Holi

There are some technologies that happened way earlier than they had any right to. Frankly, putting a man on the moon in the days when the Apollo Guidance Computer really did have less power than a pocket calculator was an insane achievement.

And then there are those technologies that have taken way, way longer than they should have done – with home automation heading the list. The main reason it was such a slow-burn was the lack of a standard interface (X.10 never really established itself in the home).

2014, however, looks set to be the year in which all that changes, with the iPhone the new standard interface. Steve Jobs once said that the Mac was the hub at the center of our digital lives; this year, it looks like the iPhone is taking over the crown …

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It’s like the 1970s all over again (I’m told). The modern equivalent of the lava lamp, the iPhone-controlled LED-powered Holi lamp, is expected to make its way across the Atlantic to the USA sometime in March, reports The Verge. It’s currently available only in Europe.

You can choose a theme, and let Holi choose the colors and flash-rate; create your own theme; or let the lights synchronize with the music playing on your iOS device. You can also allow the 8-inch-square Holi lamp to wake you in the morning by gently increasing the brightness … 
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