The Wink home automation thread

[quagga]

Trippers and Wink Hub are sold / donated. They'll be going out in the mail tomorrow.

I share the sentiment that I wouldn't trust Comcast with any HA functions in my home. I used to have them but moved across a county line so am now in Cox land. I think the is going to be a good bit of competition for the role of HA hub. Comcast, Belkin/Wemo, Nest/Google, Lutron, Philips, SmartThings/Samsung, maybe Apple someday.

Of late, I kinda like things which are self-contained. The Hue route gives me a non-cloud lighting solution. I'm interested in a Nest for a thermostat solution. It seems products which are based on a confederation of vendors have support troubles (pointing fingers). We will see how that sorts itself out.

 

[MjnMixael]

Nest and Hue work together, so that's a good match.

 

[wagohn]

That's a cute sentiment that you'd trust Comcast over Wink. Comcast, already a massive company, has proven that it's a terrible company. It's poorly run, with even poorer customer service. They have also shown time and again that they will try to use their size and control of content (NBCUniversal) to strong arm their way into your home at whatever cost... so long as they don't get caught for it.

Wink, may turn out to be just as bad, but they still have a chance to right the course. Comcast is already a long ways down the wrong road.

See this and this.

I do not want to give that company any access to my home.

My point is; with Comcast I knew the price and expected a service. I paid the price and received the service. I have no complaints. Comcast internet speed is second to none in my area (no fiber etc) and the X1 system is very nice. I pay $109 per month for all channels (including HBO etc) and 105mbps download speeds - whats not to like?

Then you have Wink. You pay for a Wink hub, that states home automation, sometimes it works, other times it doesn't, they toast your hub performing an update, and then release an app update that either confuses GE bulbs or wont open without crashing.

Myself and Comcast entered an agreement - an amount of money for a set of services. They have honored their part - that's all I ask.

 

[Dave@Wink]

Wink is looking for more app beta testers on iOS and Android. If you’re interested in early access to new versions of the Wink App, please contact us at feedback@winkapp.com with the type of phone you have (iOS or Android) and an email address to send the invite to (best if its the same as your iTunes / Google play account). Please note that this app will replace your current app.

Thanks!

The Wink Team

 

[dennisj00]

Try saying ok Google -- activate wink home mode

Every OK Google I've tried just goes to a search page. Activate Wink LR On. . . even when it gets the spelling right.

It usually tries 'Link . .'

But this is on an LG V410 and the shortcuts placed on the home page only work once after a reboot.

Anyone successful with SIRI on IOS?

 

[enyce9]

Wink is looking for more app beta testers on iOS and Android. If you’re interested in early access to new versions of the Wink App, please contact us at feedback@winkapp.com with the type of phone you have (iOS or Android) and an email address to send the invite to (best if its the same as your iTunes / Google play account). Please note that this app will replace your current app.

Thanks!

The Wink Team

Just tried sending an email and received an error..... Delivery to the following recipient failed permanently:
Are invitations still open to help beta test on android?

 

[Mike A.]

Just tried sending an email and received an error..... Delivery to the following recipient failed permanently:
Are invitations still open to help beta test on android?

Same here.

SMTP error from remote mail server after RCPT TO:<feedback@winkapp.com>:
host ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.com [173.194.79.26]:
550-5.1.1 The email account that you tried to reach does not exist. Please try
550-5.1.1 double-checking the recipient's email address for typos or
550-5.1.1 unnecessary spaces.

 

[enyce9]

Make sure F is capital in Feedback@wink

 

[Mike A.]

Make sure F is capital in Feedback@wink

Naaaa... Same result:

SMTP error from remote mail server after RCPT TO:
<Feedback@winkapp.com>

It would be a very rare host that uses case-sensitive email addresses.

 

[enyce9]

I tried with a lowercase f and received an error, then tried a capital F and I did not receive an error with the capital F. I thought it was strange...

 

[EdJr]

Every OK Google I've tried just goes to a search page. Activate Wink LR On. . . even when it gets the spelling right.

It usually tries 'Link . .'

But this is on an LG V410 and the shortcuts placed on the home page only work once after a reboot.

Anyone successful with SIRI on IOS?

It works on my Nexus tablet with "Ok Google activate sleep mode on wink"

 

[big rob]

The email is feedback@wink.com

 

[jiver]

Every OK Google I've tried just goes to a search page. Activate Wink LR On. . . even when it gets the spelling right.

It usually tries 'Link . .'

But this is on an LG V410 and the shortcuts placed on the home page only work once after a reboot.

Anyone successful with SIRI on IOS?

I still cannot get "Ok Google" to work. I have a Google Nexus 5 phone. I get a search page as well.

 

[Mike A.]

I still cannot get "Ok Google" to work. I have a Google Nexus 5 phone. I get a search page as well.

Have you set up the shortcuts using their named shortcuts? At some point it will ask if you want to use voice-based shortcuts. If you don't get that and the page with all of the pre-made voice-based shortcuts to pick from, then it's not going to do it.

