Wow, now here are three new light bulb innovations for the home that Thomas Edison never dreamed would exist. Mainly because he didn’t have a smart phone. Which he probably didn’t dream about either.
Lumen TL800
First check out the Lumen TL800 (above) which is the first Bluetooth smart bulb to hit stores in the US. This thing is really cool. It’s controlled by an app on your phone (available for iOS and some Android models), and you can set the stage for any mood you’re in with one of 16 million color options on the dimmable LED bulb.
You can also program certain features into the bulb through your phone as well; it will flash when you have incoming phone calls, you can create lighting effects that will sync with your music; wake mode can become your alarm clock as it naturally brightens slowly; or use the pre-programmed flashing beats in party mode. For me, that means me and my kids in our PJs jamming out to the Laurie Berkner Band, but no one has to know that, right?
And of course, there’s a romance mode programmed in as well, promising to create a warm atmosphere with perfect lighting so none of my wrinkles show and I look ten pounds lighter. Well, maybe not.
The Lumen TL800 retails for $69.99 and is available at the Tabu online shop and at select retailers.
Nanoleaf LED Light
We recently discovered this bulb which is actually a printed circuit board on the outside. Yet it projects light like an old-fashioned incandescent bulb with a nice warm white glow, and wow will it save you energy and money. The 75 watt bulb equivalent uses only 10 watts of power, saving 87% of the energy of an incandescent bulb, and using 50% less than even a compact fluorescent bulb. Plus it can last up to 25 years based on 3 hour-a-day usage.
The Nanoleaf LED light retails for $35 and ships around March from the Nanoleaf shop
Belkin WeMo LED Smart Lighting
We’re big fans of all the home innovations from Belkin, makers of the life-changing WeMo system which just keeps growing. At International CES, our editor Liz got a sneak peek at the new WeMo Smart LED Bulb which gives off a nice soft light, and can be controlled remotely from your WeMo app for Android and iOS–even grouping them by room or area, like a Sonos system. It’s a whopping $129.99 for the starter kit, and that includes two 60 watt equivalent bulbs that last up to 23 years based on 3 hour/day use plus the bridge that you’ll need to control it all. Like the Lumen, you can set for vacation mode, dim to sleep, and count your savings when you realize you left the hall light on before you left for work–and can just turn it off with a few taps of your phone.
The Belkin Smart LED Bulb will be available starting sometime this spring for $129.99 for the starter kit, $39.99 for individual bulbs.
