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Torchcity makes securing your home as easy as screwing in a lightbulb

Securing your home is as easy as screwing in a lightbulb. After all, keeping yourself and your loved ones safe is of the utmost importance, so why shouldn’t it be of the utmost convenience, too? With Torchcity, you ought to be able to combine a surveillance camera, sensors, and of course, wireless LED lighting, all into a single device.

“Making our homes smarter shouldn’t be rocket science,” the team notes on its Kickstarter page. “At Torchcity, we envision smart homes to be the future living and should be as easy as installing a light bulb.” Rather than depending on a consortium of various devices, Torchcity claims to deliver an all-in-one solution.

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Embedded in the light is a camera lens, which claims to give users the ability to view “every corner of the room at once,” and in full HD, no less. Thanks to an embedded motor, homeowners can adjust the camera angle by 18 degrees at a time, allowing them to monitor the entirety of the room. Footage from the camera can be streamed directly to your smartphone, and can be stored in Dropbox or other cloud solutions. If you see something out of the ordinary, Torchcity’s built-in microphone and speakers support two-way audio, so you can speak to folks in your home, and hear their responses. So whether you need to communicate with a loved one or scare off a potential intruder, this smart light bulb could help.

Torchcity also claims to double as a smoke and gas detector. Featuring “industry-standard smoke and gas sensors,” you ought to be able to keep tabs on any dangerous situations within your home. Should the Torchcity detect unusual levels or either smoke or gas, users will receive a smartphone alert, while folks at home will see six red LED lights blinking as an alarm sounds. And to ensure that you can’t just ignore the sound, the alarm isn’t deactivated until a user presses the stop button from within the app.

Of course, as a lightbulb first and foremost, Torchcity can also help illuminate a room. Fully controllable through the companion app, users can control the temperature and color of a light from afar. Claiming a broad spectrum of colors and various tonalities (warm for the evening and cool for the day), the Torchcity hopes to help create the right ambiance for every setting.

You can pre-order the smart light from Kickstarter for $199, and delivery is expected in April.

Lulu Chang
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