re: Smart Light questions

If you're looking into purchasing a hub, Samsung Samrtthings is a good option. I started with a Wink Hub, then a Wink Hub 2, and swapped over to Smarthings 2. We just got all our indoor and outdoor Christmas lighting setup last weekend. All the lights come on and off throughout the day depending on when we are home and simply when the sun goes down. Beyond that I've got a combination of lights, tvs, plugs, and sensors tied to the hub that allow us to broaden our options for automations.

Two big benefits of smart hubs:
1) A hub will tie your devices together to one app.
2) A hub will allow you to build a number of automations that can involve any of your connected devices.

The last thing I'll mention is that you are probably better off long-term investing in one family of products if possible (assuming it is a reliable brand). Primarily because it cuts down on the number of accounts and apps you'll end up having to manage over time.