ADVANCEDPROJECTS
128 JULY2020|COMPUTER SHOPPER|ISSUE389
that app or service triggers your lights (and
other devices, if you choose).
The Hue app has geofencing built in -you
just sign up foraHue account and use one of
the Hue Labs Routines (accessed through the
Explore section of the app). Labs aren’t the
easiest toolstouse,loading in acaptiveweb
browser that’s not entirely finger-friendly,but
there are lots of quirkyRoutines to playwith.
Fornon-Hue users, there are other devices
that can sense your presence.For example,
LIFX has an integration with Nest, so if you
have Home/AwayAssist active on your
Smart Thermostat, you can have your lights
turn on as well as your heating.
Foramix-and-match systemof different
devices and manufacturers, IFTTT is probably
best (seeifttt.com). Sign up and you can set
all kinds of triggers, fromtime and dateto
location to other bits of smart hardware in
your house.Wecovered how to set up
IFTTT recipes in detail inAdvanced Projects,
Shopper381, but it works on the basis that ‘if’
atrigger event occurs, ‘then’aresulting
action should happen –IfThis, Then That.
So you could set alocation as your ‘This’
triggerand your ‘That’ action would be turn
on your porch, hallway, kitchen and living
roomlights. If you use different lights from
different manufacturers forthese rooms,
you might have to set up afew Recipes for
each manufacturer.
Rather than fiddle with geofencing, and to
allayany concerns about being tracked by
apps or companies, you could set your lights
to activate based on movement. The Hue and
Hive ranges have inexpensive motion
detectors. These are battery-powered, so can
be placed anywhere: the foot of your stairs,
anormallydark hallwayleading to atoilet,
oppositethe front door,the landingtohelp
guests find the bathroomat night.
If you’re dealing with adevice that’s
directly supported, you can just add it to the
systemusing the relevant app.For example,
to addthe £30 Hue Motion Sensor,open the
Settings menu of the Hue app,tap Accessory
setup, AddAccessory,then select Hue
Motion Sensor and follow theguide.
The default settings forthe Motion
Detector Labs Recipe let you set abehaviour
fordaytime (which you define by time,rather
TP-Link LIFX Hue
⬆Inthe TP-Link app (left) you set schedules per bulb,while LIFX (centre) lets you group lights together,and Hue (right) allows you to automateentire rooms
⬅The ever-brilliant IFTTT service has lots of
pre-made recipestoallow all kinds of events to
control your Hue lights
