Samsung SmartThings Trial - Week 7 #ThinkSmartThings ChainReaction

Good news is that my neighbour is getting better and has now returned home so I have now been able to play with the power outlet again.

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. 

Samsung SmartThings Trial - Week 5

I've now had the Samsung SmartThings Starter Kit for around 5 weeks. Primarily I have been using it as a security device to notify of any unexpected motion in the house. Overall I am pretty impressed with the kit and recent updates to the software apps (Android & Windows Phone)


Over the last week I have been particularly impressed with the wireless range that the kit offers. Sadly my neighbour, who lives alone, suffered several minor heart attacks and has since been admitted to hospital for a tripple heart bypass operation. She was worried about the security of her property as there has been a recent spate of burglaries in the area. I offered to check on her property and keep an eye on things and it occurred to me to test the range on the Outlet device to see if I could provide some timed lighting - a long shot as I didn't think my neighbour's house would be in range.

I borrowed her keys and installed the outlet in her front room and connected her floor standing lamp. My phone could just pick up a single bar of signal from my home wifi (located next to the SmartHub) . I opened the SmartThings App and spotted the Outlet status was showing as connected! Pretty impressive range seeing as the signal is going through a thick brick wall from a 1920's terraced house. I successfully tested the manual on/off functionality, went home and programmed some times for the lamp to turn on/off in the evening.

The diagram below shows an overview the wifi range and wall penetration - an impressive distance of 7.5 -8 meters AND through a few walls!

OK - so it may have been cheaper to put in an old style mechanical timer on the mains socket, however, I've now put in the presence sensor and can keep an eye on things for her even when I am at work. I was tempted to let her borrow my tablet to monitor her home, but don't want to her to stress over it for now!

Get well soon Anne!