this post was submitted on 12 Jan 2024
        
      
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I don't need any of those things
Some of them are wonderful, once you get used to having them. I have (mostly) smart lights in my house. Half the time you wouldn't know it however, since they work just like normal lights. However, you can also turn them on or off from your phone. Some also colour match to the outdoor light (helps with my daughter's bedtime).
The key is to make sure the "smart" bits are transparent to a normal user. They also need to fail to a dumb configuration, not a dead one.
That's definitely on my to-do list. I just need to work out the best combo of sensors and software. I won't want the lights coming on all the time, with motion. I often work late, and so effectively half sneak through the house at night. Figuring out when I actually want light is a non-trivial problem.