Cree jumps in the smart bulb market.

[Automate]

Cree has a new Zigbee bulb compatible with Wink and future compatibility with Apple's HomeKit.
http://www.digitaltrends.com/home/crees-smart-light-bulb-costs-15/
 
Edit:fixed URL

 

[LarrylLix]

Cree has a new Zigbee bulb compatible with Wink and future compatibility with Apple's HomeKit.
http://www.digitaltrends.com/home/crees-smart-light-bulb-costs-15/ 

ERROR 404

 

[drvnbysound]

So, I walk into my living room and hit the light switch... only the 'bulb' is turned off. Now I have to grab my phone, load the app, and turn the bulb on too...

 

[ano]

I bought some LIFX bulbs a year ago and i f`inally got around to using them. I put them in and that is the EXACT problem I have. I have all automated switches in my house, but to use these I have to leave the switch on, then use my phone or tablet to control them. I can change their color and make them flicker like a candle, but the novelty of that wears out after 2 minutes. Even my home automation controller can't control them.
 
This really seems to be a problem with SO many "home automation" products. They seem cool for 5 seconds, but when you try to use them in real life, they completely fall flat. And since when is something "smart" because I can control it with a phone?  I must have a "smart TV" because I can control it with a remote.

 

[mikefamig]

One use that I can think of for them is in a garage door opener light. If you can schedule the bulb to go on in the evening and off in the morning then the door opener could still control it but it would only light when it's dark out. They could also be useful anywhere a light goes on and off on a regular schedule.
 
Mike.

 

[pete_c]

My very first playing with LED lamps were using the 1 watt Cree lamps.  Very bright almost blinding but very large heat sink for them.
 
Personally thinking the "draw' / "attraction" / "wiz bang" to these smart bulbs is that you can utilize the little always connected appendage even while sleeping (cell phone) wherever you are in the house or out of the house and it's as easy as screwing one lightbulb into a socket.  No wiring is involved and its just a little widget to play with on your phone and it works for the newbie automation "easy button stuff" of today. 
 
I am playing with wireless RGB outdoor LED lights and noticed now that they have memory when I remove the power and then power them up again.  I do not know yet if I want my outdoor low voltage lighting to change colors anyways.

 

[LarrylLix]

Home Automation takes a controller to do some logic or there is no "Automation", only remote control.

I have an ISY994i and I hardly ever touch a light switch. My automatic lights go on, off and change brightness by themselves.


Your costs are not done, by any means, once they sell you that $29 printer, either.

 

[drvnbysound]

The other is when the 'bulb' is controlled to turn on via a rule, but the light switch powering said socket is turned off

 

[LarrylLix]

The other is when the 'bulb' is controlled to turn on via a rule, but the light switch powering said socket is turned off

White PVC phase marking tape at the Borg $0.89

http://www.homedepot.ca/product/3m-colourflex-white-coding-electrical-tape/904256

will stop operation of your Decora switches, hard to see and will not void your warranty or endanger your children when they change the bulb alive, 'cause you bypassed the switch.

 

[drvnbysound]

White PVC phase marking tape at the Borg $0.89

http://www.homedepot.ca/product/3m-colourflex-white-coding-electrical-tape/904256

will stop operation of your Decora switches, hard to see and will not void your warranty or endanger your children when they change the bulb alive, 'cause you bypassed the switch.

 
Why would I want to do that and lose manual control of my lights... and be forced to load an app or other to control my light(s) for non-automated activity?

 

[LarrylLix]

I don't lose control of my lights. I can operate them from the switch on the wall, my cell phone, a wireless keypad, a PC app, or MS dependant on time of day and what else is happening in the room.

You have to be a little more creative and think if you want things to work in your style. Put the bulb in a socket without a switch, or a taped up switch, and control it from another switch or location more convenient. I run a floor lamp, six sets of ceiling pot lights, and a dining room chandelier from one Decora style wall switch. They all have their own switches but only get touched when that specific area needs more illumination or needs to be darker there.

That's what HA controllers like ISY can do. Unfortunately the bulb is ZigBee so a bridge will need to active 24/7 and there will probably be no feedback of current status. I am not familiar with the ZigBee protocol.

 

[tmbrown97]

I just picked up some Hue bulbs finally - and noticed that when you turn the switch on/off it always just turns them on to white like normal lightbulbs.  It doesn't matter if you left them off from the app or on a different color when they were used last.  So - it's hard to tell they're even hue bulbs if you're not doing anything fun.

 

[LarrylLix]

I just picked up some Hue bulbs finally - and noticed that when you turn the switch on/off it always just turns them on to white like normal lightbulbs.  It doesn't matter if you left them off from the app or on a different color when they were used last.  So - it's hard to tell they're even hue bulbs if you're not doing anything fun.

That is good to know! Thanks for that!
These are not the Hue bulbs but rather the Cree white-only units. It would be nice of the same thing applies to them. It could resolve some concerns for application.

Anybody tried these Cree bulbs please report to the main office please!


Also,
I guess some initialisation code would be needed in my ISY to turn these units off after power up like many of the old X10 modules.

 

[pete_c]

Here may try one with the Almond +  / Almond 2015 combo hub. 
 
Been playing with a few little Zigbee trinkets and they do well.  Might as well get a cheap Hue bulb to give it a try while playing.

 

[Automate]

I don't have the Cree's but do have other smart white LED bulbs (TCP Connect and GE / Wink Zigbee) and they all turn on when the bulb power transitions to on.  But remember this can work against you if you have a power blip.  Every smart light in your home will turn on.  If the light is in a bedroom and it's in the middle of the night it would be very annoying.