zlacker

Call me an old man yelling at the cloud, but I just don't understand the hype of connected lightbulbs. In absolute, would I like to be able to turn off the lights from my smartphone? Well, sure, if there was absolutely no cost to it. But the negatives of being tied to Yet Another Cloud Service potentially subject to data breaches, of installing an app on my phone that's going to require space, updates, and an online account, of depending on a piece of electronics with a shitty firmware that's eventually going to break or go end-of-life, just vastly outweigh the positives.

In a vacuum, having more features is good. But simplicity itself is a feature. Simple things don't break as often, it's easier to fix when they do, and they're more predictable, meaning it's easier to plan your life around them.

>>Gazoch+(OP)
It’s having color changing lightbulbs that was the feature for me.

Most basic is shifting from 5000k white to 3500k white in the evening. Color scenes are nice too.

>>Gazoch+(OP)
I have various lights outside. It's quite nice to be able to say "hey google, turn on the pool lights" when I want to see, or turn them off if someone left them on.

When it's hot, I put a window fan in my bedroom in the evenings. I have it plugged into a smart switch. The google routine turns it off around 2am automatically. I sometimes adjust the time depending on season.

I haven't rewired the light switches in the house because it's not that important to me, but it would be nice to be able to say "hey google, turn off all the lights" when I go out instead of running around flipping switches.

I honestly don't care if someone in China knows if my lights are on.

>>Gazoch+(OP)
> Call me an old man yelling at the cloud, but I just don't understand the hype of connected lightbulbs.

That was me, a few years ago. Now I love them (I use IKEA bulbs and outlets) and would hate to go back. Being about to control my lights from anywhere is just convenient. Now when I climb into bed and wonder if I’ve turned off the light in the basement (a frequent issue), I can just use my phone, not descend three flights and causing noise for others.

I like IKEA’s implementation because the cloud service for me is really Apple HomeKit, which I trust more than others.

>>Gazoch+(OP)
Apple HomePod controls mine. No apps, no cloud, no internet needed.

>>stickf+s7
> I honestly don't care if someone in China knows if my lights are on.

What about someone in China using your devices as part of their botnet to DDoS someone?

>>Gazoch+(OP)
As long as your 'connected' devices are bulbs going into normal sockets, you can always just fall back to the way you do it now. My Home Assistant is just kind of an appliance (running on a 10 year old mac mini), that I do essentially nothing to keep working. If I unplugged it, I'd just be back to where you are now.

That said, when I set up Home Assistant, it was not without the need for some hobbyist motivation, but it wasn't too bad. That was over a year ago, and I have only gone into it since then to add a couple extra lights and set up a Christmas mode.

As far as the 'why', I can put the light switches where I want them, and have them do exactly what I want. I don't use voice or phone control, I have physical switches, but they're just exactly where it makes sense. An example is that in my living room I have a switch remote on the coffee table that lets me turn on or off all lights in view (kitchen, hallway, living room) and two different light scenes for reading or watching TV.

To me, it's actually simpler than flipping the 5 or 6 switches I would have to otherwise.

>>solarm+O
Phillips sells dimmable bulbs that become redder as they dim. Those plus a few dimmer switches are all I've needed to create that effect, no network access needed.

>>lolind+zc
Neat, but that's only one piece. Plus, I LIKE HomeKit.

>>Gazoch+(OP)
Of all the problems I'm trying to solve, "using light switches" is definitely not one of them. They're fine.

>>Gazoch+(OP)
I can't address the hype part, but just wanted to signal that for folks with some disabilities (including some older adults) these connected lightbulbs are very useful. Until, of course, Philips (and others) decide to screw with their customers. And Philips - a company, which manufactures medical devices - should know better, especially after losing so much goodwill after their CPAP equipment recall and creating a crisis in that market.

>>lolind+nc
I would notice when I periodically check my network console. Hasn't happened yet.

>>solarm+O
I would also add voice control.