drag2share: Philips adds web-connected tap switch, white-only lux bulb to Hue lighting lineup

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/03/28/philips-hue-white-bulb-and-switch/

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.

Filed under: Household

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drag2share: Philips Hue targets the ultra high end with $3,500 3D-printed luminaires

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/03/28/philips-hue-luminaires/

Philips' Hue collection of app-controlled LED bulbs has never been the cheapest option for lighting a room, but the company's existing products are at least priced to be accessible to many homeowners. That's absolutely no concern when it comes to this latest lineup of lamps, however. The table and pendant luminaries (a fancy word for light fixture) were designed by WertelOberfell and Strand+Hvass. These works of art are still perfectly functional, though -- each is capable of displaying any of 16 million colors, with full wireless control. These 3D-printed fixtures are hardly affordable, however. A selection of table lamps will be available for pre-order beginning March 31st for €2,500 (about $3,500) while the pendant versions will retail for a whopping €3,000 (about $4,150).

Filed under: Household

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drag2share: Philips' new LED bulbs are powered over Ethernet, provide occupancy and climate info to office managers

source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/03/27/philips-power-over-ethernet/?utm_source=Feed_Classic_Full&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget&?ncid=rss_full

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.

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drag2share: A Microscopic Lens-Free Image Sensor Could Turn Anything Into a Camera

Source: http://gizmodo.com/a-microscopic-lens-free-image-sensor-could-turn-anythin-1552714005

This tiny piece of glass may not look like much, but in fact its surface is cleverly etched to capture light, and it contains a small chip to process the incident light. Yep, it's a tiny camera that could provide any object—however small—with the means of capturing images.

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drag2share: Philips' 2014 4K TVs include an Android-powered model and smaller sets

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2014/03/27/philips-2014-4k-tvs/

Philips' 4K TVs last year were on the large side, but it's following up in 2014 with smaller models -- including one with a few tricks up its sleeve. The company's new 55-inch 8809 series set mates the extra-high resolution with Android, giving you both Google Play apps as well as access to your Dropbox content. It's also a capable set whether or not you like the mobile OS, with a 1GHz refresh rate and Ambilight illumination that plays nicely with both games and Hue lights. There are also 48- and 55-inch 1080p sets running Android (the 8109 and 8209 series), and you can pick up the 7809 series (pictured here) in 42-, 49- and 55-inch flavors if you're comfortable using a 4K set without Google underpinnings. All of the new 7000 and 8000 series TVs should be available in Europe and Russia in the second quarter of the year, although the Android variants aren't expected to reach the UK. Pricing isn't available at this stage, but we'd expect these screens to be more affordable than Philips' 65- and 84-inch behemoths.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD

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