Philips has expanded its Hue line of iPhone-controlled lighting with a new bulb this week, called the BR30. Unlike previous Hue bulbs, the BR30 is designed to fit into recessed sockets to create the effect of light shining from a hole in the ceiling.
The BR30 bulbs are designed to fit the standard E27 screw base and deliver 600 lumens of light. And like other Hue bulbs, they provide a full range of color, except the light is delivered in a downward beam instead of being omnidirectional...
At the September double iPhone keynote, Apple's boss Tim Cook invited guys from Anki up on stage to show off their new innovative game-slash-accessory, Anki Drive, basically an iPhone-controlled system comprised of miniature self-driving cars that race around a vinyl race track.
The successful presentation wowed the audience and the robotics company said shortly after that Anki would launch later in October. And as of yesterday, the Anki Drive is available from the Apple Store for a cool $199...
During Apple's WWDC keynote this summer, Tim Cook called a couple of guys from Anki up on stage to show off their new iOSÂ accessory/game called 'Anki Drive.'
Anki Drive is essentially a set of self-controlled, iOS-connected vehicles that race around a vinyl race track. The company describes it as a "video game in the real world."
Although the demo failed initially, folks were impressed by the Anki Drive cars. And many will be happy to hear that they'll finally be available for purchase next week...
The introduction of numerous media devices - from your television to DVD player and stereo - coupled with the growth of smart homes would seem to cry out for Apple-like simplification. It just so happens, there is a patent for that. Apple has patented a way to control your home media collection right from your iPhone.
The patent, filed a half-decade ago by the creator of the iTunes Remote app, uses "scenes" to adjust your home multimedia to fit settings like "Romantic Movie Night", "Dinner," or simply "Relax."...
In January of last year, Parrot took the wraps off of its AR.Drone 2.0 at the Consumer Electronics Show. And needless to say, the easy-to-fly iPhone-controlled quadricopter, with its built-in 720p camera, wowed the crowds.
Unfortunately, though, the AR.Drone 2.0 suffered from a problem similar to its predecessor—battery life. The RC vehicle could only fly for about 15 mins on a single charge. But that's about change with the new Power Edition...
The Sphero ball was one of the first iPhone-controlled accessories to hit the market back in 2010, and it has long been a favorite of enthusiasts. The baseball-sized rolling ball can be remotely controlled via an iOS or Android app.
Today, Orbotix announced the successor to the Sphero ball: Sphero 2.0. The upgraded accessory is more than twice as fast as its predecessor—capable of rolling at 7 FPS—and three times as bright, with more LEDs and colors...
I received a Logitech Harmony remote for Christmas last year, and it's been by far my most frequently used gift. It's completely replaced 5 of my living room remotes, it's easy to run, and it took me less than 15 minutes to set it up using my computer.
This being said, you can imagine how excited I was when Logitech announced last night that it would be bringing its Harmony line to iOS (and Android) via the Ultimate Hub. The accessory, it says, will turn your smartphone into an all-in-one remote...
Home automation has been around for decades. But with the recent advent of the smartphone and the tablet, the market has started to evolve much more quickly. Just look at products like the Nest Learning Thermostat and the Philips Hue.
It seems like you can control pretty much anything with your smartphone or tablet these days, and we've come across a cool example of that. Check out this video of a house that has $80 grand of iPad-controlled home automation equipment...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98p_epP0TRQ
iHelicopters, the makers of iPhone-controlled vehicles are on a roll again. After creating a lineup of iPhone-controlled helicopters, RC cars and the rocket-launching Cobra copter, their latest offering is the iUFO. As the name suggests, it's a flying device that resembles an unidentified flying object. Its rotor system is maneuverable via your iPhone, iPad or iPod using a free app that talks to the unit via the transmitter which plugs in the headphone jack .
Its spherical design is aimed at protecting the rotors from hitting nearby objects and breaking. The manufacturer says the system even allows iUFOs to roll over the ground without crashing the rotors and says you don't have to worry about crashing the unit against the walls or ceiling...
Romo the robot first appeared last November as a Kickstarter project. It was essentially a fully motorized, acrylic robot that was both controlled and powered by an iOS device. And despite looking like a build-it-yourself hobby-bot, it collected well over $100,000 in pledges.
Well this year, Romo is back and better than ever. The robot has been redesigned from the circuit board up, and has been improved in almost every way imaginable. It looks better, goes faster, thinks smarter and is much easier to use...
We've seen a lot of cool accessories for the iPad over the years, but this one might just take the cake. Double Robotics has just unveiled a new self-balancing motorized stand for Apple's tablet called the Double.
The stand uses the iPad for propulsion, as it wheels around on a Segway-like base. And the whole thing is controlled by a second iPad, using the camera on the first for guidance. You really have to see it to believe it...
Digital home control may be the way of the future, but much of the current technology is still out of reach for the average consumer. It's expensive, complicated, and not very user-friendly. But there are companies looking to change that.
Take the Elphi, for example. This new "smart plug" is looking to change the way we look at home automation. Simply plug the Elphi into an AC outlet, plug in any AC-powered device to the Elphi, and open the accompanying iPhone app...