Minecraft Snapshot 13w01a New Features - Daylight Detector, Analog Redstone

Mojang promised us that Minecraft 1.5 would be the Redstone Update and snapshot 13w01a just goes to confirm that promise. 13w01a is the first of the Redstone updates and we're going to see the new analog Redstone in action and also some of the new Redstone devices including the daylight detector and comparator.

Analog Redstone

It's the new kind of Redstone signal that isn't just ON/OFF but rather a range of values (0-15). We spoke briefly about analog Redstone when we covered the comparator device. As you might expect, having a range of values opens the door for some multifarious Redstone devices and gadgets.

New Ore

This one's still a mystery but Mojang mentioned a new ore for the analog Redstone during their Minecon panel. We wouldn't be surprised if the new Redstone devices have to be crafted using this new ore too. It's likely that the new ore will be found in the Nether, if Dinnerbone sticks to his original idea.

Daylight detector

Jeb has already teased us with his screenshot of the new daylight detector and it's exactly what you'd expect. It's a device that detects the presence of sunlight and emits a Redstone signal through any connected Redstone wires (or other directly connected devices).

The Daylight detector will only be activated at a particular light level i.e. when the sun rises high enough in the sky. Don't expect the device to work in caves or underground because it's powered by daylight and not artificial light - torches and fire will probably have no effect.

Crafting recipe is still a mystery but best guess would be a combination of: