If you want to control your Hue lamps via your Mac, there is now another alternative in the Mac App Store: HueMenu (App Store link). As the name of the €3.99 app suggests, the application is located in the Mac's menu bar and can be called up there with a simple mouse click.
With the launch of the second generation of Philips Hue Festavia, the manufacturer integrated three new effects into the Hue app last autumn: Glisten, Opal and Prism. Previously, only the latter effect was available for all colourful Hue lamps, while the other two were reserved exclusively for the Festavia string lights.
The time is slowly but surely approaching when you can spend longer evenings on the patio and in the garden. If you're looking for an alternative to the Philips Hue Festavia string lights and want a classic festoon shape, Dutch manufacturer Innr has the right gadget for you: the Innr Smart Outdoor Light String.
The Philips Hue app for iOS and Android has been updated and comes with new functions. One new feature is the ability to reorganise the Hue Secure cameras in the security area. You can drag and drop the cameras into the order that suits you best. At the same time, the Philips Hue app makes it easier to change the switch-on behaviour of lamps in a room or zone.
The Philips Hue Bridge is the centrepiece of the system and is updated with new software at regular intervals. The new firmware version 1964061010 has been available to install for a few days now; the previous number was 1963171020. The update includes the following new features: Resolved an issue where, in rare cases, specific non-Hue lights would fail to connect to the Bridge Updated time zones and Daylight Saving Time settings Improved performance and reliability of the system
There are now many smart home systems on the market, one of the best known of which is certainly Home Assistant. However, you have to familiarise yourself with it and can't just get started. The system from Dutch manufacturer Athom is much easier to use: Homey. I've been using Homey for some time now and use it to control my Z-Wave roller shutter modules, which I can raise and lower depending on the weather and temperature, among other things, thanks to various Homey apps.
Just a few weeks ago, Philips Hue integrated a long-awaited function into its iOS app: Widgets for the homescreen. This allows scenes to be activated and rooms to be switched on or off without opening the Philips Hue app. Widgets will soon also be available in another very popular app: iConnectHue (App Store link) for iPhone and iPad.
Finally, I read in the comments that other smart lighting manufacturers are on the rise. Among others, Govee was mentioned here. I have to agree in part: Individual products are certainly impressive, but when it comes to the entire ecosystem, Philips Hue is still miles ahead of the competition. What's more, the Govee app is still not particularly user-friendly.
Innr launched its first outdoor spotlights back in 2020, but at 230 lumens they were not particularly bright. The subsequent hardware revision with 290 lumens was also unable to keep up with the Hue Lily spots, which reach 640 lumens. And with the Hue Lily XL, Philips Hue even has a 1,050 lumen outdoor spotlight on sale, which at 159.99 euros is not exactly cheap either.
Back in February, I was able to make a pleasant discovery on the Hue website: Philips Hue is planning support for multiple Hue Brigdes linked to one account later this year. So far, Philips Hue has only issued a rather brief statement: Have more than one Bridge? Later this year, you’ll be able to add multiple Bridges to one account and sort them into Homes to keep your system organized.
Fabian
Frederick