|
B Posts: 79
7/8/2015
|
|
|
|
0
link
|
|
Guava Posts: 8
7/19/2015
|
Add me to the list of people who want the Amazon Echo supported by CastleOS.
It would be great if the whole range of Echo capabilities would be integrated, if CastleOS can't already do this (it's late and I'm too tired to search the forums for the answer). Specifically of interest are calendar integration and voice-controlled alarms, timers, shopping lists, and to-do lists. "Add carrots to the shopping list," for example, and have that document updated not only on the CastleOS machine but also on my phone (so I don't have to connect to the cloud or some possibly insecure wifi network while I'm out shopping).
Really hope the Echo could be fully integrated and be a replacement for kinect. This could significantly reduce the total cost of implementing CastleOS. Instead of needing a several hundred dollar windows pc plus a $100 to $200 kinect in each room PLUS a pair of computer speakers, all one should need is an Echo in each room. Besides, Micro$oft has discontinued both the windows pc kinect and the xbox 360 kinect so that should be a sign to look for another option.
And since the Echo is both a 360 degree microphone array and a speaker one would be able to further reduce the number of items they need to buy in order to actually voice control your whole house (or at least the most important rooms in it).
It makes good business sense to support the Echo.
|
|
|
0
link
|
|
Phil Hawthorne Posts: 400
7/20/2015
|
Guava wrote: shopping lists, and to-do lists. "Add carrots to the shopping list," for example, and have that document updated not only on the CastleOS machine but also on my phone (so I don't have to connect to the cloud or some possibly insecure wifi network while I'm out shopping). You can get away with this using IFTTT. Guava wrote: be a replacement for kinect. I surely hope not (yet) Guava wrote: Besides, Micro$oft has discontinued both the windows pc kinect and the xbox 360 kinect so that should be a sign to look for another option. So this got me worried for a minute. Technically you're correct. However the Kinect is still around and supported. The Xbox360 Kinect was v1, and has been superseded by v2 for Xbox One. Its a bit like a car maker continuing to make a 1960's model car brand new, while selling the 2015 model as well. So that makes sense. For the Kinect for Windows, all they've done is remove the Kinect for WIndows item, and made the Xbox One Kinect compatible with Windows by adding an adapter. Which makes sense for them logistically.. Kinect ain't going anywhere yet. Guava wrote: It makes good business sense to support the Echo. It makes sense to support it, but not replace the Kinect. Here's my reason why I (at this point in time). The Echo is only available in the US. Great if you live there, but for the 99% of other countries in the world, the Echo is useless. Taking into account international mail forwarding (cause they'll only send an Echo to a US address), currency conversion, etc its not cost effective for me to purchase an Echo, considering how limited it will be where I am (Australia). All the Echo will be able to do for me is tell me the time, record a shopping list, and maybe control some lights with CastleOS.
|
|
|
+1
link
|
|
Chris Cicchitelli Administrator Posts: 3390
7/22/2015
|
Guava wrote: Add me to the list of people who want the Amazon Echo supported by CastleOS.
It would be great if the whole range of Echo capabilities would be integrated, if CastleOS can't already do this (it's late and I'm too tired to search the forums for the answer). Specifically of interest are calendar integration and voice-controlled alarms, timers, shopping lists, and to-do lists. "Add carrots to the shopping list," for example, and have that document updated not only on the CastleOS machine but also on my phone (so I don't have to connect to the cloud or some possibly insecure wifi network while I'm out shopping).
Really hope the Echo could be fully integrated and be a replacement for kinect. This could significantly reduce the total cost of implementing CastleOS. Instead of needing a several hundred dollar windows pc plus a $100 to $200 kinect in each room PLUS a pair of computer speakers, all one should need is an Echo in each room. Besides, Micro$oft has discontinued both the windows pc kinect and the xbox 360 kinect so that should be a sign to look for another option.
And since the Echo is both a 360 degree microphone array and a speaker one would be able to further reduce the number of items they need to buy in order to actually voice control your whole house (or at least the most important rooms in it).
It makes good business sense to support the Echo. We'd love to support the Echo, and have done quite a bit of prep work to do so, however we're hamstrung by the lack of runtime capabilities in the current Echo ASK. In short, it doesn't allow runtime capabilities that would allow for us to discover the smart devices in your home. If you really want to help push it along, please send the Amazon Echo team a message saying they should open it up to home automation controllers like CastleOS! 
|
|
|
+1
link
|
|
Tommy Long Posts: 218
7/23/2015
|
Can Echo be a simple Kinect replacement instead of a run time for CastleOS?
|
|
|
0
link
|
|
Chris Cicchitelli Administrator Posts: 3390
7/23/2015
|
Tommy Long wrote: Can Echo be a simple Kinect replacement instead of a run time for CastleOS? Not until Amazon opens up the ASK for that. Otherwise we have no way to discover CastleOS and your devices on the local network.
|
|
|
0
link
|
|
Michael Wallace Posts: 52
10/23/2015
|
Anything new on the Echo front? Also, will having the voice remote for Fire TV have the same effect as a full up Echo?
|
|
|
0
link
|
|
Chris Cicchitelli Administrator Posts: 3390
10/23/2015
|
Unfortunately at the moment my answer is the same as before, Amazon hasn't opened the capabilities in their platform yet...
|
|
|
0
link
|
|
Ajay Guthikonda Posts: 13
11/11/2015
|
Chris
Looks like few home automation controllers like smartthings & wink are already compatible with echo. It looks like smartthings & wink are integrated because they are running in the cloud.
