This year’s CES has brought out a lot related to the tech world. This includes a major unveil by Philips Lighting as well. The Philips Lighting is famous for its Apple Homekit compatible Hue Lights. Now they have further expanded by declaring new initiatives. The company is set to launch an updated version of it’s Hue app for iOS in a couple of months.
Not only this, but it’s also expected that a brand-new app for Mac will also breathe a new life. It would be available as an OTA (Over the Air) update, for its current Hue products. There was much anticipation surrounding Philips to release new products after all. The new Hue app is to be dubbed Hue 3.0 and would be available for both iOS and Android as well.
With a design overhaul, Hue customers can easily manage their lighting through the app. Also, the new app would be able to provide a better quality interface with more intuitive controls.
There was a debate on to the removal of the custom color picker from the app. Now it’s set for a comeback with the Hue 3.0. Furthermore, in case you liked your previous selection of scenes and group lights, you can easily access them too.
Now that’s settled and let’s focus on the Philips Hue Entertainment system. It’s an umbrella term basically for the new functionalities Hue lights are capable of now courtesy an OTA in December.
Moreover, Philips is going beyond this and going to team up with certain software companies to let their Hue lights sync according to gameplay, movies or music. Just imagine the possibilities!
The new revelations don’t just end here. There is more for the users of color capable lights and Hue V2 bridge. There is a new app coming for such users for macOS High Seirra and also for Windows 10, expected in the second quarter of the year.
The app would be called the Philips Hue Sync. The best thing is that the app would be running in the background and shall analyze content displayed on your screen in real-time. After this, it would be able to create light scripts to compliment your content.
“We take a look at what is being played, we define zones on the screen, and then we push out a [lighting] script on the fly,” explains Filip Jan DePauw, Hue Entertainment’s business lead.
There are special algorithms which shall record the tempo and rhythm of the music, and then the lights shall be adjusted accordingly. If you want to alter the intensity of these lights, you can do that too yourself via the app.
According to Philips itself, “This new line of products will let consumers get more out of their exterior lighting by allowing them to personalize their ambiance for any moment outside, whether simply relaxing with family or entertaining friends. It will also increase their peace of mind when arriving home or while away.”
Also, there is much anticipation about Hue outdoors too. There would be new outdoors bulbs coming over the summer period. As of now, not much could be gathered as to the specifications of these products.
Yes, properly lit places can help avoid break-ins. But Philips would have a lot to do to convince people to buy their expensive outdoor smart lights instead of just opting for simple ones. Though, multi-color and
changing lights on the outdoor would also help create the right environment for a barbeque setup.
Right now, what we can all do is wait and expect Phillips to roll out the best.