue Lux is that inexpensive model, a white-only version of the Hue bulb that can act as a smart LED bulb that can be dimmed from the Hue app or any of over 100 third-party applications. A starter kit with two bulbs and a bridge priced at US$99.95 will be available in the second half of 2014. Each additional bulb will be $39.95. In addition, Philips announced 3D-printed table and pendant luminaires that will be made to order. No price was listed for these works of art, which you can see in the following slideshow: Nice, aren't they? I'm seeing some new hanging app-happy light fixtures in my home in the near future. The final product is a new controller for the Hue line named Tap for those times when you don't want to dig your smartphone or tablet out to be able to control a light. According to Philips you can put your own color/intensity creations from the Hue app onto the four buttons of Hue Tap. The controller is unique in that it uses no batteries -- instead, it is powered from the kinetic energy imparted by your finger taps. For those who want to dip into the world of Philips Hue lighting without spending an arm and a leg, the Lux is a nice addition. And for interior designers, the 3D luminaires offer a stylish way to add app-controlled multi-color LED lighting to homes, hotels, restaurants and offices.
Philips adds web-connected tap switch, white-only lux bulb to Hue lighting lineup
Think you're all done building out your Hue lighting collection? Think again. Philips' latest product is one you're likely going to want to own. The tap switch, available later this year for $60, lets you control connected lights wirelessly by tapping one of four buttons. More impressive, however, is the switch's ability to turn lights off and on without requiring a power source of its own. The device is powered by kinetic energy, so a tap creates enough juice to complete each task. Philips is also announcing a new "lux" bulb, which looks and operates like traditional Hue units, albeit without the 16 million colors. This bulb emits only white light, but it's reportedly very bright. Lux is set to retail for $40 per bulb (compared to $60 for the color version), or $100 in a set of two bundled with a Hue base as well. Like the switch, lux will ship in Europe and North America after the summer.
Philips' new LED bulbs are powered over Ethernet, provide occupancy and climate info to office managers
Get ready for a whole new generation of connected lightbulbs. Philips latest concept replaces an office's traditional electrical wiring with Ethernet, used to power LED bulbs and pass info to and from each lamp. Each fixture outputs light, but also collects information from a variety of sensors. A motion sensor can track the number of employees in a given area, for example, while a thermometer can report back on the current temperature. Facility managers can track any section of the office in realtime, adjusting lighting and heating from a smartphone app to save on utilities whenever possible. Of course, as you'll need to replace traditional cabling with Ethernet, the installation itself is sure to cost a pretty penny. Philips quotes a 50-percent reduction in installation costs for PoE over traditional wiring with new installations, however, so if you're planning to refurbish an office this is definitely an interesting option to consider.
LG's first smart light bulb flashes when you get a phone call
LG isn't about to let household heavyweights like Philips corner the connected lighting space -- it just unveiled the Smart Lamp, its first take on the concept. The 10W LED bulb gives Android and iOS users a familiar level of control over their illumination, including a light-based alarm clock and a security mode that pretends you're at home. There are a couple of noteworthy tricks in this initial offering, however. The light connects through both Bluetooth and WiFi, letting it pull the sync-based stunts we've seen in a few other bulbs: it can flash when you get a phone call, or (with Android) pulse to the beat of the music. The Smart Lamp is more expensive than ordinary LEDs at 35,000 won ($32) in LG's native Korea, but it could be a good deal if you don't need the many-colored lighting of Hue and similar systems. Unfortunately, there's no word on whether or not it's coming to the US.
Unity 5 revealed, includes improved lighting, audio
Unity Technologies has unveiled the next iteration of its increasingly ubiquitous cross-platform game engine, appropriately dubbed "Unity 5." Described as a "massive update," Unity 5 features a "completely overhauled audio system," physical shaders and enhanced real-time lighting. Additionally, the update delivers an ad-sharing network that should make it simpler for developers using Unity 5 to cross-promote mobile games. Unity Technologies also hopes to expand the engine's already massive reach with the addition of support for the WebGL graphics API. Unity 5 will be available for pre-order from the Unity Technologies store at some point tomorrow. Helpfully, paying for the engine early also grants users access to Unity 4 and all of that engine's remaining updates. [Image: Unity Technologies]
