How many tech firms does it take to change a light bulb for the worse? Only one: Philips

The company's Hue controllers allow you to change the colour and brightness of bulbs. But then Philips decided to block third-party suppliers.

You know how frustrating it is when you put a cartridge in your printer, and it tuts at you about "not an approved part", after which, printing becomes even more of a lottery than usual? Now you can get the same experience with light bulbs.

In mid-December, Philips - best known for the fabulously popular compact cassette and then the fabulously unpopular digital compact cassette - released a firmware update for its Hue LED light bulbs and controllers. Apart from having a rather HAL-like appearance, with a glowing red centre surrounded by blackness, the Hue is meant to let you control the colour and brightness of your bulbs, all from the comfort of your smartphone.