The invention of smartbulbs will soon leave turning a light bulb by hand in the prehistoric dust.
They are exactly what they sound like - light bulbs with sensor-packed illuminators that can change color or brightness based on the time of day, location and who is present in the room, reports Engadget. They are able to switch from cool hues in the morning to warm hues when you are getting ready for bed all on their own. The bulb knows to dim down when you are leaving for work, and to brighten up when there is a lot of commotion in the room.
Since smart bulbs are still young - and aren't at their peak intelligence just yet - they can be controlled by an app in a smartphone if the lighting needs to be slightly adjusted.
Similarly to how an iPhone needs to get used to how you text, the light bulb just needs to get used to how you like your lighting. Smartbulbs are designed to pick up on your habits and adjust accordingly, Engadget says.
There are currently a few different brands of smartbulbs. Phillips Hue, who released a smartbulb in Oct. 2013, sells them individually for $59 or in a three-pack with a wireless bridge for $199. Other brands already producing smart bulbs are General Electrics, Belkin, Lifx and Insteon.
The brand is about to get some competition, as Alba is coming out with a smart bulb in 2015 (they are already ready for pre-order) that goes for $150 for a two-bulb starter kit and an additional $60 for each additional bulb.
Although the technology seems pretty cool and revolutionary, it's not quite easier than just flipping a light switch yet.
"But no app is as easy as flipping a physical light switch- something verboten with smartbulbs, which require a constant trickle of electricity," Geoffrey Fowler, a journalist from the Wall Street Journal, writes in a smartbulb review.
