Philips Hue has announced a new wireless dimmer switch module that lets Hue bridge owners directly control the smart lighting from their standard wall switches.
The new Philips Hue wall switch module is the ideal addition to any Philips Hue set up. Installed behind existing light switches, it allows users to turn their existing switch into a smart switch and ensures their smart lighting is always reachable. Whether it is via the app or via voice control: no more getting up from the couch to turn on the switches that a family member or house guest might have turned off.
The company has also announced a new version of its Wireless Dimmer Switch featuring a more curvaceous design. Instead of having four buttons like the switch module it replaces, the new model has only three buttons, with the middle two dimmer buttons combined into a single rocker button. The "on" button also now has a small tactile marking so that users can find the correct button in the dark.
Users can select light scenes in the Hue app and customize how the switch functions to personalize the ambience of their home. The module includes power on and off switches, dimmer controls, and a button that lets users cycle through their favorite scenes. Like the module it replaces, the new dimmer switch also includes a removable remote.
In addition, Philips Hue has launched a new outdoors lighting system: The Amarant is an ambient LED strip for use on blank walls in gardens or on balconies. It features a wall washing effect with a vibrant light that's intensified by the metal shield. The Amarant also integrates with existing Hue low-voltage outdoors products such as the Hue Lily, Hue Calla, or Hue Outdoor Lightstrip. Philips Hue is also updating its Appear outdoor wall light with a brushed stainless steel finish and easier installation.
There's no U.S. pricing yet for the Appear, but the new wall module will be available in the summer costing $40, the new dimmer switch will be available for $24.99 from February 23, and the Amarant costs $169.99 and will be available from March 2.
Monday December 16, 2024 8:55 am PST by Tim Hardwick
Apple released iOS 18.2 in the second week of December, bringing the second round of Apple Intelligence features to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models. This update brings several major advancements to Apple's AI integration, including completely new image generation tools and a range of Visual Intelligence-based enhancements. Apple has added a handful of new non-AI related feature controls as...
Wednesday December 18, 2024 11:39 am PST by Juli Clover
Apple is no longer planning to launch a hardware subscription service that would let customers "subscribe" to get a new iPhone each year, reports Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
Gurman first shared rumors about Apple's work on a hardware subscription service back in 2022, and at the time, he said that Apple wanted to develop a simple system that would allow customers to pay a monthly fee to gain...
Contrary to recent reports, the iPhone 17 Pro will not feature a horizontal camera layout, according to the leaker known as "Instant Digital."
In a new post on Weibo, the leaker said that a source has confirmed that while the appearance of the back of the iPhone 17 Pro has indeed changed, the layout of the three cameras is "still triangular," rather than the "horizontal bar spread on the...
Wednesday December 18, 2024 10:05 am PST by Juli Clover
Elevation Lab today announced the launch of TimeCapsule, an innovative and simple solution for increasing the battery life of Apple's AirTag.
Priced at $20, TimeCapsule is an AirTag enclosure that houses two AA batteries that offer 14x more battery capacity than the CR2032 battery that the AirTag runs on. It works by attaching the AirTag's upper housing to the built-in custom contact in the...
Tuesday December 17, 2024 9:02 am PST by Joe Rossignol
The current Apple TV 4K was released more than two years ago, so the streaming device is becoming due for a hardware upgrade soon. Fortunately, it was recently rumored that a new Apple TV will launch at some point next year.
Below, we recap rumors about the next-generation Apple TV.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman last week reported that Apple has been working on its own combined Wi-Fi and...
Monday December 16, 2024 4:17 pm PST by Juli Clover
Blackmagic today announced that its URSA Cine Immersive camera is now available for pre-order, with deliveries set to start late in the first quarter of 2025. Blackmagic says that this is the world's first commercial camera system designed to capture 3D content for the Vision Pro.
The URSA Cine Immersive camera was first introduced in June, but it has not been available for purchase until...
Apple launched the controversial "trashcan" Mac Pro eleven years ago today, introducing one of its most criticized designs that persisted through a period of widespread discontentment with the Mac lineup.
The redesign took the Mac Pro in an entirely new direction, spearheaded by a polished aluminum cylindrical design that became unofficially dubbed the "trashcan" in the Mac community. All of ...
Sunday December 15, 2024 9:47 am PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple is planning a series of "major design" and "format changes" for iPhones over the next few years, according to The Wall Street Journal's Aaron Tilley and Yang Jie.
The paywalled report published today corroborated the widely-rumored "iPhone 17 Air" with an "ultrathin" design that is thinner than current iPhone models. The report did not mention a specific measurement, but previous...
Do I need a neutral wire? The Philips Hue Wall Switch Module is powered by a coin cell battery that is expected to last at least five years. Therefore, the module does not need its own power supply and consequently also no neutral wire. This also made it possible to reduce the size of the module.
So, additionally, to restarting your network from time to time, in case your lamps and switches are not responding, you have to find and change the batteries in your wall switches? There already are cables with electric power. Sure, it would make the device itself bigger and more expensive. But WT*? Don't get it.
I'd like to know how big with wall switch module is, because I don't know what it's like in other countries, but certainly in the UK there's not a lot of room in a light switch backbox once you've accounted for the switch and the wiring.
Defo designed for the Euro market - https://hueblog.com/2021/01/14/the-most-important-answers-about-the-new-philips-hue-wall-switch-module/
Do I need a neutral wire? The Philips Hue Wall Switch Module is powered by a coin cell battery that is expected to last at least five years. Therefore, the module does not need its own power supply and consequently also no neutral wire. This also made it possible to reduce the size of the module.
So, additionally, to restarting your network from time to time, in case your lamps and switches are not responding, you have to find and change the batteries in your wall switches? There already are cables with electric power. Sure, it would make the device itself bigger and more expensive. But WT*? Don't get it.
I came here to say there's no way that's fitting behind any switches in my house. There's just room room between the switch and the excess of very stiff romex wire. It seems to be EU focused.
Do I need a neutral wire? The Philips Hue Wall Switch Module is powered by a coin cell battery that is expected to last at least five years. Therefore, the module does not need its own power supply and consequently also no neutral wire. This also made it possible to reduce the size of the module.
So, additionally, to restarting your network from time to time, in case your lamps and switches are not responding, you have to find and change the batteries in your wall switches? There already are cables with electric power. Sure, it would make the device itself bigger and more expensive. But WT*? Don't get it.
In the US at least, neutral wires at switches weren't required by most electrical codes until the 1980's so most houses built prior to that requirement, including my 1979 ranch, don't have neutrals at the switch. I'd love wired smart switches, but I'm not rewiring my house to get it. In rooms where I need a physical switch AND want smart control, I use Zigbee battery powered switches like the smart bulb remote from Lutron and the Hue wall switch remote.
