Cloud Based Smart Device Forum
- Thread starter jmed999
- Start date
pete_c
Guru
There are Homeseer plugins for just about all of the above mentioned cloud devices; hence these are mentioned over on the Homeseer forum and their connectivity to Homeseer.
The base Homeseer 3 OS is now using IFTTT.
I am an old auto mater here and still use wires to do primary automation in the house. I do tinker with the stuff (cloud and wireless) and today have no automation dependencies on it. It is a cheap and easy way to automate.
Unrelated just noticed a couple of days ago that my Verizon FIOS internet is now Frontier Communications. The service from Verizon has gone down hill since I first installed it. I was thinking of switching over to Comcast as they have replaced all of the old cable with new cable.
The base Homeseer 3 OS is now using IFTTT.
I am an old auto mater here and still use wires to do primary automation in the house. I do tinker with the stuff (cloud and wireless) and today have no automation dependencies on it. It is a cheap and easy way to automate.
Unrelated just noticed a couple of days ago that my Verizon FIOS internet is now Frontier Communications. The service from Verizon has gone down hill since I first installed it. I was thinking of switching over to Comcast as they have replaced all of the old cable with new cable.
jmed999
Active Member
Thanks for the replies! I started out with an ISY controller and lots of Insteon and z-wave devices. About to put the house on the market so I've been uninstalling the Insteon and Zwave devices and started tinkering with the cloud based smart devices.
So far I've bought 2 Nest stats and smoke/CO detectors, Netatmo weather station & a Rachio irrigation controller. One thing I really like is they connect to the router wirelessly without making router changes (ie. port forwarding, etc). Using the IFTTT app makes it easy to write simple programs.
I think this is the future. Heck even my new kamado grill controller is cloud based and can be controlled anywhere. https://www.flameboss.com/store/p/34-Flame-Boss-200-WiFi-Kamado-Smoker-Controller-Fits-Big-Green-Egg.aspx
Seems like there's no forum on the net to discuss these type devices. Again thanks for the replies!
So far I've bought 2 Nest stats and smoke/CO detectors, Netatmo weather station & a Rachio irrigation controller. One thing I really like is they connect to the router wirelessly without making router changes (ie. port forwarding, etc). Using the IFTTT app makes it easy to write simple programs.
I think this is the future. Heck even my new kamado grill controller is cloud based and can be controlled anywhere. https://www.flameboss.com/store/p/34-Flame-Boss-200-WiFi-Kamado-Smoker-Controller-Fits-Big-Green-Egg.aspx
Seems like there's no forum on the net to discuss these type devices. Again thanks for the replies!
BraveSirRobbin
Moderator
pete_c
Guru
Yeah the dust has not settled on much of the cloud connected hubs and many claim or want to claim all of your automation.
Here play with it but have no automation dependencies on it. It is an easy button automation which works fine without having to know any of the grey areas involved (well like the cloud) (old auto mater here).
The Amazon cloud connected trinkets are fast and have been now for the last two years.
Here is a posting relating to smarthings automation.
Here play with it but have no automation dependencies on it. It is an easy button automation which works fine without having to know any of the grey areas involved (well like the cloud) (old auto mater here).
The Amazon cloud connected trinkets are fast and have been now for the last two years.
Here is a posting relating to smarthings automation.
He was talking about typical devices that use the cloud, like Nest, Netatmo, Rachio, Echo, Hue, WeMo, and Rain Machine. Outside of WeMo, I certainly consider them typical home automation components, with the stability to match. As long as your devices don't have total reliance on the cloud (see: SmartThings), what's the big deal?
macromark
Active Member
If that's true, the future could be a very grim place for a lot of people! http://www.theverge.com/2016/4/4/11362928/google-nest-revolv-shutdown-smart-home-productsjmed999 said:
Mark,
Has HomeSeer ever thought about open sourcing the HS3 software and becoming an expertise/support/professional service company (and selling H/W that runs its s/w)?
I have to think, that as more open source initiatives like openhab become popular it is going to put a strain on vendor confinement as well. Why lock into a vendor? While it is a little different as HS2/HS3 will continue to work in perpetuity (except the phone home/licensing scheme), can the community not embrace developing homeseer and it become the preeminent control?
