Core77

Sign In / Join Now

Topics
- Product Design
- Process
- Technology
- Lifestyle
- Business
- News
- Furniture
- Tools
- Transportation
- Education
- Impact
- Reference
- Video
Sign Up For Our Newsletter
Subscribe
Features
- Features
- Designing Women
- Getting Hired
- Design Files
- True I.D. Stories
- Sex-tacular
- In the Details
- Photo Galleries
- Bizarre Inventions
- Questionnaire
- Materials
- Footwear
- Hand Tool School
- Tools & Craft
Awards
Careers
- Careers
- Design Jobs;
- Talent Search;
- Design Salaries;
Firms
- Firms
- Search Firms;
- Firm Projects
Forums
- Forums
- General Discussion
- Students & Schools
- Design Employment
- Sketching
- Software & Technology
- All Forums
More...
- About Us
- Contact Us
- Advertise
- About
- Terms of Use
My Account
- My Account
- Sign In / Join Now
Follow Us
- )
- m
- Y
- '
- S
Search
e

The Amazing LIFX Smart Lightbulb

By Rain Noe - September 20, 2012

The latest runaway Kickstarter success is the LIFX, "a WiFi enabled, multi-color, energy efficient LED light bulb that you control with your [smartphone]. Developed by San-Francisco-based inventor Phil Bosua and his support team, the LIFX is an iPod-like invention in that it combines several existing technologies into a novel and useful device that seems easy to use; apparently it's plug-and-play (though the demo video admittedly doesn't show how the initial set-up interface is handled).

I'm not sure how often I'd use the color-change feature, though bar owners are sure to love it. The nightlight/timer feature shown in the video looks pretty cool though, and I wonder if you can use it in reverse, slowly ramping your lights up in the mornings to wake you up.

If you think the LIFX looks amazing, you're not alone: The project easily smashed its $100,000 goal and is now up to $994,729 with 56 days left to pledge. At $69 a pop the bulbs aren't cheap, but they're meant to last for 25 years, and discounts are conferred for buying in bulk.

o

Favorite
Q
8

Comment
&

The Amazing LIFX Smart Lightbulb

Mitch

7 years ago

Z

Z

Reply

Larry,
Thats a really well done presentation.
did you get a lot of feedback from IDSA?
!Report as spam
Spirulina

7 years ago

Z

Z

Reply

I was do excited by this project but after reading the comments above... I think I might pass now. I'm surprised website and companies have supported this project by advertising it while knowing the history of the bulb? Strange.
!Report as spam
William H

7 years ago

Z

Z

Reply

Or just a bulb version of the existing Philips LivingColors? - http://www.philips.co.uk/c/choose-your-luminaire/livingcolors-clear-6914360pu/prd/

!Report as spam
Dan

7 years ago

Z

Z

Reply

A Reuters blog entry to go with Mitch's comment:
http://blogs.reuters.com/felix-salmon/2012/09/18/kickstarter-vaporware-of-the-day-lifx-edition/
!Report as spam
Mark H

7 years ago

Z

Z

Reply

So it's something like this http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0085OS2RQ but with wifi and an app for remote control.
!Report as spam
Larry Parker

7 years ago

Z

Z

Reply

I presented this same idea back in 2011 and again at the IDSA conference in Detroit.

http://cargocollective.com/larryparkerdesign/Soluna
!Report as spam
Joe

7 years ago

Z

Z

Reply

Well, after the comment above, mine seems trivial, but I wanted to mention, that yes, the do say you can have the bulb slowly turn on in the morning to wake you.
!Report as spam
Mitch

7 years ago

Z

Z

Reply

Finally... this ridiculous project makes it way to Core77.

First... This is not a new concept. This guy is being credited with reinventing the light bulb.. Yet this concept and product has been around for over a year.
NXP - greenchip. Their video is oddly familiar to the video by lifx.

second...They dont have a real working prototype.. They show about 2 seconds of footage showing a lightbulb wired up and a laptop... All the images are just illustrations.
Do they even realize that the large heat sinks are going to effect the wifi?

I think this entire project has lawsuit and scam written all over it.
!Report as spam

Share your thoughts

Rain Noe

I’m a lapsed industrial designer. I was born in NYC and figured I’d die there, but a few years ago I abandoned New York to live on a farm in the countryside with my wife. We have six dogs.