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[Tuicemen]

Humm, if Amazon started using or is using the ESP32 can person/facial recognition be the next addition to a Dot?

[HA Dave]

Humm, if Amazon started using or is using the ESP32 can person/facial recognition be the next addition to a Dot?

I can almost hear Alexa now.....

[Tuicemen]

 

[HA Dave]

I tried:  Alexa, open pod bay doors.

[mattyta]

I need a better streaming TV box.

I Have a Minix Z64 W10 and it works great running TVMC, AHP, X10 Commander, and OpenRemote.

[dave w]

Being a cynic which I can be at times, I wonder if there are plans to start charging for Alexa, Cortina, Home
services after they saturate  us with their devices? Just sayin.

[dave w]

Yeah... I was already thinking... if I had one more.... with the Logitech Harmony hub.... I'd be all Alexa controlled.

Dave
Are you planning on driving down this road? Do you have a Hub now?

Since I am using Homeseer 2, not AHP or BVC,  the Hub may be my easiest way to enable Alexa to control my X10. As I recall, you are already familiar with creating Harmony macros. 

[HA Dave]

Are you planning on driving down this road? Do you have a Hub now?

I've been pondering how the setup might look. (see below)

Since I am using Homeseer 2, not AHP or BVC,  the Hub may be my easiest way to enable Alexa to control my X10. As I recall, you are already familiar with creating Harmony macros.

My Home Theater uses an older Logitech Harmony remote. It is programed on-line through a Web Site/Web Based interface. The user identifies the equipment used.... then selects devices based on what "activity" button is pushed/selected (and I would assume) or spoken to Alexa.

When I push the "watch a movie" button... the blue ray player plays, the receiver comes on, the lights turn off. The Movie Off button turns the receiver, projector, and Blue Ray player off.... and some lights come ON. The setups are simple and easy enough.... but I wonder how effective the "activity's" would be..... for voice control. They would likely be very limited. 

Since you're using Homeseer.... you might just want to enable the "skill" that allows that......

[HA Dave]

Being a cynic which I can be at times, I wonder if there are plans to start charging for Alexa, Cortina, Home
services after they saturate  us with their devices? Just sayin.

I'd be shocked if I didn't get sales emails from the people/skills enabled with Alexa/DOT. I wonder how much of a [dollar] return is needed for sharing a few bits/bytes of data from time-to-time?

[racerfern]

enable Alexa to control my X10

I'm stumbling along three different paths HA at the moment, the Alex10 solution, home genie and I'm about to try openHAB. I have a Zee S2 with a CM15A plugged into it (for now) and an Echo.

For now, I have enabled the Alexa-Homeseer skill. There are two of them. For the more complicated one you need to say "Alexa, tell Homeseer to XXX". The simpler one is simply "Alexa, turn on the XXX". I have two X10 modules for my front and back XMAS lights, called XMAS Front and XMAS Rear. I can say "Alexa, turn on/off the Christmas Rear lights" and they respond accordingly. I also have other modules that will probably react as they should but since Homeseer handles events I don't need much else.

[Tuicemen]

The Alex10 solution was meant to be a simple easy and fast way to get X10 users up and running with Alexa.
It is in no way the best option as it only does X10.

However it uses HA-Bridge which is very powerful once you get the script creation part figured out (that's what Alex10 is for to make it simple)

No matter which way you decide I'd keep the HA-Bridge it opens lost of options.
You can basically turn on of and program on your PC and if they except command lines or web calls then you can trigger them.
I can already trigger any PCC command

[HA Dave]

..... I can say "Alexa, turn on/off the Christmas Rear lights" and they respond accordingly. I also have other modules that will probably react as they should but since Homeseer handles events I don't need much else.

I've lived with voice control for about a decade. I think....it doesn't take long to realize that really good home automation.... operates... automatically. After the macros, rules, or whatever are worked out and perfected... the homes seem to operate without any required input. As far as the lighting is concerned.

But being able to voice command on a reading light while opening mail.... is good automation.
Or turning on a porch or driveway light by voice command to quickly welcome guests.
An all lights on command could be handy during an emergency (and a home full of holiday guests).
I really like the radio/music function of the DOT. And the news... I particularly like my daily brief.
I enjoy asking Alexa how old some singer is, or how tall an actor is, or a solution to a math question, or the time in London England.

There are games available through Alexa. I am not a gamer. But as a grandparent I see the value of having a new game available at my request. I also enabled a skill called: meow. I think the two year old.... will love that skill. This is a new kind of automation... but I think it is HA. And I like it.

[dave w]

Since you're using Homeseer.... you might just want to enable the "skill" that allows that......

Yeah - I'm running 2.xx and Alexa Skills are only in the latest 3.xx version of Homeseer. Homeseer wants a couple hundred bucks just to upgrade, and the charge you for questions after some short grace period. IMHO Homeseer is killing the golden goose. I bought a Hub today, so may have an Alexa-X10 update next week.

[solareclipse]

Homeseer wants a couple hundred bucks just to upgrade, and the charge you for questions after some short grace period. IMHO Homeseer is killing the golden goose.

Seriously?  What hardware is that running on?  I was thinking of going the Homeseer route, but it does seem like they nickel and dime (or ten and twenty) you.  I would have though you'd at least get free or cheap software upgrades once you buy in.

[dave w]

Homeseer wants a couple hundred bucks just to upgrade, and the charge you for questions after some short grace period. IMHO Homeseer is killing the golden goose.

Seriously?  What hardware is that running on?  I was thinking of going the Homeseer route, but it does seem like they nickel and dime (or ten and twenty) you.  I would have though you'd at least get free or cheap software upgrades once you buy in.

Before Homeseer 3.0 launched, they offered the Homesser 2.0 users an upgrade for under $100. I did not take as: 1. Homeseer 3 was a clean sheet of paper development. Nothing would import from HS 2.0. All the macros had to be re-written( I have 80 some macros, a couple with 30 modules in the macro), any plug-in had to be re-purchased, etc. and 2. Pay 90 some bucks for essentially the beta version (?). Homeseer IS very powerful, but I only use it for X10 control. I probably only use about 30% of it's total power and that includes voice control, so I did not jump on the "pay for privilege of beta testing Homeseer" upgrade.

If I had to do over now, knowing Alexa has a Homeseer skill, I probably would upgrade, but the "cheap" upgrade offer went away shortly after 3.0 release...as they promised.
I love Homeseer but like I said I think they are killing the golden goose...way too expensive considering the alternatives.