lighting

Read Cult of Mac’s latest posts on lighting:

Affordable new smart Wi-Fi light strip from TP-Link supports HomeKit

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You can get a huge array of colors or bright white light out of these strips.
You can get a huge array of colors or bright white light out of these strips.
Photo: TP-Link

TP-Link just flipped the switch on a new lineup of smart LED light strips and light bulbs, some of which you can use with HomeKit or other home-automation systems.

The main selling point here is budget-friendliness. Prices range from $25 to $50, so you won’t break the bank lighting up your space.

Transform your workspace with stunning 3D wall panels [Setups]

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Look how the wall panels interact with the desktop wallpaper.
Look how the wall panels interact with the desktop wallpaper.
Photo: Resident-Ad-3606@Reddit.com

Many computer setups complete their dazzling looks with great lighting, like RGB light strips or light bars hidden behind monitors or under desks. And while lighting goes a long way towards setting moods and helping you see things, it’s not the whole story.

Another element that can make the most of lighting would be 3D wall panels. Full of raised surfaces, they catch the light and make a wall or other space come alive. Today’s featured setup uses 3D wall panels beautifully.

Here’s more evidence iPhone 15 will switch from Lightning to USB-C

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Apple is testing a USB-C iPhone, finally.
Apple is testing a USB-C iPhone, finally.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple is testing an iPhone with a USB-C ports and planning to launch a USB-C adapter that can be used with devices with Lightning connectors, according to a new report.

The news comes on the heels of an analyst’s prediction on Wednesday that the switch to USB-C in Apple’s handsets will come with iPhone 15 in 2023.

Add color to HomeKit with 12 new Philips Hue lighting scenes

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Now you've got 12 new color schemes to play with in your HomeKit lighting.
Now you've got 12 new color schemes to play with in your HomeKit lighting.
Photo: Signify

Philips Hue unleashed a dozen new lighting scenes in the Hue app on Monday. So now you can dress up your HomeKit-connected lighting with delightful colorations like Amber Bloom, Painted Sky, Orange Fields and Blue Planet — among many others.

The release comes soon after the company put out a trio of cool vintage-vibe lights for outdoor use.

Dazzled: A tale of two lighting schemes [Setups]

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Thanks to Edison bulbs and Govee light strips for all these colors.
Thanks to Edison bulbs and Govee light strips for all these colors.
Photo: CantEv3n@Reddit.com

Some computer setups knock your socks off with lighting. It can be tasteful, warm, welcoming and conducive to work without eye strain. It can be bright, inventive and dazzling, like fantastic decorations. Or, as in today’s MacBook Pro-based featured setup, it can be either one of those, depending on both choice of settings and time of day.

The light show in today’s workstation derives from two sources, or schemes. One involves two very different table lamps. The other involves LED light strips.

Another modded USB-C iPhone is going on sale, and this one’s waterproof

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This one's reinforced and waterproof, its maker said.
This one's reinforced and waterproof, its maker said.
Photo: Gernot Jöbstl

First a robotics engineering student made a splash late last year by modding an iPhone X with a USB-C port instead of a Lightning port — and sold the device for big money. Now someone else is touting a similar modification, but this time the handset boasts a reinforced port that includes waterproofing. And yes, the tinkerer’s going to sell it soon — probably for more money than most people make in a year.

Nanoleaf lights are first non-Apple Thread border routers for HomeKit

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Nanoleaf's groovy mood lighting products will soon be Thread border routers for HomeKit devices.
Nanoleaf's groovy mood lighting products will soon be Thread border routers for HomeKit devices.
Photo: Nanoleaf

At CES 2022, Nanoleaf said an upcoming firmware update will make its lighting products the first third-party border routers for HomeKit-over-Thread devices available now and coming out in the future.

The firmware update, due to roll out in the first quarter of 2022, will broaden Nanoleaf products’ support for Thread, improving devices’ connectivity and reliability over home networks.