Has HomeSeer ever thought about open sourcing the HS3 software and becoming an expertise/support/professional service company (and selling H/W that runs its s/w)?
I have to think, that as more open source initiatives like openhab become popular it is going to put a strain on vendor confinement as well. Why lock into a vendor? While it is a little different as HS2/HS3 will continue to work in perpetuity (except the phone home/licensing scheme), can the community not embrace developing homeseer and it become the preeminent control?
pete_c
Guru
Yes automated firmware devices with dependencies on the internet is a great idea and it is cheap and works fine with a cellular connection and a 100% always up connection to your home.
It's an easy button methodology limited to the understanding of a colorful automated widget on your tablet or cell phone.
There is still no singular rules sets or compliance to anything other than each vendors methodologies of how and what automation should work.
It's an easy button methodology limited to the understanding of a colorful automated widget on your tablet or cell phone.
There is still no singular rules sets or compliance to anything other than each vendors methodologies of how and what automation should work.
Dean Roddey
Senior Member
But, from what I understand, OpenHAB is far from a realistic product for all but folks who like to tinker. There are some types of things that open source does well, and lots of things it doesn't do well. I think that home automation is one of those latter things, other than certain types of plumbing that could/would be used in the automation context. The level of organization and commitment and support required to create end user products for a broad, non-technical market just isn't open source's strong suite.
Yeh, you can argue that companies such as ours would make our money as a service company, but that seems unlikely to me. Once the product is open sourced, then the author of the product becomes no different from anyone else, wrt to service and support, and a larger company can do it more cheaply and will have much more visibility. So the most likely scenario is that some other, much more prominent company, would effectively get all of the business and the company who did all the work and made all the sacrifices will have just fallen on his own sword.
Plus of course still being on the hook to all of the customers who paid for the product before the change, who now feel ripped off because others are getting for free what they paid good money for. In order to avoid that, you'd almost certainly have to go for some extended period of time without accepting payment from new customers, but also without being able to make money on the new scheme because you can't implement it yet. I guess one option would be to only make the previous release available freely and keep the latest one for the paying customers, but how can you do that in an open source paradigm, where the point is to get as many people as possible to contribute?
So, it sounds to me like a gigantic disaster. The only reason we would open source is if, for some horrible reason beyond our control, we had to go out of business. At that point, it becomes an issue of insuring your existing customers a way forward. Or, if some big company bought us and wanted to give the software away in order to sell something else maybe (and which has the financial resources to take care of old customers.)
Yeh, you can argue that companies such as ours would make our money as a service company, but that seems unlikely to me. Once the product is open sourced, then the author of the product becomes no different from anyone else, wrt to service and support, and a larger company can do it more cheaply and will have much more visibility. So the most likely scenario is that some other, much more prominent company, would effectively get all of the business and the company who did all the work and made all the sacrifices will have just fallen on his own sword.
Plus of course still being on the hook to all of the customers who paid for the product before the change, who now feel ripped off because others are getting for free what they paid good money for. In order to avoid that, you'd almost certainly have to go for some extended period of time without accepting payment from new customers, but also without being able to make money on the new scheme because you can't implement it yet. I guess one option would be to only make the previous release available freely and keep the latest one for the paying customers, but how can you do that in an open source paradigm, where the point is to get as many people as possible to contribute?
So, it sounds to me like a gigantic disaster. The only reason we would open source is if, for some horrible reason beyond our control, we had to go out of business. At that point, it becomes an issue of insuring your existing customers a way forward. Or, if some big company bought us and wanted to give the software away in order to sell something else maybe (and which has the financial resources to take care of old customers.)
Forget the service part, make your money on advertising. Every time someone switches on a light just say "Today's light is sponsored by HoneyNut Chereos, now gluten free." There, that gets you $0.02 :rockon:macromark said:If anyone can make a strong business case that giving away our primary intellectual property asset will grow our business, I'm happy to listen.
Dean Roddey
Senior Member
I'm sorry, Dave. I can't turn the light on. It appears you are late with your service fee payment.
