Unfortunately, there was no news about Hue Secure at today’s product launch, at least as far as the hardware is concerned. No new devices were presented for the security system, which was launched last autumn. However, the manufacturer today presented a number of new functions relating to the software behind Hue Secure, which are to be made available in the second half of 2024.
Yesterday evening, Apple gave a preview of the upcoming updates for its operating systems at its own developer conference WWDC. This naturally included iOS 18 for the iPhone and iPadOS 18 for Apple tablets. Some of the innovations presented could also be interesting for Philips Hue. For example, there is a major update for the Control Center.
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
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.
Synchronising the light to match the content on the TV. Philips pursued this idea several years ago with Ambilight and Philips Hue has had its HDMI Play Sync Box at the start for some time now, and I’m expecting the successor with HDMI 2.1 this year. But why additional hardware, couldn’t it be simpler?
Over the past seven years, Philips Hue has repeatedly tried out small and useful new functions and made them available in Hue Labs. Some of the features made available there for testing even made it into the Hue app. But that’s all over now: As Philips Hue has announced in a support document, Hue Labs will be discontinued in June 2024.
This morning I received an email from Amazon. “Philips Hue has published information on the product safety of a product you purchased on Amazon.de due to the following risk: manufacturing defect,” it said about an outdoor lightstrip I bought years ago. I was even more surprised by the fact that several internet blogs reported shortly afterwards that Philips Hue had launched a new replacement programme.
The Philips Hue Bridge is known to be designed for 50 lights. What was a pretty generous mark ten years ago is now exceeded by miles in many households. The only way out so far, as long as you want to remain loyal to Philips Hue, is to install a second or third Hue Bridge.
Over the last few days and weeks, I have received an increasing number of messages about Siri shortcuts. These can be used to create practical little automations and widgets for the home screen of the iPhone and iPad, especially for Philips Hue. However, some users are now experiencing problems with this.
Fabian
Frederick