This Smart Light Bulb Keeps Working Even If the Power Goes Out

You can even turn it on and off from the light switch.

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Kickstarter

The SmartCharge looks like an ordinary LED light bulb, except that it’s got a built-in rechargeable battery. When the power to your house is working as it should, the SmartCharge acts as just another lightbulb while topping off its internal battery using your home’s wiring.

When the power goes out, however, the bulb will keep working for up to four hours. And what’s more, it’ll remember the last position of the light switch that’s controlling it.

So if you turned off the light before you left the house and the power goes out while you’re at work, when you get back home, you’ll still have four hours of juice stored up. You can see the feature in action at around the 1:30 mark in the video below.

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dang2oA0PdQ]

The SmartCharge is currently a Kickstarter project that’s looking to raise $50,000 and start shipping in April of next year. So far it’s at about $10,000 shy of its goal with almost a month to go, so it’s looking pretty good that this will become an actual product someday.

It’s not exactly cheap. Those who pledge $35 will get a single bulb, but it’s apparently rated for up to 25 years of use, and you’ll need to replace the rechargeable lithium-ion battery every three to four years. Might make for a good solution if you live in a remote area prone to power outages, though.

SmartCharge [Kickstarter.com]