I have one from Ikea. I vary the light output and leave the type of white alone. I adjust it through a controller via the internet, not through my phone.
@jsh139 I mean it’s probably just the flood of people refreshing right at midnight, including all the bots that don’t use the API. I’d imagine it’s not worth serious server upgrade for a minute or two a day.
@RiotDemon there’s nothing wrong with that. I just haven’t seen a use case for having colored light bulbs around the house, but I know I would have been all over that back in the day.
I don’t really have a place that uses standard bulbs anymore or I’d be all over this. I use lights on my ceiling fans now so I don’t really have floor or wall lamps.
@hchavers I run my own gateway behind the ISP’s junk anyhow, so I stick the hub outside my firewall and just connect to the ISP’s wifi when I need to tweak things.
@hchavers I have completely avoided the “internet of things” for this very reason. I don’t need some punk putting my oven on looping clean cycles and burning down my house.
@hchavers@robson There’s a lot of benefit to that approach, or to VLANs, or to any system that causes a separation between any “smart” devices (also smart TVs, appliances, speakers…) and any devices you may have real data on or otherwise care about. The more degrees of separation you can engineer, and the more control over the traffic the smart devices are able to generate and accept, the better off you’ll be. They all do some spying, and many (that are capable of it) serve ads as well, but a properly managed firewall, optionally PiHole, and routing system will keep their problems away from anything too important to you. Note that this may engender a moderate expense that may also make having smart devices less worthwhile, and that many of the capabilities of smart devices - including working with the major assistants - are also available via DIY solutions that have code you can read and edit before you use it. See WLED, for instance. Still, for $19 and very little effort, this will keep most people happy or amused, and they didn’t care about the data they’d lose in a breach anyway.
I have a different model from this brand. I got them to have an easy way to use a light without having a long extension cord to reach the lamp. They were not that easy to set up so maybe the app is better now. I don’t like them using my Wifi. They turn on after the power outage but because they do use Wifi I don’t need to go downstairs to turn them off. They are accent lights and not really bright enough for reading or other tasks except the white light. I have to always remember to take my phone downstairs if I need to use them. The one thing I do like is that we can turn them on before we start a movie and turn off the room lights then easily turn the bulbs off during the movie.
Much like every damn appliance in my house does NOT need a clock, I think in general my lites are just fine being controlled by the wall switch. The one exception to that is the bedroom light, but it is on the fan remote (and some weird type bulb that they have not smartified yet anyway).
Got some for mom who has trouble getting around. Not having to stumble around for a light switch is helpful. Especially since a bad fall getting out of bed to use the bathroom a few years ago led to a torn rotator cuff and losing a leg.
@ponagathos This brings up the point that the app should be exceedingly simple and easy to read for elderly folks who don’t speak tech and can barely see.
@chienfou@ponagathos I put a lamp on a smart switch so I can tell Alexa to turn off the light from bed. If the bulb burns out I can replace it with a cheap one.
The idiot that designed my current place of residence made sure that no switches were placed closer than 20 feet to the main bedroom door. I have a smart dimmer running the lights in the kitchen so I can tell Google to light my way instead of tripping around in the dark.
For my use case, smart bulbs make a lot of sense. The main part of my rec room is lit by six bulbs recessed into the ceiling, on a single switch. Unless I am throwing a party, that’s way too much light in way too many places. With smart bulbs I can light and dim them individually.
Also, suppose I am watching TV or using the computer in the dark or in dim light, and I want to head to the bathroom or kitchenette. Why head for the rec room light switch, in the opposite direction from either of those rooms, to light a path, when a voice command to a smart bulb in the destination room provides all the light needed for the route as well as whatever business I have in that room?
