The new LIFX smart bulb emits infrared light to help security cameras see better

California-based lighting startup LIFX has released a number of smart lightbulbs since completing a successful Kickstarter campaign back in early 2013. The latest from the company is pretty straightforward as far as such things go, offering up the kind of features we’ve long come to expect from the company and competition like the Philips Hue.

The bulb’s intensity and color settings can be controlled via Android or iOS app, etc. The neat addition that really earns the bulb its LIFX+ name is infrared light. When the main light goes out, the bulb emits an invisible wavelength aimed at assisting home security cameras of the variety offered by Nest and Canary and the rest of their feathered brethren.

Those products already shine their own infrared light, albeit in small doses, which help them see in the dark – a fairly important feature when it comes to home security. The LIFX+ isn’t aimed to replace, so much as augment, that functionality. The addition of a bulb or two in a room will help the cameras spot things in places it couldn’t otherwise reach.

The new bulb is available now for pre-order through the LIFX site, priced at $80, with deals on multi-bulb bundles. It will also be available in floodlight form to really get the job done. It’s set to start shipping in November, along with a newly announced LIFX LED strip.