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They're just lights controlled over WiFi by either HTTP or TCP.
You've got multiple options to control them, you can use any of the options or build your own:
- Android app
- iPhone app
- Windows systray app
- Mac systray app
- Stream Deck to Windows or Mac
- PowerShell https://trevorsullivan.net/2020/08/17/automate-the-elgato-key-light-air-with-powershell/ (hell, build your own app in any language if you want, the network requests are outlined in this post)
- Linux utils such as https://github.com/justinforlenza/keylight-control
- Use Home Assistant or an equivalent to map any other button or control you posses into a light switch, i.e. use a Philips Hue light switch via Home Assistant to control the Elgato lights
They come with support for 99% of desktops, laptops and phones, with an optional set of fully customisable buttons to do things, and then various OSS solutions for the final 1%.
Feel free not to buy them if you think them excessive, large, too bright, too dim, ugly, that you dislike that they're not powered by USB-C or whatever... but lack of control options is odd when there's so many options the problem is which one to choose - I couldn't choose and ended up mixing and matching lots of options.
- Android app
Velocio-
I think they're great lights with lots of possible configurable aspects. But unless I'm missing something the control option is definitely a problem for me because I just want to be able to turn them on and off easily without running dedicated software (which isn't compatible with Mac High Sierra), maintaining a seprate server or VM or switching focus away to another device like a phone. It's the same reason I prefer to use a dedicated hardware audio streamer rather than a phone app, once my phone is in my hand I'm checking half a dozen other apps without really thinking, and no longer just sitting down listening to music.
The Home Assistant stuff is great, thanks for that but running a Raspberry Pi solely to switch on a light that's literally right in front of me seems excessive :)
Edit: I do hope I'm missing something b/c I can't see a better light on the market in terms of quality and design
freddo
Got it thanks. It’s a shame b/c it looks like a great setup, but I’m not interested in fumbling for my phone to switch the lights on every time I take a video call.