Today Google flipped the switch on a remarkable new LED bulb that can be controlled by any Android device using the company’s new open-source wireless networking protocol. The search giant worked with Lighting Science Group to develop the omnidirectional 60-watt equivalent bulb, which can be dimmed or brightened on the fly by an Android-equipped smart phone, tablet, or laptop. The smart bulb is the perfect test bed for Google’s new protocol, which stands to open the door to a new wave of energy-efficient home systems.

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Next-gen lighting technology has come a long way since The Clapper – Google and Lighting Science Group’s new bulb is based on Lighting Science Group’s A19 LED light and it features a built-in radio that interfaces with Google’s new open-source wireless protocol. Unveiled today at the I/O developer conference in San Francisco, the protocol can be used to control appliances and thermostats as well, so it may very well usher in a new wave of smart systems that self-adjust to ensure energy efficiency.

Artificial lighting accounts for about 11% of your home’s energy use, so smarter lighting systems are a surefire way to reduce the carbon footprint of our built environment – which accounts for a remarkable 38% of CO2 emissions in the US. The new bulbs are set to hit store shelves by the end of the year at prices comparable to Lighting Science Group’s standard LED bulbs.

+ Lighting Science Group

Via GigaOm