InsteonNut Posted February 9, 2016 Posted February 9, 2016 We are very excited to announce that MobiLinc Connect now supports the Amazon Echo! Quick Start: - Open your Alexa app on your iOS/Android device. - Search for MobiLinc and click "Enable Skill". - Enter in your MobiLinc Connect email address and password to link your Echo to MobiLinc Connect. - Once linked, pick your ISY you'd like to connect to your Echo. - Say "Alexa, tell MobiLinc to refresh devices". See our website for full setup and configuration: http://mobilinc.com/features/echo/ We would like to give a BIG thanks to Michel and Benoit at Universal Devices for their support in accelerating our Echo skill development as well as Dan Pennington for sending us an Echo to experiment with pushing us to get the skill completed and out to everyone! Thank you! Wes
Teken Posted February 9, 2016 Posted February 9, 2016 Hello Wes, Could you please offer a little more insight as to what this offers? From a high level it would appear to me there is some over lap of your Mobilinc product that has voice and the Echo, no? Also, is your portal supposed to replace the UDI Portal? I guess my fuzzy brain is trying to grasp the basics and the differences which each product offers.
InsteonNut Posted February 9, 2016 Author Posted February 9, 2016 Hi Teken, The ISY can only support one portal at a time. So, yes, MobiLinc Connect would replace the ISY Portal. MobiLinc does offer voice control within the MobiLinc app on iOS devices. This new feature is adding voice control via the Amazon Echo product in your home and isn't related to app-based voice control. You can still use app-based voice control or the Echo product via your MobiLinc Connect account or both. Wes
Teken Posted February 9, 2016 Posted February 9, 2016 Hi Teken, The ISY can only support one portal at a time. So, yes, MobiLinc Connect would replace the ISY Portal. MobiLinc does offer voice control within the MobiLinc app on iOS devices. This new feature is adding voice control via the Amazon Echo product in your home and isn't related to app-based voice control. You can still use app-based voice control or the Echo product via your MobiLinc Connect account or both. Wes Hello Wes, OK, on that same note is your intent to offer even more features and support like UDI? Meaning are you intending to offer similar service / hardware support such as IFTT, etc? I don't mean to put you on the spot so if some of this hasn't been fully considered please do let me know. I suppose what many of us looking at this announcement is wanting to know is in no specific order: 1. What does it cost? 2. What can it do? 3. What are the future plans and road map for the service? 4. Are there restrictions or caveats someone needs to be aware of? Again, these questions aren't intended to put you on the spot but to offer more insight to those like me. Who would like to know in simple terms what your fine service offers. A perfect example is at present a person can only subscribe (1) ISY controller to the portal at $49.XX for a two year fee. Meaning right now if I have two controllers I will have to pay $49.XX for each controller. Will your portal allow me to add (subscribe) more than one controller for a one time reoccurring fee? Thank You
InsteonNut Posted February 9, 2016 Author Posted February 9, 2016 Hi Teken, All good questions: We worked closely with UDI to implement Echo support in MobiLinc Connect. As a result, the MobiLinc Connect Echo Skill feature mirrors the ISY Portal Echo Skill in terms of recognized voice patterns and capabilities. 1. Cost: Amazon Echo is included as part of the MobiLinc Connect subscription. MobiLinc Connect is free to try for 30 days no commitment via the MobiLinc app for iOS/Android. After the first 30 days, we ask for small yearly fee of $29.99 per ISY to cover our server expenses. 2. See our website for all feature information regarding MobiLinc Connect: http://mobilinc.com/features/mobilincconnect/ In short, MobiLinc Connect offers: - Anywhere access to your ISY through the MobiLinc apps for iOS/Android. - Push notifications for your iOS devices. - Today View support for iOS devices. - Admin Console access via a PC/MAC. - Amazon Echo support. - IFTTT and Rest support. (http://forum.universal-devices.com/topic/18137-mobilinc-connect-supports-ifttt-maker-channel/) - Supports any number of connected ISYs on your account. 3. We were the first public portal available for the ISY now almost 4 years ago. We are constantly adding new features as we can imagine them! 4. MobiLinc Connect does require the MobiLinc app for iOS/Android to setup. You can add all your ISY's to your MobiLinc Connect account at $29.99 per ISY per year. Wes
DCPdad Posted February 9, 2016 Posted February 9, 2016 Wonderful news Wes! Thanks for all of your efforts in making this real!
Xathros Posted February 9, 2016 Posted February 9, 2016 I think the big news here is that those users who have been using MLConnect can now have access to the Amazon Echo without having to abandon MLConnect in favor of the UDI portal solution. Since MLConnect offers a few value added features within the Mobilinc app(s), those users that depend on the extra features no longer have to give up those features to gain access to the Echo. Thanks Wes. Nice work! -Xathros
MWareman Posted February 9, 2016 Posted February 9, 2016 Wes, Do you plan on adding a 'Connected Home' bridge in Connect as well? It's worth noting that this is currently a differentiator in favor of Portal, and I *love* not have to start everything with 'tell XXX to' (either Izzy or Mobilinc)... That's only possible thru connected home and not possible via skill. I think the general pattern you will see is more IOS users using Mobilinc Connect, more Android users using ISY Portal, since Mobilinc Connect supports some features that are IOS only. Currently, Mobilinc can be configured to talk the the ISY Portal as it looks just like a native ISY endpoint. However, most notice the performance drop (as compared to MobiLinc Connect) when on the local LAN. I can only hope you consider returning the favor to Michel and Benoit and help them incorporate first class native integration between your app and their Portal as well so that users have real choices. Michael.
