At last: Philips invents light switch!

What's the worst thing about smart bulbs?Having to get your phone or tablet out, then open the relevant app, to turn them on or off, or turn the brightness up and down. It casts a bit of a downer over yourfuture-facing connected home.

For years, customers have cried, "If only there were some sort of 'dimmer switch', perhaps attached to your wall, that could do the job with less hassle. But surely that is too great a dream?" Not any more, friend. Not any more.

The battery means you don't need to wire anything in, but it can be installed in the space used by a standard wall switch. The business end of it can then be removed to work as a remote control, removing the need to stand up to change light levels AND the need to control via your phone or tablet.

Clearly aimed at non-techies, the wireless dimming kit solves a problem that LED bulbs apparently have with normal dimmer switches - that they can result in flickering and buzzing when adjusted.

“The Philips Hue wireless dimming kit is the lightbulb moment that will spark the natural progression into the modern, connected home,” Leonardo Avezzano, Hueproduct marketing director, boldly claims, in this press release. “Not only does the kit show how simple it is to have clever products in your home, but like all Philips Hue products it is entirely future-proof. With the kit, anyone is able to begin enjoying the simplicity of modern dimming.”

The Philips Hue wireless dimming kit will be available from September, priced £30.

Duncan is the former lifestyle editor of T3 and has been writing about tech for almost 15 years. He has covered everything from smartphones to headphones, TV to AC and air fryers to the movies of James Bond and obscure anime. His brief is everything to do with the home and kitchen, which is good because he is an excellent cook, if he says so himself. He also covers cycling and ebikes – like over-using italics, this is another passion of his.