Control your lights through an app, either while on the couch or hundreds of miles away, and change colors to match the beat of music or just when you feel like a mood change. But with the future comes a price tag, which isn’t cheap. A single smart light bulb can run upwards of $60. Now multiply that by the number of bulbs in your home. It quickly adds up. And, let’s be honest, no one really wants just one smart bulb.
It makes sense then just how excited I am about the newest and the most affordable wi-fi smart bulb to hit the market – the Qube™. Currently on Indiegogo (it has already far surpassed its goal), Qube is designed to be the “world’s most affordable multi-colored Wi-Fi Smart Light Bulb for your home.” Qube does just about everything you want your lighting to do and more. So let’s look at a few of the more unique features:
Moods
Hosting a dinner party? Having a kid’s birthday party? Celebrating New Year’s with your closest 250 acquaintances? Whatever event you’re hosting your mood you wish to evoke, Qube Moods has a light setting for every occasion.
Notifications
With Qube™ Notifications, your lights will alert you when you receive a call or message on your phone.
Sense
Here’s where the really smart feature comes in. Qube actually tracks your location within your home through your BLE supported smartphone or any Bluetooth smart devices you use, such as a Fitbit. As it tracks your movement, it Qube creates room-level accuracy location-based automation triggers when it detects your presence. You can walk into a room and Qube will know to turn on the lights automatically. You can also customize your preferences to tell Qube what to do as you move about your home.
Schedules
They say the best way to wake up is in alignment with the natural rise of the sun. However, that’s not possible for those of us who don’t wake up at the crack of dawn. Qube can set your lights to gently wake you up in the morning by gradually increasing in brightness.
Hubless
Qube does not offer the support for hubs like Wink, and it did this on purpose for simplicity’s sake. Qube doesn’t require a hub to work. Its Wi-Fi connectivity is built into the bulb, so it serves as its own hub and can communicate directly with your home’s router. With Bluetooth antennas as well, Qube bulbs can communicate with each other to sync actions. While Qube may not support hubs, its app does allow for IFTTT and similar platforms if you want to link your Qube lights with other smart appliances.
Qube smart bulbs are designed to last up to 50,000 hours, which is equivalent of 27 years. At $19 each, Qube likely ends up being less expensive in the end than a traditional bulb. As Qube is still in development phase, I’m hoping they’ll be released sometime in 2016. I, for one, will be ordering my fair share of Qube bulbs.
Photo by: Brian Turner
