Light up your life

Shed some light on your home this spring with a stunning LED table lamp that can order you dinner

Ask this lamp questions and control your smart home from it…

Lighting continues its exciting connected-home overhaul. Last year we saw a clutch of wacky smart bulbs, including lightbulbs that double as cameras and Wi- Fi boosters, plus desk lamps with built-in wireless charging bases to juice- up smartphones. This year, voice activated tech comes to the humble table lamp…

Although, ‘humble’ isn’t a word we’d use to describe the C by GE Table Lamp. This intriguing, connected LED stunner has integrated Amazon Alexa Voice Service (AVS), so it can listen to your commands, respond and take action.

The best part? You don’t need to shell out for a separate Amazon Echo unit – the lamp works independently and doesn’t need to be paired with a smartphone, smart switch or hub either.

So, what can it do? The lamp works in the same way an Amazon Echo does: once setup, you can ask it questions, tell it to control compatible connected home tech in your house, ask it to read the weather report or a summary of your upcoming appointments, and even order goods online.

Designed in part by Richard Clarkson, the man behind The Cloud, a motion-triggered thunderstorm light and speaker, the C Table Lamp boasts a sleek body with built-in microphones and speaker. Simply plug it in to control hands-free.

The C by GE Lamp will be available for pre-order soon (price TBC), with shipping to begin later this spring. www.cbyge.com.

About as futuristic-looking as table lamps get, the C by GE is a masterpiece of design. And what’s more its Alexa integration means you can use it just like an Echo