Lightify - A Whole New Way to Light up Your Life

   

If you've ever worried about leaving your house in the dark while going on vacation, or wish you'd left the outside light on when going out for the evening, the Sylvania/Osram Lightify LED System will literally, and figuratively, brighten your day. If you've ever wished you could change the colour of your bulbs to accommodate any given holiday or festivities at the drop of a hat, you can do that too. It's pretty cool! 

The Lightify System essentially consists of special Lightify lightbulbs, known as lamps, and a downloaded free app on your smartphone or tablet. Powered by your Wi-Fi connection, you can adjust your light settings and turn them on or off. You can do this whether you are in your home, or anywhere in the world, simply by using the mobile app.

Not only can you turn them on or off to make it seem like you are home while away on vacation, you can also manipulate the brightness level as well. If you have a coloured bulb, you can also play with the colour of light emitted, and adjust it any time you want.  You can also control up to 50 Lightify light bulbs at a time, simply by using the app. The Lightify systems also allows you to utilize the bulb's special features, such as a wake up light, tricking you into thinking the sun is rising. This is particularly timely given that daylight savings time is about to end. 

Out of those 50 Lightify light bulb lamps that you could have, you can leave them as individual lamps, or organize them into rooms, or into other groups that work for you. This way you can control a bunch with one single flip of a proverbial switch. You can also set the colour that the bulb will emit individually, or in a group. For example, with Hallowe'en coming up, you could have one bulb emit orange, another purple, and so on. If you decided to, you could still use your lamp in the traditional way, manually turning it on and off, even with the Lightify bulb in it.  

To get started with the Lightify System, you will require a smartphone or tablet, the free Lightify app, an internet connection using a Wi-Fi router, as well as, the Lightify Starter Kit. You can then expand from there. The free app is available for download from iTunes or the Google Play Store, and will require a minimum of either an iOS 7, or Android 4.1 to function on your smart device.

As previously stated, the Lightify App is free for download. The Lightify Starter Kit, which includes 1 white bulb, retails for $54.99USD/$84.99CAN. Each additional Lightify White Bulb is about $29.99USD/$37.99CAN, and the Lightify Colour Bulb retails for approximately $39.99USD. The Colour Bulbs are just about to arrive on Canadian shelves, and so far, do not have a manufacturer's suggested retail price as of yet. If I had to venture a guess, I'd imagine they would likely be at least $45-$50CAN, per bulb. The Lightify system and accessories are currently sold in Canada at Lowes, Co-op, and some Loblaws company stores, to name a few. In the U.S., you can purchase these items at stores like Lowes & Home Depot.

While they are not cheap, they are innovative and definitely have a practical piece to them. Whether you had one bulb, or a bunch of them, there are so many ways to configure and utilize these bulbs. As a woman with a family, the best way for me to use them is to trick people into thinking we are home when we're away, and to turn on our front porch light when we happen to come home later than expected.  The packaging does indicate that they can be used in outdoor lighting, if the temperature outside is between -20°c to +40°C (-4°F to +104°F).

Like any electronic or device, there is always a health statement. These Lightify products are to be used with a minimum distance of 20cm away from your body. So just be sure that these bulbs are placed in lamps that are at least, that distance away. And as always, which should go without saying, always be sure to read and apply all safety guidelines & instructions when using any product. 

For more information on what cool features Lightify offers, simply visit their Features page. 

It really is a "bright" idea!

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