STACK #193 Nov 2020

LIFE TECH FEATURE

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THE LIGHT STUFF!

Lighting has come a long way in recent years, with LEDs helping save the planet from old school energy-guzzling globes. They can be much more than like-for-like replacements though, with the age of the smart home doing amazing things with the way you can bring light to your world. STACK is here to help you take your home’s lighting from dunce to dux with the skinny on where smart lighting is at. Words Bec Summer

SMART LIGHTING? If you’re wondering just what on earth we’re on about, at its simplest, smart lighting refers to sources of light that can be controlled remotely, adding convenience – and personal expression – to how you light your surroundings. This may be via a mobile phone app, remote control, automation, or even just telling your home exactly what you want to happen. Yes, it’s wild future tech just like in The Jetsons (but without the cool flying cars… yet).

their low thirst for electricity yet brilliantly bright performance, replacing all of your old school lights with shiny new smart LEDs could pay for itself sooner than you might think. Plus, with lifespans that run into decades rather than months, they’ll probably outlive some of us! THE RIGHT LIGHT How do you pick the lights that are the best

That’s just one simple, practical scenario. Essentially, smart lighting offers new levels of control, without complication. You could use sensors to trigger a sequence of lighting as you approach, turn lights on and off at random intervals while away to deter would-be burglars, and on the more fun side of the ledger the opportunities for making an at-home cinema experience are pretty much limited only by your imagination. Then there’s the environmental – and economic – impact. With

fit for you? Working out what you’d like to do with your lighting is a great place to start and activating all the smart features is great fun, and, more importantly, very easy to do. You’ll find examples over the following pages that will help you on your way. We also delve into more advanced setups – if you want to go all in, there are options to smarten up your lighting that range from the super practical to the super impractical (but all sorts of fun!)

LET IT B, OR E? If you’re used to referring to your required light bulbs as “bayonet cap” then look out for B22 fittings. If you’re after a “screw” fitting then you’ll want E27.

OK, BUT WHY WOULD I WANT IT? Have you ever arrived home in the dark, arms laden with groceries, fumbled for a light switch and dropped everything? Imagine being able to simply tell your home to turn the lights on for you? Well, you can.

14 NOVEMBER 2020

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