CES isn't as consumer-focused as it once was, despite the overt branding. But there's still consumer tech news to be had, fortunately. Case in point: Nanoleaf, the brand behind the iconic wall-mounted, geometric LED lighting, is introducing an array of products this week to showcase its latest technical innovations. First up is the Sense Controls, which Nanoleaf is calling its first "learning smart light switches." The lineup of devices -- which comprises the hardwired Smart Light Switch, Wireless Smart Light Switch and Nala Learning Bridge -- work with Matter, the smart home interoperability protocol, and run on the low-power mesh networking standard Thread.

Smart LED light strips that are well designed yet reasonably priced are hard to come by, which is why we're enthusiastic--to a degree, anyway--about the Nanoleaf Essentials Lightstrip. But like Nanoleaf's other Essential's product, a 120-sided A19 smart bulb, the Essentials Lightstrip comes with some important and potentially deal-breaking caveats. For starters, the Lightstrip's most advanced features depend on Thread, the IP-based wireless protocol backed by such tech stalwarts as Apple, Google, and Samsung. Thread is attractive for a number reasons, including low latency, low power consumption, and--best of all--beefed-up security. Thread requires a "border" router, and the only consumer model on the market right now is Apple's $99 HomePod Mini.

After wowing smart home users (including us) with its eye-popping, touch-sensitive smart light panels, Nanoleaf has launched an "Essentials" line of more traditional smart lighting products, including a color A19 bulb. Like most things Nanoleaf, the Essentials A19 comes with a few twists, including its trippy, 120-sided design and its support for Thread, an IP-based Internet of Things (IoT) protocol backed by the likes of Apple, Google, and Samsung SmartThings. Thread is a low-power, high-reliability, and security-focused protocol that's been percolating for more than six years, but it's only supported by a handful of products, which means its potential has yet to be fully realized. The same could be said for Nanoleaf's Essentials A19 bulb, which boasts some interesting features--including the ability to sync with music, Mac and PC monitors, and Nanoleaf's own Shapes light panels--that aren't yet ready for prime time yet. Another wrinkle is the fact that the bulb's most advanced features rely on a Thread border router--a device that acts as a bridge between a Thread network and another networks, such as Wi-Fi--and for now, there's only one consumer model: the $99 Apple HomePod Mini.