Besides the obvious things like computers and streaming boxes, we try to avoid products that require an internet connection to work properly. Partly for security reasons, but mainly because we’re still on a shitty rural wireless service that’s juuuuust good enough to stream Netflix during off-peak hours if it isn’t raining. I’d like to be able to use the things I buy even if there is weather happening.
almost our whole apartment is on the hue system now. it’s great, (almost) no more giant smart plugs. in general running all our lights through alexa has been a life saver.
we have a somewhat unique situation though, living in the attic of an old boston home. there aren’t any light switches, and very few outlets. (our bedroom only has one, for instance.) what this means is prior to alexa, wandering into a room in the dark, potentially with hands full, and swiping aimlessly for a very short pull string to try to turn on an overhead light. or, having to reach behind furniture to fish out one of many cords that has the switch for the lamp you want to turn on, etc. so, this is a vast improvement i’d prefer not to live without.
as a bonus, i also no longer have to crawl under the christmas tree twice a day in december to plug and unplug lights, no getting out of bed to turn off the lights at bedtime when you’d like to read or do a crossword before going to sleep, and the hue color bulbs are fun.
So, I see this. “Way cool!” I think. And I start to press the buy button…then my reality voice comes alive.
And she says to me, she says “and where would you put these? Why do you think you need them? Do you forget that not even six months ago you spent a week cleaning one room that had lots and lots of “way cool” stuff that you never used? And aren’t you happy that the room is clean? Go buy some more dies and stamps if you need to buy something, at least there’s a slim chance you’ll use those.”
So, I did! No bulbs, but Lawn Fawn dies and stamps.
Craft offerings would be so nice to see here once in a while.
What’s wrong with just using the switch?
@kittykat9180 it’s a bridge too far!
I have one from Ikea. I vary the light output and leave the type of white alone. I adjust it through a controller via the internet, not through my phone.
Site keeps crashing at midnight. What gives? I think we need an oh shit report.
@jsh139 I think it is teh n00bs they got working on it.
@jsh139 OH MY GOD THEY MUST HAVE GIVEN GLEN A JOB!!!
@jsh139 I mean it’s probably just the flood of people refreshing right at midnight, including all the bots that don’t use the API. I’d imagine it’s not worth serious server upgrade for a minute or two a day.
They’re fine. Life would be no worse without them, but I’m not offended that they exist. Still looking for the relevant poll choice…
I prefer smart switches. The only thing I’m lacking is colors, but I’m not in my twenties any more.
@djslack I’m in my later 30s and I have rgb string lights strung up in my bedroom. They still make me happy.
@RiotDemon there’s nothing wrong with that. I just haven’t seen a use case for having colored light bulbs around the house, but I know I would have been all over that back in the day.
/youtube if it makes you happy
@djslack here’s a Halloween example!
I don’t really have a place that uses standard bulbs anymore or I’d be all over this. I use lights on my ceiling fans now so I don’t really have floor or wall lamps.
They are a hacker bridge into my network. That’s a bridge too close for me.
@hchavers I run my own gateway behind the ISP’s junk anyhow, so I stick the hub outside my firewall and just connect to the ISP’s wifi when I need to tweak things.
@hchavers I have completely avoided the “internet of things” for this very reason. I don’t need some punk putting my oven on looping clean cycles and burning down my house.
@hchavers Would there be any benefit or added security if you put iot type devices on a secured guest network separate from your main network?
@hchavers @robson There’s a lot of benefit to that approach, or to VLANs, or to any system that causes a separation between any “smart” devices (also smart TVs, appliances, speakers…) and any devices you may have real data on or otherwise care about. The more degrees of separation you can engineer, and the more control over the traffic the smart devices are able to generate and accept, the better off you’ll be. They all do some spying, and many (that are capable of it) serve ads as well, but a properly managed firewall, optionally PiHole, and routing system will keep their problems away from anything too important to you. Note that this may engender a moderate expense that may also make having smart devices less worthwhile, and that many of the capabilities of smart devices - including working with the major assistants - are also available via DIY solutions that have code you can read and edit before you use it. See WLED, for instance. Still, for $19 and very little effort, this will keep most people happy or amused, and they didn’t care about the data they’d lose in a breach anyway.
When everything/one in this house thinks they’re smarter than me…I prefer to maintain dominance over my bulbs.
People are getting dumber; something has to be getting smarter to compensate.
