Tag Archives: smart home gadget

Govee Floor Lamp Pro Review: Elevate Your Space with Lights and Sounds

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PROS:


  • Handsome minimalist design with a fabric-covered base

  • Built-in speaker in the RGB-lit base

  • Bright and colorful lights that can sync to music

  • Includes a magnetic remote control

CONS:


  • Speaker output quality is average

  • Matter support still unavailable

RATINGS:

AESTHETICS
ERGONOMICS
PERFORMANCE
SUSTAINABILITY / REPAIRABILITY
VALUE FOR MONEY

EDITOR'S QUOTE:

The Govee Floor Lamp Pro delivers a breathtaking audiovisual experience that syncs to the music while also standing proudly as a design object when the lights are off.

Most of us probably presume that lamps either hang from ceilings, stick to walls, or stand on tables. While elevated lighting is indeed necessary to provide illumination in the darkness, every inch of your room or house definitely deserves a bit of light, especially when it adds a splash of color as well. As far as ambient lighting products go, the tall, stick-like figures known as RGB floor lamps are probably the least known or appreciated. Govee might very well be changing that perception with its new Floor Lamp Pro which not only brings pro-level features deserving of its name but also looks quite sleek and elegant standing anywhere in the room, even when all its lights are turned off.

Designer: Govee

Click Here to Buy Now: $219.99.

Aesthetics

Govee has dozens of designs for different kinds of lighting solutions, but if there’s one trait they share it’s that they shine best when the lights are on, figuratively and literally. When they’re off, they tend to look unimpressive, at least for those that aren’t hidden behind TVs or stuck to wall corners. Floor lamps, however, are always visible and are, therefore, designed to be seen. Fortunately, the Govee Floor Lamp Pro is something that you’ll love seeing even if there’s no light show taking place.

Available in black and gray color options, the Govee Floor Lamp Pro’s dark silhouette cuts a rather striking figure whether it’s standing in a corner or placed somewhere in the middle of the room. The floor lamp’s shape is pretty simple: a tall, thin rod standing on top of a cylindrical base. On closer inspection, you will realize that the rod is made of sturdy aluminum that slightly wraps around a white silicone LED light strip. You’ll hardly see this color contrast unless you intentionally turn the light strip into view, which is actually easy to do since you can rotate the rod 360 degrees.

The can-shaped base is covered with a fabric-like material reminiscent of those found wrapped around smart speakers. That association isn’t by accident as the Floor Lamp Pro, unlike Govee’s other lights, actually comes with a built-in Bluetooth speaker. This makes the product an all-in-one light and sound system, one of the extremely few floor lamps with such a feature. The bottom of the base itself isn’t covered by this soft material as it exposes the base’s own RGB lights, yet another defining feature of this new Govee Floor Lamp Pro.

Although you can expect the Govee Floor Lamp Pro to be a dazzling sight once the psychedelic lights start to dance, what sets this design apart is how it still catches your eyes once the show is over. Unless you’re familiar with these kinds of RGB floor lamps, you might actually mistake it as some modern design object meant to add some minimalist elegance to your room. This pretty much means that the Floor Lamp Pro provides value all the time, even when you’re not actively using its bright lights.

Ergonomics

Just like any Govee product, setting up the Floor Lamp Pro is practically a breeze. Given the rod’s 67-inch height, you shouldn’t be surprised that it comes in four pieces that you can quickly join and screw together in a snap. You slip in the silicone light strip and install the rod into the base, easily connecting the wires to finally finish the process. It can be done in around 10 minutes, depending on how well-versed you are at assembling things.

You won’t be handling the Govee Floor Lamp Pro most of the time, at least not directly, which is probably for the best. After all, it’s meant to stand in a corner of the room and stay there until the next time you redecorate. And even when you do need to control it, you won’t be able to do it on the lamp itself anyway because it lacks any form of physical control. Instead, you will be operating the lamp remotely, mostly through your smartphone.

Surprisingly, Govee ships a Bluetooth-enabled remote control with the Floor Lamp Pro, which gives you quick and instant access to some of the most basic and important functions. Instead of fiddling with the app to turn down the volume, you can simply press down the button on the remote to save you the trouble and the stress. And to make sure you don’t lose that small remote, you can magnetically stick it to the lamp’s metal rod until you next need its services.

The Govee Floor Lamp Pro isn’t exactly lightweight at 7.3lbs (3.3kg), but that’s fine since you’re unlikely to move it around anyway. One trick that it does have is that you can turn the rod around, making it trivial to customize the lighting experience from bouncing off walls to directly shining the light in your direction. All in all, this Govee product is just as easy to set up just like its siblings, though there is definitely some assembly required. Operating it is also straightforward, though the Govee Home app can admittedly be a bit daunting and overwhelming for first-time users, but that is mostly because of the plethora of features available for such a simple-looking product.

Performance

When you first turn on the Govee Floor Lamp Pro, you might actually be blinded by how bright the LED lights are. It is to be expected from a flagship Govee product, but this one definitely takes it up a notch with a 2,100 ANSI lumens brightness. Govee didn’t skimp on the LED beads either. The light strip, for example, has 162 RGB units and 162 white units, while the base has 30 RGB beads and 30 white beads.

What all these numbers mean in practice is that you have a bright and unbroken beam of light wherever the Floor Lamp Pro shines. You won’t see any distinct cuts or patterns on the projected light thanks to the high density of LED beads distributed along the length of the light strip. And thanks to Govee’s RGBICWW technology, your eyes are treated to the widest range of colors, turning every moment a psychedelic experience.

The Govee Floor Lamp Pro, however, doesn’t stop there. As mentioned earlier, this is one of the extremely few floor lamps to bear a speaker inside. And not just any speaker, mind you, but a Bluetooth speaker system with two full-range and one low-frequency speaker inside. What would normally be a captivating light show becomes an immersive multimedia experience that dances to the beat of your music or even your film. That speaker, though loud, won’t exactly blow your mind with its quality. It’s decent enough for small parties and enhancing the mood of a film or soundtrack, but it isn’t going to win any awards, especially against actual speakers from audio brands.

