If you have been wondering in the past few weeks why the geofencing of your Hue app no longer works properly, then I can tell you today: It’s not your fault and it’s not the fault of Philips Hue that your lights no longer switch on and off reliably when you come home or leave home.
A few days ago, Philips Hue published an interesting announcement on the official developer website for all developers working on applications around the Hue system. The second version of the Hue API, which was launched a few weeks ago, can now also be used by them. The new interface is not yet completely finished, some special functions such as dynamic scenes, the gradient technology or also the fast transmission of status changes can already be integrated in third-party apps.
Philips Hue on the Apple Watch, that was a no-brainer until a few months ago. With the launch of Philips Hue 4.0, however, not only have the popular widgets disappeared, but the Apple Watch has also been dropped – and without replacement. But it seems that Philips Hue has not quite finished with the Apple Watch yet.
A few weeks ago I praised the software development team of Philips Hue: Currently, new features are delivered almost every two weeks. Now the release of version 4.8 is imminent. With this update, Philips Hue will introduce a feature that many of us have been waiting for. The dynamic scenes introduced a few weeks ago will be a bit better with the upcoming update, when you will also be able to freely adjust the speed of the animation.
If you have already bought one of the new Philips Hue light bulbs, for example the new White Ambiance Filaments, then you may have already noticed it: On the obligatory energy label, the bulbs now only get a G instead of an A+. I’ll tell you today what this is all about.
It has been requested for many years, now it is finally here: the Ambient Gradient Lightstrip. A light strip from Philips Hue that can display several colours at the same time. It is joined by another newcomer, the new Play Gradient Light Tube, and the two well-known luminaires from the Signe collection get a gradient upgrade.
Next week it’s finally that time again: Philips Hue will present new products. And what we already know from various leaks is more than promising: brighter bulbs, some gradient products, filament lamps with White Ambiance technology or E14 bases and, in all likelihood, a batch of new ceiling lights. Conversely, this also means that some Hue installations will grow in the coming weeks.
After we could already give you more informations about the Philips Hue Gradient Lightrip Ambiance, now follow a few details about the upcoming floor and table lamp Philips Hue Gradient Signe.
We still have to wait about a month, then Philips Hue will officially announce the Gradient Lightstrip Ambiance. Until now, not much more was known than a single image, but today I can give you the first technical details. For example, the light strip, which is equipped with IP20 protection, will be slightly brighter than the normal Lightstrip Plus, which we already known for years.
Actually, it sounds pretty great: you can easily expand the Ambilight of your Philips TV with Philips Hue light sources. You don’t even need the Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box to do this, instead you just click through the TV menu a bit and you’re ready to go. What sounds so simple, however, currently seems to be causing big problems again.
Fabian
Frederick