If you are curious about the Philips Hue lighting system, I highly recommend it. I have two white bulbs, four coloured bulbs, two Go lights, a switch, a smart plug and a bridge. I’ve had them for over seven years now and they are still going strong. The white bulbs are in the basement where I just need basic light, while the coloured ones are on the main floor and give me lots of lighting options. The Go lights are great because once charged you can move them around to give you just the lighting you want where you want it. Finally the smart plug is for a lamp that doesn’t take their bulbs.

The technology is easy to set up. I bought the plug just last week and plugged it into the wall and plugged the lamp into it. Then I opened the app, told it to find the plug (which it did), then I added it as a light in that room. (By doing that, I can turn out all lights in the room easily.) You have a lot of control using the Hue app, and it’s easy to use.

Besides being easy to set up and use, they also integrate with the web site IFTTT.com. That allows me to do things like turn on at dusk, or have them turn a certain colour if the weather is going to suddenly change. I even have it so a raspberry pi flicker them when an event it is monitoring occurs, so I don’t forget about it.

Some people find the bulbs expensive, which I get. But they do last a very long time, and they provide me with capabilities not found with other lights (although I know other manufacturers are out there).

You can find out more about it, here. I’d recommend one of the starter kits and then go from there. You need to have a bridge, so if you just buy the bulbs separately, it won’t work.