When Edison, Swan and Maxim each invented their version of light bulb, they probably even couldn’t conceive that someday a closely related device would also include a wireless speaker.
Avantconcept, the Hong Kong company who developed the AirBulb have a pretty simple motto for this product: “Where there is light, there is music.” I beg to differ, as some people prefer listening to music in the dark, not to mention that there are plenty of illuminated spaces that are dead silent. However, the motto clearly refers to the two functions of AirBulb, respectively smart lighting and audio, that were cleverly brought together in a space-saving device.
Since this device is at the same time an LED light bulb and a speaker, the fact that it has the potential of saving people a bit of space will definitely come to mind first, but this is far from being the only good thing about AirBulb. The LED light bulb features color temperature control, not to mention that it also can be turned on and off or dimmed via an iOS or Android app.
The incorporated speaker is wireless, meaning that it can stream music from smartphones and tablets to which it connects via Bluetooth LE 4.0. The smart LED light bulb, on the other hand, has various flashing patterns, and can notify people of any incoming calls. Avantconcept also included alarm and timer modes, which were borrowed from Hi-Fi audio systems. All of these are very useful features, especially considering that they are all offered in a single product.
Installing the AirBulb is rather simple. After screwing it in the (presumably E27 or E14) slot, users need to install the companion app either from the iTunes App Store or Google’s Play Store. Next, they need to pair the smartphone or tablet with the smart light bulb and start playing with AirBulb’s settings. All in all, this smart lighting gadget seems bulkier than other smart bulbs, but considering its added functionality, I’m willing to turn a blind eye on that.
The developers of AirBulb started a Kickstarter two weeks ago, and the whole thing had 28 more days to go at press time. Early birds had the chance of securing an AirBulb for $59, but unfortunately all those spots are gone. The other backers need to provide $69 in order to get their smart bulb, in case the project gets funded.
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