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Philips Hue

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Philips Hue, initially introduced in 2012, is a line of color changing LED lightbulbs and accessories created by Dutch company Philips. The line utilizes the Hue Bridge in order to facilitate control over LED lights and accessories. Control can be wielded directly from the Philips Hue app, or via systems like Apple’s HomeKit. HomeKit compatibility allows users to control Philips Hue lighting directly from Control Center, from the Home app, and from Siri.

Philips Hue Review: the Wall Switch module makes your existing light switches smart

So, I had set up my kitchen spotlights with a bunch of Hue bulbs. As much as I use the smart capabilities of them, I also wanted to be able to control them with a physical wall switch.

Instead of replacing my existing light switch, I installed a Philips Hue Wall Switch Module. This has some negative reviews online with a reputation for unreliability … but I’m pleased to report it actually works brilliantly.

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Philips Hue Matter support delayed, but slicker performance promised

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Late last year, Philips Hue Matter support was said to be coming “by March 2023.” With just a few days left before that deadline, the company has now said that the release date has been put back to an unspecified time.

It’s the latest delay to hit the industry-wide Matter standard, which was itself pushed back from a planned 2020 launch to late 2022 …

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New Philips Hue options include flexible track lighting, battery-powered table lamp, and more

Signify has announced a wide array of new Philips Hue lighting products to its ever-growing range, as well as a new switch designed to make it easy to dim lights and select scenes.

Additionally, the Hue app has been updated to offer a new Sunrise option to smart home owners, allowing existing color lights to mimick the colors of a sunrise to gently wake you in the morning …

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Philips Hue Spotify integration from today; new Hue lights too

Philips Hue Spotify integration

A new Philips Hue Spotify integration has been announced, and is rolling out to the Hue app from today. This will sync your color lights to the music you’re playing on Spotify, either fully automatically or with some degree of manual control.

Unlike third-party apps like Hue Disco, the integration doesn’t rely on your iPhone microphone to listen to the music …

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Philips Hue app redesigned from scratch; dynamic scenes coming later

Philips Hue app redesigned from scratch

The Philips Hue app has been redesigned from scratch, greatly simplifying things like renaming lamps and moving them between rooms. Things that once required delving into the settings, sometimes two different places in Settings, can now be done right from the main screen.

The company says that there is more to come later in the year, including Dynamic Scenes, where the colors change gradually over time …

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HomeKit remote control ‘Wemo Stage’ to compete with Philips Hue Dimmer

HomeKit remote control Wemo Stage

An upcoming Belkin HomeKit remote control to be known as the Wemo Stage has been discovered through FCC documents. Like the Philips Hue dimmer, there are several buttons that can be used to activate different devices and scenes, and it can either be used as a mobile remote or attached to a wall-plate.

The documents include photos that show a small white unit with three buttons…

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Philips Hue wall switch module finally solves problem; new outdoor lights too

An upcoming Philips Hue physical wall switch module

An upcoming Philips Hue physical wall switch module will solve one of the biggest problems experienced by smart home fans who share a home with less techy people: If someone uses the physical wall switch to turn off a light, it can no longer be app- or Siri-controlled.

The smarts for controlling Hue bulbs are in the bulb itself – and they require mains power to receive and respond to app or Siri commands. That means if someone physically switches off the light, it’s no longer reachable until you physically switch it back on …

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Philips Hue now supports HomeKit Adaptive Lighting for all users

HomeKit Adaptive Lighting for Philips Hue bulbs

Philips Hue lights now support HomeKit Adaptive Lighting for all users, after an earlier smaller-scale rollout. The feature is designed to match the color temperature of smart lights to the time of day, as Apple explains.

Light bulbs that change color can be automatically adjusted throughout the day to maximize comfort and productivity. You can ease into morning with warmer colors, stay focused and alert midday with cooler colors, and wind down at night by removing blue light …

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PSA: Philips Hue outdoor power supply recalled due to potential damage and safety risk

Philips Hue has expanded its lineup of smart lights considerably over the years and that’s included its outdoor options. In an announcement today, the company shared that power supply units included with six Philips Hue outdoor products sold between 2018 and 2020 could short circuit and in “very rare cases” cause electrocution when touched.

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