After browsing the Samsung SmartThings support site, I came across the awesome IFTTT website (If This Then That). This free online service has only just been integrated to SmartThings and it has made the SmartThings device a pleasure to use! It is now dead easy to set up custom rules (aka recipes) thanks to the intuitive interface, so much so that perhaps no need for a pc SmartThings application that I was hoping for after all.
To give you a good example of what IFTTT can do when hooked up to SmartThings, take a look at my video below:-
The video shows a chain reaction triggered when the motion sensor detects movement. First the Halogen Heater turns on at the SmartThings Power outlet and at the same time, Google play is instructed to play music. Once the motion sensors temperature gauge exceeds 30 degrees Celsius, the power outlet is turned off. - essentially a very basic Nest heating system - all achievable with just the Samsung SmartThings starter kit.
Other ideas I am currently exploring include:-
- Placing the presence sensor within my mountain bike frame - reduces the bulk on my keyring and may even function without plastic casing. That could actually be taken one step further if my bike gets stolen - hook up the Smart Hub to a 3/4G portable wifi hotshot and drive it round the neighborhood hoping to pick up its signal and tracking down the thief...tempting with the recent burglaries in the area.
- Finding out if my Android tablet can create a bridge from SmartThings to my Chromecast in order to play aidio/video content on the TV. The tablet seems to wake up out of standby without any issues when I was testing the above.
- Some kind of elaborate motion triggered Christmas morning for the kids when they wake up - automatically turn on the tree lights, fairy lights, get the jingle bells music rocking and importantly get the coffee brewing.
This should all be easy we it the Samsung SmartThings kit when used in conjunction with IFTTT.
