Wireless LED light bulbs and wireless smart lights are among the easiest lighting control products to install and use in your house. However, with prices like $60 for the popular Philips Hue lights, they’re not cheap. One of the motivations (beside the cool factor) to switch to smart LED light bulbs from boring old dumb […]
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Smart Light Alternatives: Can These LEDs Outshine Philips Hue Lights?
When Philips launched the original Hue smart light bulbs, they were revolutionary products for several reasons. First, they were LED bulbs at a time when LED was a new thing. Second, they were one of the first smartphone controlled lights for DIY users. Finally, and most importantly, they changed colors. That was the cool part. […]
Get the GuideHands On: Lowe’s Iris DIY Home Security and Home Automation
If you believe installing your own home security system is too difficult, there’s a good chance that newer systems on the market will prove you wrong. I’ve been using the Iris system by Lowe’s for a few weeks for a new home automation review, and above all what strikes me about this package is how […]
Get the GuideSmart Outdoor Lighting Ideas for Home Automation, Security and Décor
Smart lighting, LED bulbs, wireless light switches… those are all great things for inside the home, but can you do smart lighting outside the home? The answer is, of course, yes. In fact, outdoor lighting control is not much more complicated than indoor lighting control, and often uses exactly the same devices, but if you […]
Get the GuidePhilips Hue Lightstrip Plus Can Be Bent, Cut & Stretched
The latest in the Philips Hue lineup packs cutting-edge technology into a flexible design.
Sometimes you can’t squeeze lights exactly where you want them—especially smart lights. The latest in the Philips Hue lineup should easily solve that problem. It can even make that area a standout one. The Philips Hue Lightstrip Plus is a new connected lighting solution that’s more versatile than most. That’s because it has a flexible […]
Get the Guide4 Cool Things You Can Do with Philips Hue Lights
Now that Philips Hue lights have finally added a portable product (the Hue Go), there’s hardly anything you can’t do with them. From the basic original Hue LED smart bulbs, to the light strip, and lamp-like things, the Hue Beyond, the company has covered most of the lighting device categories, and invented a few as […]
Get the GuideHands On: SmartThings Smart Home Control and Automation System Review
Updated. Originally published March 2014. There are a lot of smart things in this review. Unfortunately, I’m not one of them. In the case of this test I was probably the dumbest thing in the room. I’ve setup a number of smart home hubs (like this one and this one), programmed my own Control4 system […]
Get the GuidePhilips Hue Lights to be Apple Homekit Compatible
The Philips Hue smart LED light system will get a Homekit boost, but it may cost you extra.
Philips Hue is the most attention-getting, and probably the most popular, smart lighting product on the market. Philips Hue lights change color (well, most of them) and can be controlled with the Hue app and lots of other apps, and can also be integrated into DIY and professionally installed smart home automation systems. Today the […]
Get the GuideMimoodz LED Bulbs, a Cheaper Alternative to the Philips Hue Lights
This new smart bulb offers color options like the Philips hue, but without the hefty price tag.
This new smart bulb offers color options like the Philips hue, but without the hefty price tag.
Get the Guide7 Ways to Improve Your Home Lighting Control with Smart Home Automation
One feature of your house that shouldn’t be overlooked when you have a smart automation system is home lighting control. A home lighting control system can be installed and programmed by a professional, or you can use a wireless DIY lighting system that you install and set up yourself. If you can’t decide between a […]
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