Tag: Philips Hue

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Roku could be planning large expansion into smart home lighting, plugs and cameras

It appears Roku is expanding from streaming hardware to smart home lighting.

Photos and two shipping manifests regarding Roku-branded smart home devices have appeared online. The smart home lineup from Roku could incorporate light strips, smart plus and even indoor/outdoor security cameras.

Roku has long secured its place in the streaming hardware space, whether it’s the Roku Express, Roku Streaming Stick, or the new Roku Ultra, many are aware of the brand.

A photo depicting a large stack of Roku smart light strips is circulating the internet courtesy of Reddit user ‘Negative_Source.’ Additionally, two shipping manifests show that Roku is working with Wyze on roughly half a dozen products for the home.

So far, the available information reveals the company’s plans to sell a Roku colour bulb and a white bulb. Additionally, there are mentions of the aforementioned light strips and a Roku smart plug. Finally, Roku appears to be releasing a Roku indoor camera, Roku outdoor camera and Roku pan cam.

Of course, this leak doesn’t officially confirm that there are new Roku devices on the way. However, this is substantial enough evidence to suggest Roku is planning to become an integral part of the smart home.

It’s worth considering how these products could communicate with one another. References to a ‘Roku Smart Home’ channel have been spotted as well. This suggests that Roku may be developing a way to control all devices via a set-top box or streaming stick. It’s likely integration into the Roku mobile app is on the way as well.

Roku’s investment in smart home lighting is interesting. Obviously, Philips Hue is a big player in the space and offers the Hue Play HDMI Sync Box for the living room. Though, it does involve quite the investment of cash. Perhaps Roku’s smart home initiative can provide similar results for a more modest price.

As far as rollout and pricing, it’s still unclear how Roku plans to announce these products. However, given that the packaging looks like it’s finalized, we can’t be too far away from official details.

Image credit: u/Negative_Source

Source: Reddit ‘Negative_Source’ Via: The Verge

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Mobile Syrup

Philips Hue announces new filament Lightguide bulbs and gamer gradient Lightstrip

Once the dominant player in the smart home space, Philips Hue now faces stiff competition from companies like Nanoleaf, Wyze, TP-Link and, more importantly, far cheaper budget brands on Amazon.

In what seems like an effort to widen its smart light offerings, Hue has revealed several new products, including futuristic-looking Lightguide filament bulbs that come in three shapes: ‘Large Globe,’ ‘Ellipse’ and ‘Triangular.’ All three bulbs can also be paired with a pendant cord that’s available in ‘White’ and ‘Black.’

These unique bulbs created white and colour diffused light and can hit a brightness of 500 lumens. Philips Hue says its new filament bulbs will be available in Canada for between $89.99 and $109.99. The pendant cord costs $59.99. Philips Hue also showed off a new dimmable version of its filament candle bulb, which costs $69.99 for a two-pack.

Along with the new Lightguide bulbs, Philips Hue revealed its new low-profile slim Downlight. These pot light-like bulbs attach through a tab system and are just three-quarters of an inch thick. Further, they’re capable of snapping directly onto a ceiling and connect via a junction box. Hue’s Downlight bulbs can hit a brightness of 1200 lumens and cost $79.99 each.

Finally, Philips Hue revealed its first official foray into the gamer lighting space with its Hue Play Gradient Lightstrip for PC Starter Kit that’s capable of creating multiple colours of light at the same time. The Lightstrip can flash, dim and more. It’s designed to attach to the rear of a monitor and creates a halo effect behind the display. The 24/27-inch version costs $199.99, the 32/34-inch costs $219.99, and a three-screen 24/27-inch version costs $329.99.

Hue is also bringing new features to its app, including ‘Mimic Presence’ automation, which turns your lights on/off during the day and night while you’re away as a security feature. Mimic Presence will be available under the Hue app Automation Tab where the Spotify music sync option is currently located. Further, the Philips Hue Sync app that works with the Play Sync Box is now part of the main Hue iOS and Android app.

All of Philips Hue’s new smart lights will release in Q4 in Canada.

