Hasta La Gadget!

Philips today announced that it is adding yet more products to its popular Hue line of wireless-controlled LED lamps. Three new products were introduced, including a less expensive white-only bulb, a wireless switch, and a line of 3D-printed lighting fixtures.

The Hue Lux works just like other Hue LED bulbs, but it only outputs pure white light. This allows you to add more remote-controlled bulbs to your network in rooms that just don’t need mood lighting. Philips hasn’t mentioned what color temperature the bulb will output, but I’m assuming it will be pleasing to the eye based on Philips’ other LED bulb products.

The Lux bulb is also $20 cheaper than the standard Hue bulb, selling for $39.95(USD). A starter kit will also be available with two Hue Lux bulbs and a Hue Bridge for $99.95. The Hue Lux will ship sometime “after Summer 2014.”

The Hue Tap is perfect for those times that you don’t have your smartphone readily available, or if you want family or guests to be able to control the lights. The small switch can be wall mounted, and lets you turn lights on and off, and can store preset scenes from the Hue app as well.

While you can currently approximate similar functionality by purchasing a LivingColors lamp and reprogramming its remote like I’ve done, it’s nice that Philips is finally addressing this need with a dedicated product. Incredibly, the Tap’s switch requires no batteries, it gets all the power it needs from the kinetic energy captured from your finger taps. Hue Tap will also be available later this year for $59.95.

Perhaps the most interesting addition to the line-up are the new 3D-printed luminaires. These dramatic lighting fixtures were created in collaboration with the design teams of WertelOberfell and Strand+Hvass, and they are in a word – stunning. The lamps offer the full wireless control found in Hue bulbs, casting colorful shadows through their complex geometric structures.

Unfortunately, the 3D-printed luminaires are extremely expensive, with the pendants going for €2,999 (~$4113 USD) and the table lamps going for €2,499 (~$3427 USD). Philips will be taking pre-orders for the lamps starting on March 31.

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You probably don’t give much thought about the artificial light that’s available around you. But hundreds of millions of people don’t have access to electricity;  many of these people use kerosene lamps at night, which are not only costly but harmful. That’s why Steve Katsaros named his company Nokero, which is short for “no kerosene.” It certainly sounds better than Sopolibu.

All Nokero bulbs have a built-in solar panel, one or more rechargeable AA batteries, a clip and LEDs. The fully charged batteries can power the lamp up to 8 to 12 hours depending on the model of the light bulb. The light bulbs have high and low brightness settings. The bulbs also have an auto mode that uses the solar panel to detect ambient light. If the bulb senses that it’s already bright enough, the LEDs will automatically turn off.

Another practical feature of Nokero bulbs is that you can replace the rechargeable AA batteries with any AA battery. A standard AA battery won’t be recharged by the bulb’s solar panel, but at least you’ll still have light if the rechargeable battery runs out of charge.

You can buy the LED bulbs directly from Nokero or on Amazon for $15 to $27 (USD) depending on the model. The company also makes smaller lights, flashlights and mobile device chargers.

[via Fancy]

What you see below is not a product of Photoshop. It’s the King Edison Pendant Lamp designed by Young & Battaglia, and it’s a cross between a light bulb and a chandelier.

Now normally, the chandelier would have a bunch of bulbs installed all around it. The tables are turned in this unusual lamp, though, as the chandelier is found inside a larger-than-usual “light bulb” with a diameter of 15 centimeters. It’s definitely an unusual piece to have in your home.

The King Edison is described as a combination of “the pure simplicity of an Edison light bulb with the romance and glamour of a Kings chandelier”, consisting of “a miniature brass chandelier inside a hand blown clear glass shade and satin chrome fittings.”

Something as intricate and unique as this obviously doesn’t come cheap. The King Edison is available online from Mineheart for £480 (~ $737 USD).

[via Gizmodo via Geekologie & INDULGD]