Not a day goes by without questions in my inbox or in the small Hueblog community. With this e-mail from Philip, I would like to draw your attention to a topic that I am sure many of you are interested in: The backup function, which has been in development for quite some time, but has never been officially announced until now.
Philips Hue has now been on the market for more than ten years and the first-generation lamps are still working. Since then, some products have disappeared from the market or have been replaced by newer versions, such as the Hue Tap switch. However, there are still some “dusty” products that are still being sold.
The Philips Hue Datura was launched in Europe, and therefore also in my home country Germany, last year. Now there is good news for all Hue fans in the United States, because the Hue Datura can now also be ordered there. For $299.99 you can get the round Hue Datura with a diameter of 38 centimeters and a maximum brightness of 3,000 lumens.
In September 2023, Philips Hue presented its smart home cameras, and the launch was accompanied by a contact sensor. Apart from price reductions and software updates, not much has changed since then and the Hue Secure portfolio has remained unchanged for almost two years. This could change this year. I can well imagine that Philips Hue will add further components to the Hue Secure system in the fall.
A few days ago, Philips Hue released new firmware for the Hue Bridge. From software version 1969060020, the control center goes to version number 1969152010. Apparently, there are no major innovations on board, the manufacturer only writes: “Improved performance and reliability of the system.” I could imagine that preparations are being made in the background for smoke detector sound recognition.
Signify has introduced the Philips Hue Sync TV app for LG TVs. Now available worldwide on compatible LG models, the app allows users to synchronize their Philips Hue smart lights with on-screen action for a fully immersive viewing experience. A Seamless Surround Lighting Experience Designed as a native smart TV app, the Philips Hue Sync TV app dynamically adjusts the brightness and color of Hue lights in real time, creating a surround lighting effect that enhances movies, shows, and games.
We are unlikely to see an update to the Philips Hue Ap this week, but Signify has nevertheless continued to work on the software for its lighting system. A firmware update for the Philips Hue Bridge has been available for a few days. In the past, these updates have been rolled out over several days and are installed automatically if you have activated the corresponding function in the settings of your Hue app.
After around ten years as CEO of Signify, the manufacturer of Philips Hue, Eric Rondolat is stepping down from his position. He will remain CEO until the Annual General Meeting on April 25, 2025, after which he will also step down from the Management Board. This was announced by the company this week.
The Connectivity Standards Alliance is not only responsible for the Matter smart home standard, but also takes care of the Zigbee protocol. This technology is used by numerous smart home devices to communicate with each other, including the Philips Hue Bridge and the numerous Philips Hue lamps. A new Zigbee function has now been officially announced: Ambient Sensing.
On Monday, I was already able to give you the first information about the new Philips Hue Sync TV app for LG TVs. Signify has now officially confirmed the expansion of the Sync app, which was previously only available for Samsung TVs. All LG TVs equipped with at least webOS 24 will receive the new app.
Fabian
Frederick