Philips is in the news with its introduction of Hue Go, a bowl-like structure of light that can get around anywhere you want to take it. A bulb serving a hanging lamp in the living room is so old news. We did put up with it in the 20th century but this is the 21st and Philips wants its consumers to lighten up, so to speak and leverage smart technologies. This is a time when lighting should be versatile, adjustable, beyond a light-shedding connected bulb, and getting smarter.

Philips Hue, the connected lighting system, was introduced by Philips in 2012, which enables the user to control light wirelessly, and to personalize light with an app on a smartphone or tablet. "Put simply, lighting is now central to the Internet of Things and we see Philips Hue as the go-to lighting brand for the home", said Sridhar Kumaraswamy, business leader for Philips' connected home systems. The Philips Hue is capable of alarms, alerts and timing. "With the majority of Hue products you require a device called the Bridge, which is used to communicate to the various Hue products within a given setup," said Pocket-lint.

Now the new kid on the block announced this week is something called Hue Go. On Thursday Philips announced the new kid on the block, with the motto "Take light with you."

MacRumors summed it up as "Hue Go is a WiFi-enabled portable light that connects to and functions like the company's existing Hue lights, but it can be moved from its base to any room in the house." Kumaraswamy said, "People can take the light wherever they want, creating the light that suits their moment, taste or mood." Unplug it from the mains and it can become a table centerpiece, an accentuating or softening-mood light, lasting for up to three hours in battery mode. The device has its own control button; one can from seven different light effects.

The look of the Go piece is attractive, having a timeless aura with its spherical body and translucent design or, as the company worded it, "pure without clutter." The release said that Hue Go was designed to withstand high humidity, but it is not waterproof or weather-rated. Although you can move it outside, it was not designed to "live" outside or be exposed to strong weather conditions unless in a covered space. Like Philips Hue, the Go device will carry capabilities such as notifications of new email.

"Philips Hue Go works seamlessly with all Philips Hue and Friends of Hue products, easily integrating into an existing network." The release said that setting up a new network was simple, to "just make sure the Philips Hue bridge is connected to your wireless network, then simply download the Philips Hue app to your smart device and plug in Philips Hue Go." The Philips Hue Go costs €99.95 and is available in Europe from this month and North America from June.

More information: www2.meethue.com/en-XX