It is only through the numerous applications from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store that Philips Hue has become what it is today. Here you’ll find the best apps for your smart light.
Philips Hue is at home on the smartphone and tablet, there is no doubt about that. I use the Hue app almost exclusively on the iPhone, even on the iPad I hardly ever open the app. But there are certainly some users out there who would like to access the Hue app on the Mac.
At WWDC this summer, Apple introduced a new function for HomeKit: Adaptive Lighting. Lamps connected via HomeKit are automatically controlled throughout the day to create the ideal lighting scene at any time. In practice, this is quite simple: to activate Adaptive Lighting, a small icon is selected in the HomeKit app via the colour selection function for the desired lamp.
In the official Hue App there is an area called Hue Labs, which is worth a look every now and then. There Philips Hue provides some experimental and seasonal features that have not yet found a permanent place in the Hue app. We are currently working on two new formulas that will make your home shine in an autumnal light.
Especially with the Nest Protect smoke detector, I always found the interaction with Philips Hue lamps particularly exciting, even if the emergency hopefully never occurs: as soon as smoke and a possible danger is detected, all Hue lamps throughout the house should switch on. A function which, thanks to Works with Nest, could be implemented without any major problems.
Fabian3 Comments on Play Gradient Lightstrip without Sync Box: Now possible with iConnectHue Discotainment function provides colourful light auf Deutsch lesen Discotainment function provides colourful light
With the launch of the new Philips Hue Play Gradient Lightstrip, the manufacturer has already announced its intention to enable colour control of the seven zones of the lightstrip via the Hue app with a future software update. Until the Gradient Lightstrip works without the Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box, a little patience is still needed.
In April I already gave you a short introduction to We Love Lights from the Mac App Store. The 3,49 Euro application is a practical extension for the menu bar to control the lamps from your Mac. After successfully connecting to the Bridge, an alphabetically sorted list of all rooms and zones appears, which can be used to control either the entire area or each individual lamp.
Today I would like to deal with a topic that may have occupied you. At least if you use the Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box. The Hue Sync App is required to use it, but the entertainment area is still set up and managed via the normal Hue App. Last year, the Philips Hue Bluetooth App was also added, allowing newcomers to control up to ten lamps via direct connection.
It’s an issue that has raised questions since the introduction of Hue Sync. Why doesn’t Philips Hue offer its Sync app for Android TV or Apple TV? This is exactly the question we want to address today. First of all, the bitter news for all Apple users: The restrictions of tvOS are so strict that a Sync app that analyzes the running picture of Apple TV is not possible at all.
Fabian2 Comments on How do you like the tile view from the Philips Hue Bluetooth app? Should the design also be included in the regular Hue app? auf Deutsch lesen Should the design also be included in the regular Hue app?
As a user of more than 50 lamps, I’m usually not a candidate for the Bluetooth app, which only allows you to pair up to 10 lamps. However, it is worth having a look into the Bluetooth app, because there is a tile view for some time now. I wonder: Would this design be something for the “real” Hue-App?
With today’s update of iConnectHue (App Store Link) to version 4.2 there are exciting news. The team around the developer Stefan Göhler has integrated a weekend mode, which gives you even more possibilities to configure switches, motion sensors and geofencing. In this way, a switch or motion sensor can operate differently on weekdays than on weekends.