[Closed] £80 Wi-Fi lightbulb with it's own app *shakes head*

The thought process is technology for its own sake. It's as mal-moral as the internet fridge concept.

I'm not entirely sure that changing the colour from a remote location is what the creators had in mind.

What did they have in mind? Can't fathom it!

Change the colour of the lights, switch on and off or dim them without getting off the sofa?. I'm sure people thought TV remote controls were pointless / only for lazy people when they first came out. I wouldn't pay £80 for it but I'm sure someone will. Sometimes these things start off as a bit pointless or decadent but evolve in to some useful things.

I find it quite fascinating what people try and create a market for.

They'll be on groupon in six months for 15 quid.

Hardly new - the Philips Hue is already out there.

Not sure what's wrong with home automation....

[i]Change the colour of the lights, switch on and off or dim them without getting off the sofa?[/i]

I can imagine it now... "I'll just turn the light down with my phone app". "Oh hang on, wifi's not on"... Goes upstairs to turn on wifi. Comes down. "Ha, now I can change the lights without getting up!"

Backed them on Kickstarter - much promised, little delivered.

They were supposed to have a music visualiser built in, be used as an alarm clock, alerts for text messages & social media, remote on/off timer thing for burgalar deterent etc, all sorts of pretty funky stuff really.

All they have delivered so far is on off ability and colour change from same wifi network. And a fairly lacklustre music visualiser.

There are other, better wifi enabled bulbs.

[i]And a fairly lacklustre music visualiser.[/i]

Just get one of these

[img] [/img]

I can imagine it now... "I'll just turn the light down with my phone app". "Oh hang on, wifi's not on"... Goes upstairs to turn on wifi. Comes down. "Ha, now I can change the lights without getting up!"

Do you go through all that every time you want to use your tablet or phone for browsing? or do you just have the wifi on all the time in reality?

Not saying it's a particular good idea, but I don't know many people who just turn on the wifi when they want to get on the net.

[i] I don't know many people who just turn on the wifi when they want to get on the net.[/i]

You know one now 🙂

[i]You know one now[/i]

My suspicions are confirmed - wierdo.

😉

8)

You know two now 😀

our wifi is turned off at night - local internet problem (that's what we tell the children anyway...)

does that count?

What is the logic involved in turning off the wifi and only turning it on when you are using it ?

Genuinely interested as it has never crossed my mind.

I'd buy one at...twenty five quid?

We've got more than 15 devices that are either connected to our router on the wired ethernet I've got or via wi-fi.

I can't imagine switching the thing off, it takes 10 minutes to sort out allocating IP's to everything when rebooting...

I did set our sons stuff up with restricted access times by MAC address for a while but he's been more sensible recently.

[i]What is the logic involved in turning off the wifi and only turning it on when you are using it ?[/i]

Same as turning the TV off instead of leaving it on standby, turning off lights when not in the room, only boiling as much water as you need..?
(it all adds up, you know!)

Ok, seems sort of sensible.

What sort of savings/costs are we talking about for an average BT/Sky/TalkTalk type wifi router ?

our wifi is turned off at night - local internet problem (that's what we tell the children anyway...)

does that count?

yes, but you do that to stop the kids getting on the net while they're supposed to be sleeping presumably which is understandable, otherwise I don't see the point.

I just had a quick check. My router is quoted as 6W max. I expect it's running more like 3W usually, if that.

[i]What sort of savings/costs are we talking about for an average BT/Sky/TalkTalk type wifi router ?
[/i]

Just had a quick search - about a fiver a year! Yay!

I only switch it off sometimes, really 🙂

We've got more than 15 devices that are either connected to our router on the wired ethernet I've got or via wi-fi.

I can't imagine switching the thing off, it takes 10 minutes to sort out allocating IP's to everything when rebooting...

That's what DHCP leases are for...

[i]I only switch it off sometimes, really[/i]

My suspicions are confirmed - inconsistent wierdo

😉

xiphon - I've given some devices static IP's but I got bored and it only gets rebooted if the line speed drops a bit and someone get's cross 'cos their film isn't streaming that well.

Our rationale is. Why does it need to be on when we're not using it?
Its switched on after the kids have gone bed (after 7.30ish). Goes off when we go bed.

I thought about getting something similar but it wasn't for home automation.

I wanted to add multiple switch-able circuits so I had more flexibility in how my room was lit up.

Instead of getting an electrician to dig some new channels in my wall and add the wiring and switches, I thought I could run all the wi-fi bulbs from the existing switch and use the smart phone app to switch them on / off individually.

In the end I decided either option was too expensive and went for a different set up.

There are other, better wifi enabled bulbs.

possibly this quote is the most depressing thing about this thread

Now if you could control the light from outside of the local network, add timings, randomise etc, it would be interesting as a security idea.

Dons flame suit...

So I have some Phillips Hue bulbs and really like them.
Yes you can make them green, or blue. But in reality we use them to change the colour subtly. When we watch TV it's a lower level slightly red colour, when someone is reading the light they use can be made whiter.

They can turn on automatically or when you get home, and you can tell if they are on when you're away. Do you need this, no, but we do use it.

Phillips have updated the hub and app software several times and there is an API you can use easily for home automation. Easy being doing basic stuff in a few minutes.

Are they worth the money - it will depend on the individual. But the Hue ones are the best out there by a long way and I'll buy more when we decorate other rooms.

Well I was actually looking for some wifi controlled light switches this morning. £80 is dear though.

Would this kind of thing work if I was abroad and wanted to switch my light on and off to fool bloody thieves? Changing colours would really fool them.

Now if you could control the light from outside of the local network, add timings, randomise etc, it would be interesting as a security idea.

Pretty sure that switching your router/modem on and off all the time will knacker your connection speed, as [i]I think[/i] it may attempt to renegotiate the [url= http://www.kitz.co.uk/adsl/IPprofile.htm ]rate/profile[/url] each time it boots up after being off for a while.

Its switched on after the kids have gone bed (after 7.30ish). Goes off when we go bed.

Thus knackering any automatic overnight updates, downloads etc.

[i]Would this kind of thing work if I was abroad and wanted to switch my light on and off to fool bloody thieves? Changing colours would really fool them.[/i]

You'd leave your wifi on when going abroad?? O. M. G. 😯

You'd leave your wifi on when going abroad?

Sometimes switch it off at night, if I remember

mine goes off at night as the router is in the bedroom with all of its VERY BRIGHT flashy blue lights (Virgin superhub) + the cisco router. It's in the bedroom as the WiFi in the house is utter pants otherwise..

We have our router on a timer here so it's off during the day in the week and overnight. I can't say I've noticed any ill effects on the speed, but I have read that before.

Lots of routers let you set a time program for the wifi while staying connected to the broadband for a compromise.

VERY BRIGHT flashy blue lights (Virgin superhub

If you log in to the hub, you can dim the LEDs. Probably still quite annoying if it's in your bedroom though.

Honestly can't remember the last time I switched off my home router. Didn't even switch it off when I was in hospital!

Rachel

I can imagine it now... "I'll just turn the light down with my phone app". "Oh hang on, wifi's not on"... Goes upstairs to turn on wifi. Comes down. "Ha, now I can change the lights without getting up!"