The Floor Lamp Pro has the ability to sync its lights to music like a magical light and sound show. It can use either the built-in mic to listen to the sounds around it or, better yet, the built-in Bluetooth speaker playing your own tunes streaming from your phone. With Govee DreamView, you can even sync other Govee lights so they all dance to the same beat, whether they’re in the same room or scattered throughout the house. This Music Mode is just one of the many features you can access from the Govee Home app, of course, and there are literally a dozen others you can pick out to set the right mood at the right time, from scheduled activation to scenes for different holidays. You can even enjoy 29 preset white noise sounds to calm you down and help you focus, though not everyone might like the available selection. Fortunately, you can always use your own relaxing notes thanks to the lamp’s speaker.

As a smart lamp, you have a variety of ways you can control the lamp, though what you’ve heard so far requires your fingers to tap your way through menus and options. You can also use your voice thanks to integration with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. Unfortunately, the Govee Floor Lamp Pro doesn’t yet support the new Matter standard that would open up compatibility with other smart home platforms and devices. That will eventually come, but there’s no timeline yet for its arrival.

Sustainability

The Govee Floor Lamp Pro is an exceptional smart lighting product, but it isn’t that too different from other brands when it comes to the materials it uses. There’s plenty of plastic to go around, especially with the silicone light strip. That said, the Floor Lamp Pro is a little unique in its use of slightly more sustainable materials like the aluminum rod and fabric-like cover for the base.

Any damage, however, would require sending the product back for repairs, which is thankfully a straightforward and painless process. It’d be impossible to repair the light strip on your own, at least not without extensive electronics experience, though you might get by with a few dents and knicks on the metal rod. Hopefully, as Govee’s business grows, so will its efforts in sustainability in order to secure a brighter future for its customers.

Value

Truth be told, a floor lamp is a harder sell compared to products like string or strip lights. The latter are more general-purpose and more flexible as they can be used in almost any situation or design. That said, they also don’t have a big effect when it comes to coloring an entire space, at least not without investing in longer strips. Not only is that not economical, it’s not very efficient either.

The Govee Floor Lamp Pro has the power to really change the atmosphere inside a space. Whether it’s bouncing off walls or shining directly, the bright and colorful lights can easily reach across the room. The magic, however, really happens when you start pairing those lights with sounds coming from the lamp’s own speaker. Best of all, it remains just as captivating as a decorative design when it’s not in use. For a floor lamp that costs $219.99, that’s quite a steal.

Verdict

Smart floor lamps are still a pretty niche market, and it might be difficult to justify one or two if you’re not a gamer or a die-hard room modder. Of course, these aren’t the only audiences that these lights serve, but most people probably can’t imagine what they’d want a vertical stick of light for. With the Floor Lamp Pro, however, Govee is pushing the envelope of what floor lamps are capable of and trying to break the mold with a smart lighting solution that can instantly change the ambiance of a room in a cost-efficient and space-saving manner.

The configurable and bright RGB lights are already impressive, but their ability to sync with the music playing from the lamp’s built-in speakers really takes the immersion up a notch. The wide variety of modes and features enables you to almost literally paint a different picture of your room every time, whether you’re having a lively party or trying to focus on work. The Govee Floor Lamp Pro’s value, however, doesn’t end when the lights go off and the music stops. With a sleek minimalist design and quality materials, it becomes a design object that adds a different kind of aesthetic, one that can speak loudly with fewer words and without the dazzling lights.

Click Here to Buy Now: $219.99.

The post Govee Floor Lamp Pro Review: Elevate Your Space with Lights and Sounds first appeared on Yanko Design.

Smart home camera and router concepts look like ghosts to be less conspicuous

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Our homes are starting to get filled with smart gadgets, and not just the usual culprits like smartphones and tablets. From smart lamps to smart refrigerators, a lot of devices in our houses are now connecting to the Internet. While some of these try to blend in with the rest of your decor as much as they can, others just stand out like a sore thumb. Devices like home security cameras and routers still carry the aesthetics of their predecessors, which is impersonal, technical, and at times even disconcerting. While these products might be important in modern smart homes, they don’t need to be seen in order to function, which is why this concept design tries to make them almost literally fade into the background as if they were ghosts.

Designers: Seokhyun Ahn, Yejee Park, Cho Yumi, Yumin Shin, Myeongryun Kim, Dohyun Park, Lee Dahye, Kim Geonhee, Yang Yurim

We easily take for granted how things that look out of place can affect our minds and moods. Whether it’s a messy desk, a less-than-appealing piece of decoration, or clashing designs, the visual discomfort and confusion can actually bleed into your physical and mental state. They say that the best interfaces and designs are the ones that you barely notice, and what is the least noticeable thing if not a ghost?

Geist, which literally means “spirit” or “ghost,” is a concept design that tries to make those smart home devices less noticeable. Rather than having a black sphere or rectangle that feels like it’s spying on you, the John Doe ghost camera has a translucent body that almost looks like a piece of cloth flying in the wind, just like your stereotypical ghost from cartoons. It is even slanted at an angle to give the impression that it’s levitating and floating as it moves forward. It does have an “eye” for the camera, but it can turn it down to protect your privacy, indicating that it isn’t recording at the moment.

The Wi-Fi router Jane Doe takes on the shape of a gentle wisp of smoke or cloud. With an asymmetrical shape that is mounted vertically on a wall, it almost looks like a ghost passing through a solid surface. It’s impossible to completely hide some of the cables, particularly the power cable, but it at least forces these wires to go in a straight vertical line rather than ending up in a tangled mess.

