Gadgetory

we've boosted the Wi-Fi we've picked out a Smart Hub now let there be lights installing smart lights is a common starting point for the connected home and there are a lot of ways to do it you can automate a lamp using an app enabled smart plug or install hardwired smart switches right into your walls or just swap your light bulbs out for smart bulbs with wireless radios built-in but in a big house like this one with all sorts of bulbs and switches and dimmers already in place things can get complicated fast if you want to come up with a whole home smart lighting solution and we do you're going to need to have a plan and the best way to come up with one is to figure out what you want your smart lights to do here in the scene that smart home we want smart lights that can do a lot voice and motion activated lighting changes tie-ins with smart security you name it for that we need a system that can do a lot and that's why we're going with Phillips you to start things off aside from the color-changing novelty factor Philip tu is a well developed lighting platform that plays very well with the third-party products and services we want to test out including the smart thing stuff that we've already got installed here in the smart home at 60 bucks each the color changing hue bulbs are expensive sure but with the hue bridge we can also control cheaper bulbs like these fifteen dollar Cree connected LEDs will save some cash and use those here in the family room but what about a light like this living room chandelier it's a hard wired fixture so we can't use a smart plug and with multiple flame shaped light bulbs we can't just screw in a Cree or Philips bulb even for a light like this we're going to have to go straight to the switch our target is right here this set of four switches in a single plate one controls the chandelier another controls a pair of lights in the window number three is our front porch light and the last switch turns on a fixture in front yard it would be great to automate all of those and to do it we're going to replace each switch with something smarter that's smarter option the Wemo light switch with Wi-Fi built right in it's a good fit with the rest of our setup and our automations will still work even when the lights are switched off wiring for switches in together at once is a lot trickier than wiring just one but it's doable and with some help from our lead technical editor Steve Conaway we managed to squeeze everything in and get it up and running for info on how we did it make sure to check out our full post at CNET our last lighting goal is to control everything you spoken commands it's a growing facet of the smart home on which were particularly bullish and there are a lot of big names that can currently get the job done including Siri and Cortana for our purposes right now though we're going to start with something else Alexa turn on the kitchen lights okay that's right we're going with the Amazon echo smart speaker and with Alexa the cloud connected artificial intelligence housed inside that said we've got big plans for voice control here in the scene that smart home so don't be surprised if you start bringing in other platforms to test alongside Alexa check back for updates along those lines in the coming weeks we'll tell you all about it for now thanks for watching we'll see you next time you