Smart light bulbs and fixtures, connected to this and that via external control and intelligent lighting systems … may not always work as you think.
TL;DR: Phillips has uploaded new patches to its Hue "smart" ambient lighting system to exclude light bulbs from competitors to Phillips.
Yes, this is basically saying that expensive smart lamp will only use bulbs from accepted (ch-ching) manufacturers, not from manufacturers who are producing compatible bulbs but haven't reached the proper, ahem, arrangement with Phillips.
Does this sound really, really short-sighted of Phillips? I sure hope so. Getting rid of compatibility while selling sophisticated hardware doesn't seem like a winning combination to me. But, hey, what do I know, I'm just a potential consumer …
Lack of documented compatibility with standards is what has always stopped me from buying any – I've been bitten with incompatible home automation before.
You have to have a rock solid product to pull this off. And I imagine most people will say, it's just a bulb WTF.
Failing to feel sympathy. Who the hell needs a ‘smart lightbulb’?