Archive for the ‘Signify’ Category
Wednesday, July 13th, 2022
Having jazzed up my home entertainment space with smart accented lighting by two Philips Hue Play light bars, I decided to up the ante to sync the lighting effects with the movies that I was watching on my TV, as well as my music and gaming – to achieve a more immersive experience.
The Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box is a fantastic way to liven up your entertainment space for movies, gaming and music. Before (bottom) and After (top). Note how the corresponding coloured light leaps off the TV onto the surroundings.
We are all familiar with surround sound, where the sound is expanded beyond a mono or stereo speakers to encapsulate the listener for a more immersive audio experience.
Signify is offering surround lighting with its Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box (RRP: S$419) – extending the visual experience from the confines of the television (or computer monitor) to beyond the display itself to the surroundings.
What you’ll need to set up a synchronised surround lighting from scratch (sold separately): Philips Hue Play HDMI Sync Box, Philips Hue Play light bars, Philips Hue Bridge. You’ll also need the free Philips Hue app and Philips Hue Sync apps to set up and program the lights and synchronisation.
You can set this up by emplacing Philips Hue smart lights around the TV and then syncing the colours and intensities of these lights to whatever is displayed on the TV screen.
(more…)
Tags:HDMI, Home, Hue, IoT, light bars, Philips, reviews, Signify, Singapore, smart home, sync box
Posted in Accessories, Appliances, audioVisual, Decor, Gadgets, gadgets, Home, Internet of Things, IoT, Lighting, Philips, Prices, Review, reviews, Signify, Singapore, Specifications | 2 Comments »
Tuesday, July 12th, 2022
Want to jazz up your home or entertainment space with smart accented lighting that enhances the ambience and atmosphere? The Philips Hue Play light bars transform your living space instantly and easily provide immersive lighting to better enjoy your movies, games and music.
The Philips Hue Play light bars are an easy way to set up smart accented lighting to enhance the ambience of your entertainment space. Before (bottom) and After (top).
I’d installed a 65-inch Android TV from Prism+ in my living room a few months back and had been enjoying the big screen experience at home.
The basic box set for the Philips Hue Play light bar comes in a pack of two at an RRP of S$209. Currently selling online at S$146.
But that living space was a tad boring with the TV sitting on a plain cabinet against a blank wall – even though the yellow wall had been painted with an arty sponge effect.
To add some coloured ambient lighting, I got a pair of Philips Hue Play light bars and stood them on either side of the TV, atop the TV cabinet.
The light bars were really easy to set up and took all of five minutes: simply plug each light into the smart plug that came with the Hue Play light bar double pack, stick that plug into the power socket and switch on.
(more…)
Tags:HDMI, Home, Hue, IoT, light bars, Philips, reviews, Signify, Singapore, smart home, sync box
Posted in Accessories, Appliances, audioVisual, Decor, Gadgets, gadgets, Home, Lighting, Opinion, Prices, Review, reviews, Signify, Singapore, Specifications | 2 Comments »
Friday, July 8th, 2022
Signify, formerly known as Philips Lighting, is launching in Singapore a new smart lighting product line under the brand WiZ.
WiZ is a new line of plug-and-play smart lighting system that Signify is introducing into the Singapore market.
Based on Wi-Fi connectivity, the WiZ platform is in addition to the existing Zigbee-based Philips Hue smart light ecosystem.
“When people think smart homes, they think smart lighting. Lighting is the top device that they want to control with voice. With the intuitive, relevant and accessible WiZ product range, Signify is making it effortless for consumers to get started on their smart home adventure and ushering them into new realms of connectivity, control and convenience,” said Jitender Khurana, Country Head and Managing Director, Signify Singapore.
The plug-and-play WiZ Connected portfolio comprises modern bulbs, portable lights, ceiling lights, downlighters, lightstrips and accessories, enabling users to easily inject smart, connected lighting to every corner of their home.
Designed for hassle-free set-up over Bluetooth and connectivity over existing Wi-Fi networks, WiZ comes with multiple control options including the WiZ app, voice control, smart switches and motion sensors to make daily living smarter, easier and more comfortable.
It is a multi-protocol smart lighting system built on an open Internet of Things (IoT) platform to give users the ultimate smart lighting experience.
More details below from the press release.
