Ever since that first foray into the geeky Internet of Things (IoT) world with a LIFX Wi-Fi LED smart light bulb, I've certainly racked up a few more purchases. And, along with new devices, comes the ability to integrate.
Here's a list of my current "gadgets":
- LIFX light bulb
- Amazon Echo speaker
- Amazon Tap portable speaker
- Belkin WeMo Insight Switch
- Logitech Harmony Companion universal remote (replaced my originally purchased Logitech Harmony Smart Control)
- Netgear Arlo security cameras
- Awair Air Quality Monitor
You could add to that some other items, but at present these are more standalone and not really integrated with much else:
- Fitbit Charge 2
- Withings Smart Body Analyser scale (now Nokia-owned)
- Xiaomi Mi Robot Vacuum Cleaner
- SMA Sunny Boy Smart Connected solar inverter
I have to say, out of all these items, the biggest disappointment has to be the Belkin WeMo Insight Switch. This is for two reasons: 1) the app is crap (come on Belkin, you should do a lot better!); and 2) not many devices these days work by simply turning their power supply on. I'm very happy with all the other devices. Sure, they each have their pros and cons, but overall they work really well.
I'm not going to get into the specifics in this post, but here are my main and most useful integrations (thanks to either native integration or via IFTTT and Stringify):
- Turning on and using the TV simply by talking (thanks to Alexa on our Amazon Echo and Logitech Harmony)
- Locating our mobile phones simply by asking (thanks to Alexa on our Amazon Echo and IFTTT)
- Blinking our living room lamp a certain colour three times to indicate which Arlo security camera has just detected motion (thanks to Arlo, LIFX and IFTTT)
- Receiving a phone call detailing which outdoor Arlo security camera has just detected motion when it is night time (thanks to Arlo, Stringify and IFTTT)
So cool. And not just a novelty, these are very useful!
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