Image credit: Philips Hue

Source: Philips

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Mobile Syrup

New Philips Hue Lightguide bulbs leak, showing multiple shapes and styles

A new lineup of LED bulbs from Philips Hue has leaked. Based on what’s been uncovered, Philips Hue is due to release new smart lightbulbs in a variety of sizes and shapes.

The new product listing dubbed E27 Lightguide has been discovered via Amazon in Germany. The lineup appears to contain three new variations. Based on the listing, Philips Hue describes its Lightguide as such:

“Philips Hue Lightguide LED bulbs give off a bright, brilliantly coloured light that you can dim to the perfect level in millions of shades of colour and white to create the right mood in any room of your home. Philips Hue Lightguide LED bulbs feature a distinctive inner tube and a reflective, glossy finish that gives them a special light.”

The Philips Hue Lightguide bulbs are shown to have a clear glass body with a small light inside. As with other Philips Hue products, the bulbs support a wide variety of colour variations and hues of white light. Lightguide is said to support a maximum brightness of 500 lumens at 2,700 Kelvin.

In addition, the Lightguide supports Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple HomeKit integrations. Through the use of the Smart Bridge accessory, the Lightguide bulbs can seamlessly be tied to your smart home and be controlled via an app or voice commands. Philips Hue is also supporting Bluetooth and Zigbee

Unfortunately, there are no concrete launch details available. Though the Amazon listing shows that the lights start at 75 euros (roughly $98 CAD), making them one of the company’s most expensive LED bulbs.

Image credit: HueBlog

Source: HueBlog via 9to5Mac

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Mobile Syrup

MobileSyrup’s Holiday Gift Guide for smart home devices [2021 Edition]

As the holiday shopping season approaches, it’s time to start finalizing gift ideas for those around you. If you’re looking at grabbing the latest smart home innovations this holiday season, there’s no shortage of great new products to choose from.

Smart home devices have been steadily evolving, providing more advanced quality of life improvements over the years. The benefits these devices hold can help streamline everyday tasks and make controlling various appliances as easy as a voice command. Smart home devices are becoming more accessible and easier to use, which makes them a perfect gift this holiday season.

Here is our ‘MobileSyrup Smart Home Holiday Gift Guide’ for your consideration this Black Friday and Boxing Day:

Google Nest Hub (2021)

 

Kicking things off is the 2nd-gen Google Nest Hub. This central smart home device essentially serves as the beating heart of many smart homes nowadays thanks to Google Assistant. It’s compatible with Google’s entire suite of smart home devices as well as third-party apps and gadgets.

The Google Nest Hub features a 7-inch touchscreen capable of displaying the weather, calendar alerts, smart lights controls, Google Photos and more. You can even watch Netflix and YouTube videos on the display or utilize the full-range speakers for Spotify and YouTube Music. You can also make hands-free calls with Duo. All around, it’s a very capable hub for those building their smart home or simply upgrading to a new device.

Buy at Best Buy Canada for $69.99 (save $60)

HomePod mini

Apple enters the fray with its own smart home speaker. The HomePod mini has an excellent 360-degree speaker capable of filling a room with audio and music. The HomePod mini works in tandem with the Apple and Siri ecosystem. Siri can update users on notifications and alerts. A series of HomePod minis can be used as an intercom within a household.

With an 8.5cm tall mesh fabric design, it’s a stylish speaker that can suit any room of the household. For those integrated into the Apple ecosystem, the HomePod mini is a great system to help build out their smart home. It is also compatible with many third-party apps and devices so the user can expand beyond Apple’s tools.

Buy at Staples Canada for $129

Amazon Echo (4th-gen)

There’s no downside to having too many options and Amazon is here with one of its own. The Amazon Echo is the titan’s very own smart home hub and speaker system. Using Alexa, the Echo is capable of playing music, controlling smart home devices, and giving updates on weather/news.

The Echo is very compact and small, so it can fit on many shelving units or desks. It can be paired with a Fire TV so your audio comes through on the crisp speaker, and the fourth-generation Echo is supported by Dolby Audio. Amazon Prime members can also place orders using Alexa and the Echo, providing some quality of life benefits throughout a hectic day.