(more…)
Tags:appliances, Home, IoT, lighting, new arrivals, Philips, Signify, Singapore, smart home, WiZ
Posted in Appliances, audioVisual, Decor, Events, events, Gadgets, gadgets, Home, Internet of Things, IoT, Launch, Lighting, newArrivals, Philips, Press Release, Signify, Singapore | 2 Comments »
Wednesday, March 30th, 2022
The world is coming to terms with having to live with COVID-19 for a while to come. Apart from population-level vaccination to enhance our resistance against the disease, how can we make our living and working environment safer from the SARS-COV-2 virus that causes the disease?
Jitender Khurana shares how UVC disinfection technology provides an effective means of sanitising the air and surfaces around us in an efficient and sustainable way. Most importantly, it can be implemented at scale without breaking the bank! Jitender Khurana is the Country Head & Managing Director for Singapore and Emerging Markets, Southeast Asia at Signify.
When will life go back to what it was like in pre-pandemic days? Will it ever? Image: Signify.
After more than two years and six million deaths globally, the world is still reeling from the humanitarian and economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic. The SARS-COV-2 virus has infected almost half a billion people around the world to date, and continues to cause more than a million new cases of COVID-19 every day.
However, the pandemic shows no sign of slowing down, following the scourge of the Delta variant which swept across the earth, as well as the current Omicron variant.
“For true endemic living, I want to be able to attend concerts, work out at a gym, watch an indoor sports event and visit a public bathroom knowing that the air I’m breathing is safe from the SARS-COV-2 virus. All these aspirations can be fulfilled through air disinfection solutions harnessing UV-C technology – in conjunction with wearing masks, social distancing and vaccination.”
Even though no end is in sight for the pandemic, life and business must go on. Governments and companies need a solution that will provide employees and citizens with a safe working and public environment that is protected from COVID-19.
Like it or not, COVID-19 is not going away and all of us will have to learn how to live, work and play while the SARS-COV-2 virus hangs around us and the disease becomes endemic.
Welcome to the new normal of “Endemic Living”.
The silver lining in the cloud is that we have learnt much since the beginning of the pandemic – about the disease itself, the virus that causes it, the way it spreads, the safety measures and practices that would protect us from infection.
I believe we are ready to embark on this new phase of the pandemic, because we are equipped with the know-how and wherewithal to live safely and normally despite COVID-19. We now know that the reason COVID-19 is so contagious is that it can be transmitted over the air.
(more…)
Tags:commentary, COVID, endemic, opinion, Signify, Tech Focus, technology, UV, UVC
Posted in Appliances, Healthcare, Interview, Opinion, Philips, Signify, Tech Focus, Technology | 6 Comments »
Monday, November 15th, 2021
The virtual Center of Excellence will promote smarter and more sustainable urban vegetable farming in Singapore and Asia.
“Signify is committed to bringing more than 80 years of experience in horticulture lighting and our spectrum of science-based lighting solutions to help growers in Asia navigate challenges in indoor farming. The Center of Excellence will act as a one-stop knowledge and expertise resource supporting farmers to move towards sustainable food production,” said Rami Hajjar, Cluster Leader for South-East Asia, Signify.
The center will provide research insights and advanced lighting solutions for growers in Singapore and the region that will help Singapore and Asia produce local, pesticide-free vegetables grown in a sustainable way.
Editor’s Note
It’s great that Signify is bringing its expertise in urban horticulture to this part of the world.
As early as 2014, when Signify was part of Philips, tech4tea.com has been watching their developments in this area.
As a virtual COE, the knowhow will be available not only in Singapore and Asia, but everywhere around the world as well.
Looking forward to its contributions to urban farming in this region and worldwide.
The center is Signify’s first virtual horticultural knowledge-based research center.
It aims to enable urban growers to access knowledge residing with Signify’s teams and specialists, expertise in its proven growth recipes and its portfolio of products and services.
Research insights gathered by Signify’s physical research hubs, the GrowWise Center in Eindhoven and BrightBox in Venlo, since 2015 will also be made available over this virtual center.
More details below from the press release.
(more…)
Tags:farming, horticulture, LED, lighting, offices, Philips, Signify, Singapore
Posted in Announce, Launch, newArrivals, Press Release, Signify, Technology | No Comments »
Friday, September 10th, 2021
IoT – or the Internet of Things – has been the buzzword for a while now and businesses are constantly on the lookout for ways to fast track their IoT adoptions and rollouts.
