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.
In September 2022, Philips Hue presented the Lightguide series. Three stylish E27 glass light bulbs with an internal light tube were to be launched on the market at the time. However, sales were stopped a short time later and the Ellipse model was only launched a few months later. The Lightguide Globe and Triangular versions were postponed indefinitely.
The Philips Hue app has received another update and this is particularly interesting for users of an iPhone or iPad. After a long, long time, there are finally widgets for Philips Hue again. I’ll explain exactly what you can expect in this article. Several years ago, the widgets in iOS could still be found in the Today view, and Philips Hue widgets were already available back then.
I really couldn’t think of a good story this time, so unfortunately the April Fool’s joke has been cancelled this year. Instead, I have some really exciting news for you, at least if you are looking for a particularly bright E14 bulb. You can now get them from Ikea. The Swedish furniture store has come up with the extremely innovative idea of shrinking the base on its Trådfri light bulb.
With the latest update to the Hue app, Philips Hue has already made its somewhat outdated Hue Tap smarter. In principle, the switch contains exactly the same module that we know from the Friends of Hue switches – just with slightly different firmware. I had already noted at the time that the third-party switches would be next in line.
Frederick
Fabian