InsteonNut Posted February 9, 2016 Author Posted February 9, 2016 Hi Michael, Today's release was just the first (huge) step. We're looking at supporting Connected Home as well. Wes
apache5 Posted March 12, 2016 Posted March 12, 2016 Is there a way for me to remove the Mobilinc portal so that I can install the Amazon Echo? The Universal Device office is closed and I hate to have to wait all weekend until Monday to get this done.
stusviews Posted March 12, 2016 Posted March 12, 2016 UDI may be closed. but Michel is always alert. If your only concern is the Echo, then MobiLinc (with the portal) has a skill.
apache5 Posted March 12, 2016 Posted March 12, 2016 UDI may be closed. but Michel is always alert. If your only concern is the Echo, then MobiLinc (with the portal) has a skill. Forgive me for not knowing, but what is a skill? Thank you for your help.
stusviews Posted March 12, 2016 Posted March 12, 2016 Forgive me for not knowing, but what is a skill? Thank you for your help. Skills allow various services and devices to interface with the Amazon Echo. There's a Connected Home skill for Insteon devices added to the Insteon 2245 Hub and there's a Connected Home skill that uses the portal to interface Echo with the ISY. And there's a separate ISY skill that has control that the Connected Home interface does not provide such as running a program's conditionals, controlling thermostats and locks, maybe more.
no clue Posted May 20, 2016 Posted May 20, 2016 I subscribed to mobilinc and set up my echo/mobilinc connection. I also followed the instructions regarding naming my devices so alexa would understand my commands. For some reason, it has only worked for me once out of about a dozen tries. I could get a light to turn on but not off. Unfortunately, I couldn't repeat the one success. Is there a troubleshooting area you could refer me to or something I should be checking? thanks
stusviews Posted May 21, 2016 Posted May 21, 2016 There are two steps, setting up the device and updating the Echo after each change.
no clue Posted May 21, 2016 Posted May 21, 2016 There are two steps, setting up the device and updating the Echo after each change. I'm pretty sure I completed both steps. I have asked Alexa to refresh mobilinc at least a dozen times and the echo responds appropriately. When I ask to turn on a scene or device, I get an answer that indicates it doesn't know that device and repeatedly asks which device.
fitzpatri8 Posted May 22, 2016 Posted May 22, 2016 How are you phrasing the request? 'Alexa, ask MobiLinc to turn on ...' ? When you open the Alexa app, what does it say she heard?
no clue Posted May 22, 2016 Posted May 22, 2016 How are you phrasing the request? 'Alexa, ask MobiLinc to turn on ...' ? When you open the Alexa app, what does it say she heard? I have a light called "bathroom hallway". I ask "Alexa, ask mobilinc to turn on bathroom hallway". The app correctly turned it on once but would not turn it off. After turning it off myself, repeated attempts failed. According to the app, it says I could not find device bathroom hall; bathroom hall way, bathroom hallway and so on.
rafarataneneces Posted July 4, 2016 Posted July 4, 2016 Hello. I searched for 'MobiLinc' in Amazon Alexa and was unable to find anything. The only thing I found was "Universal Devices" but then they want me to buy a Network plugin and they said that will disable MobiLinc. The entire reason I bought ISY994i is to have an app that I can use it after I program powerful stuff for my house.
Quietminded Posted July 4, 2016 Posted July 4, 2016 If you read the mobilinc documentation you'll see its not part of the echo connected home, but an echo skill. So enable the skill and read the mobilinc echo info on their Web page. The skill requires you to "ask mobilinc, like any other skill. I've used it daily for months and it works great.
rafarataneneces Posted July 4, 2016 Posted July 4, 2016 If you read the mobilinc documentation you'll see its not part of the echo connected home, but an echo skill. So enable the skill and read the mobilinc echo info on their Web page. The skill requires you to "ask mobilinc, like any other skill. I've used it daily for months and it works great. Oh okay. MobiLinc and ISY994i has cost me at least $500-$550 already. Every single feature costs money. With that said, I am confused. What is the difference between implementing a echo connected home, or a skill? Anyway, I found MobiLinc and enabled that skill, so far it is not working. Would you please tell me the requirements?
rafarataneneces Posted July 4, 2016 Posted July 4, 2016 Oh okay. MobiLinc and ISY994i has cost me at least $500-$550 already. Every single feature costs money. With that said, I am confused. What is the difference between implementing a echo connected home, or a skill? Anyway, I found MobiLinc and enabled that skill, so far it is not working. Would you please tell me the requirements? I just asked Alexa the following: 'ask moby link to turn on kitchen fan' I'm confused what should I use MobiLinc for Alexa or Universal Devices for Alexa? Any guide out there? Youtube video?
Quietminded Posted July 4, 2016 Posted July 4, 2016 There are step by step instructions on their website. Please just take 5 minutes to read it. If you do you could be using it in 15 minutes, or if not, posting more and more with answers that are simply written out. http://mobilinc.com/features/echo/
newpixelwheelhouse Posted July 8, 2016 Posted July 8, 2016 Is there an ETA on getting MobiLinc as part of the Connected Home instead of a skill? If not, is there anything the community can do to help facilitate this? It would be AMAZING not to have to tell Alexa to tell mobilinc to do stuff. "Alexa turn living room lights on" rolls off the tongue much easier than "Alexa tell mobilinc to turn the living room lights on". Thanks for everything you guys do!
InsteonNut Posted July 10, 2016 Author Posted July 10, 2016 Hi newpicelwheelhouse, Thanks for the vote. It's on our to-do list, but I don't have an ETA I can comment on. Wes
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