Smart lights, what's best?

There are indeed good workflows, and smart lighting is great. All my floor, desk, and table lamps are smart lights, controlled by a combination of Alexa (for voice control) and HomeKit (automations).

My lighting automations are pretty simple. The patio light turns on a little before sunset and off just after sunrise, and I never have to think about it. If I’m coming home after sunset, HomeKit switches one of the living room lights on so I’m not fumbling around in the dark when I walk in.

I started out with LIFX, and still have two of those, but I quickly moved to Hue for reasons others have already mentioned.

Hue can be a bit expensive, but Amazon sometimes has some good sales on them.

Following up on this - I’m putting smart lights in my office. I can put in a hub, like the Hue Hub, but I currently do not have an Apple TV or another Mac device that gives me HomeKit integration at this location. Any of these systems better for automation, if you can’t integrate with HomeKit?

The Hue hub is fine for automation.

Do any of you who are using Phillips Hue or other smart lights and homekit stuff worry about security?

See the latest FBI info on a “drive by hacking” and what you give up by allowing IoT stuff into your life.

Are you referring to this: https://www.forbes.com/sites/zakdoffman/2020/02/05/fbi-drive-by-hacking-warning-just-got-real-heres-how-this-malicious-new-threat-works/#6f3b38e50171 ?

Yes, one should be smart about what to add and how to add it to your home network, but not wanting “IoT stuff in my life” goes a bit too far imho. First off, hackers are interested in high value targets - that sort of excludes you and me (sorry i am making an assumption that you are not of high value, i could be wrong). With the kind of IoT hacking described, the hacker must be at least at first in the vicinity of your house. That is not too practical for most so i thing that brings the actual risk down quite a bit.

The vulnerability vector discussed in the article is already on Philips’ list to fix so that hopefully takes care of things. Other vendors may not be so diligent so pick well known names for IoT devices. Finding exposed hacking vectors, fixing them, finding some more etc. is common practice also in the personal computer world.

I remain of the opinion that being hacked though ones PC or router is far more likely than through IoT devices. That isn’t to say we can be sloppy with IoT, but i think you may enjoy their luxuries from time to time.

Hackers can use your computer as a zombie device.

I have a separate internet connection for work (Mac, iPhone, iPad). Everything else is on a separate network and I use an older iPad to control HomeKit.

Agreed that through a machine or router is more likely.

I have yet to see anything available on the IoT that makes me willing to risk it. I don’t see it as a luxury but as an invasive intrusion in my life with very little upside and a potentially HUGE downside.