smart lighting

It appears Roku is expanding from streaming hardware to smart home lighting.

Photos and two shipping manifests regarding Roku-branded smart home devices have appeared online. The smart home lineup from Roku could incorporate light strips, smart plus and even indoor/outdoor security cameras.

Roku has long secured its place in the streaming hardware space, whether it’s the Roku Express, Roku Streaming Stick, or the new Roku Ultra, many are aware of the brand.

A photo depicting a large stack of Roku smart light strips is circulating the internet courtesy of Reddit user ‘Negative_Source.’ Additionally, two shipping manifests show that Roku is working with Wyze on roughly half a dozen products for the home.

So far, the available information reveals the company’s plans to sell a Roku colour bulb and a white bulb. Additionally, there are mentions of the aforementioned light strips and a Roku smart plug. Finally, Roku appears to be releasing a Roku indoor camera, Roku outdoor camera and Roku pan cam.

Of course, this leak doesn’t officially confirm that there are new Roku devices on the way. However, this is substantial enough evidence to suggest Roku is planning to become an integral part of the smart home.

It’s worth considering how these products could communicate with one another. References to a ‘Roku Smart Home’ channel have been spotted as well. This suggests that Roku may be developing a way to control all devices via a set-top box or streaming stick. It’s likely integration into the Roku mobile app is on the way as well.

Roku’s investment in smart home lighting is interesting. Obviously, Philips Hue is a big player in the space and offers the Hue Play HDMI Sync Box for the living room. Though, it does involve quite the investment of cash. Perhaps Roku’s smart home initiative can provide similar results for a more modest price.

As far as rollout and pricing, it’s still unclear how Roku plans to announce these products. However, given that the packaging looks like it’s finalized, we can’t be too far away from official details.

Image credit: u/Negative_Source

Source: Reddit ‘Negative_Source’ Via: The Verge

Toronto-based Nanoleaf is celebrating a decade of lumination and is launching its Ultra Black Triangles. This limited-edition version of its lighting tiles features an all-black panel when not in use.

Over the span of several years, Nanoleaf has made a name for itself and its geometric lighting panels. When active, LED lighting is able to display over 16 million colour variations and tones. However, when not in use, the panels are all white. The Ultra Black Triangle set features a black finish.

The Ultra Black Triangles feature the same smart home compatibility as the standard Nanoleaf Shapes. Users can sync their lights with Apple HomeKit, Google Home, Amazon Alexa and more.

Nanoleaf’s lighting is known for its customizable layouts and options. The company offers standard kits comprised of triangles and hexagons. Users can align them as they see fit in their office and around the home. Users can create unique designs and lighting layouts using the app. Eagle-eyes readers have seen them in the background of many MobileSyrup pictures.

A standard Smarter Kit of the Ultra Black Triangles is now available for $279.99. This kit includes nine panels of Nanoleaf’s limited edition panels. Additionally, the kit features a standard 42W power supply unit, supporting up to 28 panels. Plus, Nanoleaf includes connectors and a controller for the lights. Additionally, the company has a three-panel expansion kit for $99.99.

For those eager to get their hands on a kit, note that Nanoleaf has manufactured 1,000 units so availability is limited.

The company expects shipments to begin in “early August.”

Image credit: Nanoleaf