Philips Hue Motion Sensors in Wet Areas (Bathrooms and Outdoors)

Philips Hue Motion Sensor in an indoor bathroom wet area

Philips Hue smart lights are some of the highest-rated options on the market, with applications in almost every room of the home. One room that sees the most utility from smart lights is in the bathroom. Think about it: you need light during a midnight trip to the bathroom, but you don’t want to be … Read more

Ring and Nest: Video Management Support (Blue Iris, iSpy & ZoneMinder)

A Ring Doorbell Pro in-front of a D-Link ShareCenter NAS, and an SD-card adapter and Ethernet cable on the sides.

One of the key components of smart home security is a security camera. In the modern world, these cameras come in multiple forms: security cameras, video doorbell, and even built-in cameras on smart assistants (like the optional security feature in the Nest Hub Max). The ability to access these feeds at any time of day, … Read more

Philips Hue Multiple Motion Sensors (In a Room & Time of Day)

My Philips Hue motion sensor in setup mode

The true measure of a smart home is the amount of convenience it lends, paired with how much user intervention is needed for devices to operate as desired. The Philips Hue Motion Sensor allows your smart lights to react as programmed the moment motion is detected, but that isn’t to say they are without flaw. … Read more

Can Phillips Hue Connect to Wi-Fi (5 Ghz or 2.4 Ghz)?

A recently installed Philips Hue v2 bridge which is setup in my loft.

Today, almost everything is connected by the most popular wireless network protocol – Wi-Fi. Whether it’s the standard 2.4 Ghz frequency, or the newer, faster, 5 Ghz – Wi-Fi is the standard form of wireless communication for most. Wi-Fi is used for most things; from the apps on our phones, to many of the smart … Read more

New Video – Smart Plugs With A PHYSICAL Remote (Why & How!?)

YouTube thumbnail showing me holding up a Hue Smart Plug and a Hue dimmer switch

I was recently playing around with a smart plug, and I didn’t have an Echo device – or my smartphone – nearby. I therefore started wondering whether it was possible to control the smart plug with a physical remote. As it turns out, there’s quite a few options open to you – but funnily enough, … Read more

Do Ring Cameras and Doorbells Need The Ring Bridge (Hub)?

The Ring Smart Lighting Bridge or Hub

In 2020, Ring introduced smart lights for the home, as well as the Ring Bridge in order to control these lights. But with this new addition to the Ring family, some questions have arisen. Many Ring users have begun to wonder if the Ring Bridge is, or will become, necessary to connect not just lights, … Read more