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Meet Orbnext, the chameleon of the smart home (pictures)

This color-changing cube has Wi-Fi and IFTTT powered smarts built right in.

Ry Crist
Originally hailing from Troy, Ohio, Ry Crist is a writer, a text-based adventure connoisseur, a lover of terrible movies and an enthusiastic yet mediocre cook. A CNET editor since 2013, Ry's beats include smart home tech, lighting, appliances, broadband and home networking.
Ry Crist
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1 of 10 Megan Wollerton/CNET

Orbnext

Orbnext is a color-changing LED cube made by Advanced Lumonics, a Colorado-based smart-home start-up. What's this gizmo capable of? Click through to find out.

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2 of 10 Megan Wollerton/CNET

Frosted glass build

Orbnext is built from frosted glass, giving it a high-end aesthetic.

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3 of 10 Megan Wollerton/CNET

Power source

You'll keep Orbnext powered with a Micro-USB cable.

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4 of 10 Megan Wollerton/CNET

Color cycle

You can set the Orbnext to fade through a multicolor cycle, but you can't customize a cycle of your own.

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5 of 10 Screenshots by Ry Crist/CNET

App features

The Orbnext app is a bit sparse, but includes a few basic presets. These include color alerts for the weather and the stock market.

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6 of 10 Screenshots by Ry Crist/CNET

Color control

You'll also have two modes of color control -- a "Lamp" mode with 12 quick color presets, and a "Palette" mode with a more comprehensive color selector.

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7 of 10 Screenshots by Ry Crist/CNET

IFTTT channel

Orbnext also has its own channel on IFTTT, which is where things get really interesting. With over a hundred other channels capable of triggering Orbnext to change colors, your notification options are quite expansive.

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8 of 10 Megan Wollerton/CNET

Boss alert

One recipe that I found especially useful: turn the Orbnext red whenever the boss emails.

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9 of 10 Megan Wollerton/CNET

Social networking

You could also use Orbnext to notify you of things like new Twitter followers or Facebook notifications.

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10 of 10 Megan Wollerton/CNET

Price

Orbnext is available now, and costs $129. Shipping outside of the US is an additional $35, bringing the total in Australia to roughly AU$185, or right around £100 even in the UK.

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