Those interested in home automation often start with the small things, such as connected light bulbs that you can control using your mobile device even when you’re out of the house.

Connected bulbs makes it easier for people to turn lights on or off without having to get up and walk across the room to the light switch. Also, because you can turn the smart bulbs on or off when you want to, they save on your electric bill.

Philips hue is one of the most popular connected bulbs already available on the market. Not only does the smart bulb allow for remote control, there are over 16 million hues available in the color palette so you can change the color of the bulb to make it appear you’re enjoying the perfect sunset at the beach.

The hue family is expanding to give consumers more choice and freedom as they transition to a smart and connected home.

In Amsterdam, The Netherlands, Philips Royal, the company behind hue and the leader in LED lighting, has announced three new products for its connected lighting solutions.

hue lux

The hue lux is a bright white-only version of hue, which means it can be controlled using your smartphone or tablet, and is compatible with the vast range of hue apps and hardware. Just like hue, lux has digital dimming control so you can choose bright, warm white light for practical tasks to dimmed light when you’re just relaxing.

It’s compatible with the disco app to sync lux with your favorite music, or use Jawbone Up to let lux perform automatic actions the moment you wake up or fall asleep. And just like the original hue, you can use IFTTT recipes to set automatic actions such as turning the lights on when your phone connects to your home WiFi, or set it to automatically turn off at 10 PM.

Each hue lux starter kit comes with two bulbs and a bridge which connects to your home WiFi router and allows you to control the connected bulbs wherever you are.

Pricing for the lux kit hasn’t been announced, but it will be available in the US and European markets after Summer 2014.

“Hue lux is another entry point for people who are ready for the connected home,” comments Filip Jan Depauw, Senior Director, Philips Lighting.

“Hue lux offers personal wireless functional lighting, giving users perfect control over their homes by reinventing the dimmer switch and giving you control via an array of apps. Hue lux makes your everyday activity even brighter, with the ability to operate up to 50 bulbs with each smart bridge, once you have the kit, your connected lighting experience is completely scalable: you can add any hue-compatible product to any room in your home.”

hue tap

Hue tap is a clever little switch that allows you to control your connected lights. You might be wondering why you need this device if you can already use your smartphone or tablet to control hue, but let’s face it, you don’t always have your smartphone or tablet to hand as it needs time to charge, you forget it in the bedroom, you’re kid’s playing with, or some other reason. Hue tap allows you to control a hue or a group of hues by just tapping on one of the four circles on the device. You can easily set it to control a single bulb or a group of bulbs.

The cool thing about hue tap is that it doesn’t need a battery or any power source to operate as it uses kinetic energy to function. You just need to tap on the device to make it work. You can put it on your wall, on your coffee table, or anywhere you can easily access when you need it.

Priced at $59.95 / €59.95, the hue tap will be released in the US and European markets after Summer 2014.

“Hue tap is the perfect solution for users who want to control their personal wireless lighting with yet more convenience,” remarks Filip Jan Depauw, Senior Director, Philips Lighting.

“It is more than just a modern take on the wall switch – it combines easy-to-use traditional lighting control with the smart, intuitive, fun world of hue.”

Philips 3D-printed hue luminaires

If you want a light source that makes your home more interesting, Philips has teamed up with globally-renowned design teams WertelOberfell and Strand+Hvass, to deliver 3D-printed hue table & pendant luminaires.

The luminaires were designed to look like a piece of art but because of 3D printing, they were able to make the luminaires as light emitting cells instead of light gathering cells, which means the brightness of the hue bulbs isn’t diminished. The designs of the luminaires were inspired by nature to bring a boring room to life.

“3D printing provides more freedom, control and even personalization when designing lighting products. There are fewer boundaries for creativity with Philips hue as there are unlimited options to generate any mood or lighting effect. Combined, we have created the most advanced, digital (even futuristic) technologies for a functional, emotional and unique object,” comments WertelOberfell designer Jan Wertel.

WertelOberfell designed the Entity pendant lamp using the geometry seen in the eyes of crustaceans and insects to deliver an exquisite light effect. The Tempest table lamp was conceived by Danish duo Strand + Hvass, who took inspiration from the shadows seen when the spring sun shines through naked branches delivering a captivating scene from nature.

The luminaires and hue make any boring room come to life as you can easily change the color of the bulb with a few swipes on your smartphone or tablet, to create an enchanted scene in your home.

“The expression of color produced by Philips hue adds an element of surprise that’s magical and mysterious, creating a sense of wonder,” explains Strand+Hvass designer Niels Hvass.

The Tempest and Entity lamps will be on display at the Philips Forum at Light and Building show in Frankfurt from March 31 to April 4, 2014.

You can pre-order the luminaires on March 31, 2014 at www.meethue.com.  The Entity lamp is priced at EUR 2.999 and Tempest at EUR 2.499.