New Hue Lighting System Can Be Controlled Directly From Any iOS Device
by Brent Dirks
October 29, 2012
Philips is looking to brighten up your home with a little help from an iOS device. The company has announced that hue, a Web-enabled LED home lighting system, will be offered only in Apple Stores starting tomorrow.
The $199 starter kit will include three LED bulbs and a bridge that connects to existing wireless routers. The system can be controlled directly through the free hue app.
With the app, users can control home lighting for added security, personalize lighting with custom settings, or program timers to help manage daily schedules.
The 8.5-watt bulbs are 80 percent more energy efficient than traditional light bulbs. And the system allows users to tune white light from cool to warm, based on personal preference.
And if you’re a little more adventurous, the bulbs can be customized with one of 16 million colors.
Here’s a short video about the system. Click here if you can’t see the video.
Philips is also planning on developing other product features to allow hue to integrate with other media like sound and video. An exciting geo-location feature in the works would allow the system to sense when a user is close to home and automatically turn the lights on, or turn the lights off when everyone has left.
The company is offering the interface and SDK to anyone who wants to create additional functionality or applications that interact with the system.
Additional bulbs can be purchased for $59 each. For more information about the system, visit the hue site.
