What you need to know
- The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) runs from Jan. 9 through Jan. 12 in Las Vegas and is a place where many tech companies announce new products and services.
- At the event, Nanoleaf revealed its latest smart lighting experiences starting with the new Orchestrator software that helps lighting respond to sound in real time with advanced beat detection.
- Nanoleaf also announced its first-ever outdoor lighting options that are also Matter-compatible.
- The most interesting announcement in my opinion is Nanoleaf Skylight — brand new ceiling light modules that you can customize to provide the perfect ambiance and brightness levels to any room they're installed in.
Today during the first day of CES 2024, the smart light company, Nanoleaf, revealed new ways to experience its smart lighting offerings, but one of these has caught my attention far more than the others. So what all was announced? First off, there's the new Nanoleaf Orchestrator software which works better than the current Nanoleaf Rhythm software to detect sounds and match pulsing colors to the beat and rhythm. Then there are three new Essentials Matter color-changing smart lights (some for indoor and some for outdoor use) to help you get the exact look you want from various areas of your home.
Lastly, (and in my opinion most importantly) there's the new Nanoleaf Skylight, modular ceiling lighting that can help each room get the exact vibe you're looking for. You can learn more about each of these Nanoleaf reveals below and learn why exactly I'm so excited about Skylight.
Skylight modular ceiling lights provide the lighting effects I've been waiting for
Up until now, Nanoleaf has mostly focused on modular wall lighting, lighting strips, and light bulbs. But now, the company has revealed something completely new that I am actually really stoked about. Nanoleaf Skylight is a flush-mounted square modular lighting kit that attaches to your ceiling rather than your wall so you can add color and brightness to a room from a more natural angle.
What's more, the lighting is soft and you can set preset effects from your phone such as "Sun Shower" which makes a room warmly lit (and is ideal for waking up), or "Gentle Rain" which provides a calming purple-blue lighting effect. You can even put these effects on a schedule so that they automatically go from one effect to another at various times.
Now, Nanoleaf's wall lighting is all well and good for use in my office or video game room. But there's no denying that it casts a harsher, angled shadow on people in the room unless you have enough lights to go on all of the walls and light things from all sides, but that's expensive. This is why I'm very interested in this new ceiling lighting, which will do a better job of lighting the full room with a more natural lighting angle that shines down from above.
As with most smart home lighting, Skylight isn't cheap, though, The initial Skylight Smarter Kit is a whopping $249.99 and comes with three modular lights which you can arrange in whatever way you see fit. One of these lights needs to be hardwired and then the rest just need to be connected to that initial light to work. Of course, if you purchase additional expansion packs (1PK for $69.99), you can extend the lighting effects further throughout a room with the possibility of up to 101 module lights connected in total. That many modules will cost you a pretty penny, but it will also make for a pretty effect.
Obviously, I'm not going to be grabbing 101 of these babies (cause I'm not made of money), but I am very interested in installing some over my bed and over my kitchen table. You see, I'm prone to headaches when in the presence of harsh lighting, which can be frustrating during game nights or dinner parties with friends where I want to have plenty of light for my guests to feel comfortable.
As such, I've already installed dimmable lighting throughout my home to deal with this issue. However, I'm sure the soft lighting and pleasant effects of Nanoleaf Skylight will be gentler on my sensitive eyes and more convenient to use from my phone than what I've currently got set up. Plus, the idea of setting the lights in my bedroom to change colors gradually and help me wake up in the mornings sounds far more effective than using a small sunrise clock that I might turn away from in the night.
If you're interested, Nanoleaf Skylight is already available for preorder and the first shipments are expected to go out in late January 2024.
Nanoleaf Orchestrator software is the smarter way to create real-time lighting responses
Another major CES announcement from Nanoleaf this year is Orchestrator, the company's new music reaction software that takes things a step smarter than the current Nanoleaf Rhythm software.
As Nanoleaf said in a press release, "Unlike existing music visualizers today which merely pick up on any audio or sound within a space, Orchestrator connects directly with your computer’s sound source and isolates the response to your device for the most accurate real-time audio visual experience." The press release goes on to explain that, "The result is dynamic light shows perfectly synchronized and designed for each of your personal playlists and favorite songs."
Orchestrator is planned to release sometime in Spring 2024 and will work with the Nanoleaf Desktop App while being "compatible with any streaming platform or audio player." That way, you should be able to get it to work with whatever music service or program that you prefer.
Nanoleaf finally releases its first outdoor lighting products and expands Matter-compatible light line
The last thing Nanoleaf announced at CES this year is its addition of three new Matter-compatible lights. Nanoleaf's compatible Matter products include everything from light bulbs and recessed downlights to lighting strips that can be customized right from your phone with over 16 million colors and various effects. But now, the company is continuing to expand its Essentials Matter compatible line with the addition of three new products — Indoor lighting strips, outdoor string lights, and permanent outdoor multicolor lights.
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It's also worth noting that these are the first outdoor lighting products that Nanoleaf has ever produced. That way you can get your patio, apartment balcony, or gazebo area lit up just the way you like.
As the Nanoleaf website explains, Matter is a program that unifies your system so that "all of your devices can finally play nice" together. In other words, you can get the beautiful lighting you want throughout your home even if the lighting you're using wasn't initially intended to work with other lighting.
As such, these latest Nanoleaf Essential Matter lighting options sync with other Nanoleaf Matter lighting products and can be controlled with the Nanoleaf App using Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. The new Nanoleaf Essentials Matter devices are expected to release sometime in Spring 2024.
CES 2024 runs from Jan. 7 through Jan. 12 this year and we at Windows Central will be here to cover additional announcements going forward so check back to get the latest news.