Although the Geist concept design is actually meant to be less conspicuous and reduce visual discomfort, they can actually also have the opposite effect, depending on the person. Some might not be keen on seeing any representation of the paranormal, so anything that might remind them of ghosts might be even more uncomfortable. That said, the designs are aesthetically pleasing on their own, if you leave out the ghost association, so they still present a more pleasing aesthetic compared to the typical designs of these devices.

The post Smart home camera and router concepts look like ghosts to be less conspicuous first appeared on Yanko Design.

Govee Christmas String Lights Review: It’s a Holiday Everyday

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PROS:


  • Tons of fun and dynamic smart features for any holiday or occasion

  • Simple discreet design is perfect for installing anywhere, whether indoors or outdoors

  • Very affordable price tag

CONS:


  • No dedicated pure white color

  • Silver cable stands out against some colors and trees

  • Adapter only has IP44 dust and water resistance

RATINGS:

AESTHETICS
ERGONOMICS
PERFORMANCE
SUSTAINABILITY / REPAIRABILITY
VALUE FOR MONEY

EDITOR'S QUOTE:

The Govee Christmas String Lights offer delightful light shows, smart features, and great value all year round.

It’s that most wonderful time of the year again, and if you haven’t already set up some lights before Halloween, you are most likely already planning how you’d decorate your homes for the holidays. There is no shortage of lighting options available, both smart and traditional, but the majority of them have one flaw in common. They lose their appeal after the holiday season has come and gone, making their setup and cleanup feel a little more work than they’re worth. The new Govee Christmas String Lights clearly have “Christmas” in their name, but their design and functions make them sound appealing no matter the season. That’s why we took these colorful lights for a spin to check if they check all the right boxes not just for a festive Christmas atmosphere but also for all-year-round smart lighting.

Designer: Govee

Click Here to Buy Now: $89.99

Aesthetics

Traditional Christmas lights come in fairy or rice light designs, which are great for spinning around trees or hanging from windows and roofs, but not much else. The very visible bulbs that protrude from the main cord make them look too conspicuous and difficult to hide in plain sight. In contrast, the 100 or 200 lamp beads (depending on which length you purchase) that make up the Govee Christmas String Lights are almost integrated with the braided cable, making them almost invisible unless you take a closer look. That cable’s design is also quite discrete and plain, making it easier to install the lights almost anywhere.

That said, the Govee Christmas String Lights cable comes in only a single white or silver color. That means it will be able to match many walls or backdrops, and it looks great on a white Christmas tree. A black cable might actually be easier to hide in most contexts, but black doesn’t really come off as a festive color, which is why most Christmas lights go for either green or white.

When the lights are off, the Govee Christmas String Lights are admittedly a rather plain and boring sight, indistinguishable from others of its kind. Fortunately, that perception immediately disappears once the lights are turned on, thanks to each bead’s ability to display one of 16 million possible colors courtesy of Govee’s RGBIC and Uni-IC Control Technology. That already makes these lights give a dazzling display of colors from the get-go, but no owner is going to be satisfied with just displaying static colors. Fortunately, Govee’s true strength lies not just in the quality of the lights themselves but in the smart and fun controls they offer, as we’ll soon see.

Ergonomics

Before you’re able to enjoy the light show, however, you have to set them up first, and we’re happy to report that handling the Govee Christmas String Lights is as easy as pie. There’s almost no effort involved if you’ll just be coiling it around a Christmas tree, but you’ll have to do a bit of planning if you’ll be hanging them elsewhere. Unlike Govee’s other string or rice lights, these don’t come with hooks or mounts for walls or ceilings, so you’ll have to take care of those yourself. The control box does have a pre-installed adhesive for quickly sticking it to flat surfaces.

If there’s one important factor you’ll have to consider, it would be the fixed length of the lights, which come in 33ft or 66ft variants. There’s no way to physically connect two or more string lights into a single unit, so you’ll want to make sure before you buy what length you’ll be needing for your installation. The 66ft length, for example, is good enough to cover a Christmas tree 5-6ft in height, or 7ft at most.

Once the physical labor is done, all that’s left is connecting the lights to your home network, which is what opens the door to all of the lights’ nifty features. If you’ve had any sort of experience setting up smart lights and smart speakers, this process will be familiar and easy. The Govee Home app itself, which acts as your remote control, is easy to use and intuitive, making the use of the lights just as enjoyable as watching them.

Performance

The Govee Christmas String Lights’ strengths come from two areas. The first is the bright and colorful lights that the beads give off, so bright that even the lowest intensity can still be a bit uncomfortable if you put it around your bed’s headrest. Govee’s RGBIC technology shows off millions of colors, except perhaps pure white. Without a dedicated white chip, the lights can only make do with an approximation of white mixed from RGB colors, which results in off-white or even warm white hues. It’s not exactly a deal-breaker unless you’re aiming for a pure white Christmas kind of theme.

Admittedly, a lot of Christmas lights can boast those same colorful feats, but where the Govee Christmas String Lights really shine (pardon the pun) is in the smart features. You can connect it to Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant for completely hands-free voice-controlled operations, but that’s really just scratching the surface of what the lights are capable of. The Govee Home app reveals the full breadth of features available in every string of light, features that take it beyond being a seasonal decoration.

For example, there are more than 99 preset scene modes that apply dynamic effects to make sure the patterns and rhythms never go stale, whether it’s Christmas, Halloween, or even Valentine’s. The built-in mic in the control box enables Music and Game modes that make the lights sync to the beat or react to children’s clapping, turning the light show into an interactive experience. There’s even DreamView, that makes different Govee lights operate in unison without any extra accessory.

The string lights as well as the control box are also IP65 rated, which means they’re also fit for outdoor use. The adapter, however, isn’t waterproof, so you’ll have to make sure to keep it tucked away safely. With all these smart features, the Govee Christmas String Lights have something to offer any time of the year, whether it’s lighting up parties or simply jazzing up your house to make you the envy of the neighborhood.

