Computer Shopper - UK (2020-07)

126

ADVANCEDPROJECTS

pure light toeven make it worth turning

on your lights. However,inwinter, you still

arrive home at the same time,but as it’s

dark and grim outside you need softer,

warmer light; that harsh, bright, cool light

you needed in summer would be horrible

in deepest, darkest January.

To actually make this luxury happen, you

need lights that understand your local sunrise

and sunset times without having to turn on.

Currently only LIFX bulbs can do this. As part

of its standard Schedule options, there’s the

crucial ‘Leave Unchanged’ option, as pictured

on the oppositepage.This option also allows

more elegant integration of otherdevices: a

motion sensor can only turn on alight,so

you need that light itself to know which

colour tousse. Other apps can schedule yoour

lights to mirrrror solar movement, but becauuse

theycan’t unlink power and colour,setting a

warm tone forr sundown will turn on your

lights hours beefore you get home in the

winter.Orelse yyou’ll have to accept

compromised ligghhting quality all-year round.

Bafflingly,LIFXX’s dedicated Dawn &Dusk

scheduling tool reppeats the mistake of other

manufacturers, tyinnglight colourtopower

stateand times of ddaay. Hue’svarious dawn

and dusk ‘Labs’ experrimental schedules also

make this mistake.

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If money’s no problem,

LIFX’s abilitytodecouple

powerstate and colour

statemakes them the only

option. Otherwise,consider

Hue or Hivebulbs

⬅⬆LIFX, Hive and Philips offer

smart downlighters, with LIFX

offering just the bulb or the

whole package (above)

Hive

Philips

➡Only Philips and TP-Link offer ‘filament’ smart

bulbs fordecorative light fittttings; they’re actually

powered by LEDs