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3 Announcements: Alexa V3, MobiLinc IFTTT Channel, and Dynamic DNS!


InsteonNut

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Posted

Hi Folks,

We've been busy in Q1 and Q2 of 2018 building out MobiLinc Connect to support many new features we couldn't do before. I'm happy to be able to make three huge announcements today: Alexa V3 support, MobiLinc IFTTT Dedicated Channel, and Dynamic DNS.

Alexa V3 (http://mobilinc.com/features/echo/)
We've submitted our Alexa update to Amazon for certification and hope to have certification approval soon. This update features the following:
- US and Canada English support
- You will no longer need the old MobiLinc custom skill. It's 100% contained now within the one MobiLinc Smart Home Skill once we're approved.
- Support for ISY firmware 5.x and nodes. If the node's UOM identifies itself as a light control or thermostat and has a spoken name it gets added to Alexa support. 
- Real-time ISY device and program status are sent to Alexa for the Alexa app real-time status and control.
- Ask Alexa what temperature it is.
- Supports Groups and Routines.

MobiLinc's IFTTT Channel
MobiLinc Connect has supported the Maker channel for a while, but we were never very happy with the one-way integration. I'm happy to announce that we're building out an official IFTTT MobiLinc channel for true two-way integration with IFTTT services. We've started on this effort and can use your help as we build out functionality. If you are an IFTTT and MobiLinc Connect user and would like to help us beta test, we're looking for 5-10 power users with 4.x or 5.x firmware to help us out. Send me an email to support@mobilinc.com to get added/notified when we launch the beta test.

Dynamic DNS
If you have cameras or other devices you need to access in your home, having a dynamic DNS service to route to your external IP is critical. If you are an active MobiLinc Connect customer, starting today, and included in your MobiLinc Connect subscription, you can use the following as your dynamic DNS:

{ISY's UUID}.mobilinc.io

For example, if your ISY's UUID is: 12:34:56:78:90:12 (You can find the UUID under the Admin Console->Help->About) remove the colons and use this to reach your home's external IP address: 123456789012.mobilinc.io


And finally,  
With the rollout of these features and new MobiLinc Connect server capability, we are also moving to revamp the MobiLinc apps on iOS and Android. More specific details on features, etc will be coming in a future announcement but the major goal is to synchronize the iOS and Android feature cycle while modernizing the interface.

Wes

UPDATE 7-13-2018:
The MobiLinc IFTTT Channel is now live: 
https://ifttt.com/mobilinc
http://mobilinc.com/features/ifttt/

Website updated with Dynamic DNS info: http://mobilinc.com/features/ddns/

Posted
Hi Folks,
We've been busy in Q1 and Q2 of 2018 building out MobiLinc Connect to support many new features we couldn't do before. I'm happy to be able to make three huge announcements today: Alexa V3 support, MobiLinc IFTTT Dedicated Channel, and Dynamic DNS.
Alexa V3
We've submitted our Alexa update to Amazon for certification and hope to have certification approval soon. This update features the following:
- US, Canada English, and French support
- You will no longer need the old MobiLinc custom skill. It's 100% contained now within the one MobiLinc Smart Home Skill once we're approved.
- Support for ISY firmware 5.x and nodes. If the node's UOM identifies itself as a light control or thermostat and has a spoken name it gets added to Alexa support. 
- Real-time ISY device and program status is sent to Alexa so you can ask Alexa, if a light is on or what temperature it is.
- Supports the Alexa app for device, scene, program real-time status and control.
- Supports Groups and Routines.
MobiLinc's IFTTT Channel
MobiLinc Connect has supported the Maker channel for a while, but we were never very happy with the one-way integration. I'm happy to announce that we're building out an official IFTTT MobiLinc channel for true two-way integration with IFTTT services. We've started on this effort and can use your help as we build out functionality. If you are an IFTTT and MobiLinc Connect user and would like to help us beta test, we're looking for 5-10 power users with 4.x or 5.x firmware to help us out. Send me an email to support@mobilinc.com to get added/notified when we launch the beta test.
Dynamic DNS
If you have cameras or other devices you need to access in your home, having a dynamic DNS service to route to your external IP is critical. If you are an active MobiLinc Connect customer, starting today, and included in your MobiLinc Connect subscription, you can use the following as your dynamic DNS:
{ISY's UUID}.mobilinc.io

