The L8 SmartLight: get visual notifications on a Bluetooth LED lamp

As you guys may well know, Kickstarter is a website where tech project managers attempt to get funding so that they can turn their ideas into reality. This method is probably the best way to test how the public will react to a certain product before heaps of money are wasted into projects that could potentially fail to draw in customers.

While some of my favorite projects include Chameleon and Pocket Android, today I’ve uncovered yet another interesting Kickstarter project, one that I urge you to take into consideration: the L8 SmartLight, a “battery powered mini squared lamp” that gives you visual notifications using the 64 LEDs it features on one side and the Super LED on the other.

Once connected via Bluetooth to your smartphone, the L8 SmartLight will give you visual cues whenever you receive an email, a message, Facebook / Twitter notifications and so on. One cool thing about the L8 is that it’s easy to program so that it will notify you about other stuff as well such as the weather, room temperature (thanks to its temperature sensor) or even if someone has entered the room (thanks to its proximity sensor). Just choose the notifications you want to receive, and you’re set to go, although another nice feature is that you can create your own animation (or image) and use it as a visual notification.

If these features don’t really impress you, you might want to know the fact that you can also use the L8 as an ambient light, as you have total control over the LED matrix (both the luminosity and color of each individual LED). For instance, you can even use the L8 to display your country’s flag, although you should bear in mind that rocking a flag doesn’t make you a hero.

As is the case with most Kickstarter projects, multiple pledge levels are available although the one that will ensure you get a single L8 SmartLight lamp will set you back $69, quite a hefty amount for a glorified Bluetooth lamp. Nevertheless, the L8 SmartLight project was able to meet its $90k target with 16 days to go before the end of the campaign, meaning that the L8 will start shipping in November this year. Excited about the L8? Drop us a comment in the section below and tell us what you think!