Lumen TL800 Bluetooth 4.0 light bulb hits Amazon on way to CES 2014

In the battle of the smart bulbs, it would appear that the Lumen TL800 is about to be a big contender starting here in 2014. There's been little damage done to the likes of Philips Hue's efforts in the smart light bulb business since inception, but all that may be about to change now that the Lumen TL800 arrives at Amazon online before being given a full showing at CES 2014. This light bulb is both multi-colored and smart enough to know when you've walked in the room.

Of course you'll need a device working with Bluetooth 4.0, that being the sort of Bluetooth that works with Bluetooth LE (Low Energy) and Bluetooth Smart. With this sort of technology, Lumen is able to make their lightbulbs turn on when you've arrived in-range. For Bluetooth 4.0, that means as far as 50 meters away.

There's a single Android app and an iOS app for use with the Lumen TL800 range, this app making simple work of the full functionality of the bulbs. Tapping hot or cold brings you a range of colors as such, and (supposing you've got your lightswitch set to power) you'll be able to tap on or off whenever you please.

    The TL800 provides various modes for different occasions. Features include:

    - Call Alert Mode: Notifies users of incoming calls by flashing when the phone rings.
    - Music Sync Mode: Visualize your music by synchronizing your music and lighting effects. Music Sync Mode is customizable, allowing users to choose desired color combinations.
    - Party Mode 1 and 2: Transform any space into a dance floor with pre-programmed flashing beats that match the music.
    - Wake Mode: Mimics the sunrise in the morning, gradually brightening until it reaches maximum intensity at the stipulated wake up time. Users can customize how long the brightening process should take, from 5 minutes to 15 minutes.
    - Romance Mode: Creates the perfect condition for a romantic date or quiet evening at home with a warm atmosphere.
    - Relaxation Mode: Simulates calming moonlight, creating a relaxing ambiance.

For those of you worrying about power consumption - when off, this bulb consumes negligable power due to its use of Bluetooth LE. Put simply - you're not going to run up your power bill to monstrous levels just because you've got your switch set to on when this bulb is screwed in. Right this minute you'll be able to pick a single bulb up for a cool $69.99 USD. Have at it!

[Continue reading...]

SanDisk Connect arrives for wireless storage and streaming to mobile devices

Wireless storage and streaming solutions have been around for awhile, and most of the big storage companies have out their own version of wireless storage, mostly in the form of a hard drive that you can connect to wirelessly if you’re short on space on your mobile device. However, SanDisk is implementing a different method that includes nothing but a flash drive.

SanDisk’s new Connect line of devices aims to help you out with transferring files between your computer and mobile device, whether it’d be a smartphone or tablet. There are two products in the Connect line. First, there’s a flash drive that crams in up to 32GB of storage, as well as WiFi and a microSD card slot. Just plug it into your computer and you can transfer files to it. Then, your mobile device can connect directly to the flash drive to obtain the files, or vice versa.

There’s also a larger Roku-sized SanDisk Connect box that comes with a full-size SD card slot and a twice the battery life of the flash drive. However, it only tops out at 32GB, but the added SD card slot can bump that up quite a bit. The box may be a better option for those who want to quickly transfer photos from their camera to their devices quickly and easily.

The only catch is that you’ll have to use SanDisk’s own mobile apps in order to transfer files to and from devices using the flash drive or box. This can either be fine or really bad depending on how easy the app is to use, but seeing as how you’ll be forced to use a specific app, we’re guessing that’s something that users will have to live with.

As for pricing and availability, the flash drive will start at $49 for the 16GB, with the 32GB version costing $59. The larger box will cost $79 and only comes in a 32GB model. The 32GB flash drive seems like the better deal to us, but we’re letting you be the judge of that. SanDisk says that the Connect line will be available sometime next month.








SOURCE: SanDisk

[Continue reading...]

Google Glass vulnerable to malicious wireless networks, says Symantec

Earlier this week, an exploit surfaced by way of Lookout Mobile Security that would allow Google Glass to be controlled by a hacker using malicious QR codes. This was quickly – and quietly – patched, but another threat remains, one that extends beyond Glass and could facilitate data theft: a WiFi-based vulnerability that utilizes a man-in-the-middle attack to get the device to connect to a malicious wireless network.

This information comes from Symantec, who refers to a device called a Wi-Fi Pineapple, which functions by impersonating a wireless network that a device – such as Glass – has already connected to in the past. It does this by using the network’s SSID. So, for example, if Glass had previously connected to a network called My Awesome WiFI, the device could impersonate that SSID while instead broadcasting a malicious network.

This takes advantage of a feature that most devices have, whereby they remember a network they have previously connected to and stay on the outlook for it. The result of this is convenient – the device will automatically connect to a recognized network, removing the hassle. It is also where the vulnerability lies, and users should be aware of it, says Symantec.

Of course, this problem could affect any device that does this, but Glass is said to make avoiding this problem more difficult due to the way its interface works, sans any input devices like a keyboard. Glass will find a network it recognizes and connect to it, and the user may never notice anything off about it.

Although the problem is known, figuring out a solution that works to avoid this kind of potential attack is more complicated, with Symantec saying that things like utilizing MAC addresses are still vulnerable. For now, users are advised that the “practicable solution” is to act like any network can be malicious, and to either utilize encryption or a VPN.

[Continue reading...]