PresenceLight

PresenceLight is a cool app that really enhances your smart lighting setup. If you're into Wi-Fi-enabled lights, you've probably noticed how underrated they are. These smart lights are perfect for giving your home a modern touch and are super easy to use. They’re almost essential if you want to create a real 'smart home' vibe!

What Does PresenceLight Do?

If you already have smart bulbs like Philips Hue or LIFX, you’ll want to check out this app! With PresenceLight, you can send different status updates directly to your smart lights. This means you can show off your Microsoft Teams availability statuses—like Available, Busy, Do Not Disturb, Be Right Back, and Appear Anyway—all through your light setup. Plus, it can match the colors of your Windows 10 theme or let you choose your own colors!

Getting Started with PresenceLight

Before diving in, just remember that you'll need Windows 10 version 1903 or higher to run this app. After installing it on your PC, make sure to enable something called side-loading apps in Windows 10. The first time you open the app, you'll be asked to log in with your Microsoft account so everything can sync up smoothly.

Connecting Your Devices

To link PresenceLight with your Philips Hue lights, you'll need access to the Philips Hue Bridge. If you're unsure about it, the app can help find it for you! Once connected and after getting an IP address, just register a developer account and grab an API key by clicking the "register Bridge" button. Press the sync button on your Philips Hue device and you should be all set!

LIFX Device Setup

If you're using LIFX lights instead, connecting them is pretty similar but requires a LIFX developer token. For detailed steps on how to do this, take a look at the app’s official Setup Guide.

User Experience with PresenceLight

The setup may seem tricky at first glance but don’t worry; once everything is configured correctly, the app is really user-friendly! While its interface isn’t exactly flashy or modern-looking, it works perfectly fine for what it's meant to do. You can easily adjust settings like brightness level and polling intervals right from its minimalistic Settings section.

Conclusion: Why You Should Try It Out!

In short, PresenceLight adds some neat features to your smart lighting system at home! While it might not become super popular among all Philips Hue users out there, it's definitely a handy tool for folks working from home who want to communicate their availability without interruptions.