After years of being on the fence, Apple has finally gotten into the reef aquarium business with its first product: iLight. The lighting unit which uses a mixture of LEDs can display lighting from 10k to 20k while keeping the tank cool. The unit which is made out of aluminum and features a touch control panel is said to be hitting Apple stores today for $9500. When reporters questioned a representative from Apple about the patent lawsuit between a previous LED lighting company and the LED patent holder, the rep stated that Steve Jobs “wouldn’t have any of that” and “simply bought the patent on the spot” while at the hospital receiving treatment for his health issues. Some critics argue that while the iLight is a very powerful and technologically superior light, the requirement to purchase the power cord to run the unit which costs an extra $1500 could knock some customers out of the market for it. The power cord is in fact the same as a standard computer cord, but with a chip in it so that it will “communicate” with the light allowing you to control iLight with the use of voice commands. Commands so far confirmed are “on” and “off”; Apple Engineers wanted to have more commands to take advantage of the different kelvin wavelengths available to them but Steve Jobs said he knew “that would muddy an otherwise clean product and that ‘on’ and ‘off’ are simple, clean and the heart of Apple design”.You’ll be happy to know that all firmware updates will happen through iTunes and you will be able to control the unit via an iPhone app. Due to copyright restraints we are unable to include a image, however you can find the new lighting unit here.
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