I really wanted to write a rant about how incompatible smart lights are ruining the world. But... errr... Everything just works. Previously on my smarthome adventures, I kitted my house out with LIFX Bulbs and some WisQo Switches. I've moved home and none of my bulbs are compatible with the existing sockets! What else am I going to do except BUY MORE LIGHTBULBS! As much as I enjoy LIFX, they're bloody expensive. A single GU10 bulb is FIFTY QUID! Our new kitchen has 17 bulbs. Even if bought…
Continue reading →
I have friends. More than one! I also have a home full of smart-gadgets which are controlled by apps. The two don't mix. This is yet another complaint about solipsistic app design. Let's take my Lifx bulbs. I have a friend staying for a few days, and he needs to be able to turn lights on and off. Lifx make this functionally impossible. The available options are... Give my full email address & password to him. This feels suboptimal. Allow him on to my main WiFi. Again, suboptimal. This…
Continue reading →
Because I'm an idiot, I've decided that what my life needs is voice activated lightbulbs. But voice control is so 2015. Let's make these bulbs react to SINGING! Here's a demo - fair warning, my vocal prowess is "limited". https://shkspr.mobi/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Voice-Controlled-Lifx.mp4 OK, here's how to do this. I recently got a bunch of Lfix bulbs as part of a bug bounty. There's a full API for the Lifx bulbs. My mate Ruth has written a great demo on the Chome…
Continue reading →
I love my Lifx Bulbs. They're a quick and easy way to retrofit Internet connected goodies into a smart-home. One of the best things about them is their open API. Sure, you can use IFTTT if you want something easy - but us 1337 hax0rs want an API and Lifx provides it. The API is pretty secure - good use of OAuth and tokens to make sure whatever you're building is resistant to infiltration. I mean, imagine if someone hacked your lightbulbs and ... err... switched off the light while you were …
Continue reading →
