All posts tagged: Philips

My LED strips now do things Philips Hue can’t — and the whole setup cost me

My LED strips now do things Philips Hue can’t — and the whole setup cost me $15

Published by skeptic

I’ve always had a complicated relationship with the more premium side of smart lighting, case in point, Philips Hue. Yes, the hardware is polished, the app is slick, and the ecosystem works well — until you start thinking about what you’re actually paying for. A single Hue light strip starter kit can easily run north of $80, and that’s before including the fact that you’d probably need a much longer strip for your purpose, and the proprietary hub you need just to make it talk to anything. But when you can replace your entire smart home hub for $50, why can’t you replicate what a Philips Hue strip can do with some off-the-shelf RGB strips? The answer is you can, and do much more than Philips can offer. Related I bought a robotic finger and now my dumb light switch is smart This brilliant smart home device makes any switch smart. Home Assistant unlocks lighting you won’t find in commercial apps Why local automation opens up effects and controls beyond Philips Hue Photo by Yadullah …

Philips Hue Adds Play Table Lamp, Floor Lamp, and New Candle Bulbs

Philips Hue Adds Play Table Lamp, Floor Lamp, and New Candle Bulbs

Published by skeptic

Signify today announced two new Philips Hue devices to expand its Hue Entertainment lineup, debuting the Philips Hue Play Table Lamp and the Philips Hue Play Floor Lamp Large. There are also new candle bulbs. The two lamps are similar to the existing Signe Hue table and floor lamps, featuring a tall, linear design that casts light on a wall or surface behind the light. The lamps offer color-changing lighting effects that synchronize with games, TV shows, movies, and music when used with the Hue Play HDMI Sync Box or the Hue Sync TV and desktop apps. Signify says that the lamps are designed for flexible placement, and a video featuring the table lamp shows it placed next to a TV set to project on the wall behind it. The table lamp is 23.6 inches, while the floor lamp is 53 inches tall. Both support Chromasync for precise color matching. The new lamps have a more affordable price than the previous gradient floor and table lamps. The Hue Play Table Lamp is priced at $80, …

Philips Hue and WiZ Launch Sports Live Feature for the 2026 World Cup

Philips Hue and WiZ Launch Sports Live Feature for the 2026 World Cup

Published by skeptic

Signify has launched Sports Live, a new feature for Philips Hue and WiZ smart lighting products that synchronizes lighting effects with live soccer match data in real time (via Hue Blog). The feature is rolling out now ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Sports Live uses live match data to trigger lighting changes at key in-game moments, including goals, yellow cards, and red cards, with the aim of making at-home viewing feel more immersive. Unlike traditional TV sync systems that rely on HDMI-based hardware to analyze on-screen content, Sports Live connects directly to live match data and responds to events as they occur, eliminating the need for additional synchronization hardware. During quieter periods, lights adapt to reflect a favorite team’s colors, the leading team’s colors, or a neutral white when the score is tied. Setup is handled through either the Philips Hue or WiZ mobile app. In the Hue app, the feature is found under the Sync tab, where users select a room or zone, which must include at least one color-capable light, and …

‘Cherished institution’ Lady Pamela Hicks – who was Prince Philip’s cousin – dies aged 97

‘Cherished institution’ Lady Pamela Hicks – who was Prince Philip’s cousin – dies aged 97

Published by Daniella Wilson

India Hicks confirmed the death of her mother, Lady Pamela Hicks, on Friday, with the designer penning a moving tribute to the cousin of the late Prince Philip. Alongside a black-and-white image of her late mother, India penned: “My mother died peacefully today. Whilst there is no tragedy in the death of a 97-year-old who has lived a full life I know grief will be unavoidable, lurking around waiting for me, but today I am simply grateful that she was my Mother. And through the prism of a crowded and remarkable past, she made incomparable company, carrying her memories lightly, and always with humour.” She concluded: “My mother maintained right up to the end, the impeccable style, sharp mind, and effortless charm that made her not only a cherished institution, but truly the last of her kind.” Tributes were quick to pour in, including from model Helena Christensen, who said: “Sweetest India I am so so sorry for your immense love. Your mother was the most wonderful and fabulous to get to know and I …

Philips OneBlade First Shave Review: Brilliantly Gentle on Sensitive Skin

Philips OneBlade First Shave Review: Brilliantly Gentle on Sensitive Skin

Published by Jenni Sidey

It’s also very fast and comfortable to use. The lightweight body and compact blade make it easy to quickly tidy edges or shave smaller areas without the bulky, unwieldy feeling you can get from larger electric shavers. Like every OneBlade model, though, there are compromises. If your goal is an ultra-close, glass-smooth shave, a premium foil or rotary shaver will still do a better job overall. And while I normally test all shavers on my head too, I skipped that process here because I already know from past OneBlade testing that it simply takes too long with such a small blade. Oh, and importantly, the anti-friction blade also slots neatly into other OneBlade models, so existing OneBlade owners don’t necessarily need to buy this exact shaver to try it. Each blade lasts up to four months based on two full shaves per week, and the current Amazon retail version includes two blades in the box, which should provide roughly eight months of use before replacements are needed. Easy Does It The OneBlade First Shave is …