Mine works but no matter how carefully I say it I get "link" a lot more often than "wink" and often other mistakes. Takes forever. I could just open the damn app and do it manually much faster by the time I say it 8 or 10 times.

 

[Dave@Wink]

Just tried sending an email and received an error..... Delivery to the following recipient failed permanently:
Are invitations still open to help beta test on android?

Apologies - the email should be feedback@wink.com, and spots are still open!

Thanks everyone!

 

[trunzoc]

I still cannot get "Ok Google" to work. I have a Google Nexus 5 phone. I get a search page as well.

It seems like the ability to make the Voice shortcuts was only in release 3.1.0.10.

The current play store version is 3.2.0.4 and it has been removed. It has not yet been reinstated in the beta version which is 3.2.0.6

 

[jiver]

It seems like the ability to make the Voice shortcuts was only in release 3.1.0.10.

The current play store version is 3.2.0.4 and it has been removed. It has not yet been reinstated in the beta version which is 3.2.0.6

I'm using 3.1.0.10 and I have shortcuts with the cute microphone icon and the "welcome" mat for Home Mode and a sleeping robot for "Sleep Mode". I'm fairly confident that I defined the shortcuts as expected. Unlike another user, "Ok Google" has no problem translating what I say. The text that is displayed is correct. It simply does not work. It only initiates a search. From what I have read here, there is no mystery Google or Wink setting that I need to set. I guess I will give the Fandango app a try with Ok Google and see if that works. Maybe it is a problem with the Nexus 5, Ok Google (4.5.13.19.arm), and Android 5.1 Build Number LMY47I and not a problem with Wink.

 

[enyce9]

Apologies - the email should be feedback@wink.com, and spots are still open!

Thanks everyone!

Thanks for the reply. I received an email to accept an invitation, and joined the group. How do I download the android beta?

 

[Mike A.]

Thanks for the reply. I received an email to accept an invitation, and joined the group. How do I download the android beta?

For Android there's a link to the location of the beta posted in the Google group. At that link there's a button you'll click to accept being a tester. Once that's done, it will be pushed to you as an update to your app at some point.

For IOS you'd download the TestFlight app and then respond to the invitation that was sent.

Not sure where or how we're supposed to communicate with Wink. Doesn't seem to be much activity in the group itself beyond people asking how to get the beta.

 

[electronichamster]

Hi,
Just thought I'd share some this physical interface I made using some of Wink's trippers.

And the full tutorial, hardware, and code is here:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Physical-Home-Automation-Interface/

 

[Kaido]

Hi,
Just thought I'd share some this physical interface I made using some of Wink's trippers.

And the full tutorial, hardware, and code is here:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Physical-Home-Automation-Interface/

That is awesome! Someone needs to steal that for their kid's science fair project :biggrin:

I also thought you were going to throw a pizza on the roof, the opening shot reminded me of Breaking Bad for some reason :awe:

 

[jiver]

I'm using 3.1.0.10 and I have shortcuts with the cute microphone icon and the "welcome" mat for Home Mode and a sleeping robot for "Sleep Mode". I'm fairly confident that I defined the shortcuts as expected. Unlike another user, "Ok Google" has no problem translating what I say. The text that is displayed is correct. It simply does not work. It only initiates a search. From what I have read here, there is no mystery Google or Wink setting that I need to set. I guess I will give the Fandango app a try with Ok Google and see if that works. Maybe it is a problem with the Nexus 5, Ok Google (4.5.13.19.arm), and Android 5.1 Build Number LMY47I and not a problem with Wink.

It turns out that there is a setting in Google that must be active for this voice integration to work. Your device needs to have the Google app 4.0 or higher with Web & App Activity turned on.

I do not have Web & App Activity turned on so Wink voice fails. I toggled it on and Wink worked. Mystery solved. See https://support.google.com/websearch/answer/2940021?hl=en for more and read carefully. It too me several reads to figure out what I was missing.

 

[Kaido]

Another button option for down the road:

http://www.engadget.com/2015/05/11/makey-makey-go-kickstarter-launch/

Turns virtually anything into a USB button. Might be able to hack something up with the Tripper...

 

[JoeKiv]

Anyone know if the sensor has to be aligned with the 'Narrow" edges face to face. It will be extremely difficult, perhaps impossible for me to do it in that manner for both my windows & doors. I know that the magnet has to 1/8 inch from sensor, but will it work probably if the narrow edge of the magnet is against the wide portion of the sensor.

 

[mentalbob]

Anyone know if the sensor has to be aligned with the 'Narrow" edges face to face. It will be extremely difficult, perhaps impossible for me to do it in that manner for both my windows & doors. I know that the magnet has to 1/8 inch from sensor, but will it work probably if the narrow edge of the magnet is against the wide portion of the sensor.

I have one of my Trippers aligned at a 90 degree angle and it works fine. I think as long as the ends are around 1/8" from each other they'll work.