Do you think we can integrate Echo with CastleOs/CastleHub by exposing CastleOs/CastleHub to internet?
|
|
|
0
link
|
|
Chris Cicchitelli Administrator Posts: 3390
11/17/2015
|
Ajay Guthikonda wrote: Chris
Looks like few home automation controllers like smartthings & wink are already compatible with echo. It looks like smartthings & wink are integrated because they are running in the cloud.
Do you think we can integrate Echo with CastleOs/CastleHub by exposing CastleOs/CastleHub to internet? It is true they connect via the cloud, but others like Hue connect locally. We're waiting for Amazon to update their API to include the local discovery features. Right now they restrict that from outside developers. It's possible to connect the echo to CastleOS now, but not easy, so it's not something we expect customers to do. We're waiting on Amazon to update their API, and as soon as they do, we'll launch the Echo app..
|
|
|
0
link
|
|
Tommy Long Posts: 218
11/17/2015
|
I've seen others "piggyback" off of the Hue as well as WeMo local discovery. I guess you're saying CastleOS would be restricted from doing it this way?
|
|
|
0
link
|
|
Chris Cicchitelli Administrator Posts: 3390
11/19/2015
|
Tommy Long wrote: I've seen others "piggyback" off of the Hue as well as WeMo local discovery. I guess you're saying CastleOS would be restricted from doing it this way? No that would work if someone creates an app for it using our API, we just can't do it...
|
|
|
0
link
|
|
Daniel Sanders Posts: 1
11/19/2015
|
I have been on the fence about buying CastleOS vs. a different automation product, but the integration of the Echo would tip me over to CastleOS Can I get a ( private message ) overview of how the Echo connects to CastleHub over the WAN vs. the LAN? I have not purchased the unit or software yet, but if its something as simple as setting up a static public IP and repointing some DNS records on a public DNS provider and some firewall NAT translation rules I can do all of that easily. I just want to know the overview concept before I buy the unit and software. Thanks! D. Chris Cicchitelli wrote: Ajay Guthikonda wrote:
Chris
It's possible to connect the echo to CastleOS now, but not easy, so it's not something we expect customers to do.
|
|
|
0
link
|
|
Chris Cicchitelli Administrator Posts: 3390
11/21/2015
|
Daniel Sanders wrote: I have been on the fence about buying CastleOS vs. a different automation product, but the integration of the Echo would tip me over to CastleOS
Can I get a ( private message ) overview of how the Echo connects to CastleHub over the WAN vs. the LAN?
I have not purchased the unit or software yet, but if its something as simple as setting up a static public IP and repointing some DNS records on a public DNS provider and some firewall NAT translation rules I can do all of that easily. I just want to know the overview concept before I buy the unit and software.
Thanks!
D. Unfortunately it's not that simple. If I wrote a guide, it would take multiple pages and require a lot of custom work by you guys. I know because a competitor did it, and we don't expect you all to go through that. Instead, right now we're waiting for Amazon to update their SDK to include local discovery, then we should be good to go... Thanks! -Chris
|
|
|
0
link
|
|
B Posts: 79
11/23/2015
|
|
|
|
0
link
|
|
Ajay Guthikonda Posts: 13
11/26/2015
|
B wrote: There is a project on git hub called the armzilla-echo-ha-bridge. I have been able to add directv functionality to the echo as well as arduino with my garage door. could CastleOS work with this so that the pi sends off custom urls to control castleOS?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIVYc-xtAZs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzA2KRIv-9Q Based on my understanding it should be possible with echo-ha-bridge. I was planning to play with this once castleOS API is released.
|
|
|
0
link
|
|
T- Brad Posts: 41
5/11/2016
|
It looks like Insteon is now supporting Amazon Echo on their site. http://www.insteon.com/amazon-echo/. Can you tell me what your experience has been using Insteon with Amazon Echo? edited by AVGeek on 5/11/2016
|
|
|
0
link
|
|
Chris Stack Posts: 167
5/12/2016
|
T- Brad wrote: It looks like Insteon is now supporting Amazon Echo on their site. http://www.insteon.com/amazon-echo/.
Can you tell me what your experience has been using Insteon with Amazon Echo?
edited by AVGeek on 5/11/2016 I have been using insteon with echo for about 6 months, with very good results. It even seems to be working well in parallel with CastleOS. I am using CastleOS through my 2245 hub, and the echo uses the same hub. When a device is activated by the echo, it shows up as such in CastleOS.
|
|
|
+1
link
|
|
Chris Cicchitelli Administrator Posts: 3390
5/13/2016
|
Hey All, this week's beta will include the full plugin capability, as well as the web service API, so you can build any integration you'd like for the Echo.
That said, we have some stuff in the works that we can't really talk about and don't know the timeline for release (it's out of our hands), but I think you'll like our official support for the Echo when it comes in a few months. If you want to build a bridge in the meantime, the plugin or web API capability is the way to go!
|
|
|
0
link
|
|
Tommy Long Posts: 218
5/27/2016
|
I look forward to the CastleOS Echo support!.
In the meantime, I've been working on a fun project which takes Alexa voice commands sent to the cloud using a private Skill and redirects them to a web server I have which in turn talks to CastleOS using the REST APIs using the PHP wrappers developed by Phil Hawthorne (Thanks Phil!!). This allows Echo to control any of my Home Automation devices through CastleOS. I also have a GC100 IR Blaster which also allows Echo to control some of my A/V and TV equipment too.
Once again, thanks for the APIs!!
|
|
|
+1
link
|