Philips i9000 Prestige Ultra 2026 Review: The Bugatti of Electric Shavers

Philips i9000 Prestige Ultra 2026 Review: The Bugatti of Electric Shavers

Published by Jenni Sidey

I’ve been using Philips’ rotary shavers since I was 16, and my go-to shaver for the past three years has been the older Series 9000 Prestige. It’s powerful, comfortable, and handles my face and head stubble with confident ease, with little to no irritation. Naturally, I’ve been particularly excited for the seriously luxe Philips i9000 Prestige Ultra since it dropped across my inbox. Sitting right at the top of the brand’s rotary lineup, it ain’t cheap. I’ve been testing a bundle on Amazon, which comes in at $380. For that, you’re getting the shaver, an adjustable beard styler attachment, a Quick Clean Pod, and a UV-sanitizing charging case. Fret not if that sounds absurdly pricey, versions with a standard case and simpler trimmer are discounted to around a far more palatable £300 mark. Price aside, I’ve spent the past two weeks using the i9000 Prestige Ultra on my beard, neck, and head to see if it really is the best rotary shaver that money can buy. Specs As Good as It Gets Given its pedigree, …

Prince Philip’s ‘nomadic’ childhood that turned him into a royal ‘sofa-surfer’

Prince Philip’s ‘nomadic’ childhood that turned him into a royal ‘sofa-surfer’

Published by Daniella Wilson

Throughout his 7 years spent married to the late Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip lived in a number of luxurious properties, from Buckingham Palace to Windsor Castle. The late Duke of Edinburgh, who passed away in 2021, was certainly used to moving around, having spent his childhood between France, Germany, and the UK. In one report by the BBC, Philip’s childhood was described as “nomadic” with the outlet reporting that, having been born a prince of Greece but then exiled, Philip found himself bouncing around Europe, “the royal equivalent of sofa-surfing”. © Getty ImagesPrince Philip moved around a lot during his childhood Prince Philip’s unsettled childhood The late royal was born in Corfu to Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark and Princess Alice of Battenberg. In 1922, Philip’s uncle, King Constantine I, who was the high commander of the Greek expeditionary force, was blamed for Greece’s defeat in the Greco-Turkish War and forced to abdicate.  © Getty ImagesPrince Philip of Greece, later Duke of Edinburgh, as a toddler in July 1922 Philip’s parents were subsequently banished …

Inside Prince Philip’s solitary retirement years at Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s cottage

Inside Prince Philip’s solitary retirement years at Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s cottage

Published by Daniella Wilson

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip were married for a happy 74 years after tying the knot in November 1947.  The late Duke of Edinburgh had caught her eye when she was just 13 years old, leading to a legendary love story and the later welcoming of their four children: Charles, Anne, Andrew, and Edward.  This Thursday marks five years since Philip passed away aged 99 – on 9 April 2021 – a day that left the late Queen in mourning.  Royal author Hugo Vickers describes Philip’s final years in his new biography, Queen Elizabeth II: A Personal History, during which the royal couple spent a considerable amount of time apart.  Philip had completed his final royal engagement on 2 August 2017 as Captain-General of the Royal Marines to mark the end of the 1664 Global Challenge. This was to be the last of some 22,219 public engagements – and it was clear the Queen thought this should be rewarded.  Why Prince Philip’s battle with pancreatic cancer was kept a secret Prince Philip’s years of …

Inside Prince Philip’s final night before he passed away alone

Inside Prince Philip’s final night before he passed away alone

Published by Daniella Wilson

Prince Philip was known for his stoicism and not wanting a fuss to be made over him, and in his latest book, Queen Elizabeth II, royal biographer Hugo Vickers spoke about the late Duke of Edinburgh’s final night. Speaking on HELLO!’s A Right Royal Podcast, he shared: “The night before he died, he went along on his Zimmer frame to the Oak Room, which was that room above the entrance out of which the Queen’s car came out for the funeral, and he was having a beer all by himself. “He gave his nurses the slip. He did not want to live to be 100, and he just slipped away. He got up, I think he had a bath and didn’t feel well and lay down and that was it.“ The royal biographer also spoke about how Philip would likely have disliked being celebrated if he had made it to 100; he died two months shy of the milestone. “He absolutely did not want to be celebrated,” he said. “If you remember, nothing was planned for …

Prince Philip’s habit in 74-year marriage with late Queen Elizabeth made her ‘furious’

Prince Philip’s habit in 74-year marriage with late Queen Elizabeth made her ‘furious’

Published by Daniella Wilson

Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth enjoyed a happy 74-year-long marriage, but there was one habit of the late Duke of Edinburgh’s that his wife struggled with. According to British historian Hugo Vickers’ new book Queen Elizabeth II: A Personal History, Prince Philip spoke about the lead-up to Philip’s passing in 2021, revealing his cause of death. “On the last night of his life, he gave his nurses the slip, shuffled along the corridor on his Zimmer frame, helped himself to a beer and drank it in the Oak Room,”  Vickers penned of Philip’s final days spent at Windsor Castle, with the royal having been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2013.  © Getty ImagesThe Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip were married for 74 years Prince Philip’s marital habit “The following morning, he got up, had a bath, said he did not feel well, and quietly slipped away. By this point, he had lived with pancreatic cancer for nearly eight years – far longer than the usual survival time from diagnosis.”  © Tim Graham Photo Library via GetQueen …