Lighting company Signify today announced new Festavia string lights that are being added to the Philips Hue lineup ahead of the holidays.
The Philips Hue Festavia string lights include 250 mini smart LEDs on a 20-meter cord, which can be used on a Christmas tree, stairway, mantel, and more.
As with other Hue products, the Festavia lights can be set to more than 16 million colors, and a single strand supports multiple colors for a gradient effect. Festavia lights are HomeKit-compatible and pair well with other Philips Hue products.
The lights can be controlled with Siri, the Hue app, and the Home app. Lights can be turned on or off, dimmed, and the colors can be changed. With Spotify integration, the lights can be set to flash, dim, and brighten in tune with a song that's playing.
With the launch of the Festavia lights, the Hue app is gaining a sparkle effect that can make the strand twinkle, plus there is a new Scattered option that spreads five colors randomly along the light string.
The Festavia lights are priced at $160 and will launch on November 15. They will be available from the Philips Hue website.
Thursday February 5, 2026 12:54 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple turns 50 this year, and its CEO Tim Cook has promised to celebrate the milestone. The big day falls on April 1, 2026.
"I've been unusually reflective lately about Apple because we have been working on what do we do to mark this moment," Cook told employees today, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "When you really stop and pause and think about the last 50 years, it makes your heart ...
Thursday February 5, 2026 12:22 pm PST by Joe Rossignol
Apple plans to announce the iPhone 17e on Thursday, February 19, according to Macwelt, the German equivalent of Macworld.
The report, citing industry sources, is available in English on Macworld.
Apple announced the iPhone 16e on Wednesday, February 19 last year, so the iPhone 17e would be unveiled exactly one year later if this rumor is accurate. It is quite uncommon for Apple to unveil...
Friday February 6, 2026 3:06 pm PST by Juli Clover
In the iOS 26.4 update that's coming this spring, Apple will introduce a new version of Siri that's going to overhaul how we interact with the personal assistant and what it's able to do.
The iOS 26.4 version of Siri won't work like ChatGPT or Claude, but it will rely on large language models (LLMs) and has been updated from the ground up.
Upgraded Architecture
The next-generation...
Tuesday February 3, 2026 7:47 am PST by Joe Rossignol
While the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate is now available ahead of a public release, the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April.
Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far.
iOS 26.3
iPhone to Android Transfer Tool
iOS 26.3 makes it easier...
The iPhone 18 Pro Max will feature a bigger battery for continued best-in-class battery life, according to a known Weibo leaker.
Citing supply chain information, the Weibo user known as "Digital Chat Station" said that the iPhone 18 Pro Max will have a battery capacity of 5,100 to 5,200 mAh. Combined with the efficiency improvements of the A20 Pro chip, made with TSMC's 2nm process, the...
