Philips Hue is back with a handful of new announcements at CES today, following Monday's news of a collaboration with Razer that allows your Hue lights to react to any game played on a device that features Razer Chroma. Philips continued that announcement by reiterating that even more partners across the gaming, movie, and music industries will debut in the future.
Philips calls this "Hue Entertainment," and added that a "Hue Sync" app for macOS High Sierra and Windows 10 devices will be coming in Q2 2018. Hue Sync will let you create and customize light scripts for games, movies, and music played on a Mac or Windows computer.
Also in Q2 2018, the company plans to update its iOS and Android apps to version 3.0, bringing about a redesign of the app inspired by comments and feedback from current Hue users. Philips said 3.0 will "enhance" existing and new features so that the smart home lighting system can be activated "with even more ease."
Design changes were not yet specified, but Philips said the new interface will allow you to "instantly access" last used scenes, as well as simplify how lights are grouped together.
Early in Q2 2018, Philips Hue will introduce a redesigned Hue app for both iOS and Android. Based on comments, feedback and ideas from Philips Hue users, the redesign will enhance both existing and new features, to help consumers light their home smarter with even more ease. The new app will improve daily use, and ensure seamless setup and integration of Hue accessories and new Philips Hue Entertainment partnership integrations. The interface will also enable consumers to instantly access their last used scenes, and to simply group lights and select their desired color temperature or color.
Finally, this summer Philips will introduce an outdoor line of Hue bulbs so that you can sync and control lighting in a backyard or elsewhere through the connected Hue app. No other information regarding the outdoor line and its price tag were given.
Over the past year Philips has been expanding the Hue line, launching new light fixtures, expanded starter kits, a candle light bulb, and table lamps, while extending its HomeKit support to the Hue Tap switch, Hue dimmer switch, and Hue motion sensor.
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Top Rated Comments
(View all)At any rate, these changes sound promising, but... where's the mention of this Hue Entertainment and Hue Sync on Apple TV? Cause that's where my movies are. I can count on one hand the programs I watch on cable, and can count on no hands the number of programs I watch on my PC or Mac.
It’s 2018. Bridges are ridiculous.
They really aren't though, at least not until we have a decent short range, low power, secure mesh networking technology that is built into our phones, or routers. Bluetooth is unreliable still. Wifi works, but only for things wired into power and it increases the cost of everything because now every device needs a relatively expensive wifi chip vs cheaper Zigbee or z-wave radios.
Wifi means you have larger devices (say motion sensor or door sensors), have to change batteries more often and generally more expensive products. It doesn't make sense for embedded systems like a light bulb to have an entire wifi stack onboard.
There's a discussion that spans 3 years and over 300 posts of people complaining about this.
https://developers.meethue.com/content/there-way-change-startup-color
In theory this sounds like it could be right, but in practice is it true? Each bulb still needs to connect to the bridge so I could see that just adding one unnecessary device. And then of course there are other devices (such as the new echo plus) that can be used as a bridge. I think also maybe iPad and/or apple tv?
FWIW I'd like for Hue's bridge strategy to be the best technically, because I just recently bought into the ecosystem
That's my way of thinking. Of course all of that traffic still goes through the network, but instead of (in my case) 11 separate connections, I only one, the bridge. My Apple TV (in the living room) is hardwired as well, so it's not like it's a big deal.
It’s 2018. Bridges are ridiculous.
I live in the City of Bridges. You're ridiculous.