We’ve seen Philips’ Hue lightbulbs do some pretty cool stuff, but things are about to get crazy. Philips revealed that they have some open APIs and an iOS SDK for the Hue connected lighting system.
The official SDK for Hue means that third-party apps and hardware can pick up where Hue left off and bring new features to the Hue system that Philips can’t bring on its own.
With the Hue API, Philips will allow hardware companies to connect with their ZigBee standard so that motion detectors, thermostats, connected appliances and more can talk with the Hue bridge and initiate certain programs and features.
As reported by TechCrunch, Hue System Architect George Yianni had the following to say about Hue becoming a platform:
“We’re now at a point where there are already about 10 applications that have been shared and built from the unofficial developer community for new applications around Hue. Now what we want to do as Philips is we actually want to help and grow and encourage this community, and give them tools and proper documentation. Also, we want to give them commitment that this is the API and we’re going to support it and it won’t change overnight.”
Hopefully we’ll see some big names start to integrate with Hue. Nest seems like a good fit, but video game developers could also tap into Hue and make games more immersive by changing the lights in your room to match the game. But more than anything, I’m just looking to developers making simple features, like your Hue lights turning on whenever your iPhone walks through the door.
Source: Philips
Via: TechCrunch