Check out Philips Hue’s new light show (and its Spotify partnership)

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The Signe floor lamp and a light strip add ambiance.
The Signe floor lamp and a light strip add ambiance.
Photo: Signify/Philips Hue

Signify, the parent company of Philips Hue, put the word out last week that funky new lighting products are coming. Some are out now and some will light up later. A new partnership with the music platform Spotify has launched, too.

Several items offer the gradient technology Philips Hue added last year to its Play Lightstrip.

This post contains affiliate links. Cult of Mac may earn a commission when you use our links to buy items.

Lume Cube Air VC brings pro lighting to FaceTime calls

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Lume cube
Lume Cube Air VC packs a ton of lumens in a small package.
Photo: Lume Cube

CES 2019 bug Lume Cube, makers of some of the world’s brightest tiny lights, wants to put an end to poorly-lit FaceTime calls with its clever new lighting attachment.

The Lume Cube Air VC lighting kit made its debut at CES 2019 today, offering smartphone and laptop users a single solution to brighten up any setting where you might want to have a quick video call.

Pocket-size light packs studio power for your iPhone shoot

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Palm-size studio lighting by Lume Cube just got smaller with the new Life Lite.
Palm-size studio lighting by Lume Cube just got smaller with the new Life Lite.
Photo: Lume Cube

For all the magical powers coded and wired into the iPhone camera, it can’t rise to every challenge. You still need light to make a decent photograph and good light can be as fleeting as the moments you are trying to capture.

But what if you could put good light into your pocket and pull it out when you need it?

The makers of the popular Lume Cube have created a nifty but powerful light called Life Lite, ideal for mobile photographers who want to keep shooting even as darkness closes in.

OLED table lamp casts a bright light on the future

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The Aerelight uses OLED technology and is the next big thing in home and commercial-space lighting.
The Aerelight uses OLED technology and is the next big thing in home and commercial-space lighting.
Photo: OTI Lumionics

Few of us have ever given much thought to the building of a better lightbulb. But technology has forced us away from the incandescent bulb to LED lights which are more efficient, last longer and, in some cases, provide a variety of color.

The design and engineering team behind the Aerelight isn’t riding the LED wave. They are instead coming in on the wave after that with OLED lighting technology for its elegant razor-thin table lamp.

iPhone video lighting made easy

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Your iPhone takes some fantastic video with just a little attention to lighting.
Your iPhone takes some fantastic video with just a little attention to lighting.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Lighting is a crucial part of any video shoot, whether you’re filming a scene for an indie movie with an expensive camera or using your iPhone to capture video of your kid’s soccer game.

Chances are, though, you’re not going to have a professional lighting kit along with you when you use your iPhone to shoot video (unless you’re actually an indie film auteur – this tip isn’t for you).

We spoke with Alaskan filmmaker Scott Slone about the best way to get great lighting for your videos without resorting to expensive and complicated equipment.

Rapidly Mutating iblazr LED iDevice Flash Now Works With DSLRs Too

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iblazr-cold-shoe

The dizzying pace of iblazr‘s evolution has been difficult to keep up with over the last month.

It started out as an iDevice flash with four Cree-made LEDs that plugs into the 3.5mm jack. Then it gained a diffuser, and a short while later its designers added a reflective backing and redesigned the lens over the LEDs.

Now, the little flash has a cold-shoe adapter that’ll allow it to be mounted onto a DSLR.

MOS Unclutters The Cables In Your Life With The Power Of Magnets [Review]

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mos-magnetic-organization-system-4

You know when you unplug your iPhone and your $20 Lightning cable goes slithering to the floor? I hate that, and it used to happen to me all the time in the morning when I set free my phone from its charging cable, and each time it happened, I thought to myself, “there’s gotta be a way to prevent this.”

MOS (Magnetic Organization System) by MosOrganizer.com
Category: Accessories
Works With: Any cable!
Price: $24.00 for plastic versions, $40 for aluminum

Well, with the MOS securely attached to my bedside table, now there is.

Harnessing the power of magnets, MOS (Magnetic Organizing System) is a handy little puck that keeps your cables stuck to its surface and ready for use instead of lying listless and tangled on your desk or floor.