LIFX

LIFX
Invented by Phil Bosua
Launch year 2013
Company LiFi Labs Inc
URL www.lifx.com

LIFX (pronounced Life-X) is an energy-efficient, multi-color, Wi-Fi enabled LED bulb that can be controlled via any Wi-Fi equipped device such as a smartphone or smartwatch.[1][2][3][4] LIFX bulbs are equipped with a Wi-Fi microcontroller that uses master/slave concept. The master light bulb connects to the router via 802.11a/802.11g/802.11n and then to all the other LIFX bulbs in the house via a low power IPv6 802.15.4 mesh network.[5]

History

The LIFX is manufactured by LiFi Labs, a San Francisco-based company founded by the Australian inventor Phil Bosua. LIFX Labs introduced its idea on Kickstarter and have since attracted large attention.[2][6] Consequently, the company managed to raise $1.3 million in public funding,[3] followed by a $12 million series A investment round in mid 2014.[7] LIFX was also one of the first products to participate in the Works with Nest program.[8] On February 3, 2015, LIFX 2.0 was launched. This included IFTTT integration, remote access and an Android Wear app. In April 2015, LIFX was renamed LIFX Original; two new products were launched that day, White 800[9] and Color 650.[10]

Products

The Original

The Original LIFX is an energy-efficient, Wi-Fi enabled LED bulb that you can change 16 million colors and 1000 shades of white which you control using a Wi-Fi equipped device.[11] You can buy them in packs of 1, 4, and 10, and cost US $79.99 each (with free shipping within the United States). They are powered by being screwed into any Edison or Bayonet lighting fixture.[12] The LIFX bulbs only require eighteen watts to produce 1000 lumens. Each bulb is rated to last up to 40,000 hours, or 22 years, depending on the exact usage.[4]

White 800

The LIFX White 800 is a energy-efficient, Wi-Fi enabled LED bulb that you can change 1000 shades of white which you control using a Wi-Fi equipped device.[13] You can buy them in packs of 1, 4, and 10, and cost US $39.99 each (with free shipping within the United States).[14] They are powered by being screwed into any Edison or Bayonet lighting fixture. The LIFX bulb is 11 watts (a 60 watt replacement) and produces 890 lumens.[9]

Color 650

The LIFX Color 650 is an Energy conservation, Wi-Fi enabled LED downlight that you can change millions of colors and many shades of white which you control using a Wi-Fi equipped device.[10] The colors are radiated at a 90-degree angle. You can buy them in packs of 1, 4, and 10, and cost US $79.99 each (with free shipping within the United States). They are powered by being screwed into any GU10 downlight lighting fixture.

The LIFX App

The LIFX app for iOS, Android and Android Wear allows you to manage and control your LIFX bulbs.[15] The app consists of four tabs colors, whites, effects and smarts. The iOS app also allows you to purchase LIFX products using Apple Pay.[16]

References

  1. ↑ On LIFX and $1.3M: Will Crowdsourcing Implode?, CEPro, retrieved January 14, 2014
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Smartphone-Controlled Light Bulb Raises $260,000 on Kickstarter, Mashable, retrieved January 14, 2014
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 LIFX shipping its bulbs after taking Kickstarter by storm, Business Review Weekly, retrieved January 14, 2014
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 App-controlled LIFX bulbs reinvent the humble household light, WIRED, retrieved January 14, 2014
  5. ↑ Smartphone-Controlled Light Bulb Raises $260,000 on Kickstarter, Mashable, retrieved January 14, 2014
  6. ↑ Could BeeWi Smart Color LEDs be the Hue competitor we've been waiting for?, CNET, retrieved January 14, 2014
  7. ↑ Maker Of $99 Lightbulbs, LIFX Gets $12M Series A From Sequoia Following Huge Crowdfund Campaign, Forbes, retrieved August 8, 2014
  8. ↑ "LIFX is now part of the Works with Nest program | LIFX Blog". June 24, 2014.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 "LIFX White 800". LIFX. LiFi Labs.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 "LIFX Color 650". LIFX.
  11. ↑ Aussie Team Re-Invents The Lightbulb, Gizmodo, retrieved January 14, 2014
  12. ↑ Multicolor LIFX LED light bulbs can be controlled by smartphone, Gizmag, retrieved January 14, 2014
  13. ↑ "Meet the newest member of the LIFX family". LIFX Blog. LiFi Labs. April 1, 2015.
  14. ↑ "LIFX White 800". Best Buy.
  15. ↑ "Get the app". LIFX.
  16. ↑ "LIFX and Apple Pay". LIFX Blog.

External links