Philips Hue and Sonos have been collaborating since last year. Initially, Philips Hue lights were integrated into Sonos Voice Control to enable control via the multi-room speakers’ local voice assistant. Unfortunately, this still only works in English and French; no other languages are on the horizon yet. In early September, Philips Hue announced the second phase of the collaboration.
In early September, Philips Hue introduced Custom AI Behaviors, a new feature designed to make many settings both simpler and more comprehensive. The feature was actually supposed to launch about four weeks ago, but after a slight delay, it’s finally here. The required update to version 6.4.0 of the Philips Hue app is already available in the Apple App Store, and the update should be coming soon to the Google Play Store.
Amazon has expanded the Echo ecosystem a bit further today with the introduction of the new Echo Time. It’s essentially an upgraded Echo Spot, with a display that now spans virtually the entire front panel. The Echo Time is available in three different colors—Graphite, Coral Pink, and White—for 214.99 euros.
Just the day before yesterday, I was able to announce that the Custom AI Behaviors—announced in early September—would launch with a slight delay. Instead of early October, they are now scheduled to launch next week. The corresponding firmware update for the Hue Bridge Pro is already being rolled out. Philips Hue is now making software version 6.3.2071556020 available for download.
In early September, Philips Hue unveiled several new hardware products at IFA in Berlin; I’ve already taken a closer look at a few of them here on the blog. In addition, the company announced several new software features. While no specific date was given for “Backup & Restore“, one was provided for Custom AI Behaviors.
Halloween is about a week away and there’s still some time before the real spookiness starts. If you want to start preparing for Halloween, you can now find the familiar Halloween scenes in the Philips Hue app again. No update is required, you can simply take a look at the Hue light scenes gallery.
Philips Hue continues to release updates every two weeks on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Version 6.3.0 of the official app for iPhone, iPad, and Android devices has been available since yesterday evening. A new option for sensors has been added, which I’d like to explain to you in more detail, of course.
Today, for a change, I’m not writing to you about a new Philips Hue product, but rather to share some information about the Hueblog app. Not much has happened with it in recent years, so now it’s time for a major update. The app still works wonderfully on iPhone and iPad—it just looks a bit dated.
The Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box has been around for a few years now. Following the launch of the expensive 8K model—which costs a hefty 349.99 euros—and the discontinuation of its direct predecessor, I’ve already said: There’s something missing for beginners. And that’s exactly what Philips Hue is now delivering with the new Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box 4K.
Philips Hue continues to refine its software and is rolling out updates in two categories. Let’s start with a quick look at the Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box 4K. The new model is receiving a firmware update to version 3.5.2, which is intended to improve stability during long-term operation.
Fabian