Sustainability

The Govee Christmas String Lights are made from your typical collection of plastic and other synthetic materials, not unlike any other string lights in the market. And like any LED lamp, once busted there is no way to replace it, especially with the cable’s design. That doesn’t bode well when it comes to sustainability, but the product does have one saving grace in this regard: its longevity.

Despite its name, Govee made these string lights fit for use in all seasons and under many weather conditions. That IP65 dust and water resistance rating helps it survive downpours, and the simple design makes it easy to hide the lights underneath some cover or protection. And thanks to its versatile functions, its use extends beyond just one or two seasons, so you are really getting your money’s worth.

Value

With so many Christmas lights to choose from, it can be a daunting experience looking for that elusive perfect one. You might be tempted to just grab any box off the shelf until you remember that the last one barely lasted a year. And then there are those fascinating smart lights that promise dozens of enticing features but then slap you with a three-digit price tag.

Like many of Govee’s products, the Govee Christmas String Lights buck the trend to deliver a product that is not only talented but also accessible to everyone. The lights sell for only $59.99 and $89.99, for the 33ft and 66ft lengths, respectively, and that’s without discounts and sales that happen quite frequently. But even at full price, you’re getting a bright, colorful, and smart lighting solution that goes beyond just a single holiday, making that amount an investment that will last you for years.

Verdict

The holiday season is the best time to throw a splash of colors both outside and inside your house, but that doesn’t have to be the only time either. Sure, you only bring out the Christmas tree once a year, but your walls, windows, and room could also use a bit of lively lights any night. Most Christmas lights, unfortunately, look awkward outside of the holidays, presuming they even last that long. The Govee Christmas String Lights is clearly an outlier, and one that bears noting this time of the year and beyond.

Of course, it is designed with Christmas festivities in mind, and it definitely excels in that regard. The bright, colorful LED beads deliver an unparalleled number of colors that really paint your tree, your room, or your house with the colors of the season. Smart features not only make controlling the lights easier, but they also make them fun with the likes of Music Mode and Game Mode. What makes these lights truly noteworthy, however, is how both its design and its features can fit any occasion, holiday, or setting. Whether you’re dressing up the living room for Christmas, giving the lawn a spooky atmosphere for Halloween, or simply giving your house a colorful makeover each night, the Govee Christmas String Lights has got you covered all year round.

Click Here to Buy Now: $89.99

The post Govee Christmas String Lights Review: It’s a Holiday Everyday first appeared on Yanko Design.

Govee RGBIC Permanent Outdoor Lights Review: It’s a Holiday Everyday of the Year

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PROS:


  • Relatively easy to install

  • Durable and weatherproof with IP67 rating

  • Bright and vibrant LEDs with 16 million colors

  • Powerful customization and control via app or smart assistants

CONS:


  • A bit expensive

  • Triangular light pattern might not appeal to some

  • Overwhelming mobile app

RATINGS:

AESTHETICS
ERGONOMICS
PERFORMANCE
SUSTAINABILITY / REPAIRABILITY
VALUE FOR MONEY

EDITOR'S QUOTE:

Bright, colorful, durable, and versatile, the high-quality Govee Permanent Outdoor Lights make sure you never have to buy and put up Christmas lights over and over again.

Christmas in Summer? Sure, why not? Especially if you can beat the summer heat and hold a raving ‘outdoor party at night. You’ll need to set the right atmosphere, though, to help your guests forget about the sweltering temperatures. And what better way is there to set a festive mood than with brilliant lights that dance to the music? Of course, those same outdoor lights could provide not only decoration but also safety at night, any time of the year. That’s the proposition that the Govee Permanent Outdoor Lights is making, replacing your Christmas lights and staying beyond the winter holidays to be used all year round. These aren’t the first outdoor fairy lights in the market, though, so we took these unique-looking LED lights outdoors, hooked them up, and lit up the house to see if it can rise to the challenge and stand proud apart from the crowd.

Designer: Govee

Click Here to Buy Now: $299.99.

Aesthetics

You’ve probably seen your fair share of outdoor lights, fairy or otherwise, but if you haven’t, suffice it to say that the Govee Permanent Outdoor Lights are nowhere near what you’d expect. Instead of bulbs sticking out of a strand of cable, you get LEDs enclosed in 3cm squares with a small clear dome covering the LED itself. Each square is set about a foot apart from each other on the flat cable, forming 6 segments that total a 100ft (50m) long string of light of lights that offers some flexibility in how you install them (more on that later). What all these mean is that the lights are designed to be minimalist and almost invisible, getting out of the way to let the lights take center stage.

Those lights definitely deserve all the attention because of their impressive output. Thanks to Govee’s RGBIC technology, each light is capable of showing any color within a range of 16 million. Of course, you won’t be looking at each LED on its own, and its real appeal comes through the combination of those lights, whether as a single stream of color or in a kaleidoscopic display. At 26 lumens per LED, the Outdoor Lights will definitely be an attention grabber, no matter what color you choose. That might also be a consideration you have to take in mind if there are related regulations about night lights in your area.

All-in-all, the Govee Permanent Outdoor Lights delivers a stunning visual, regardless of the holiday or occasion. They’re pretty much like super-powered Christmas lights you don’t have to take down and can use all throughout the year. You can even dim the lights a bit and use a solid swath of color to illuminate your house without making it look like you’re having a party every night. Thanks to its simple and minimalist design, there are no bulbs that stick out from roofs and eaves to steal the show. These outdoor lights are an effective and cost-effective way to make your house pop, any time of the year.

Ergonomics (Installation)

You won’t be handling these outdoor lights all the time, fortunately, but you will have to wrestle with them at least once when you install them on your house. Because they are meant to stay in their place, hence the “permanent” part of their name, you do have to take some time to properly plan out where you’ll be placing them. Fortunately, Govee is making it easy to install these strands of light, giving you plenty of flexibility to run the lights even along areas where you might not want to have any light at all.

