Philips pushes out SDK for multicolour Zigbee LED lights Software engineers can finally switch lights on and off, and change their colour, without resorting to hardware controls - thanks to the Philips Hue SDK and its RESTful interface. The Philips Hue is an LED light bulb with a Zigbee interface which connects to a supplied bridge and thus can be addressed though the home's IP …
I realise this needs to be tagged with a "[citation-needed]" tag, but I think that has been done in one form or another.
I hear in Japan for instance, they had loos there a few years ago that played MP3s and offered various whizbang features, that implies a certain level of programmability.
> If it is all the same to you could I have a toilet without any sign of Whiz and / or bang?
Agreed, I'll stick to loos that merely flush (or even just a seat over a very deep hole) and lights that are turned on and off with a simple mechanical switch thanks.
I was just pointing out there was a high probability that such things existed.
and I love them.
It's remarkable how you can change the whole atmosphere and feel or a room so easily. And yes, that helps me to relax, or to feel warmer, or to get more comfortable.
Oh, and if you can use a smartphone app to control your home lighting, I'm sure you can buy a bayonet to screw adapter for 50p
...in the USA, because they're a lot cheaper there. Got them back home to Holland, screwed them in, turned on the bridge, turned on the light, and heard only three despairing little peeps followed by absolutely nothing. Ever again.
Checked the wiring, checked the bridge, checked the light sockets (several times) with other lights, checked the app, then finally as a last resort checked the specs to see if I was doing anything wrong.
Voltage range 100-130 volts
Moral of the story; sometimes buying stuff in the States can work out incredibly expensive if you don't read the specs first (and apply a little common sense).
Normally I'd agree with you - have 10 smug points. Couple of things which make it a little less simple than you point out though;
1) Most consumer electronics devices these days operate on 100-250vac so there are no compatibility issues. In fact the Hue hub worked fine over here, it's just the lightbulbs that didn't.
2) Where there's likely to be voltage incompatibility, there are typically physical barriers to stop you doing dumb things. Different electrical sockets, different connectors etc. The Philips Hue bulbs are E27 fittings, which fit just fine; so it's a pretty easy mistake to make.
In fact, if it weren't for the fact that it's a pretty niche problem (how many people transport lightbulbs back and forth between countries?) then I would suggest they do something about the ES lightbulb standard. Make the US screw fittings 5mm shorter than the European ones so that European ones work in the US (albeit half-brightness), but the US ones won't blow up when screwed into a European socket? Easy and effective.
Also like Philips: they are a lighting manufacturer with history in electronics and vice verse: a very rare beast indeed. BUT they have no idea what cost the market place will bear The LED replacement for fluorescent luminaires is approximately 4 time the price but whilst you can dim them and switch them on and off all day with impunity do they save the additional cost? So wait a few years and things might be different; there is the equivalent of Moor's Law operating in LED lighting.
Zigbee is very expensive and a big overkill in the domestic market. OK it might work fine but who is going to buy it? Do not look for it to appear in your local supermarket. Lower cost technology will appear soon.
You need to be careful reading Philips technical performance claims. Whilst items do "what it says on the tin" this might not be what you want and they conceal the downside of some devices. Some customers will be disappointed. One example is the replacement for dichroic lamps. The equivalent size produces the same beam intensity but only half the lumen output. So if you are replacing lamps in a room using downlighters you will be out of luck. Philips are not alone in this but as they lead the field all the rest work on a "me too" basis. Another matter is that some of the Philips high power LED have cooling fans; if you have several in a room, they all run a slightly different speed, it sounds like a swarm of mutant bees. They are only suited for shop front lighting but this is not the way they are sold.
Lastly who wants colour change lamps at home anyway? They are naff and best reserved for your local curry shop.
You'd be wrong though.
It's all about the fade, and a ten-step 1 second fade is very visible.
You need at least 20Hz update rate for fades in small tungsten lamps, for LED you'd want 30-40Hz.
10Hz only works for large tungsten, or if the response is artificially slowed to allow internal smoothing to work.
this sounds suspiciously similar to the LIFX bulb. Older than the Philips bulb and better set up and as far as I remember cheaper. They can mesh together, change colour on a whim and have full android/iOS support with in roads to custom apps. Sounds like Philips are just taking the ideas of a smaller company and jumping on their fun.
Huh, my latest purchase - down Apliu Street in Sham Shui Po, HK - cost me HK$50 = less than GBP 5 a time for 5 Brilliantly WHITE LEDs in a mini screw-in E14 type.
There are "Incandescent lamp color" ones too - BUT I much prefer ones that give me brilliant white illumination & all the while consuming 5 Watts of power in total!
She, who must be obeyed - has not demanded that I remove these bright 3 Watt, an earlier incarnation, from her bedside lamp..... and they are cheaper by far than the compact fluorescents that are in the other rooms where bright lighting is a must!
Yes, I love living in the S mall A rea of R epression, HKSAR, where I can speak my mind against the Commie Running Dogs / Locusts who have, until recently, plundered our shops for baby formula - 'cos they can't trust their government to make sure that food is not adulterated etc!
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