Here’s a switch. There are plenty of smart lights that can be controlled by Amazon Alexa voice commands, but now GE Lighting is about to integrate Alexa Voice Service (AVS) components into its C by GE LED smart table lamp so you can talk to it to control both the lamp and all your other Alexa-enabled smart home devices and appliances. You’ll also be able to ask the lamp about the news and weather, and even have it tell you a joke.
The C by GE smart lamp is the first lighting product with Alexa built in to be announced. Alexa already has more than 5,000 locally enabled, cloud-based skills. The library of Alexa skills is building fast, so there will soon be a seemingly unlimited selection of actions at your command. With Alexa-enabled smart appliances, you could sit and read by the lamp light while cooking a meal or change your mind and use the lamp to place an order and have your dinner delivered.
You can also pair visual light cues with various tasks, or enable a clock function to turn Sol into a timepiece. If you need help sleeping, Sol can come to your rescue, with the GE C Sleep light promising to “enforce the human body’s natural rhythm and melatonin production to prepare for sleep and awaken more efficiently.”
GE Lighting’s C by GE brand is focusing on building its own line of connected home devices for convenience, control, and security. GE sees the Alexa-integrated lamp as a “first step in unleashing the ultimate living experience.” GE is developing applications in-house, working with outside firms such as Amazon, and inviting homeowners to share their ideas.
The circular LED C by GE table lamp has a contemporary geometric form designed in part by Richard Clarkson, who designed The Cloud, a ceiling fixture that responds to motion with lightning and thunder.
On May 1, GE announced a new promotional wait-list window, which gives the most eager of customers the opportunity to become early adopters, as well as a 20 percent discount. That means if you sign up right now, you can get the Sol for $160 instead of the suggested retail price of $200. The Sol is expected to make its way to consumers in September from Amazon and CbyGE.com.
Article originally published in December 2016. Updated on 05-04-2017 by Lulu Chang: Added news about Sol’s price and availability.
