Tune your light to your mood with Philips's first rechargeable Hue Go

Philips Hue line of bulbs and other smartphone-controlled lighting accessories have been some of the popular and successful home automation products of the past few years. They're easy to set up, easy to customise and now, they are easy to use anywhere you need — thanks to the new Philips Hue Go, which is powered by a rechargeable battery.

Like the bulbs and other fixtures in the Hue line, the Go will work indefinitely while it's plugged into a power outlet. But after about an hour-and-a-half, it will be fully charged and can then be freed from its tether and will continue to glow for about three hours. You don't even need to ensure the Hue Go is still within range of your home's Wi-Fi network because while it can be controlled using a Hue mobile app of your preference, it also has its own control buttons for turning it on or off, or adjusting the spectrum of colours it cycles through.

It is likely to be available sometime in late May or early June this year and will sell for $100 (Rs 6,222 approx) which some might see as a little expensive for just a colour-changing flashlight. But when connected to a Hue system on your home's Wi-Fi network, the Go can be everything from ambient mood lighting that matches whatever you're watching on television, to a remote email notifier letting you know a new message has arrived as it changes colour.

And yes, it can even be a flashlight — albeit one that can pass as a stylish centerpiece.