Belkin continues its pursuit of making home automation a simple plug-and-play affair with the introduction of its new Smart LED lightbulbs to its WeMo line. The 60-watt equivalent bulbs produce 800 lumens and cast a warm 3000 Kelvin glow across a room — so they should satisfy even those who’ve stocked up on incandescent bulbs.
But emulating a traditional lightbulb while reducing energy usage is not why most consumers will want to upgrade. Belkin’s new Smart bulbs easily screw into existing sockets on lamps and overhead lighting, but then wirelessly connect through the Wi-Fi-based WeMo Link system allowing them to be turned on and off, dimmed, and scheduled — all from the WeMo app on your smartphone.
You can also assign them to custom groups which makes it easier to control all the lighting in a single room, and the system can accommodate up to 50 bulbs per WeMo Link adaptor. So unless you live in a castle, you should be able to upgrade every fixture in your home — but it will cost you. The WeMo Smart LED bulbs run $US40 each, while a starter set — which includes the wireless WeMo Link adaptor — is $US130. News on Australian prices and availability when we learn it. [Belkin]