Ledvance adds Alexa voice controls for Lightify smart LEDs
Formerly known as Osram Sylvania, Ledvance's Lightify bulbs are the latest lights that you can control by talking to Alexa.
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Alexa, Amazon's virtual, voice-powered assistant, is a certified hit, and the list of gadgets she can control with spoken commands keeps on growing. Today, it's Ledvance (known until recently as Osram Sylvania) that's joining the mix, with new Alexa controls for Lightify smart LEDs.
The controls are the same as you'll get with other Alexa-compatible smart lights, which include bulbs from Lifx and Philips Hue. Sync your Lightify lights up with Amazon in the Alexa app, and you'll be able to dim them or turn them on and off using commands like, "Alexa, dim the living room lights to 20 percent."
The Lightify lineup includes standard, A-shaped bulbs along with outdoor garden lighting. You'll be able to control all of it so long as the lights are tied back to the plug-in gateway device that comes with Lightify starter kits.
Several Lightify products also change colors and color temperatures, but you won't be able to do so via Alexa. That's the same limitation you'll find with Lifx and Philips Hue's smart bulbs -- though Lifx offers a workaround for color changes that involves enabling a "skill" in the Alexa app and adding in a few extra words to your command.
A spokesperson for Ledvance confirms that the Alexa controls are limited to on/off and dimming, but says that, "the Lightify team is working closely with Amazon to explore other lighting-specific features for the future."
Ledvance isn't the only name that's hopping in with Alexa today. TrackR, a company that makes Bluetooth tags to help you find misplaced personal items, also launched an Alexa skill of its own that'll let you ask the voice assistant to make your phone ring when you can't find it.