I have a different model from this brand. I got them to have an easy way to use a light without having a long extension cord to reach the lamp. They were not that easy to set up so maybe the app is better now. I don’t like them using my Wifi. They turn on after the power outage but because they do use Wifi I don’t need to go downstairs to turn them off. They are accent lights and not really bright enough for reading or other tasks except the white light. I have to always remember to take my phone downstairs if I need to use them. The one thing I do like is that we can turn them on before we start a movie and turn off the room lights then easily turn the bulbs off during the movie.
I love not having to get out of my warm bed to cross the cold floor to flip the switch off.
Much like every damn appliance in my house does NOT need a clock, I think in general my lites are just fine being controlled by the wall switch. The one exception to that is the bedroom light, but it is on the fan remote (and some weird type bulb that they have not smartified yet anyway).
Got some for mom who has trouble getting around. Not having to stumble around for a light switch is helpful. Especially since a bad fall getting out of bed to use the bathroom a few years ago led to a torn rotator cuff and losing a leg.
@ponagathos I do not think bulbs that change color would be helpful though.
@ponagathos This brings up the point that the app should be exceedingly simple and easy to read for elderly folks who don’t speak tech and can barely see.
@ponagathos
THAT is probably about the best use for an ‘Alexa’ type device I can think of.
@chienfou @ponagathos I put a lamp on a smart switch so I can tell Alexa to turn off the light from bed. If the bulb burns out I can replace it with a cheap one.
The idiot that designed my current place of residence made sure that no switches were placed closer than 20 feet to the main bedroom door. I have a smart dimmer running the lights in the kitchen so I can tell Google to light my way instead of tripping around in the dark.
For my use case, smart bulbs make a lot of sense. The main part of my rec room is lit by six bulbs recessed into the ceiling, on a single switch. Unless I am throwing a party, that’s way too much light in way too many places. With smart bulbs I can light and dim them individually.
Also, suppose I am watching TV or using the computer in the dark or in dim light, and I want to head to the bathroom or kitchenette. Why head for the rec room light switch, in the opposite direction from either of those rooms, to light a path, when a voice command to a smart bulb in the destination room provides all the light needed for the route as well as whatever business I have in that room?
Mine don’t seem to be working.
How long do I have to use them before I get smarter?
@2many2no I don’t know, but be careful with the dimmer function!
We have an emf, gauss, RF meter. Nothing Bluetooth or so called ‘Smart’. WiFi shut off at night for sure.
Besides the obvious things like computers and streaming boxes, we try to avoid products that require an internet connection to work properly. Partly for security reasons, but mainly because we’re still on a shitty rural wireless service that’s juuuuust good enough to stream Netflix during off-peak hours if it isn’t raining. I’d like to be able to use the things I buy even if there is weather happening.
Starlink can’t come soon enough.
My opinion on Smart Bulbs…
This is the perfect poll for “meh” to be an answer.
almost our whole apartment is on the hue system now. it’s great, (almost) no more giant smart plugs. in general running all our lights through alexa has been a life saver.
we have a somewhat unique situation though, living in the attic of an old boston home. there aren’t any light switches, and very few outlets. (our bedroom only has one, for instance.) what this means is prior to alexa, wandering into a room in the dark, potentially with hands full, and swiping aimlessly for a very short pull string to try to turn on an overhead light. or, having to reach behind furniture to fish out one of many cords that has the switch for the lamp you want to turn on, etc. so, this is a vast improvement i’d prefer not to live without.
as a bonus, i also no longer have to crawl under the christmas tree twice a day in december to plug and unplug lights, no getting out of bed to turn off the lights at bedtime when you’d like to read or do a crossword before going to sleep, and the hue color bulbs are fun.
So, I see this. “Way cool!” I think. And I start to press the buy button…then my reality voice comes alive.
And she says to me, she says “and where would you put these? Why do you think you need them? Do you forget that not even six months ago you spent a week cleaning one room that had lots and lots of “way cool” stuff that you never used? And aren’t you happy that the room is clean? Go buy some more dies and stamps if you need to buy something, at least there’s a slim chance you’ll use those.”
So, I did! No bulbs, but Lawn Fawn dies and stamps.
Craft offerings would be so nice to see here once in a while.
I have a couple inexpensive ones, mostly so I can do the color changing thing. I just wish they were brighter in color mode.