Over the next few years, I fully expect to see a huge increase in the amount of home automation products hitting the market. There have been many to launch over the past year or two, but the launches are becoming more and more frequent, and I don’t expect the trend to slow down any time soon, because our smartphones are becoming even more involved in our lives.
To continue the home automation push, Philips today announced three new products that are controlled through its iPhone app. The first new product announced was the Hue BR30, which is a light designed for North American homes to be used for both down lights in ceilings, or flood lights.
The bulbs allow over 16 million color changes, which allows anyone to personalize their home or specific areas with different hues of lighting. In addition, the company announced the GU10, which is essentially the same as the Hue BR30, but designed for homes in Europe.
Both devices can be purchased as stand-alone bulbs, or as a package of three and a “bridge” which is used to connect the lights to a wireless network in the home.
The last product announced by Philips is a line of “StoryLights” which are similar to night lights, in the fact that they are plugged into a standard plug rather than requiring a light socket. This line of products was announced as a part of a collaboration effort with Disney, which is also creating special e-books to go along with the StoryLights.
These products are available on Apple’s online store, in Apple Stores, and through other retailers as well, such as Amazon. Will you convert your home over to automation controlled by your iPhone in the foreseeable future? Do you think home automation is a good idea? Sound off in the comments
