This is one of the many possibilities for Spark Devices, which has designed an attachment that lets you control your light bulbs over Wifi. They are currently raising $250,000 on Kickstarter to fund manufacturing and licensing. For now, the Minneapolis startup has a prototype in their office that lights up whenever someone tweets #hellospark. They are also working on a handful of features: turning off when you leave the house, dimming when it gets bright outside, or gradually turning on in the morning so your alarm doesn’t jolt you awake. Spark Devices is also talking to Ooya to have lights interact with video games, creating an immersive experience where explosions come with flashes of light. And they plan to collaborate with Twine, which builds sensors for the home, to have lights alert you to things like moisture, temperature, or motion. Spark is also releasing its software API to the public, so anyone could build an app to control Spark lights. This smart lighting system was inspired by Supalla’s father, who is deaf. He used to rely on a landline’s flashing lights to know when the phone was ringing, but cell phones are trickier (except when he can see the screen or feel it vibrate). A Spark light could be programmed to blink when he receives a phone call, keeping him in contact with his family. Other Wifi-enabled light bulbs already exist, such as the LIFX and Philips hue. Both of those are LED lights, while the Spark socket works with incandescent, CFL, or LED bulbs. If Spark gets funded, they plan to ship in July 2013.