For example, if your ISY's UUID is: 12:34:56:78:90:12 (You can find the UUID under the Admin Console->Help->About) remove the colons and use this to reach your home's external IP address: 123456789012.mobilinc.io

And finally,  
With the rollout of these features and new MobiLinc Connect server capability, we are also moving to revamp the MobiLinc apps on iOS and Android. More specific details on features, etc will be coming in a future announcement but the major goal is to synchronize the iOS and Android feature cycle while modernizing the interface.
Wes


Very exciting, thank you for continuously making Mobilinc better!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
  • 3 weeks later...
Posted

Hi eyaniv,

Yes! Amazon approved it over the weekend and by the looks of it all users are moved over at this point to the new V3 skill. I'm working on updating the website this week, but in short, you no longer need the MobiLinc Custom skill.

Firmware 4.x:
When you update spoken names or update voice programs, always click "Save" on the programs tab even when only changing device/scene spoken names. Wait about 5 minutes and then say "Alexa, discover devices" to pull in changes.

Firmware 5.0.12 and up:
When you update spoken names for devices/scenes you can immediately say "Alexa, discover devices" to pull in changes. If changing voice programs, click "Save", wait 5 minutes, then say "Alexa, discover devices".

Wes

Posted

Hi eyaniv,

Click the "save" button on the programs tab and wait 5 minutes then say "Alexa, discover devices". If that doesn't work, please email me your ISY's UUID to support@mobilinc.com and refer to this thread so I can look up your ISY. Please also include the following:

- Screenshot of your Admin Console->Help->About page
- Screenshot of the Spoken name/Notes of a device and scene that have the Spoken names set, but aren't appearing in Alexa.

Wes

Posted

Forgot to update this thread - everything works beautifully. I did not wait the few minutes to sync between my ISY and mobilinc initially.

  • 3 weeks later...
  • 3 weeks later...
  • 4 weeks later...
Posted

Hi Folks,

Based on feedback to the MobiLinc IFTTT channel I added in many new applet integrations with MobiLinc and the ISY. Here's a list of just some of the new MobiLinc Applets available over the next 24 hours:

  • Run a program when your washer, dryer, or dishwasher complete their cycle. Works with GE and Whirlpool connected appliances. 
  • Start your Roomba or Neato cleaning your house when you run a program or arm your ELK.
  • Dock your Roomba or Neato when you disarm your ELK.

Keep the suggestions coming!
Wes

  • 2 months later...
Posted
On 5/12/2018 at 10:36 AM, InsteonNut said:

Real-time ISY device and program status is sent to Alexa so you can ask Alexa, if a light is on or what temperature it is.

Hello,  Does anyone know how to ask Alexa if a light is on as noted above?  I’ve been trying to get this working with no luck. I’m running the latest Mobilinc alexa app but if i ask Alexa if a light is turned on Alexa responds saying the device doesn’t support that.

Any ideas?

 

 

Posted

Hi @PLA,

My apologies. That was a typo in this announcement that was fixed on our website. When we were working on this update, there were some clarity issues with the internal Alexa documentation that indicated that asking for light status was possible. As it turned out, Alexa doesn't yet support this for some reason, but Alexa has all the information from us to be able to answer that style of question. Once Alexa turns on that functionality it should just work for MobiLinc users as we already support sending real-time status of your Alexa enabled devices and programs to Alexa.

I've updated the top of this announcement to remove that line.

Wes

Posted

Hi Wes, thank you for the response. Alexa does support this today.  In fact, the ISY team sent out an email last week saying that the ISY can now talk to you, this is supported through Alexa routines which uses ISY device status. The “ISY portal” sends device status to Alexa. With it you can ask alexa if a device is turned on.

 

 

Posted

Hi @PLA,

The email you are referring to doesn't do that explicitly. The feature UDI announced is Alexa's new Sensor category. With items that report as sensors, the Alexa app has a new feature where you can create a routine that triggers based on a sensor status. The action can be having one or more of your Echo units announce some spoken text. I just looked again at the Alexa documentation, and it still doesn't support a query like "Alexa, is the Kitchen light on?"

I'm finishing up MobiLinc Connect server changes to support Sensors for Alexa Routines and speaking alerts as I type this. MobiLinc Connect will be very flexible to identify programs, variables, actual sensors like motion, water, door, etc. and devices as sensors to Alexa directed by you. Watch the MobiLinc forum for this announcement.

Wes

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