Hasta La Ideas

The latest runaway Kickstarter success is the LIFX, “a WiFi enabled, multi-color, energy efficient LED light bulb that you control with your [smartphone]. Developed by San-Francisco-based inventor Phil Bosua and his support team, the LIFX is an iPod-like invention in that it combines several existing technologies into a novel and useful device that seems easy to use; apparently it’s plug-and-play (though the demo video admittedly doesn’t show how the initial set-up interface is handled).

I’m not sure how often I’d use the color-change feature, though bar owners are sure to love it. The nightlight/timer feature shown in the video looks pretty cool though, and I wonder if you can use it in reverse, slowly ramping your lights up in the mornings to wake you up.

If you think the LIFX looks amazing, you’re not alone: The project easily smashed its $100,000 goal and is now up to $994,729 with 56 days left to pledge. At $69 a pop the bulbs aren’t cheap, but they’re meant to last for 25 years, and discounts are conferred for buying in bulk.

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