Buy at Best Buy Canada for $69.99

Ecobee Smart Thermostat

As we look into more focused smart home devices, the Ecobee’s Smart Thermostat is a great option for anyone looking to upgrade their current thermostat. This smart home device is compatible with Google Assistant, Siri (HomePod mini required) and Alexa. Users can control and set the heat and AC within their home using voice or touch commands.

Ecobee claims that users can save up to 26 percent of their heating and cooling costs by using the Smart Thermostat. The device will also pause heating and cooling when it detects that a window or door is left open.

Buy at Best Buy for $269 (save $61)

iRobot Roomba j7+

iRobot’s Roomba has become a staple in smart homes. The company’s line of vacuums has helped tidy up homes over the years. The latest j7+ model brings new quality of life features to the table and improves design elements at the same time.

The Roomba j7+ features automatic mapping technology that will outline your home, ensuring that it creates a reliable path for each cleaning. The camera is also now able to detect cords and solid pet waste and avoid them. The j7+ will empty itself in its Clean Base after each use. Plus, the Roomba can be controlled using voice commands. Thanks to the iRobot app, users can set a schedule and create zones for the Roomba to clean in, creating a personalized experience.

Buy at Best Buy Canada for $1049

Philips Hue Lights

Philips Hue

 

When it comes to smart home lighting, the Philips Hue line is typically a frontrunner and for good reason. When it comes to ease of use, set up, and customization options, Philips Hue smart lights have been a go-to for me. The Hue lights hook up to the user’s mobile phone via the Hue app or can be controlled via voice commands.

Philips Hue Lights provide light over a spectrum of warm and cool shades with a brightness of 800 lumens. On top of that, 16 million colour tones can be accessed and set to create a mood or aesthetic within the household. Philips Hue lights provide a lot of personalization options like automation, where they will turn on at a certain time of day.

Buy at Best Buy Canada for $99.99 (save $60)

Ring Video Doorbell

 

Amazon’s Ring has modernized the smart home doorbell, bringing new features to the security and monitoring device. The Ring Video doorbell provides 1080p HD video via a wired connection with Night vision for monitoring during the nighttime. Users will receive real-time notifications and audio alerts when paired with an Alexa device or the Ring Chime (sold separately).

With the motion detection, users will be notified when someone is at the front door, even before they ring the doorbell. Two-way talk is also enabled. Using an Echo device, users can ask Alexa to “Talk to the front door.” Ring also provides a protection plan (sold separately) to record and share videos for up to 60 days.

Buy at Best Buy Canada for $129.99

TP-Link Kasa Smart Plug

A smart plug can often turn a non-smart device into a smart home-enabled one. TP-Link’s Kasa Smart Plug offers all the necessary bells and whistles for a modest price. It has a simple setup process that enables voice commands through Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. Once your device is connected, you can turn your electronics on and off remotely using the assistants mentioned above or using the Kasa app.

Personally, I use a smart plug with my Christmas tree lights each year. Setting a timer, they automatically turn on based on my schedule and they can be turned off as I leave my home. Thanks to the built-in Wi-Fi connection, these smart plugs integrate seamlessly into a smart home.

Buy at Best Buy Canada for $9.99 (save $1)

Arlo Pro 3 Floodlight Camera

As we reach the end of our guide, the Arlo Pro 3 Floodlight Camera is a good closer. This wire-free camera solution provides an extra layer of monitoring on your property. The Arlo 3 provides 2K HDR video with a wide-angle lens so it can cover a sizeable spread of your property, whether it’s a backyard or otherwise. Colour night vision and black and white video options are also available.

Using a smartphone or tablet, users can watch the video stream in real-time or review recorded video clips. Two-way audio can also be used via a smartphone. Users will also be notified when a person or vehicle is detected. The Arlo 3 camera is also paired with a floodlight. The brightness is said to be 2,000 Lumens, providing a considerable amount of light when enabled.

Buy at Best Buy Canada for $229.99 (save $100)

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