If you’re thinking of sprucing up your home these days, there are a lot of cool ways to go about it. Traditionally, it will take some elbow grease to move stuff around or maybe repaint surfaces. Others also choose to buy something new to occupy the spaces available on the floor, countertops, or shelves. Perhaps one of the easiest ways to create your desired ambience is through lighting. This is where Encalife comes in with the Atmosphere.
Astrophiles who love to stare at the night sky will love what this gadget brings to the table. You see, what it does is create a vibrant nebula cloud on your ceiling, wall, or wherever you aim it at. Not only that but there’s even a laser module that creates an array of stars for a complete cosmic canvas. Don’t let bad weather ruin your stargazing as the smart galaxy star projector recreates one for you indoors.
Unboxing our Atmosphere
After our order was placed, it was shipped out almost immediately. It didn’t take long for the package to arrive and the first thing we checked was the condition of the item. After opening the corrugated carton, sitting inside is the sleek gift box in a shade of deep purple with the Encalife label and the Atmosphere badging. An image of a nebula with stars likewise drums up your excitement.
Pull the tab and slide it out to see the smart galaxy star projector nestled within. Taking it out for inspection, there are no dents or physical damages of any kind. Inside, you can also find a USB-A to DC (male) plug cable, a power brick, and a detailed user manual.
As for the Atmosphere itself, it’s actually a lot smaller than what we initially expected. Now, that’s not a bad thing because we don’t want a device that unnecessarily takes up a lot of room. It touts a round form factor with a single button on the left side. Just be careful not to smudge the lens when handling it.
Specifications
Specs
- Power Input 5V 1A
- Power Output <1 mW per beamlet
- Working Temperature (Fahrenheit) 14° - 95°
- Wireless Connectivity Wi-Fi
- Laser Color Green
- Nebula Color 16.7 million
- Enclosure Material Flame Retarding VO Class ABS
- Virtual Assistant Compatibility Alexa, Google Assistant
- Dimensions (L x W x H) - Inches 6.4 x 2.7 x 6.4
- Weight - Pounds 1.10
- Power Cord Length - Inches 70.9
Using the smart galaxy star projector
As indicated by Encalife, the Atmosphere is smart-ready, which means you can control it via your smartphone or favorite virtual assistant. Out of the box, it is ready to use right away albeit with limited functionalities. Therefore, we recommend that you download the companion app from Apple’s App Store or Google’s Play Store.
Before anything else, remember to remove the sticker that covers the laser module. Once ready, plug it in and the smart galaxy star projector will automatically power on. At this point, you can switch between different modes via the push-button interface.
However, you need to connect it to a Wi-Fi network in order to unlock the rest of its functionalities. Instructions on how to do it and more are all specified in the user manual. With that out of the way, you can now use your smartphone or smart speaker to activate or turn off the Atmosphere.
Our only gripe here is the need to create an account, which others might find troublesome. Command Alexa or Google Assistant to turn it on or off and to change the color of the nebula. Other settings you can manually tweak via the app are the speed of rotation, brightness, timer, and scheduled activation.
Depending on how high the ceiling is in your room, you might want to place it on the floor to ensure that it fills up a bigger area. It can even stand in various positions for that perfect angle. In our case, the Atmosphere sits on top of a shelf, which is good enough. Aside from the color, you can toggle between the nebula with stars, nebula only, and stars only.
Our Takeaway
Mood lighting has been our go-to option to give our living spaces a dynamic ambience. Although many would probably use Encalife’s smart galaxy star projector for their bedrooms, its portable nature makes it easy to move around. Overall, despite the minimal shortcomings, this is a great gadget to have.
It makes an awesome replacement for a regular nightlight and virtually lets you sleep under a blanket of stars with a nebula background. If you prefer to sleep in the dark, the Atmosphere will likewise make a great addition to your man cave instead.
Gamers can also use it to create an attractive backdrop behind their rig. Overall, if you are looking for alternatives to LED light strips, smart bulbs, or other lighting fixtures, the Atmosphere is a unique solution. It’s compact, smart-ready, versatile, and affordable.
