Crowdfunded LED bulb maker SmartCharge set a goal of $50,000 in an Indiegogo campaign to fund a redesign of its SmartCharge LED bulb for mass distribution, founder Shaliendra Suman told us Friday. In round two, the company addressed battery issues and expanded the use case, allowing multiple bulbs to be controlled by a single switch, Suman said. The company also warmed up color temperature of the bulb to 2700 Kelvin and doubled the lumens, following customer feedback asking for warmer light and brighter output, Suman said. SmartWatch bulbs can operate for four hours after a power outage, and the backup battery can be put in recharge mode without the bulb being lit, he said. Initial manufacturer suggested retail price of the bulb was $35, though we found it Friday for $29 at Smarthome.com. The company is targeting a new $25 MSRP, with plans to drop it to $20. Next up in the lab is smart home integration, said Suman, who's talking to Lowe’s and others about building in ZigBee or Wi-Fi capability. Adding connectivity will require an additional round of funding, Suman said.

Hampton Products bowed the first digital dead bolt lock under the Brink’s brand, at the International Builders' Show in Las Vegas Tuesday. The Brink’s cloud-enabled Home Security Array connects to a home’s Wi-Fi router and uses a proprietary system combining an onboard battery and photovoltaic panel, said the company. The panel captures light energy from indoor and outdoor sources, “even in dim light,” to power the lock’s functions, said the company, and the power management circuitry regulates intake and output to deliver “multi-year” battery life. Users open their doors via smartphone, touch pad or traditional metal key, it said. The device’s data encryption, two-step authentication and secure cloud architecture provide “enterprise-class security,” said Hampton. Array digital dead bolts will also be compatible with Apple HomeKit, Works with Nest products and other smart home platforms, the company said. Hampton's goal when developing the lock was a product that could be installed without the need for additional equipment or a gateway, said Hampton Products Chief Marketing Officer Jim Hartung. Wi-Fi provides a simple connection to the cloud and the power management “won’t require frequent battery replacements or home rewiring,” said Hartung. A screwdriver is required for installation. Availability is slated for later this year.

Clarification: An Amazon listing for a 60-watt-equivalent Connected Cree LED Bulb gives a price of $29.95 (see 1512150064). Cree said the Home Depot price for the smart bulb is $15.97.

Nortek showed a proof of concept home control demo at CES running its RF-based Z-Wave-controlled GoControl smart garage door opener on top of the Thread IP-based networking protocol. In the demo, Z-Wave wirelessly controlled the GoControl garage door controller connected to a Resolution Products Helix gateway. The same week, Z-Wave competitor ZigBee said it formed (see 1601050041) a partnership with Thread on an end-to-end solution for IP-based IoT networks. It’s too early to tell how the Z-Wave-Thread relationship will translate to the smart home, Rosenthal told us. The CES demo was “meant to show that radio technologies do not have to be exclusive and that cooperation is better for the consumer,” he said. In response to questions on a smart home product timetable combining the two technologies and what’s required to move from concept to reality, Rosenthal said, “Right now there is no timetable.” The demo was created in less than a month “and poses many questions about how the ecosystems can coexist and how the consumer will interact with them,” he said. The demonstration proved a few things: that it could be done, “that Nortek's RF experts were able to do it very quickly” and “the potential exists for Z-Wave to work with other RF standards and technologies,” he said.

The CTA Foundation and IBM will collaborate on cognitive computing research to proactively monitor the health and well-being of older people and those with physical and cognitive disabilities. CTA said Thursday in a news release the aim is to give device and software makers and healthcare and social service providers a “broader perspective” in how such systems can transform the delivery of information in a way that balances privacy, security and accessibility issues. More than 47 million Americans are 65 or older, with 10,000 baby boomers turning 65 every day for the next 15 years, CTA said. It said people 60 and older will account for about 22 percent of the global population by 2050, vs. only 12 percent now. The new initiative will examine how mobile, smart home appliances, robotics and wearable devices could improve services such as proactive alerts about medications, exercise and dietary reminders, among other “in-home” technology applications. It will also study how weather conditions and traffic patterns affect people’s social activities.

Nortek added three devices to its GoControl portfolio of wireless home control products. The GoControl glass break sensor ($50) monitors multiple windows or glass doors within a 12-foot radius, Nortek said. The sensor’s Z-Wave-compatible two-stage “thump and crash” detection technology uses acoustic monitoring and analysis to reduce false alarms, the company said. The Smart Micro Motion sensor, also Z-Wave-compatible, senses and reports motion based on a 360-degree detection angle and 35-foot range, it said. The $65 sensor can be used to turn on lights when motion is sensed to illuminate a path or shine a spotlight, Nortek said. Battery life is given as two years on two AAA batteries, and a low-battery alert notifies users when it’s time to change batteries, it said. The Smart Micro 4-in-1 sensor ($75) reports motion with 360-degree coverage and senses temperature, humidity and light within a 35-foot range, the company said. Temperature and humidity sensing can be used to trigger smart home scenes such as adjusting the air conditioner to a preset level, the company said.

Responding to dealer requests, Control4 signed an agreement with GreenSky to offer end-user financing through its U.S. dealer network, said Control4 Tuesday. Dealers can directly offer customers financial options covering the purchase, installation and integration of Control4 and third-party products, it said. Financing plans include no interest, reduced annual percentage rate and same-as-cash options, it said. Control4 dealers asked the company for financing options similar to those available for home improvement and new home construction projects. The financing program's goal is to shorten the sales cycle for smart home projects, said Chief Financial Officer Mark Novakovich.

Crowdfunded startup Qube made a late appeal for its smart LED bulb Tuesday, citing affordability as it prime selling point. Qube was 499 percent funded ($251,000) on Indiegogo with four days left in the campaign, it said. The $19 bulb, approved for Apple HomeKit MFi (Made for iPhone/iPod/iPad), connects to the smart home via mobile devices and Bluetooth wearables without a hub, said Qube. Bulbs can produce 16 million colors, and operating life is given as up to 50,000 hours, or 27 years. Qube tracks and analyzes light usage to determine areas of potential energy savings and to eliminate unnecessary electrical use, the company said.

Comcast urged customers to use home automation features to protect their homes this holiday season. In a blog post, Comcast said more than 70 percent of Americans plan to travel this holiday season. To keep the home secure, it suggested turning lights on and off remotely or to set a lighting schedule using smart home devices. Comcast cited Lutron products that can also manage window shades controllable from an app. “This way, the house looks occupied when you’re away, and you don’t have to worry about remembering to switch off the holiday lights, which can save money on electricity bills,” it said. Surveillance cameras monitor a home inside and out, which can be useful for watching for package deliveries or to see if a puppy is drinking tree water, it said. Homeowners can watch security video from a laptop, tablet or smartphone, it said. Comcast suggested 24/7 professional monitoring on a secure network with cellular and battery backup. It also encouraged smart home customers to set rules via “if this, then that” actions so appliances, electronics and other devices work in harmony. An option with Xfinity Home customers: Get a text if the front door doesn’t open between certain hours when the dog walker is supposed to visit or get a text when a package is delivered to alert a neighbor for pickup.

A connected air diffuser will make its debut at CES next month. The Wi-Fi-enabled AromaCare, with a Kickstarter goal of $75,000, will be part of the Eureka Park Marketplace at the Sands Expo Center. The AromaCare dispenser works with six essential oil blends, each targeted for a specific use: sleep, calm, tonic, memory, breath and allergy. Users will be able to control an aromatherapy session from their mobile devices, the company said.