These bulbs have one feature I really like - the automated dimming function.
I then have to ask myself why do so many companies then go and ruin a great idea by incorporating all sorts of other b*ll-shit into the product? I want the power saving features. I don't need different colors at different times of day, I don't need to know when and where people are in my house.
"Had to create a new core technology". Not hard. You know how much light the LED puts out at a given current. Subtract this from how much light the sensor is detecting and you have the ambient light in the room. If you're goal is to maintain a constant brightness regardless of the time of day or weather, then this is a piece of cake. Include a wall mounted override switch to adjust the brightness as needed (the globe then maintains said brightness until it is adjusted again).
Don't get me wrong, I all for home automation. But when you release a product that does something new and useful as it's core function, at least just offer the device with that function, at half the cost. Sell a more advanced version to those who want to be able to have disco lights at parties controlled by their phone. $150 for two globes? Come on...
Maybe we should have a crack at making a basic version (light maintaining only)!?
My thoughts exactly. I'm so random as to when I got to bed, fall asleep, watch TV etc. Just about the only thing I do regularly is get up and piss at 6am haha.
That's why I made my comment about keeping it simple. The core function is to maintain a certain light level, rather than always being fully on. The power savings are not to be scoffed at!
In theory, I find this to be an excellent idea—though it is is quite bloated. Highly energy-efficient buildings have been using automatically dimming lights for years now, it’s a great way to save energy in the common areas of a building (at least when designing a building with lighting controls in mind).
However, it’s only a gimmick if it works with its own app. The newest Harmony remotes work with Nest products, Hue bulbs, ZigBee**, and Z-Wave Plus** devices—existing Harmony owners would certainly see Alba as more valuable if it interected with their existing system.
To be honest, I’d much rather see some quality integration with dimmers. The Lutron Matestro CL would be a phenomenal place to start. It dims beautifully with LED, CFL, and traditional halogen bulbs. Integrating a motion sensor would be trivial. As much as I like the idea of home automation, I’d rather see an increase in cost in one device per circuit, not every device per circuit.
This technology has been utilized for several years in industrial/commercial LED luminaries, but its nice to see it finally trickle down to the consumer level. Lets hope the large manufacturers follow suit and drive down costs. Thanks for posting!