BUT WHAT'S IT ACTUALLY FOR?

I've been reviewing gadgets for a while now.

I've tried things that make my WiFi work better.

I've attached things to computers to make them run faster.

I've beefed up my security with clever cameras.

I've sampled an array of speakers, headphones and earbuds to see which sound best.

I've worn things on my wrist that are smarter than I am.

I've even used devices to help me sleep, ease my back pain and make me sit up straighter.

As for the phones... Ah, such wonderful phones.

But I've never come across anything quite as useless as this...

Just to clarify, by "useless," I mean I still literally haven't found a practical use for the Nanoleaf Aurora.

That doesn't mean I'm not a fan.

The picture above does these things no justice at all, of course. The Nanoleaf Aurora is a starter pack of 9 LED triangles that can be joined together by a collection of small connectors (supplied) in whatever configuration you desire.

Plug it all in, download the app, connect to your WiFi network and millions of colour combinations are at your disposal.

There's a selection of preset patterns, both static and constantly changing. Or, using the app, you can design your own. You can colour each section individually, or create a more general scheme over the whole display.

If it sounds fun, it is - mostly because it's so easy and it works. Even once the Nanoleaf Aurora is turned on, I've witnessed a bunch of idiot teenagers do their best to completely wreck the thing and the only result was more cool colours and shapes.

It gets better.

By adding the small Rhythm module, the Nanoleaf Aurora now reacts to sound - changing colour and pattern in time with your music, or just lighting up when you make noise.

This means you can now bring your party to life both visually and musically.

What's more, you can keep adding to your customised lighting display with more and more tiles - expansion packs come in sets of three. Go really crazy and you can run up to 30 tiles off one controller.

Of course, as I've said already, it's all completely pointless. But then, so is the Mona Lisa I suppose. Whether white triangles that light up in the colours of your choice can be considered art is definitely in the eye of the beholder. But you can certainly hang them on the wall as there are plenty of 3M Command strips included in the pack.

The power cable is conveniently thin, long and white, which means you don't have to be particularly close to a wall socket to hang your Nanoleaf creation where you want it... but where would you want it?

My feeling is this is a games room, bar area, media room sort of a vibe - anywhere you want to set the mood with coloured lights I guess. Kids bedrooms could be a definite possibility, but they won't be buying their own Nanoleaf Aurora setup on their pocket money - the 9-panel starter pack currently retails for $339 - which I think is a bit stiff for what is essentially a set of pretty lights. The Rhythm module is much better buying at just $59.

All of this is hard to imagine from my bad photos, so head to the Nanoleaf website to get a much better idea of what we're dealing with.

$400+ may seem a little steep for a bit of mindless fun, but if the Nanoleaf Aurora really is art waiting for you to create it, it works out a lot cheaper than the Mona Lisa.


Nanoleaf products are available at JB Hi-Fi and Noel Leeming.