Amazon Enables Developers to Extend Alexa’s Smart Home Capabilities - a New Addition to the Alexa Skills Kit

[dywicked]

Looks like ISY should be able to extend itself further now: https://developer.amazon.com/public/community/post/Tx1KIRDSNFDHEA4/Amazon-Enables-Developers-to-Extend-Alexa-s-Smart-Home-Capabilities-a-New-Additi

[jerlands]

It'll be interesting to see what comes from this.. 

 

 

Jon...

[Javi]

Looks like UD can now add thermostat control. 

 

Maybe Mobilinc can now remove the phrase "Ask Mobilinc".

[jerlands]

Looks like UD can now add thermostat control. 

 

Maybe Mobilinc can now remove the phrase "Ask Mobilinc".

 

Seems it's beyond just the thermostat but the basic way skills are written?  Sounds a little like connected home to me though...

 

What is the difference between the “Smart Home Skill” and “Custom Skill” skill type?

With custom skills, you build a voice interaction model to handle customer requests. With the Smart Home Skill API, some of this work is done for you. The Smart Home Skill API taps into Amazon’s standardized language model so you don’t have to build the voice interaction model for your smart home skill. Plus, your customers don’t need to remember your skill name or a specific invocation phrase.

 

 

Jon...

[Javi]

Seems it's beyond just the thermostat but the basic way skills are written?  Sounds a little like connected home to me though...

 

 

 

 

The following from https://developer.amazon.com/public/solutions/alexa/alexa-skills-kit/content/smart-home

'''

Can I control devices other than lights and thermostats? 

The Smart Home Skill API currently supports extending Alexa’s built-in lighting and thermostat skills, covering natural language actions for these types of devices. While the intended use for the thermostat is for heating scenarios our developer partners can use the on/off/set and request capabilities for other types of sensors. As an example, you could enable “Alexa, turn on my fan?”

What other features will you add to the Smart Home Skill API? 

We plan to expand the Smart Home Skill API to include more device types over time..

 

.......relay discovery and control commands from Alexa to a device control cloud

'''

If I read this correctly Amazon still has control of the "actions" and will parse out the devices, so as of right now the only difference is thermostat (or "set" and possibly "up" and "down") actions for devices. but this will allow anyone to remove the phrase "ask" or "tell" from their Skills, but if the "ask" or "tell" is removed then you only have access to the Amazon set actions.

[EddieRock]

Please...!!! let there be the ability for UDI to push voice/speech to my Echo! If this is possible, please look into it.

 

I would LOVE to have my echo's say "Front Door Open", "Garage Door Open".

 

Even if the time is between 6:00 and 9:00 AM, and my motion sensor detects movement, I'd like my echo to say "Hi Ed, The forecast for today is...." and much more.

 

Pushing commands to the echo is absolutely a must to complete my system. If this is already available, please let me know how to do it. I'm currently in pain

 

Thoughts??

 

EddieRock

[mwester]

I agree with you, EddieRock - up to a point.

 

I guess my concern with opening that up in general is the potential for abuse - it would make Alexa just intolerable if a random skill that I've enabled suddenly made Alexa shout political slogans during the dinner hour in order to push the agenda of the developer...

 

I think Amazon needs to figure out a mechanism, somewhat "android-app-like", where I approve the features such as the ability for something to make Alexa speak.  The fundamental difference is that right now, a skill does not actually get access to anything from my Echo until the skill is addressed by me invoking the skill FROM MY ECHO (emphasis).  What you're asking for troubles me because it opens up a means for some other thing, be it connected home, or some third-party skill that I (or my kids) have enabled, to cause the Echo to initiate something WITHOUT the echo itself being involved.  From a  security point-of-view, that means the attack-surface of the Echo has just dramatically increased.

 

So, I'm willing to wait to see what Amazon does.  And, if they do the wrong thing, I'm also willing to put my echo and tap up for sale on eBay.

[dywicked]

This is just Amazon's next version of the Connected Home APIs and opening it to more developers. Using the word skill is just unifying terminology as marketing for developers.

[Javi]

I know I am beating a dead horse but I think they need to focus on more "action words" and device recognition.

 

 

I guess my concern with opening that up in general is the potential for abuse - it would make Alexa just intolerable if a random skill that I've enabled suddenly made Alexa shout political slogans during the dinner hour in order to push the agenda of the developer...

And if we wanted this, we would just invite family over 

[EddieRock]

I agree with you, EddieRock - up to a point.

 

I guess my concern with opening that up in general is the potential for abuse - it would make Alexa just intolerable if a random skill that I've enabled suddenly made Alexa shout political slogans during the dinner hour in order to push the agenda of the developer...

 

I think Amazon needs to figure out a mechanism, somewhat "android-app-like", where I approve the features such as the ability for something to make Alexa speak.  The fundamental difference is that right now, a skill does not actually get access to anything from my Echo until the skill is addressed by me invoking the skill FROM MY ECHO (emphasis).  What you're asking for troubles me because it opens up a means for some other thing, be it connected home, or some third-party skill that I (or my kids) have enabled, to cause the Echo to initiate something WITHOUT the echo itself being involved.  From a  security point-of-view, that means the attack-surface of the Echo has just dramatically increased.

 

So, I'm willing to wait to see what Amazon does.  And, if they do the wrong thing, I'm also willing to put my echo and tap up for sale on eBay.

 

I believe there can be security built into it via a "Skill" that UDI can program. In other words, the ISY and the Echo get linked and there is an option for a program or insteon device to "Send" the word or words to the Echo on the same network. Similar to linking an insteon device to the ISY. We would "Link" the Echo to the ISY (or vice versa) and then send words to it that it can speak. Similar to sending out an email or notification via SMTP. We could have a secure link between the ISY and the LOCALLY connected Echo.

 

Currently, My echo only does what we tell it that it can "hear" from the microphone. I'd like it to "hear" from the network if the following is ture:

• secure connected app/skill/appliance
• manually approved (and configured) commands/words/phrases from ISY
• securely developed communication
• On/Off configuration from both the Echo and ISY

Obviously, UDI/ISY would ensure that it is secure

Edited April 8, 2016 by EddieRock