Windows Phone Fatboy Lamp team-up shows smart notifications

17.11.2014

SLASHGEAR | November 14, 2014

Back when Microsoft started bringing the heat with their Nokia tag-team for Windows Phone devices, we saw the light with Nokia's team-up with a brand called Fatboy. Nokia provided the smartphones, Fatboy provided the accessories that charged them up. Now Microsoft continues this collaboration, creating such oddities as this - Lumia phones showing you notifications to your phone through the Fatboy Edison Petit lamp. Light up every time you get a message while wirelessly charging your Lumia smartphone - because after all, why not?

Speaking this week about several new Microsoft-made accessories for Lumia smartphones, Simone Leggio spoke up about the Fatboy Lamp - a concept in this iteration. For Microsoft Leggio is Lead Program Manager, Connectivity Software Program Management. He spoke about the Wireless Charging Plate DT-903 first, noting that it was able to show notifications from the phone on its own with a set of onboard, small ambient lights.

"The real smartness comes from it being the first wireless charger to talk to your phone," said Simone. "Rather than waiting for you to remember, it will actually invite you to charge your Lumia."

Microsoft worked with both Fatboy and Bluegiga to create the concept lamp you see here. Bluegiga is a Bluetooth module maker, and here provides a Bluetooth LE module that connects the phone to the lamp wirelessly.

Whenever a notification comes through to the phone, it tells the charger first (as it does automatically,) then the charger tells the lamp. The Bluetooth module is connected to the charger thanks to Microsoft-provided APIs which can be obtained by basically anybody.

This system can actually be purchased in its individual parts from Microsoft, Bluegiga, and Fatboy right this minute. Easy peasy!

To make this whole setup happen with your smartphone, you'll only need a Lumia that's able to wirelessly charge and use Bluetooth LE. If your device has Bluetooth 4.0, you're likely ready to roll.

See original article here.