

I love my Philips Hue lights: I've got smart bulbs in every room, a sync box and gradient strip for my TV and I'm keen to get my hands on the outdoor portable Hue light that's coming in late summer. I think Hue is the best smart lighting system around, and it's about to get a whole lot better. I know this thanks to a new leak from, er, Hue.
Hue is bringing new Natural Light scenes to its Scene Gallery, and while the feature hasn't launched yet Hue accidentally enabled it in the app. Hueblog.com reader Sebastian spotted it before Philips removed it again: the scene was available via the new search feature coming to the Scene Gallery, but it's since been taken out.
I hope they put it back soon, because this is a really great feature.
Why natural light will brighten your day
I spent many years in horrible buildings lit with horrible artificial light, and the difference decent, more natural light makes is really dramatic. In a typical office environment artificial light makes me feel really lethargic and tends to bring on headaches; stick me next to a window and I'll feel and work much better. Unfortunately I live in Scotland so even that's only available some of the year: once we get past the summer months I'm firing up the SAD lamp and munching vitamin D.
Natural lighting attempts to mimic the sun by changing the colour temperature of your lights throughout the day. That means cooler tones first thing in the morning, with the light getting warmer as the day progresses. In the screenshots of the Hue implementation it shows a blueish cast until 10am, moving through white in the middle of the day and then becoming more yellow from late afternoon onwards. After dinner the tone is a welcoming warm yellowy-orange. You can adjust the transition times and the colour temperatures to suit your own preferences.
Philips isn't the first to bring this kind of lighting to smart homes: Apple introduced Adaptive Lighting for HomeKit lights in iOS 14, with compatibility for the likes of Hue and Eve. But having it right there in the Hue app means it's going to be available to many more people, and as the good weather starts to fade in the coming months that means it'll help a lot of people feel better too.
Sign up to the T3 newsletter for smarter living straight to your inbox
Get all the latest news, reviews, deals and buying guides on gorgeous tech, home and active products from the T3 experts
Writer, musician and broadcaster Carrie Marshall has been covering technology since 1998 and is particularly interested in how tech can help us live our best lives. Her CV is a who’s who of magazines, newspapers, websites and radio programmes ranging from T3, Techradar and MacFormat to the BBC, Sunday Post and People’s Friend. Carrie has written more than a dozen books, ghost-wrote two more and co-wrote seven more books and a Radio 2 documentary series; her memoir, Carrie Kills A Man, was shortlisted for the British Book Awards. When she’s not scribbling, Carrie is the singer in Glaswegian rock band Unquiet Mind (unquietmindmusic).
-
5 smart tech essentials for seniors
How smart tech is helping the elderly retain their independence
-
Home security for renters – 3 best methods to keep your home safe
From smart locks to indoor cameras, here's how to keep your rented home safe
-
Amazon accidentally leaked Philips Hue’s latest smart light – here’s what we know so far
Philips Hue’s leaked smart light could complete your ultimate entertainment set-up
-
Philips Hue's AI-powered assistant is heading our way – here's everything we know so far
It was first unveiled back in January
-
Philips Hue's latest update fixes one of its biggest smart home headaches
Controlling everything just got a whole lot simpler
-
Beko’s latest smart home update will make your appliances a lot cheaper to run
It's arrived at the perfect time
-
Swann launches video doorbell with revolutionary SwannShield AI Voice Assistant
This might just redefine what video doorbells are capable of
-
TP-Link unveils first-ever smart home hub with advanced AI and no subscription fee
It's also Matter-compatible