That’s because the 100ft (30m) string of LEDs is actually divided into 6 strands, each with clearly-marked waterproof connectors so you can easily tell which end connects to which. There are also extension cables included in the box, in case you need to run the lights down from roof to wall but want to leave gaps in the lighting in those transitional areas. This also means you don’t have to force yourself to use all six segments if you don’t need to. Conversely, you can also extend the length with another 100ft set or the 3-segment 50ft (30m) set that Govee also sells.

Once all the planning is done, installing the lights is relatively painless, though still needs a bit of work to pull off. Each light square has a 3M adhesive that lets you easily stick them to any flat surface outside your house. There are also clips you can use to keep wayward clips in line. Once all the lights have been installed, the last bit is connecting the control box and the power box to finally light up your house. Connecting the lights to the Govee mobile app is just as painless and you’ll be off playing with the settings and features in no time.

Performance

The Govee Permanent Outdoor Lights are definitely one of those things that you have to see to truly appreciate their value. The bright lights can effectively illuminate your house, adding not only flavor but also safety at night. The lights might actually be too bright, so you might want to put on covers or blinds on windows if the lights are anywhere near them.

These Outdoor Lights are also smart lights, which means they’re meant to be controlled through a connected smartphone or via some smart assistants, particularly Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. This is where the lights really shine, pardon the pun, thanks to the countless ways you can change the way they look or behave. In fact, the sheer number of options available on the app might be overwhelming and confusing for new users. Fortunately, there are also plenty of presets available, including over 70 scenes that let you set the right mood for given occasions.

While there are plenty of ways to configure the Govee Outdoor Lights, one of the most interesting and most dramatic is the Music Mode, where the lights react to the music and sound it hears either through the phone or its control box, making them dance to the beat. Even better, you can harmonize multiple Govee products through DreamView mode to create a captivating synchronized Light Show. And when the party’s done, you can just ask Alexa or Google Assistant to turn the lights into a more peaceful hue to call it a night.

Due to its rather unique enclosure design, the light that the LEDs project has a rather distinctive triangular shape that’s even more visible if the lights are placed close to a wall. Unlike most fairy or string lights that wash the surroundings with a more or less even diffusion, the lights coming from the Govee Permanent Outdoor Lights look more like mini spotlights with a wide-angle spread. It creates a rather unique visual effect, like sharp ridges or stairs, it’s an aesthetic that won’t appeal to everybody. That could be a deal-breaking design that potential buyers will have to consider before making this rather substantial purchase.

Sustainability

Like many outdoor lights, the Govee Permanent Outdoor Lights make use of plenty of plastic and some rubber, not exactly the most environment-friendly materials. Given design and production requirements, however, this is hardly surprising, but it’s definitely a big opportunity for Govee to further take the lead in the smart lighting market. Imagine a brand that not only delivers powerful smart lighting but sustainable products as well. That could be Govee a few years down the line!

The company does make up for it by making sure that its products don’t meet their untimely demise quickly. In other words, Govee lights are built to last, and these Outdoor Lights are no different. In fact, they’re even better, boasting an IP67 dust and water resistance rating that makes them ideal for use even in inclement weather. Even the control box and adapter are IP65 rated, truly marking them safe for outdoor use. As for the LEDs themselves, they’re advertised with a lifetime of up to 50,000 hours, around 5 years if you use them 24/7 (which you won’t anyway). Govee makes these affirmations regarding the durability of the RGBIC Permanent Outdoor Lights:

  • Successful operation test at 140 ℉
  • Successful operation test at -40 ℉
  • Passed operation test at a water depth of 49ft
  • Withstood a tensile force of 11.02lb
  • Endured manual pulling of over 10 pounds

Value

It’s easy to do a double-take when you see the $299.99 price tag attached to these lights, but it’s a first impression that won’t last long. Yes, it is a bit steep and pricier than other outdoor fairy lights, but few or none of those can even offer half of what Govee delivers. Some, for example, won’t even last more than two seasons of limited use during holidays only, let alone regular use both on or off-season. Few can also offer a quick and easy method of installing lights that you’ll leave in place until they die many years later. You don’t have to dread removing the lights after the festivities and can just leave them there for the next occasion or as regular night lights for the house.

The Govee Permanent Outdoor Lights also offer a level of control and customization you might only find in more expensive brands. There is, in fact, an overwhelming number of settings you can tweak to your heart’s content, making these outdoor lights not only beautiful but also versatile. Given all that, the $299.99 figure doesn’t look bad at all, especially when you consider that it’s a longer-term investment that will last you for years compared to cheaper lights where you truly get what you pay for.

Verdict

Summer isn’t just about beaches and camping (or glamping). Night pool parties and quiet times out on the porch are also common activities during this season, both of which require the right lights to set the right mood. You could get different lights for different occasions, or you could get the Govee RGBIC Permanent Outdoor Lights and have a versatile outdoor lighting solution for any occasion.

With a modular design and easy installation process, these Govee outdoor lights offer more flexibility in where and how you want to put them up. The bright and vibrant colors of the LEDs help create the atmosphere that you want, while the powerful mobile app put an almost endless array of options at your fingertips. Whether it’s a holiday, a seasonal party, or just a dark night, the Govee Permanent Outdoor Lights will make your house stand out and make you the talk of the town.

Click Here to Buy Now: $299.99.

The post Govee RGBIC Permanent Outdoor Lights Review: It’s a Holiday Everyday of the Year first appeared on Yanko Design.

SwitchBot Curtain 3 makes your curtain glide like the clouds without making a sound

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There is plenty of rhetoric about upgrading our living spaces to be smarter, not just for convenience but also for efficiency, especially when it comes to keeping power consumption to a minimum. What many of these pieces of advice and marketing materials don’t often say is how many changes you have to make to your house, from internal wiring to replacing furniture or appliances, some of which might be in perfect working condition or well-loved after years of use. These barriers to entry discourage many would-be smart home adopters, depriving them of the benefits and savings that technology can bring into their lives. Fortunately, there are brands that offer innovative products that make the transition so much easier, adding smart capabilities to regular objects or appliances. The new SwitchBot Curtain 3, for example, not only automates opening and closing curtains but also does it without rudely waking you up with noise.

