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IKEA launches its own low-cost smart lighting range
For many people, their first foray into the world of home automation begins with lighting. There's a good reason for this: smart bulbs easily fit into existing furnishings and can be operated using just a smartphone, which (mostly) everybody now owns. Philips, with its Hue range, is perhaps the most well known smart bulb maker, but that could soon change thanks to a new entrant: IKEA. That's right, the world's biggest furniture chain is today debuting its own smart lighting range in the UK. As you'd expect, the prices are a lot easier on the wallet.
Philips latest Hue bulbs will match your chandelier
Thanks to wide compatibility with products like Amazon Echo and Google Home, Philips Hue is the "Kleenex" of smart LED bulbs. Up until now, the company has only done a standard-sized bulb, but it has finally released a pair of smaller socket "candelabra"-sized smart bulbs (E14 size in the UK and Europe): the White Ambience Candle and White and Color Ambience Candle.
Xbox One bundle offers 10 indie games for $20
Xbox One owners who don't have many indie games can now fill that hole on the cheap. For the next few weeks, video game developer Curve Digital has partnered with Microsoft to offer the Instant Indie Hits bundle for $20/£19.20.
Vivaldi's web browser can control your Hue lights
Standing up and walking over to a light switch is so passé, apparently. To stand out from the competition, Vivaldi has added Hue light controls to its upstart desktop browser. With the latest version, 1.5, you can now link your smart bulbs under the "Theme" settings page. Select which lights Vivaldi should control and you'll then get an intriguing light show -- specifically, the bulbs will illuminate automatically depending on the "color of the web." A gimmick? Absolutely, however Vivaldi CEO Jon von Tetzchner has hinted at broader and possibly more useful functionality in the future.
Hackers hijack Philips Hue lights with a drone
Surprise! The Internet of Things is a security nightmare. Anyone who was online a few weeks ago can attest to that. The massive internet blackout was caused by connected devices, and new research from white-hat hackers expounds upon those types of vulnerabilities. The target? Philips Hue smart lightbulbs. While they've been hacked in the past, Philips was quick to point out that it happening in a real-world situation would be pretty difficult. Digital intruders would need to already be on your home network with a computer of their own -- the company claimed that directly attacking the lightbulbs wasn't exactly feasible. But this new attack doesn't require that sort of access.
Hive takes on Hue with colour-changing light bulbs
In its bid to kit out Britain's homes with tech-centric appliances, British Gas' Hive has launched a wide range of internet-ready products. There's the all-important smart thermostat, plugs, home sensors and, more recently, Hive Active Lights. These smart bulbs can be controlled via the Hive app and interact directly with the Hive Hub, but customers have only been able to buy the standard dimmable white light. That changes today, after the company added two new bulbs to its Active Light line-up, putting Philips' Hue in its sights.
Philips' Hue 2.0 app adds a host of new 'smart' features
Philips unveiled an app update for its Hue smart lights on Thursday. The iOS- and Android-ready program has been completely revamped, including a new UI.
Philips' latest Hue lights help you sleep
Philips has smart Hue light bulbs that produce flashy colors, but what about bulbs that change just enough to give you a good night's rest? You're set after today. The lighting firm is trotting out Hue white ambiance lights that offer color temperatures which mimic natural light, helping you sleep naturally. Combined with new "routines" in an upcoming version of the Hue app, they can shift gradually to reflect day and night cycles -- a sleep mode can use dimming light to replicate the sunset, for example, while "wake up" brightens the area. There's even a nightlight mode to help kids get back to sleep after wandering the hallway. Logically, the new Hue offering should also be useful for creating different moods. You could have cool, crisp lighting in a workspace, or warmer temperatures in the living room.
Syfy Labs fires up its 3D printers, lights and VR at CES
Syfy has always been willing to experiment with tech that promotes its shows -- Hue lights, the Defiance game/show tie-in -- and now it's launched the Syfy Labs "think tank" to crank out even more oddities. Here at CES, the network has a booth featuring some of its initial projects, like 3D printers from MakerBot cranking out figurines. If you have one of the devices at home, you can download the plans yourself and create the same models -- all without going through a CES 2016 security checkpoint.
Philips won't block third-party Hue bulbs after all
Well, that was fast. After announcing that it would drop support for third-party Hue bulbs, Philips is reversing its decision. The company initially nixed support for bulbs that weren't certified by its Friend of Hue program that ensures products from other brands don't cause any issues with the lighting setups. However, Philips says that it "underestimated the impact" on customers and a second software update is on the way to reverse this week's action. It also reminded users that using third-party bulbs may lead to the same incompatibility issues as before, such as not dimming properly or creating the correct colors.[Image credit: Jasper Juinen/Bloomberg via Getty Images]
Philips Hue won't work with third-party light bulbs for now
Bad news if you're planning to slip a few non-Philips light bulbs into your Hue setup: they won't work, at least not for a while. Philips has dropped support for third-party bulbs after noticing that a growing number of them had "interoperability issues" preventing them from playing nicely with official Hue gear. Support will come back, but only through a Friends of Hue program that will certify lighting. Any existing lights you're using will work, Philips is quick to note -- it's only new, untested additions that are getting the boot.
