Can Philips Hue Lights Be Used In Enclosed Fixtures?

An enclosed light fitting in my bathroom.

An enclosed light is a housing which is completely sealed off, such that any light must shine out of the partially see-through exterior surface (usually glass or translucent plastic). Enclosed light fixtures are good where you want light to shine mainly downwards, without any ‘being wasted’ out of the side or top – bathrooms and … Read more

Ring Doorbell And Ring Cameras: Animal Detection

Ring Doorbell footage showing a cat which was picked up when 'People Only' mode was disabled.

Ring’s range of doorbells and cameras work by only recording when motion is detected (or the doorbell is pressed). This saves electric use or battery power, bringing down the costs of running your device. It also saves Ring money in cloud storage fees! But what happens if you live in an area with lots of … Read more

New Video – 15 Relaxing Google Home Sleep Sounds (Free, No Subscription Required)

A Google Nest Mini on top of a fox cushion.

I am a big fan of using white noise and relaxation noises as a sleep aid, and so I wanted to shoot a quick video to showcase the 15 different commands you can issue to Google Home to play sleep sounds (without any separate subscription or installing a third party skill): Video Transcript Hey YouTube, … Read more

Are ecobee Air Filters Worth It?

Marketing image showing two ecobee air filters.

ecobee, the Canadian smart device manufacturer best known for their line of smart thermostats, unveiled a HVAC air filter subscription service in April 2020. You get regular shipments to ensure you change them, along with reminders on your smart thermostat. But are they worth it? ecobee’s HVAC air filters are good quality and it’s very … Read more

Using Smart Switches And Sensors For Normal (Dumb) Bulbs

Marketing image for the Leviton Decora Smart WiFi 15 Amp Light Switch

People sometimes think that in order to have a fully smart lighting system, you need to buy smart lights and also smart bulbs. But this isn’t always correct. In-fact it’s sometimes better to either have smart lights, or to have smart bulbs – not both. Having just smart switches means that you still get lots … Read more