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Ubi is here


garybixler

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After setting up it using the Ubi portal any further configuration is done through the portal and then downloaded to the Ubi. Your contacts are entered at the portal and then downloaded. Custom Behaviors are configured there and then downloaded. At the moment I don't think the USB port is used for anything. It is WiFi based.

It is Android Jelly Bean 4.1

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  • 5 weeks later...
It's still a beta product. Myself I'm still struggling with what function it servers or does better than an open platform which is not limited or restricted. IE a raspberry PI and Linux.

 

How can you use voice recognition with a Raspberry PI? I was not aware that was an option/feature, thats why the Ubi would benefit the ISY. Especially since Siri and iOS7 cant interface with the ISY without a hack or jb, which may be a legal issue too. Side note is there a way via android?

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The prototype UBI light switch which they were showing off at SXSW about a year ago literally was a hacked Android phone. Here is a video I took

 

 

Which means, that if it has a usb port or if you can open it up, you should be able to find a usb connection and if you are an Android nerd you can probably get into the OS and write you own app to get the switch to use REST to send its status to ISY and to respond to network module commands. Of course that is well beyond anything I am capable of.

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The prototype UBI light switch which they were showing off at SXSW about a year ago literally was a hacked Android phone. Here is a video I took

 

 

Which means, that if it has a usb port or if you can open it up, you should be able to find a usb connection and if you are an Android nerd you can probably get into the OS and write you own app to get the switch to use REST to send its status to ISY and to respond to network module commands. Of course that is well beyond anything I am capable of.

 

We are talking UBI not UBE here.

 

Ubi is an android based, voice controlled, wall powered digital assistant:http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/607691307/ubi-the-ubiquitous-computer-voice-activated-and-al-0

 

UBE is a light switch:

 

For what its worth, I believe UBI is planning on supporting UBE.

 

-Xathros

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The prototype UBI light switch which they were showing off at SXSW about a year ago literally was a hacked Android phone. Here is a video I took

 

 

Which means, that if it has a usb port or if you can open it up, you should be able to find a usb connection and if you are an Android nerd you can probably get into the OS and write you own app to get the switch to use REST to send its status to ISY and to respond to network module commands. Of course that is well beyond anything I am capable of.

 

We are talking UBI not UBE here.

 

Ubi is an android based, voice controlled, wall powered digital assistant:http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/607691307/ubi-the-ubiquitous-computer-voice-activated-and-al-0

 

UBE is a light switch:

 

For what its worth, I believe UBI is planning on supporting UBE.

 

-Xathros

 

Oh Sh**. Sorry.

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Side note is there a way via android?

 

Voice recognition?

 

Yes, using Tasker, AutoVoice and Mobilinc (I think mobilinc is optional). Pretty simple to set up if you know how to use Tasker already.

 

I was specifically asking about it based on Elvis's comment where he states "or does better than an open platform which is not limited or restricted. IE a raspberry PI and Linux.". Not sure how voice recognition works on the Pi.

 

Thanks for mentioning "tasker" for android though. I have iOS devices that I use for my phones but do own a Nexus7 to try it out on.

 

I think the Ubi would be more convenient than any phone/tablet to have in each room to easily control our home via voice.

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Hi

Things that I know for now. The HTTP requests come from their servers and need to be set up as if the request is coming from outside your local network. However I have not been able to send a REST command this way either. They are saying that they hope to allow the Ubi to make local requests in the near future. Also APIs should be coming out in several weeks that would allow requests to be sent directly to the Ubi like text to voice.

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Just got my notice that my Ubi has shipped! I'll be playing with this in a few days I hope.

 

-Xathros

 

Wish I could say you'll love it but ATM it has pretty limited features. So much I been thinking of selling mine. It hasn't lived up to the hype and I feel overall the over promised and have under delivered. Sure you got to give it time to develop, I just don't have the patience.

 

Going through their dash without local access is a bummer too. Having your music interrupted after 2mins limits that. Telling me my room temp and weather is boring, I have a Honeywell app on my phone for that. I use Evernote for my reminders and to do lists. Uhg.

 

Lol - So now that I talked it up so much, Ubi in white for sale! Like new, in my hand, can ship out next day, still has the plastic protection over it. Just cover shipping to you, my pledge amount and paypal fees and its yours! ;)

 

I am getting my iVee soon too. Blah. I am so done with Kickstarter projects!

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I received my Ubi and got it set up last night. I do see what you mean about it being limited but I think once we get the ability to issue local network commands, this will become quite valuable to me. I'll be even happier if/when we get the ability to change the trigger phrase.

 

-Xathros

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I checked out the UBI website again. They now officially call it a beta product.

 

My personal issue with UBI is that I consider this an extremely expensive product. On the one hand, if I want to utilize it's full potential I would need one in every room in the house, which would cost a thousand dollars or two. While if I am going to buy this for only one room in the house, I consider $300 spent for only being able to use this in one room a very expensive purchase as well.

 

I would stick for now to using an Android phone with tasker & Auto Voice for voice control, and a 1-wire sensor solution for environment monitoring. Those should cover for most of the features of the UBI.

 

What do you guys think?

 

EDIT:If Ubi would have designed their product in a way that the UBI would be a central controller for $300 & then you would be able to attach much cheaper wired and/or wireless sensors/microphones/speakers in every room, that would be something to talk about.

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I agree $300 is way too much especially for what we get today. I fully expect that the price will come down as they work out production details and if I can get into these for $100 ea, I think I would pick up maybe 3 more to cover the places in the house where I would want to use these. I do think there are reasonable alternatives already available for environmental monitoring. I haven't tried tasker on an android phone yet so can't really comment on how that works for voice control.

 

-Xathros

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I checked out the UBI website again. They now officially call it a beta product.

 

My personal issue with UBI is that I consider this an extremely expensive product. On the one hand, if I want to utilize it's full potential I would need one in every room in the house, which would cost a thousand dollars or two. While if I am going to buy this for only one room in the house, I consider $300 spent for only being able to use this in one room a very expensive purchase as well.

 

I would stick for now to using an Android phone with tasker & Auto Voice for voice control, and a 1-wire sensor solution for environment monitoring. Those should cover for most of the features of the UBI.

 

What do you guys think?

 

I agree with you as your post mimics my thoughts. My Nexus 7 makes a nice remote etc all though its a bit too big. Even a cheap android cell phone is cheaper and more useful than the Ubi. Seems like Ubi over promised and under delivered.

 

I'm still hoping for a true iOS voice experience with my ISY. But who am I kidding, based on the actual reliability of the voice recognition I probably would just go back to mobilinc. Voice use it more just a showoff feature.

 

I think there is better priorities for the ISY team to spend their time on vs this. This is just my honest opinion.

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