App Controlled Stuff
Discussion
Kettles, microwaves, coffee machines, washing machines and so on.
Does anybody actually have one, and does it actually enrich your life?
Does the app put in the water/food/coffee/clothes or do you, as I suspect, have to physically interact with the device anyway, thus rendering the app pointless?
Does anybody actually have one, and does it actually enrich your life?
Does the app put in the water/food/coffee/clothes or do you, as I suspect, have to physically interact with the device anyway, thus rendering the app pointless?
Well for us oldies; there's a couple of things it does really well. Via Alexa, my wife can voice control the radio and check our shared google diary. (I just have to keep it up to date). Also as she finds the stairs difficult and needs heat for relaxation, being able to control her electric blanket from the sitting room to pre heat the bed is magic. There's also a Dot in the bedroom for radio and turning the blanket off.
I have a spare smart plug, but just can't think of anything useful to do with it.
I have a spare smart plug, but just can't think of anything useful to do with it.
I use smartplugs to control the lamp in the dining room and another behind the sofa in the living room where the switch is a pain to reach. They work with Alexa and an app so I can turn lights off in bed, set timers or just yell at Alexa.
No idea why coffee / kettle / microwave would benefit though.
No idea why coffee / kettle / microwave would benefit though.
In an open plan house, using Alexa to control the lighting makes life simpler, for example want to makes sure all 7 sets of internal and external lights are off, setup with Alexa, and then hey presto, want different scenes, plays film etc, setup the routine then just ask Alexa, it all runs quite well imho
So there seems to be a fair amount of uptake of Alexa, Siri and the like, but the 'app controlled' stuff; not so much?
I saw an app controlled kettle yesterday, but presumably you have to put water in it yourself, so you will end up standing next to it anyway. As mentioned above, an app controlled vacuum cleaner has the same limitation, and so wold a washing machine.
I saw an app controlled kettle yesterday, but presumably you have to put water in it yourself, so you will end up standing next to it anyway. As mentioned above, an app controlled vacuum cleaner has the same limitation, and so wold a washing machine.
Doofus said:
So there seems to be a fair amount of uptake of Alexa, Siri and the like, but the 'app controlled' stuff; not so much?
I saw an app controlled kettle yesterday, but presumably you have to put water in it yourself, so you will end up standing next to it anyway. As mentioned above, an app controlled vacuum cleaner has the same limitation, and so wold a washing machine.
Vacuum / mover could be entirely automated if it is the robot type. As for kettles etc, they make no sense to me.I saw an app controlled kettle yesterday, but presumably you have to put water in it yourself, so you will end up standing next to it anyway. As mentioned above, an app controlled vacuum cleaner has the same limitation, and so wold a washing machine.
WEll, those stuffs aren't perfect yet, though. It takes time, I guess. I personally wouldn't expect that stuffs like Alexa, Siri, etc will come up 10 years ago, and here we are with all of those things. I think it's not long until we will see a "real" robot which can make your life even easier.
I use a lot of connected stuff around my house. It is all controlled by Openhab. this means just one app can control many different systems. It is all tied in to google home for voice control. I have rules set up so when heading to bed you just say hey google goodnight and she politely switches everything of, lights, tv, settop box etc. All this is done in such a way that everything can be used just as it normally would be, like a light switch on the wall or by remote control. I have stuff automatically set to come on at sunset, other stuff the can be set as part of a scene which only comes on if it is night time, like when you turn the tv on it decides if it is night time and if it is it switched some lights on as well. It detects me arriving home and if it is night time it will turn some lights on. it knows who is home and only operates lights etc if there is a need for them.
I know i don't need any of this and it all worked fine before i set this up, but hey i enjoy the process of making it happen.
I know i don't need any of this and it all worked fine before i set this up, but hey i enjoy the process of making it happen.
grumbledoak said:
Robot vacuum on a schedule is very handy, but using it the phone App as a remote control would negate the very point of it!
What vacuum have you got? I've got a laminate floored living room with a Huksy, wondering if a robot vacuum would hlep to keep the hair levels down a little inbetween normal cleans. I have a drier that comes with something called one touch.
The idea seems to be that you can instead of using the nice purpose built dial and buttons to set it, you can press some tiny virtual buttons on a poorly made app, use the physical dial to set it to one touch mode, then carefully line up the un marked nfc contact point on your phone with an area on the front of the drier and with 1 touch you have setup the drier.
If it's function wasn't dubious enough, it really isn't helped by being completely f
king useless, the nfc reader is really unreliable, and the app is st.
The idea seems to be that you can instead of using the nice purpose built dial and buttons to set it, you can press some tiny virtual buttons on a poorly made app, use the physical dial to set it to one touch mode, then carefully line up the un marked nfc contact point on your phone with an area on the front of the drier and with 1 touch you have setup the drier.
If it's function wasn't dubious enough, it really isn't helped by being completely f
king useless, the nfc reader is really unreliable, and the app is st.AJB88 said:
What vacuum have you got? I've got a laminate floored living room with a Huksy, wondering if a robot vacuum would hlep to keep the hair levels down a little inbetween normal cleans.
I have the Eufy RoboVac 11c, which is the WiFi connected version of the base model, so you can turn it on with the App or Alexa. It is often on sale under £200 on Amazon, and it does a great job on my hardwood floor. I don't vacuum myself ever. I've not got a dog though...I bought a smart plug. I could say something like Alexa turn on switch 1 and she would say something like did you mean first plug. And I'd say yeah probably and sometimes my lamp would turn on. it was good a couple of times then I forgot about it for a few weeks then Alexa went back in her draw where she belongs and first plug or what ever it likes to call its self these days was kicked off my network and is activated by the push switch on it's side which seems to work every time.
App controlled central heating/hot water.
It's great.
It's all programmed as we want it so very little actual use via the phone. Comes in very handy when we do use the App though.
If out, on returning use a phone to turn everything back on an hour or so before arrival. Can also see the temps in each room and which radiators are on. Brilliant kit.
It's great.
It's all programmed as we want it so very little actual use via the phone. Comes in very handy when we do use the App though.
If out, on returning use a phone to turn everything back on an hour or so before arrival. Can also see the temps in each room and which radiators are on. Brilliant kit.
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