Designer: SwitchBot

Shop Now on their Homepage or Amazon: $81 $89.99 (10% off with Coupon Code “YANKODS10OFF). Hurry, deal ends in 48 hours!

There are quite a few smart curtain solutions out there, some even coming from famous DIY furniture brands. One thing that many of these have in common is that they require you to install new rods and contraptions, increasing not only the risk of damage to your house but also the time, effort, and money required to just get started. SwitchBot is famed for its convenient and intelligent robots that let you enjoy a smart home without having to replace switches, buttons, and blinds, its newly upgraded Curtain 3 robot brings greater strength, quieter movement, wider compatibility, and a more sustainable power solution that could last forever.

Keep it Quiet – At just 25dB SwitchBot Curtain 3 is so quiet you might just forget it’s even there.

Made to be Powerful – SwitchBot Curtain 3 now offers twice the amount of thrust, meaning even heavier curtains can now be pushed and pulled with ease.

The SwitchBot Curtain 3 is twice as strong as its predecessor, allowing it to push up to 16 kg (36 lbs) worth of curtains. Want to bring out your thick luxurious, fabrics for flair or for heating? The SwitchBot Curtain 3 can definitely handle the load, drawing and closing the curtains without breaking a sweat. Most importantly, however, the Curtain 3 can do this impressive feat with an even more impressive silent operation of below 25 dB. Wake up to the natural sunlight streaming into your room and not to the whirring noise of the robot opening the curtain in the morning.

As if it weren’t already convenient, SwitchBot Curtain delivers even more features that keep your mind off menial chores and focus on actually getting things done. In addition to supporting smart home platforms like Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, HomeKit (via Matter), IFTTT, and SmartThing, the SwitchBot Curtain 3 offers no less than 8 types of control methods, including voice control with the SwitchBot Hub 2, App control, the SwitchBot Remote, Touch and Go, Sunrise and Sunset modes, timers, and Apple Watch, and light sensor control with the SwitchBot Solar Panel 3. Create automated scenes like opening the curtains at a specific time in the morning, or closing them at the same time as turning off the TV at night. Whether it’s on its own or working with other SwitchBot products like the SwitchBot Hub or the SwitchBot Thermometer & Hygrometer, the SwitchBot Curtain 3 will help cut down on the things you have to mind and do, freeing up time to spend on the more important things in life.

DynamiClamp™ Design – Fits almost any curtain track, SwitchBot Curtain 3 is compatible with a whole range of different curtain tracks.

All-new Solar Panel 3 – Enjoy unlimited power with just 3 hours of sunlight per day.

One of the best things about the SwitchBot Curtain 3 is that it takes only 30 seconds to install and is compatible with 99% of curtain tracks in use today, whether it’s a conventional rod, a U Rail, an I rail, or even a telescopic rod. The built-in battery means no dangling cords, and its 3,350 mAh capacity means you’ll be able to use it for up to 8 months without worrying about charging. But with the new and improved SwitchBot Solar Panel 3, you can enjoy endless green power to let the Curtain 3 do its job all year round.

Smart home products are supposed to make life more convenient, not add to our stress by making them difficult to install and uncomfortable to use. With the SwitchBot Curtain 3, you get a more powerful but quieter robot that offers unmatched flexibility and control in how you want to use it. Get a healthier wake-up call, a more peaceful sleep, and a stress-free way to live with the SwitchBot Curtain 3, only $89.99 from Amazon and SwitchBot’s official website and a 10% discount for Yanko Design readers.

Shop Now on their Homepage or Amazon: $81 $89.99 (10% off with Coupon Code “YANKODS10OFF). Hurry, deal ends in 48 hours!

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This elegant smart device keeps your house cool, saves you money, and helps save the planet

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This year’s summer is breaking records but not in a good way. As the heat turns up, so does our energy consumption and our bills, courtesy of one of the most power-hungry appliances in our homes: the air conditioner. In some places, this cooling machine works even outside the year’s hottest season, but that doesn’t mean they need to be running all the time. Although we all know we need to be smarter about the use of air conditioners, we tend to forget or, worse, take things for granted until we see the month’s electricity bill. Fortunately, we don’t need to do all the heavy lifting thanks to today’s technologies. Even better, you don’t even have to waste money by replacing a perfectly functional AC when you can grab this rather stylish smart home accessory that will make any air conditioner smarter and provide a smarter and more sustainable way to live comfortably even during the hottest days.

Designers: Vladimir Gabrielian & Shuming Ni

Click Here to Buy Now: $106 $175 (40% off). Hurry, only 65/100 left!

Smart air conditioners do exist, but unless you’re already in the market to buy one, it’s just an unnecessary expense and a huge waste if you already have a “normal” AC that’s still completely functional. There are some accessories that promise to give that old AC an upgrade, but most of them involve hardwiring the two together. In stark contrast, the way that Klima works is almost magical. Just attach it to your wall, point your AC’s remote control at it, install the BOLDR mobile app, and you’re all done! Instant smart AC for the faction of the price and effort.

Klima’s magic is, of course, thanks to the creative combination of technology and design, delivering a smart home product that will look at home, no matter your decor. The scratch and fingerprint-resistant mirrored glass surface gives an instant aesthetic upgrade to any room, while the recycled aluminum shell and recycled plastic bottom give it durability and longevity without harming the environment in the process. Just like its elegant minimalist design, installing Klima couldn’t be simpler. Just stick the magnetic mount to a wall using the attached 3M adhesives, making sure to keep the mount even using the built-in level. Attach the Klima to the mount, pair it with your phone via Wi-Fi, then point your AC’s remote at Klima to complete the registration.

