Smart lighting can light up your life. Too cheesy? I meant that literally. Smart lighting is awesome – you can either get ‘white only’ bulbs that can be smartly dimmed and turned on/off, or you can buy color bulbs which can be set to millions of colors. Fancy a home disco? Smart lighting is where it’s at.
Zigbee is a popular wireless data-transfer protocol used in smart devices such as lightbulbs and power outlets. It allows these appliances to work seamlessly without consuming too much energy. While Zigbee is quite popular, SwitchBot uses another protocol called Bluetooth low energy (BLE) in its products. Similar companies, however, are compatible with ZigBee. Key Points … Read more
It’s sometimes easy to forget that you have a smart bulb installed in a light fitting, meaning that you flip the light switch off when leaving the room. This, unfortunately, renders the smart bulb useless – because there is no power flowing to it. You might also live with someone who… doesn’t really care that … Read more
This morning I ordered some Philips Hue bulbs (four White Ambiance E14s, a size sometimes called ‘decorative candles’) and a starter kit including the hub/bridge. To be honest, I was almost annoyed at myself for ordering them because I’ve been wary about smart lights for years. Why? Well, I remember having a conversation with someone … Read more
I have dozens of Philips Hue bulbs and lights around my home. In-fact, I have maxed out my Hue Bridge a few times due to all the bulbs and automations I have configured. That’s not meant to be some weird flex, by the way, but it hopefully tells you that I clearly know how to … Read more
There’s nothing worse than having a smart light switch that gets stuck in the on or off position. Between the physical switch itself in the app, how can you troubleshoot this complicated connection? You should check if your Kasa light switch is stuck on or off should be to update the firmware on the switch … Read more
Most smart devices are plug and play and don’t need you to do anything other than set them up on your tablet or smartphone. However, some of the more interesting smart devices do require you to know a little bit about wiring. The Kasa smart switch is one of them. The Kasa smart switch requires … Read more
Smart lighting is one of the most popular parts of the modern smart home. With more and more brands popping up, the industry continues to grow exponentially. Smart lighting is essentially lighting of various types that can be controlled wirelessly, using wireless communication protocols such as Wi-Fi, Zigbee, Z-Wave, or LoRa – just to name … Read more
Philips Hue is one of the most popular smart lighting systems in homes worldwide. People who use Hue lights often use them with Amazon’s AI assistant, Alexa, one of the most popular smart home hubs. Normally, these two work together seamlessly. However, there are times when this isn’t the case. Either during setup or at … Read more
There’s nothing more frustrating than wiring your first smart light switch only to find out that it’s making a constant clicking noise. What’s going on inside that switch? Well, a brief summary of the issue is: Your Kasa Smart Switch is making a constant clicking noise because the neutral wire is not securely attached or … Read more
The rumor mills are always buzzing about one thing or another. Anything from celebrity gossip, to when the world will end. Unfortunately, the smart home sector doesn’t escape the rumor mills. First was the notion that Samsung SmartThings was being fazed out. Now the buzz is – is Philips discontinuing Hue? Philips Hue is practically … Read more