LIFX is a wifi enabled, multi-color, energy efficient LED light bulb that you can control with your smartphone.
You can get 15% off the store using the coupon code.
So a regular bulb which generally cost $129 you can get it for $110
If it can't be automatically controlled it's no good ;)
ponders setting up an rPi with IR
maybe if the code iwantalifx99 worked :( Sorry
Are these approved for use in Australia ???
They are an Australian business based out of Melbourne, so I would assume yes. I think the story goes that they set up a American office to attract venture capital (even though they ended up going down the crowdfunding route).
Anyhoo, even with 15% off that's damned expensive for a light bulb!
They are an Australian business based out of Melbourne
I can't seem to find their contact number or address on the website to find out… :S
Welcome to lifx.co (“LIFX Website”). The Website is operated by Lifi Labs, Inc., 524 Union #309 Street, San Francisco, California 94133 U.S.A. ("LIFX").
http://au.lifx.co/legals
Office in Richmond?
https://connectonline.asic.gov.au/RegistrySearch/faces/landi…
Yeah, the long version is that the climate for startups in Australia sucks, so they establish their main operations overseas, and then run the local outfit as the "fully owned subsidiary" or something, even though the founders are Aussie born and bred.
http://www.startupdaily.com.au/2014/07/main-business-austral…
I think their direct competitor is Phillips HUE but you need a base to control the Philips one.
Indeed Lifx are expensive but they embed the WIFI module inside the bulb.
You should watch the demo video to see what they can be used for it's pretty cool:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQkdQlXOBGU&list=UUMbnNpkkiL…
After I'm just sharing a promo code I received, I have no affiliation with Lifx, I just know they are originally from Melbourne.
If you want to look at them before to buy I think Harvey Norman is selling them and demo them
Was interested in these since (missing) the Kickstarter but they turned out way too expensive at retail. I believe they are cheaper for US buyers which is kind of insulting when the company HQ is in Melbourne. They don't seem to offer anything beyond Philips Hue apart from built in WI-FI… at greater cost. Hue already offers other lighting types also.
Big disappointment in my opinion.
EDIT: Also Philips Hue can be controlled by home automation controllers which increases its versatility and 'smartness' if you go to the trouble of setting up a HA system with sensors.
I believe the LIFX are the equivalent of a 75W globe whereas the Philips Hues are the equivalent of a 60w globe and the Lifx globe has twice the lifespan.
Brightness is an important consideration yes. Lifespan claims hard to prove I think.
I've been thinking about setting up an Insteon HA Hub with 8W dimmable Insteon LED bulbs, as I can manage without colour changing. Insteon has a limited product range though.
Z-Wave LED bulbs are "coming soon" also.
Probably just better to wait for 12-18 months.
Yeah… best to wait and see what impact the "revolutionary" Cree SC5 has. They're making some pretty big claims. If the size/heat dissipation thing pans out there will be some pretty good downlight options in the MR16/GU10 range finally.
Just be aware of a few things:
-Support is slow as hell. They had an exploit that would reveal your wifi key to a client via a backdoor, patched it in a firmware release but waited nearly four months to actually notify users
-Features advertised on the box and in-store are not available (eg wake-on-alarm)
-The "SDK" is minimal. Barely worth it.
myfeetarehappy, you were lucky to miss out on the Kickstarter run. They provided bulbs to retailers before providing them to backers, and people who ordered downlights two years ago still have no idea what's happening with them. Zero communication. Terrible company. Not too bad a product, if you accept the limitations in comparison to the original promises.
you can set a wake on alarm via the app.
Yeah, I think it's the geofencing and other "advanced" stuff which is still in beta or whatever?
I have one. Works great since an early firmware upgrade. It's easy to set up and I really like it. It's great as an alarm in the morning, with the fade up effect. There are a few apps out there to do clever things and apparently you can tie it in with Tasker on Android to do some fancy things like make the bulb flash when you get an email.
Obviously I'd like them better if they were cheaper but they're supposed to last in the region of 20 years.
Harvey Norman sells them
I have one and it's great. I set it to bright white when I use it during the day and a low brightness candlelight colour at night.
Saw these at HN Chadstone for $96 each today
Wow, over a hundred dollars for a single bulb.