Okay, since this forum tends to be full of people who probably know about these things…

The missus wants a smart bulb for in our bedroom. She struggles to get up of a morning in winter and used to have one of the Philips SAD lamp/alarms that lit up gradually and seemed to work pretty well. Unfortunately, it also used 100w screw-in bulbs, which are like rocking horse poo to track down these days, so it’s no longer an option (there’s also the problem of not having a good place to plug it in any more as well, but that’s by-the-by).

The modern tech option seems to be a Smart Bulb, but I’m not up-to-date on the options, so looking for a bit of advice. There’s a few criteria, though.

1) Single bulb, bayonet fitting – I don’t need a whole ecosystem, most of the rest of the house is on LED GU10s that I don’t want to replace, so it’s a one-off rather than a full Hive system.

2) Needs to have scheduling/timer function and a ‘sunrise’ function, so it can wake her up gradually (it won’t wake me up, her turning on the **** hairdryer does that already)

3) Ideally, Bluetooth only connect. As it’s a one-off, and with recent Cyber Security stuff in mind, I don’t really want anything connected to the router. I’d rather just be able to set something on a mobile or tablet and that be it.

4) With Bluetooth in mind, needs to work off a decent-ish Android app, not iOS. Don’t have any Apple devices and will not be buying any!

5) Not totally and utterly extortionate would also be a good thing.

Anyone with any thoughts/experiences?

Cheers!

Have a look at the philips hue stuff (may not comply with 5).

Have a look at the philips hue stuff

and with recent Cyber Security stuff in mind

Been hacked and can be taken down, they’ve cracked Philips master RSA key, so can brick an entire network, all they need to do it get close to one to infect it…..

http://fortune.com/2016/11/03/light-bulb-hacking/

Have a look at the philips hue stuff (may not comply with 5).

Doesn’t comply with 3) either, unfortunately – connected to router via their ‘bridge’. And, as footflaps points out, has already been cracked and used in a bunch of DDoS attacks.

How about just buying a new sunshine alarm clock?

Probably not much more than a smart bulb 🙂

Been hacked and can be taken down, they’ve cracked Philips master RSA key, so can brick an entire network, all they need to do it get close to one to infect it.

Erm, they fixed it (according to the link).

I’m aware that they could (theoretically) block the bulb update if you switched one on next to a bad network but I’m guessing since they are publishing their work that hasn’t happened…

Perhaps not high tech enough for you, but we just have a bedside light on a timer. Works admirably

I don’t know of any Bluetooth options (I Hue and Lifx at home).

I use my Philips Hue lights (well, one of them at least) for this very purpose. In the bedroom, I have it coming on slowly, with a cold white light, at about 0630. Does makes a difference.

May have slightly freaked out my mum when they used my house whilst I was away in Europe.

Also really nice that it can switch on a couple of lights with a low warm white when coming home after dusk.

Rachel

How about just buying a new sunshine alarm clock?

Sorry, that was an aside in the original post – “there’s also the problem of not having a good place to plug it in any more as well” Fairly old and badly laid-out house with very few plug points in the bedroom. The lamp was great in our old place where connecting up a bedside lamp was easy, in the new place it’s practically impossible.

I use my Philips Hue … Also really nice that it can switch on a couple of lights with a low warm white when coming home after dusk.

Good experience, but as I say, has to be connected to the router for that, and I don’t want it connected to the router!

Extension lead and some trunking Pyro – not hard to put a plug anywhere you want it.

What exactly is the issue about having your bulb connected to your router (I can’t believe that’s even a thing)

Perhaps not high tech enough for you, but we just have a bedside light on a timer. Works admirably

It’s not that I want high tech, Scruff! Unfortunately, timer would be on/off, and the aim is for that gradual fade-up/sunrise effect that helps wake you up more naturally. If there was a non-techy solution (other than just, say, waking up naturally anyway) I’d go for it.

Leave the curtains open?

I appreciate this might not be anecessary answer for all 12 months.

Hammy – Rented house. Can’t add trunking in, can’t lift carpets to put stuff underneath, large-ish bedroom with sockets at the two back corners behind the wardrobes, bed central on front wall. No better layout for furniture, but lousy for electrics.

Scotroutes – See the ‘hacking’ article above. I want as few insecure/unknown security level access points to my network as possible. Also, bedroom is on the wrong side of the house for the sunrise and her ladyship gets up before sunrise anyway, so ‘leave the curtains open’ is a useless suggestion.

Have a look at Kasa smart bulbs, made by Veho. They’re a good chunk cheaper than other options (around £30 a bulb) but sound exactly what you’re after – come in bayonet fitting, no hub / wifi just Bluetooth so you control them off your phone.

We sell them, I was going to get a few but then I bought a new frame instead. Probably still will do at some point. I’ve not tried one yet so I couldn’t guarantee it’ll do the fade, but it definitely mentions fade off in the info page so I don’t see why it wouldn’t fade on.

Kasa Linky

Sounds like a standard lamp in the corner of the room, with a traditional timer socket is your best option, then.

Rachel

Wife and I both just have one of these on a timer by the bed…

http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/maplin-10000-lux-full-size-sad-light-a20hw

Self adhesive trunking Pyro – doesn’t matter who owns the house. When you’re done just lift it back off and there’s no trace.

You’re worried that someone might hack into your light bulb and make it flash? Are there lots of folk going around doing this and/or are you particularly liable to be targeted? And what’s the worse that can happen if they did – your wife sleeps in or wakes up grumpy? I’d have thought the probability of a bulb failing was a lot higher than that of being the target of some international terrorist with an axe to grind (in the dark presumably)

an axe to grind (in the dark presumably)

oooo pretty sparks.

See the ‘hacking’ article above. I want as few insecure/unknown security level access points to my network as possible.

It’s too late for that. As any fool knows, on August 29th 1997, Skynet became self-aware at 02:14am Eastern Time.

It’s too late for that. As any fool knows, on August 29th 1997, Skynet became self-aware at 02:14am Eastern Time.

Shame the same can’t be said for their new President Elect….

I’d have thought the probability of a bulb failing was a lot higher than that of being the target of some international terrorist with an axe to grind (in the dark presumably)

Scotroutes – I’ve had two Philips Hues fail so far so you might well be right there…

Rachel

edit – and it’s the bulbs inserting my name after every post – honest

You’re worried that someone might hack into your light bulb and make it flash?

No, I’m worried that
a) someone might use a hacked bulb as an access point into the other stuff that’s connected to my network – like my NAS server, and
b) that someone might use a hacked lightbulb as part of a botnet – as per the recent attacks on Amazon, Twitter, PayPal etc, as happened a few weeks ago.

FlyingMonkeyCorps – that might be just what I’m after – thank you!