The Security System in a Bulb: BeON

Author: Brian Rhodes, Published on May 08, 2015

One of the hottest ideas in home security is a lightbulb.

Well, BeON is not just any bulb. It claims the intelligence to trick burglars into thinking you are home even if you are not.

But at $75 a pop, does it offer enough to justify replacing an alarm system? Does it have what it takes to be a commercial success? We take a deeper look in this note.

*** ** *** ******* ***** ** **** ******** ** * lightbulb.

****,****** *** **** *** ****. ** ****** *** ************ ** trick ******** **** ******** *** *** **** **** ** *** are ***.

*** **$** * ***, **** ** ***** ****** ** ******* ********* ** ***** system? **** ** **** **** ** ***** ** ** * commercial *******? ** **** * ****** **** ** **** ****.

[***************]

Product *******

*** ***** ******* ** ****'* ********* ** *******: **** ** a ********* (** * **********) *** ****, *** ** * burglar ********* ** ******** ** ****** **** ********* *** ***** alarms. *** ***** ***** ********* *** *******:

Key ********

**** ** ********* ** *** **** *****: ******** *** ************ and ******** **** ****** *****. **** ***** *** ***** ** output ~*** ****** *** **** ***** ** *****.

***** **** *** *** ***** ****, **** ******** * ********* 'smart' ****** **** ******** ******** ********, *********:

  • ***** *********: *** *** ******** ******* ** **** ****** *** be ********** ** ******* ** ****** **** *********. *** ******* claims **** **** ********* ******** **** ** ******* ** *** is ****, *** ****** ********** ** * ***** ******* ** will *** **** ***.
  • ********* *********: *** **** '******' **** ******* *** ********, *** will ************* **** ****** ** *** *** **** **** **** are *** ****, ******** *** ********** ** ******** ** ** empty *****.
  • ******* ******: *** ************ ****** ** ***** * ***** ** full ********* ***** ** * ******* ******* ********* ** *** 'smart' ******.

***** *** ********* ** **** ***** *** ** *********** ********** apps ** *** ** ***. ***** ** ***** **** ******** screw-in ***** **** *******, *** *** ****-** ************ ** ******** bulbs. *********** *** ***** *** **** ** *** ** *** app, *** ** ** ** ***** *** **** ** ** registered ** *** ****.

Security ***********

**** ********** **** * ******* ********* ***** ******, **** ***** equipped **** **** ********** *** ***** ********, **** ****** **** advantages ***** ******* ** *** ** ****** ******* ********** ****:

  • ****** *******: *** ********** *** ** ********* *** ***** *** BLE, ** ****** ******** ****** (**: ~*** ****) ***** *** control *** ** ******** ** ******** **** ** **** *** in ****** *****.
  • ********* ****: *** ***** **** ** *** ***** ** ***** detectors *** **** **** ** ** ********** ****** *****, **** if *** ******* ** ****** ***.
  • ** ******* ***: ****** ***** '***** ***** ******', **** ******** no ******* ******* **** ** ********* ** ** ****.

Showstopper? ***** ****

*** **** ***** * *** ********* ******* *** ********** *******: they *** *********. ****** *** * ****** **** *** $**, and **** ******** ** ***** *** ***** **** ***** - ** **** ******.

********** **** *******, **** ******** ******** ***** *** ****** *** the **** ******** *** ******** ** *********. *** ******* ******* 3 ***** (* $*** ***) *** ******** *** **********, *** recommends * ** **** ***** ** ********** ***** * **** sq. ** **** (* $*** ***). **** **** * ******* life ********** ** ** *****, **** ***** *** ***** ** be ********* ********* ** **** ******** ** ******* ** *** bulbs **** ************ *** ***** ** ***, ****$*.** *** **** ************* ***********.

Major *******: *********** ********

*** ***** ***** ** ****'* ***** ** **** *** * one-time ******* ** **** **** $***, *** ******* ********* *** self-install * ******** ****** **** ****** **** ***** ** **** when *** ********* *** ****.

*******, **** ** * ***** *** ********** *** ******* *******:

*) ******** '**********' ****: **** ** ********** **** ** *****, a ***** ******** ****** ** **** *** ***** ** ********. Daytime ********** *** ****** ****** ** ********* *** ******* *******, and **** ****** *** ** ******* ** ******* ***** ******* light ** *********. ******, **** *** **** **********, *** ** completely ********** *** ******** ** * ****** ****** *** ***.

*) ***** ** ** ********: *** ****** ******* ** ***** on *** **** **** ***** ****** ******. ***** ** *** indeed **** * ***** ********* ******, ***** ** ****** ** guarantee * ***** **** ** *** *** ** *****. ** a ********* ******* ***** * ********, **** ***** **** **, but **** ***** *** **** ** ***** ******** ** *** house, *** ******** ** ********* ** ***** *******.

