Amazon developing new Ring-branded smart light bulb that could spotlight intruders 

Amazon has filed documentation for a new smart light bulb to be added to its Ring line of home and neighborhood surveillance gear.

The documents submitted to the Federal Communication Commission describe the new product as ‘Ring Smart Light bulb,’ and show a 16 watt bulb that the company says will be able to connect to Bluetooth.

The bulb comes with a warning to not connect it to standard dimmers.

Amazon filed new documentation with the FCC for a ‘Ring Smart Light bulb’ (pictured above), which would come equipped with Bluetooth

Amazon doesn’t specify a reason, but with other smart bulb applications individual dimmers can interfere with the ability to raise or lower light levels through the app.

The documents were first spotted by tech writer Dave Zatz and reported by The Verge.

Ring began life in 2013 as a pitch for a wifi-connected video doorbell on an episode of Shark Tank. 

Amazon purchased the company in 2018, and in addition to video door bells, the company now sells outdoor floodlights and path lights for patios and front walkways. 

Amazon says the Ring-branded smart bulb should not be used with traditional light dimmers

All of these devices can be connected through Ring Bridge, a hub that coordinates up to 50 Ring devices per home, which users control via phone or tablet app.

As Ring products have grown more popular, so have concerns that the company is transforming the American suburbs into a platform for mass surveillance. 

Up to 50 different Ring devices can be controlled through Ring Bridge, a hub device that users can operate through a smartphone app, allowing them to manage a sprawling home surveillance network

Massachusetts senator Ed Markey described Ring as ‘an open door for privacy and civil liberty violations.’

He described the growing popularity of the devices as ‘nothing short of chilling.’ 

Amazon has released two other Ring-branded lighting products, including a motion-detecting flood light (pictured above) and small path lights meant to be placed on the ground

Last week, Cnet reported that the more than 700 different police departments that partner with Ring have developed heat maps to show the location of everyone who has a surveillance camera in the city.

Last month, internal Ring documents were uncovered, revealing a proposal to use facial recognition software with the cameras to generate neighborhood watch lists.

WHAT IS RING AND WHY DID AMAZON BUY IT?

Amazon acquired home security startup Ring for a reported £700 million ($1 billion).

The home security startup sells doorbells that capture video and audio.

Clips can be streamed on smartphones and other devices, while the doorbell even allows homeowners to remotely chat to those standing at their door.

Ring sells doorbells (left) that capture video and audio. Clips can be streamed on smartphones and other devices, while the doorbell even allows homeowners to remotely chat to those standing at their door

Ring promotes its gadgets as a way to catch package thieves, a nuisance that Amazon has been looking to remedy. 

Amazon late last year unveiled its own smart lock and camera combination called Amazon Key in a move into home security.

Key is designed to provide a secure and trackable way for packages to be delivered inside homes when people aren’t there.

Amazon has bought home security startup Ring for a reported £700 million ($1 billion)

Ring’s doorbell could work well with Amazon Key, which lets delivery personnel put packages inside a home to avoid theft or, in the case of fresh food, spoiling.

California-based Ring first caught the spotlight with a failed quest for funding about five years ago on reality television show Shark Tank.

Ring went on to win backing from the likes of billionaire Richard Branson and Amazon’s Alexa Fund.