I spoke with Jitender Khurana to find out how a traditional lighting network can be harnessed to rapidly transform a dumb building into a smart IoT-enabled environment.
Jitender Khurana is the Country Head & Managing Director for Singapore and Emerging Markets at Signify. Photo: Signify.
I asked Jitender the key to Signify’s competitive advantage in helping its customers embrace IoT.
Three simple words: “Lighting is ubiquitous,” says Jitender, head honcho for Singapore and Emerging Markets at Signify.
“Lighting is ubiquitous,” says Jitender Khurana, head honcho for Singapore and Emerging Markets at Signify.
But how does that give Signify a leg up in helping businesses embrace IoT more quickly and easily?
Well, the most tedious aspect of rolling out an IoT implementation is typically the deployment of IoT sensors and the network connecting these sensors back to the IoT platform.
Laying the network for both power supply and data tends to be both costly and time-consuming.
For Signify – that network is simply the lighting network that forms the basic infrastructure of any building or facility.
As far as the world leader in lighting is concerned, “Where there’s light(ing), there can be an IoT sensor integrated into the luminaire”.
(more…)
Tags:Business IT, horticulture, interviews, IoT, opinion, Philips, Signify, Singapore, sustainability, UVC
Posted in Business IT, Enterprise IT, Internet of Things, Interview, Interview, IoT, Network, Opinion, Philips, Signify, Tech Focus, Technology | 4 Comments »
Monday, September 6th, 2021
Having had to #WorkFromHome for the past year, I decided to liven up the garden with a Philips Hue Lightstrip (Outdoor). It was a fun little project that was quick and easy to set up.
I got myself the 5m version of the Philips Hue Outdoor Lightstrip.
The Philips Hue Outdoor Lightstrip is a flexible, weatherproof LED strip that can be bent and shaped to produce your own lighting designs and mood in your garden or patio.
You can also use it indoors although there is a cheaper version (Lightstrip Plus) for indoor usage that’s not weatherproof..
Philips Hue Lightstrip Outdoors (5m)
The Lightstrip comes with a 2-year warranty.
I like that it is weatherproof given the wet and sunny weather in Singapore.
Power consumption is low (37.5W) even though it can put out 1650 lumens.
The rated lifespan is around 10 years (25,000 hrs).
Dimensions: 487 (L) x 1.1 (W) x 2 (H) cm
With its diffused glow, the lightstrip can be used for direct or indirect lighting, and is able to display 16 million colour and 50 shades of gray all shades of white to create your personalised desired effect.
In the box is the lightstrip itself, the weatherproof power supply for plugging into the mains outdoors, as well as clips and screws to fasten the lightstrip onto the ground or wall based on the design you want to shape it to.
The lightstrip itself is quite flexible so if you’re just laying the lightstrip on the ground, I found that I could shape it without using any clips.
The lightstrip comes in 2m (S$209) and 5m (S$339) versions and is part of the Philips Hue line of intelligent lighting products for the home.
#t4tTUCU: Philips Hue Outdoors Lightstrip from Signify – freshly unboxed. Time to add some fun and snazzy (or calm and relaxing) ambience to the garden.
Note that, in order to maximise the use of the lightstrip, you’ll need to have a Philips Hue Bridge (S$89), which is sold separately.
(more…)
Tags:deco, Home, Hue, IoT, lifestyle, lighting, lightstrip, Philips, Signify, smart home
Posted in Accessories, Appliances, audioVisual, Decor, Gadgets, gadgets, Home, Internet of Things, IoT, Opinion, Outdoors, Philips, Prices, Review, reviews, Signify, Specifications | 6 Comments »
Sunday, September 5th, 2021
Tech-U-Can-Use (TUCU): The Philips Hue Bridge (S$89) is the starting point for anyone thinking of building a smart lighting system for their homes. It is the hub that connects and controls smart lights and accessories from the Philips Hue family of smart lighting products.
The Philips Hue Bridge is the HEART of the Philips Hue home smart lighting.
Since we’re all spending so much time #WorkingFromHome and doing #HomeBasedLearning – thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, I decided to turn as much of my dwelling into a smart home.
ZigBee technology
Philips Hue is based on ZigBee, a low-power and reliable technology to control your lights.
