Lighting up your life is becoming an increasingly intelligent endeavor. At CES 2018, GE will expand its connected-home portfolio with the introduction of the “Light for the Way You Live” line of — you guessed it — lighting solutions. C by GE, whose claim to fame is being the first Alexa-enabled lamp, is now becoming an even smarter lighting system. As part of its resolution for 2018, GE is pledging “easy-to-use, voice-centric lighting products for every room of the home.”
This year, C by GE is debuting a number of all-in-one illuminating products that are said to “evolve and grow with consumers over time.” There’s the new Smart Ceiling Fixture, which is of course voice-integrated, allowing customers to chat directly not only with lamps, but with ceiling lighting as well. Not only can you set the warmth or coolness of your lighting, but you can also tell these Smart Ceiling Fixtures to play music, add an item to your grocery list, or just about any other voice-driven task. As part of its initial offering, GE will be offering a flush mount as well as a recessed can option.
Then there’s the new Smart Wall Switch, a voice-compatible smart switch that will allow customers to dim and change the temperatures of their lights at will, all without a separate GE hub. You can even use the switch to dim nonconnected bulbs. Thanks to a built-in antenna, this smart switch is said to always be able to access electricity, which means that you can’t accidentally disable the smart aspect of the device. Moving forward, there GE claims occupancy, humidity, and temperature sensors as well, all of which will aid in monitoring rooms in real time to help create what the company calls an optimum environment.
Moreover, the already-existing Sol Lamp, the first Alexa-compatible lighting product, is now available in Canada, and can integrate with Spotify and SiriusXM. Plus, thanks to Amazon’s Echo Spatial Perception feature, the Sol Lamp will sync with other Alexa devices throughout your home. The C by GE portfolio will also work alongside Google Assistant and Apple HomeKit.
“Imagine you have a hard time falling asleep, but also a hard time waking up. Your bedroom is a space for reading before bed and folding clothes, and it’s always cold. Imagine if lighting could optimize that environment and solve for those challenges and needs,” said Jeff Patton, GM Connected Home product manager. “We will get you there through lighting solutions paired with voice, sensors, and other technology that you can use on their own or in combination across the home.”
Update: Added details about C by GE’s newest products.
