GE Adds Alexa Voice Control to Table Lamp
GE is working on a suite of connected products, and the first leg on that journey is a contemporary LED table lamp that embeds Amazon Alexa Voice Service (AVS) so users can order dinner, listen to the latest headlines, preheat their ovens, or give a host of other voice commands directly through their lamps.
The voice-controlled light source with microphones and a speaker is the first announced use of AVS embedded within a lighting product. Homeowners need only plug in the C by GE lamp and connect to Alexa.
"This integration is so much more than connecting lighting to voice integration," said Jeff Patton, general manager of connected home products at GE Lighting, in a statement. "It's really about simplifying and extending an experience for consumers, allowing them to add smart capabilities throughout the home through a really simple form factor. Consumers don't need a cell phone, a special switch or a hub. They just need their voice."
"We're excited to work with GE Lighting to bring Alexa to their LED lamp and enable new types of voice experiences," said Aaron Brown, director of Alexa at Amazon, in a statement. "Voice is the future of home automation, and the combination of Alexa with the GE LED table lamp provides people with a simple and frictionless way to interact with their homes."
The Alexa-embedded lamp will be designed in part by Richard Clarkson, famed designer of The Cloud, a cloud-shaped ceiling fixture that produces a motion-triggered lightning and thunder performance.
GE's C by GE table lamp with Alexa will be available for pre-orders as part of GE's C by GE connected lighting products in early 2017, with product availability in the second quarter of 2017.