Other **********

**** ***** ** *** *** ******* ******* **** *****. ***** potential ******** *******:

  • ***** ******** ****: ****** ************* ***** ******* **** ******* ****** sensors *** **** ********, **** **** ****** ** ******** ******. This ***** *** ** ********** ** *** ************* ***** ***** sensor ***** ***** ******* ******.
  • ** ****** ********: **** ********* ******* ******* **** ************ ** dialer ** **** * ******* ******* ** ****** ******** ** alarm. **** ****** ** ******* **** ****, ******* ****** ******** on *** ****** ********** ** * ****** ** ***** ** chase ********* ****.
  • *** *******: *************, *********** ******** **** * ******** ****** ** making ******** ********* *** ******* ******* *********** ******. ***** **** apparently *** * ***** *** *********** ********** **** -********* * *** ******* *********** ******** ********** - *** * ***** ** ****$*.** ** ******* *****, ** ** ******* **** **** ********* ********** *********.

Platform *******

***** *** **** ** *** ******* *******, **** ******** **** other ********* '***** *******' **** ** **** ********* ** *** future, ********* * ******** '*******' ****** **** ** * ****-********* alarm, *** ********* ***********/******** ** ****** ********* *******:

** ***** ***** ******* ****** ****** *********, **** **** ** the ***-*********** ********* *** ******** ********** ** **** ***** ** addressed, ******* *** ******** ***** **** **** * ********** *********** to *********** ***** *******.

Our **************: **** *********

*******, *** *** ** **** ****, ******* *************, *** ********* product *********** ****** ** **** ********* **** **** **** ******** incumbent ***** *********. *******, **** **** ****** ****** **** ** the *****-******* ****** ****** *****, *** ***** ****** **** **** and ********** ******* ****** ********* ** **** *** ** * widespread *******.

Alternative *********

** ***** ** ******* '*******' ************ ** *********** ********* ******** systems, *** ****** ** ****** **** *********. ********:

  • **** **: * ****** **** ***** *** ********** ** * ******-** TV ****** ** ******* ** *** **** *********** ** ****, but **** **** **** $**.
  • **********: ** ********* ***** ****** ******* *** ********** ** *** issue, **** *** *** ****-********* ********* ****** ***** ** * good ***, **** ******* ***** ******* *** ***** ****** ******* under *** $*** ********** ******* ** ****.
  • * ***: ******, ** ****** * '*****' ******** ******** **** ******** to **** ****** ** *** ****, ******** ******** * *** dollars ** * ***. ***** *** ****** *** *********** *** be ******* **** * *********, *** *** ** ****** ** be ********** ****** ******* ***** ** ****.

Comments (10)

Hunter Fort

05/08/15 12:28pm
Clap on clap off. No Need for light switches anymore!

Undisclosed #1

05/09/15 06:57pm

How many integrators does it take to screw in a security system?

Thumbnail jeff

Jeff Kaproth

In reply to Undisclosed #1 | 06/22/18 07:34am

The introvert in me is screaming "WHY DOES THIS ALWAYS NEED TO BE A GROUP ACTIVITY?!?!"

Thumbnail icon

Sean Patton

IPVM | In reply to Jeff Kaproth | 06/22/18 10:36am

It doesn't if the answer is 1... or in your case 2. You and the crazy person screaming inside your head.

Thumbnail jeff

Jeff Kaproth

In reply to Sean Patton | 06/22/18 11:09am

the person inside is an introvert, not crazy. He has some good ideas some times.

Thumbnail icon

Sean Patton

IPVM | In reply to Jeff Kaproth | 06/22/18 05:00pm

It sounds like you 2 have a great relationship built on trust and honesty :)

Chris Dearing

IPVMU Certified | 05/10/15 03:44am

Stupid questions:

Can you dim the lights from the app?

Can you even turn them on and off from the app?

If so, we should compare them price-wise to other BLE/Zigbed LEDs, which are considerably more than $2.50 a luminaire.

I don't think you can control them directly from the app, though I can't imagine why not.

John Honovich

IPVM | 06/22/18 02:12pm

Whatever happened to this company? Their website is unavailable and I don't see recent information on them.

Undisclosed #1

In reply to John Honovich | 06/24/18 12:49am

Apparently they be no more.

On the bright side, they’re still selling in amazon, so it’s not too late to pick up a display model for the Internet Belly-Up Hall of Shame Museum.

Thumbnail pp 5

Brian Rhodes

IPVMU Certified | 07/02/18 09:51pm

They've gone out of business: Home security startup BeON Home turns out the lights

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