Want to illuminate your yard without getting your hands dirty? Mipow‘s Playbulb Garden might be just the thing.
The LED lighting system operates with solar energy, so they’re “green” but illuminate in a rainbow of other tones as well. As the sun shines, Playbulb’s solar panel instantly soaks up the light for storage in its lithium-ion internal battery. When fully charged, the device works up to 20 hours. Bad weather won’t rain on your lighting parade, as the system is water resistant. A built-in sensor can detect nightfall, automatically turning on and off at the appropriate times.
And these bulbs seem way easier to plant than petunias. Users connect Playbulb to one or two of the included monopods, if desired, then stick the whole unit right in the garden’s soil. It might be a little tougher with just grass, though, and there’s no accompanying wall unit for those who want a less easy-to-steal option.
With the free Playbulb X app, available at the Apple App Store and Google Play, the device syncs through Bluetooth, placing color-changing control and special effects right in your hands. Current settings include rainbow, rainbow fading, pulsing, flashing, and candle light. In “group mode,” up to five Playbulbs will change to the same color and effect.
With an expected May delivery date nearing, it doesn’t sound like the the bulbs are 100 percent ready to go; the team is still testing whether the plastic is UV-stable. The Kickstarter campaign is light-years beyond its $10,000 goal with over $128,000 pledged. Though the campaign is nearly over, t’s not too late to take advantage of the discounted price of $24 a pop.