Zigbee is a worldwide standard for low power, self-healing, mesh networks offering a complete and interoperable IoT solution for home and building automation.
Zigbee networks can support hundreds of nodes, and have enhanced security features.
There are already Google Home wireless speakers around the home, so the next step is to introduce some nice lighting to enhance the ambience for both work and play.
One of the easiest ways to fix up smart lighting in the home is the Philips Hue bulbs and lights from Signify (foremely Philips Lighting).
The Philips Hue Bridge is the hub to which all the Philips Hue smart lights are connected and through which the Philips Hue App controls those lights.
Philips Hue Bridge – freshly unboxed. Excited to take the first step in setting up a smart lighting system at home.
The Hue Bridge is a compact little box that measures 90.9 x 90.6 x 26 mm and weighs 280g.
(more…)
Tags:bridge, hub, Hue, IoT, lifestyle, lighting, networking, Philips, Signify, smart home
Posted in Accessories, audioVisual, Decor, Gadgets, gadgets, Home, Howtos, Internet of Things, IoT, Lifestyle, Network, Philips, reviews, Router, Signify, Utility | 2 Comments »
Thursday, June 3rd, 2021
Signify has improved the new Philips Hue App with better app performance and enhanced user experience with easier automations, a new Hue scene gallery and more.
The new Philips Hue App serves as the foundation for the future of Signify’s smart lighting and includes familiar user interface elements from the previous Philips Hue app but is now sleeker.
Rebuilt from the ground up, the fourth generation Philips Hue app has been designed with new technologies to improve app performance both in overall function and in communication with your smart lighting system, while also delivering an intuitive and enhanced user experience.
More details below from the press release.
(more…)
Tags:Apps, IoT, lifestyle, lighting, new arrivals, Philips, Signify, smart home, software
Posted in Announce, App, Apps, audioVisual, Decor, Home, Internet of Things, IoT, Launch, Lifestyle, newArrivals, Philips, Press Release, Signify, Software, software, Specifications | 1 Comment »
Tech Focus: Making it Safe to Live and Work in Endemic COVID
Wednesday, March 30th, 2022The world is coming to terms with having to live with COVID-19 for a while to come. Apart from population-level vaccination to enhance our resistance against the disease, how can we make our living and working environment safer from the SARS-COV-2 virus that causes the disease?
Jitender Khurana shares how UVC disinfection technology provides an effective means of sanitising the air and surfaces around us in an efficient and sustainable way. Most importantly, it can be implemented at scale without breaking the bank! Jitender Khurana is the Country Head & Managing Director for Singapore and Emerging Markets, Southeast Asia at Signify.
When will life go back to what it was like in pre-pandemic days? Will it ever? Image: Signify.
After more than two years and six million deaths globally, the world is still reeling from the humanitarian and economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic. The SARS-COV-2 virus has infected almost half a billion people around the world to date, and continues to cause more than a million new cases of COVID-19 every day.
However, the pandemic shows no sign of slowing down, following the scourge of the Delta variant which swept across the earth, as well as the current Omicron variant.
“For true endemic living, I want to be able to attend concerts, work out at a gym, watch an indoor sports event and visit a public bathroom knowing that the air I’m breathing is safe from the SARS-COV-2 virus. All these aspirations can be fulfilled through air disinfection solutions harnessing UV-C technology – in conjunction with wearing masks, social distancing and vaccination.”
Even though no end is in sight for the pandemic, life and business must go on. Governments and companies need a solution that will provide employees and citizens with a safe working and public environment that is protected from COVID-19.
Like it or not, COVID-19 is not going away and all of us will have to learn how to live, work and play while the SARS-COV-2 virus hangs around us and the disease becomes endemic.
Welcome to the new normal of “Endemic Living”.
The silver lining in the cloud is that we have learnt much since the beginning of the pandemic – about the disease itself, the virus that causes it, the way it spreads, the safety measures and practices that would protect us from infection.
I believe we are ready to embark on this new phase of the pandemic, because we are equipped with the know-how and wherewithal to live safely and normally despite COVID-19. We now know that the reason COVID-19 is so contagious is that it can be transmitted over the air.
(more…)
Tags:commentary, COVID, endemic, opinion, Signify, Tech Focus, technology, UV, UVC
Posted in Appliances, Healthcare, Interview, Opinion, Philips, Signify, Tech Focus, Technology | 6 Comments »