Watch Philips and Rudimental meld smart lighting with music
If you were making connected lighting, how would you convey the concept to the public? Philips thinks it has a way. It just launched the Living Light Sessions, a series of performances that has musicians putting on a light show with Hue bulbs while they play. The music is great, as an inaugural video from UK outfit Rudimental shows, although the link between music and smart lights is a bit strained -- while Hue is supposed set a "laid-back mood" for the gig, it mostly amounts to a lot of blue and purple in a studio. If nothing else, though, this could serve as a friendly reminder that Philips' technology is good for more than just impressing your friends.
Beddi smartphone alarm dock hooks up to Uber, Spotify and Nest
We've seen plenty of smartphone -- well, mostly iPhone -- alarm docks in our lifetime, but there's been little development on that end in recent years. OK, there was that one bacon scent alarm from Oscar Mayer, but not much else. That's why we were pretty stoked when we came across Witti's neat and affordable solution dubbed Beddi. This $100 minimalistic dock houses an iOS or Android phone in landscape mode on the top, and recharging is done via your own USB cable -- you get a 2.1A port and a 1A port on the back. But it's really all about the companion app: Once paired up over Bluetooth, you can preset Beddi's three physical buttons to either call an Uber taxi, toggle a Spotify playlist, control the temperature on your Nest or switch on a Philips Hue light. Some of these can even be automated according to your desired schedule.
Philips Hue now responds to your Siri commands
One of the frustrations of choosing an Internet of Things device is finding one that plays well with the other smart appliances in your home. Philips' Hue lighting platform is already pretty extensible, but today it's finally gained support for another big partner: Apple. With its new Homekit-enabled bridge, Philips will let you control your lighting via Siri (and supporting third-party apps), whether your bulbs are old or new.
Philips improves upon its color-changing lightstrips
The idea behind Philips' Hue Lightstrips was pretty neat -- a line of LEDs that change color according to your whims -- but they suffered in the execution. After all, the hardware couldn't offer white light, so you were forced to shut them down if you weren't in the mood for a splash of color. Then there was the fact that the strips were only two meters long, making it pricey to run them down your dramatic entrance hall or under your kitchen cabinets. That's why the firm has spent the last year working on an upgrade, so please be upstanding for the new Philips Hue Lightstrip... Plus.
Philips' latest Hue kit gives you wireless light dimming
Dimmable lights can add an air of sophistication to your abode, but setting them up? Not fun -- not unless you enjoy messing with home wiring or paying a lot of money. Philips might have a better way, though. It's trotting out a wireless dimming kit that turns any white Hue bulb (one is included in the box) into a dimmable light. The only real challenge is finding a place to mount the holder for the battery-powered remote switch. After that, you can dim as many as 10 bulbs at once just by clicking buttons. The kit will cost you $40 when it arrives in North America this September. That's not a trivial outlay, but it's inexpensive enough that you may be tempted to skip plug-in dimming kits or in-wall installations.
ICYMI: Gaming mood lighting, a shooting drone and more
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-22597{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-22597, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-22597{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-22597").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: Virtual Reality by Oculus Rift is about to get way more tactile thanks to a newly acquired hand tracking tech company. Hue lights will now sync with an Xbox One game and oh man, the ambience on your next blood bath will be intense. And a YouTuber uploaded a video of a drone that fires a semiautomatic handgun, which makes crabby old men the world over pleased.
Philips' Hue lights sync up with an Xbox One game
You can get Philips' Hue lights to change color when you're watching movies, so it only makes sense that they should also put on a show when you're playing games, right? Frima certainly thinks so. The studio has just added Hue syncing to its Xbox One platformer Chariot, adding an extra level of atmosphere to your adventures. When enemies attack, your bulbs will turn red; when you wander by blooming plants, the living room might go green. This isn't the first time that we've seen Hue gaming experiences, and it's definitely not a cheap trick when a starter Hue kit typically costs $200. However, this is probably the easiest way to ramp up the atmospheric effects while you play. Here's hoping that more games experiment with lighting in the future.
Existing Philips Hue bulbs will work with HomeKit this fall
Apple keynotes normally display pictures of pictures of Philips' tech, but it was never clear if the existing gear would work with the company's home control platform. Now, Philips has taken to the internet that yes, the collection of Hue bulbs that you've spent hundreds of dollars assembling will be compatible with HomeKit. The Dutch lighting firm isn't talking about specifics and has said that the details are still being finalized, but pledges that the solid facts will be laid out this September ahead of a launch in the Fall. So, we can rest easy knowing that we won't have to throw out our Sharknado setup when it comes time to renovate our home. [Image Credit: AP Photo / Jeff Chiu]
Logitech remotes can turn down Hue lights before movie night
Logitech's Harmony remote just got considerably more useful when you're setting the mood for a movie. A recent hub firmware update (available through the Android and iOS apps) for its Smart Control and Ultimate remotes lets you adjust Philips' Hue lights at the start or end of an activity. You can set a colorful backdrop before kicking off a house party, for instance. Frankly, this makes Logitech's Hue integration considerably more useful -- you can now light up a dark room and turn on your TV before you even reach the couch.