The smart controller works using the same infrared technology that the remote uses, which means that it is compatible with just about any air conditioner model out there, as long as they have a remote control with a display that shows the AC’s settings. But Klima is more than just a convenient way to control your AC using your smartphone, though that is definitely part of the appeal. You can schedule when the AC turns on or off depending on your scheduling, or let it do that automatically by detecting when the last person has left the house or when the first person is about to arrive. It can even detect open windows and turn off the AC to save on power. If you run an AirBnB portfolio, you can also easily manage a fleet of Klima devices, while still giving guests the ability to control the AC’s temperature and fan speed through touch-sensitive buttons on Klima’s reflective face.

With Klima, not only do you get convenience, you also get efficiency, ensuring that you don’t consume more energy than you really need. This translates into savings not only on your power bill but also on reducing your home’s total carbon footprint. Given how much it will save you in the long run, Klima’s $105 Early Bird price tag is definitely a steal. So stop sweating under the heat or over your energy charges and start keeping cool the smart and sustainable way with Klima.

Click Here to Buy Now: $106 $175 (40% off). Hurry, only 65/100 left!

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Shelly BLU Button1 automates your life with a single click

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We are becoming more and more dependent on electronic devices and products, but while each of them brings convenience to our lives, they can collectively become a mess when left unchecked. Making smart home devices work together is, fortunately, easier these days, even if they come from different brands, but corralling traditional “non-smart” appliances is no walk in the park. The good news is that there is a class of devices that make these conventional appliances a bit smarter, such as smart switches and intelligent sockets. The new Shelly BLU Button1 puts all this power literally at your fingertips, allowing you to get the party started or tuck in for the night with a single click of a button.

Designer: Shelly

It might be tempting to replace all your lights, speakers, door locks, curtains, and appliances with Internet-connected models, but it is neither advisable nor practical. If all you really need is a way to turn these on or off without touching a switch or plugging them in, there’s almost no reason to replace your working possessions, especially if they’ve become your favorites. There are plenty of ways to make them just a little bit smarter, like retrofitting normal wall sockets with smart switches inside, like the Shelly Plus and Shelly Pro.

That, however, only makes the appliance smarter, but you might still live your life at the mercy of turning these things on and off individually, often through a smartphone that you have to pull out from your pocket, unlock, and tap multiple times. It’s not exactly a smarter way to live, which is why this tiny button puts all that convenience in a single device that you can attach to your keyring or bag. With just a click or a series of clicks, you can start your mourning routine, lock up the house, get ready for movie night, or do anything else that you need to automate in your life.

Shelly BLU Button1 is a small, almost nondescript square that has a single button that simplifies all the actions you need into a click. Using Shelly Cloud, you can connect actions or grouped scenes to four gestures of single, double, and triple clicks as well as a long press of the button. The BLU Button1 works over Bluetooth, so you don’t have to worry about unstable Wi-Fi connections when you need to open the garage door as you get near the house. You don’t even need to have your smartphone with you to use it! More advanced users can even write small scripts that can handle more complex conditions and situations.

The Shelly BLU Button1 is also compatible with devices that support the BTHome protocol, but it is best used together with Shelly Plus and Pro smart switches. Sure, that does involve a bit of rewiring that might require the help of a professional, but that is still a lot cheaper than buying a new smart home appliance, especially if your old one is working perfectly fine.

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SwitchBot Hub 2 keeps your smart home working in harmony with Matter support

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Modern homes are slowly but surely becoming smart homes, adding Internet-connected devices around the house to make our lives safer and more convenient. These can range from smart bulbs to smart ovens, and there’s a wide variety of brands to choose from. Unfortunately, that also means that some of these brands speak different languages, depending on whether they decide to support Apple, Google, Amazon, or something completely different. That, unfortunately, means that some of these smart home products can’t work together, making your smart home feel a little less smart. Fortunately, these companies themselves have wised up, and you can now enjoy the fruits of their collaboration with the new SwitchBot Hub 2 that now comes with Matter support.

Designer: SwitchBot

Click Here to Buy Now: $59.50 $69.99 (15% off with coupon code “YankoHub2“). Hurry, deal ends on April 12th.

A Better Foundation for your Smart Home – SwitchBot Hub 2 supports old infrared appliances and can help make them smarter.

The promise of a smart home quickly loses its appeal when you suddenly realize you will need different apps or different hubs for different sets of smart devices. That will hopefully become a thing of the past now that the new Matter standard is on the scene, supported by most of the major manufacturers and smart home platforms. Of course, that still requires that these devices or at least their hubs support Matter, which is where the SwitchBot Hub 2 comes in.

Adding Matter support with the SwitchBot Hub 2 is no small matter. SwitchBot made a name for itself with small robots that made regular appliances “smart” by pressing switches, turning locks, or even opening curtains, all controlled through the Internet. In addition to that same innovative versatility, the SwitchBot Hub 2 allows SwitchBot Bluetooth devices to be controlled using any Matter-compatible platform over Wi-Fi, which means you will be able to connect these SwitchBot products via Apple HomeKit. This also means that you can also use the third-party smart assistant of your choice, be it Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, or Apple Siri.

Temperature, humidity, and light all directly through your device.

See clinical changes in your home environment via the app.

The SwitchBot Hub 2, however, is more than just a Matter-enabled smart home gateway. It’s actually a 4-in-1 smart home device, with the hub being just one of its many talents. The SwitchBot Hub 2 is the first Matter-enabled hub to feature a Thermo-Hygrometer sensor so that you can monitor temperature and humidity changes in real-time. This information is shown on an LED display that can intelligently change its brightness depending on ambient light. It also retains SwitchBot’s popular IR control function, taking the place of your old remote to more conveniently control older appliances that don’t support Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. There is also Scene control that lets you create manual or automatic Scenes that can run multiple actions from one or more triggers, like turning lights on and opening the curtains in the morning.

