Coincidentally timed with Apple’s WWDC HomeKit announcement, Samsung has revealed a new line of smart LED lightbulbs that communicate with your phone, and each other, using a mesh Bluetooth network they automatically create. What does that actually mean for you?
Well, for starters, the bulbs don’t have to be connected to your home’s Wi-Fi network. They can instead talk directly to an accompanying app on your smartphone over Bluetooth. It also means the bulbs can pass along messages to other bulbs out of range of your phone.
All-in-all the network allows up to 64 bulbs to be connected and controlled with a range of up to 600 metres from a given device. And since they can all talk to each other, it allows for neat tricks like configuring and quickly activating specific lighting setups in your home. Or even having the bulbs flash in a unique pattern to let you know when a call is coming in on a silenced phone — at least until that novelty wears off after the first week. [Samsung via Ubergizmo]