This week’s Smart Living roundup features a future-proof smart light bulb, a refrigerator that also brews your morning cup of coffee and a Chinese phone maker that will test smart home modules later this month.

Connected Cree LED Bulb

Cree Inc., which creates and distributes LED bulbs, introduced the Connected Cree LED Bulb — a smart bulb that is both affordable and compatible with smart home hubs of today and tomorrow. The smart bulb is compatible with Wink- and ZigBee-certified hubs, and allows users to remotely control them using the Wink app on their iOS or Android smartphones.

“Everything Cree does is based on the promise of providing the best lighting experience, and that starts with superior LED light. The Connected Cree LED Bulb delivers on that promise while also creating a simple user experience for consumers seeking device connectivity in their homes,” said Betty Noonan, Cree chief marketing officer. “The Connected Cree LED Bulb provides the uncompromising combination of a superior LED light experience with multi-platform compatibility, all at an affordable price.”

The Connected Cree LED Bulb is priced at $14.97 and consumes just 11W of power when turned on at full brightness. This burns 82 percent less energy than an equivalent incandescent bulb.

GE’s refrigerator doubles as a coffee maker

General Electric Co. announced that it will be releasing a new line of connected appliances this year, and one of them is the Cafe Series refrigerator with Keurig K-Kup Brewing System. This unique refrigerator allows you to brew a single cup of coffee, as well as make hot water available. It will be manufactured in partnership with Keurig Green Mountain, Inc. and retail for about $3,300.

The refrigerator looks like a classic French-door with a bottom-freezer model that features a filtered water dispenser on the left door. Those who want to brew a cup of coffee or tea just need to plug in a capsule into the plastic holder that slides into the door dispenser. Push a button to start heating water and brewing your cup of coffee or tea. The refrigerator connects to your home Wi-Fi, which allows users to schedule when to start brewing your favorite cup.

Xiaomi to test smart home modules this month

Xiaomi Inc., one of China’s leading smartphone makers, will begin consumer testing smart home modules starting on January 26, 2015, as part of its Smart Home Suite. The Smart Home Suite includes a human motion sensor and a pair of door and window sensors that can be used for home security.

“In the past, motion sensors were very complicated and large in size, so that if you wanted a system you needed professional installation,” Xiaomi President Bin Lin stated during the announcement at the GeekPark Innovation Festival in Beijing. “For this suite, there is not a single nail or wire. These components are all very simple.”

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