Aside from the SwitchBot Hub 2 itself, you won’t even need to buy new SwitchBot Bluetooth products just to reap the benefits of Matter. The latest version of the Switchbot app on the App Store now supports the Hub 2 with Matter, and both SwitchBot Blind Tilt and Curtain are now Matter-comptabile, with other Switchbot Bluetooth products scheduled to follow one after the other. For just $59.49 $69.99 (Use Coupon Code “YANKOHUB2” to get 15% off) and available now on Amazon, the new SwitchBot Hub 2’s advanced features and future-proof Matter support give your home a long-overdue smart upgrade with an elegant minimalist aesthetic that will fit any interior or motif.

Click Here to Buy Now: $59.50 $69.99 (15% off with coupon code “YankoHub2“). Hurry, deal ends on April 12th.

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A smart speaker concept you might actually want to keep track of your face at home

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There are ongoing privacy concerns about smart speakers and smart displays that always listen in on you, but this concept actually has a valid reason to.

Speakers and screens that act as hubs for our smart home are becoming more common these days. From Amazon to Google to even Apple, there is no shortage of companies that have products always ready to listen to your voice or even see your face. Those scenarios can sound a bit uncomfortable and almost frightening for some people, but a brand design agency is trying to reframe these technologies in a more positive light by giving smart assistants a more friendly face, almost literally, too.

Designer: Recipe Design

The Soove doesn’t look like your typical smart speaker aside from its conical shape and the customary use of fabric that wraps around the product. It has an odd collar-like ring near the top, actually a sound cone that makes it more sensitive to almost every audio nuance around it. The most eye-catching part of the design, however, is the black glass ball on top and the two eyes that seem to be looking back at you and express some emotions by changing the eyes’ shape.




This gives Soove a more friendly face compared to the more utilitarian smart speaker and smart display designs. It is both disarming and comforting, looking like a friend that’s ready to lend you an ear on your stressful day. That’s exactly the kind of emotions that its designers want to evoke because the smart speaker is more concerned about your well-being than turning the lights on or off.

In addition to listening for audible cues, Soove uses facial tracking to recognize a person’s emotions through their facial expression as well as physical states. It can also take into account data coming from other smart devices like wearables or smart appliances. Soove will then adjust the house’s lighting, temperature, or music to create a more pleasant atmosphere or recommend that the owner take a nap or get some fresh air.

Rather than making a blanket condemnation of face-tracking technologies, Recipe Design wants to demonstrate how they can be put to good use as well. The designer says that “SOOVE aims to change the meaning of existing face-tracking technology by reframing it as a positive enabler beyond surveillance and security. By reframing existing domestic and commercial surveillance technology there is potential to disrupt home monitoring and create an innovative new category designed to influence and drive sensory cues around the smart home to improve our sleep behaviors.”

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These everyday products hide their true functions like a hidden object game

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Tech gadgets don’t need to look futuristic to be useful and can even look like an innocent pebble or an artist’s canvas leaning against the wall.

Homes today are filled with so much technology that it’s impossible not to notice one or two in a room, whether it be the latest smart TV or a fabric-covered smart speaker. While many of these home-centric devices are intentionally designed to look at home in your home, they often still stick out and call attention to themselves, which is also an intentional marketing strategy. That doesn’t have to be the case, however, and you might be surprised at how easy it is to make devices look like ordinary, everyday things you might easily take for granted.

Designer: Hoyoung Joo/studio SFSO

There might be nothing inherently wrong with consumer tech that looks like what they’re supposed to. Some might actually want their smart speakers to look like canisters and their TV remote control to show off all the functionality it has to offer. It’s hard to argue, however, that these things sometimes add unnecessary visual stimulation through designs and shapes that seem out of place in the back of our minds. These may, in turn, produce subconscious stress in what should be a stress-free living space.

One solution is to meticulously design a product to blend in with everyday objects, but a simpler method might be to actually turn these tech products into inconspicuous everyday objects themselves. Design studio SFSO dubs these “Hidden Objects,” a nod to a type of casual game where you have to squint your eyes to see a teacup hiding in a messy wardrobe.

A kitchen scale, for example, can simply look like a bowl, which simplifies not just the visual design but also its use. You can easily stack similar-looking bowls when measuring ingredients, though you might also be tempted to just put those directly into the bowl-shaped scale instead. The familiar shape of the bowl makes it look unobtrusive and uncomplicated, with the actual measurement being sent to a connected smartphone or smart speaker rather than an LCD display that breaks the illusion.

A larger weighing scale for humans, on the other hand, could masquerade as a tile or canvas leaning on your wall off to the side. There are no visible displays as well, with data sent directly to a paired smart device, and the scale looks more like an unassuming block of wood. It makes it easier to approach and use the scale with confidence, unlike many smart scales whose glass surfaces evoke a feeling of fragility.

Japanese-inspired interior decorations have introduced the use of smooth, oval rocks as room decorations. Why not turn these objects into containers at the same time, hitting two birds with one stone, pun intended. The Pebble Tray is almost a cunning way to hide important things almost in plain view without adding visual clutter to a serene rock garden or pebble beach theme.

The Stick Remote Control is admittedly harder to pull off, only because you don’t regularly find two conjoined round bars in most living rooms. Its flat top and bottom edges, however, make it easy to prop the stick up on its feet and hide the buttons from view. And unlike most remote controls, you can have it lie on its face and still look like a piece of minimalist decor.

These are definitely interesting industrial design ideas that can have a calming effect in a tech-filled home. Most consumer tech companies, however, are unlikely to take such an approach that would make their branding and design identity practically invisible. There are, of course, companies like IKEA and MUJI that specialize in minimalist designs like these, and they are slowly but surely moving towards integrating more smart features into their products, hopefully in a similar minimalist fashion.

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