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Each Monday and Friday, tune in to Tech Beat to learn the newest high-tech trends in both industry and product development. YNN Tech Reporter Adam Balkin highlights the coolest and newest apps for your cell phone and mobile device every Thursday and Saturday in your App Wrap.



12/10/2012 07:04 PM

Tech Beat: Helmsley Building lights up for the holidays with energy-efficient system

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New York City’s Helmsley Building will be lit every night with an energy efficient, color changing, computer controlled LED light system this holiday season. The lighting system is one that's not terribly different from the Times Square New Year's Ball.

"Right now the building kind of fades into the background," Al Borden of The Lighting Practice said. "The building is going to pop. It's going to stand out and it's going to be visible from 40 blocks away, something that's never been this way before."

In addition to looking pretty, it sends an important message that older, historic and iconic buildings like the Helmsley Building can take drastic measures to become more environmentally friendly.

"LEDs give us a dynamic affect that wouldn't be possible with any other light source," Borden said. "So not only do we get a nice crisp appearance for the building, but we also get this ability to make a change, make it entertaining and make it fun."

Find out more in this edition of “Tech Beat” in the video above.