Tag: Automation

I like the idea of automating things and getting one thing to control another. I experiment with a lot of stuff like that.

Drafts for iOS

Posted by on in Mobile Applications, Tech

I’ve only just heard about this app for iOS which seems to be a great companion to apps like Launch Center Pro, but both seem to come into their own when used with tweaks or hacks like these from lifehacker.

I’ve been looking for better ways to automate things in iOS, ideally in a similar way to Tasker for Android, but nothing comes close, at least not so far. However, things are improving. So I’m going to have to have a look at some of these automation ideas and see where they can take me next.

I’ll keep you posted on how the experiments are going.

Drafts at the app store
Drafts - Agile Tortoise

Launch Center Pro at the app store
Launch Center Pro - App Cubby

Waiting for WeMo

Posted by on in Tech

I found out about Belkin’s WeMo technology a few weeks ago. It’s a really accessible method of implementing home automation and control it via an iPhone app from Belkin. The hardware is sort of modular in that you can buy a single unit which is essentially just a switch which can be controlled via the web / app. There’s also a motion detection modular as well. Whilst on it’s own that’s pretty amazing on it’s own, it gets better. WeMo also integrates with IFTTT!

What’s IFTTT? It’s one of the best automation services ever. IFTTT (If This Then That) allows you to make decisions and trigger actions using social services like twitter and facebook and loads more besides. It’s amazing. Anyway, you can control the WeMo hardware using IFTTT. Now that’ll be amazing.

The only downside is that WeMo isn’t available in the UK as yet. Hopefully it’ll be available in October. I hope it isn’t much longer to wait than that.

Automation on iOS?

Posted by on in Tech

And non-jailbroken? No, it’s for real. An app called Launch Center allows you to run a number of automations with stuff like texts and tweets and launching apps. I’m going to give it a go and see just how useful it is. One thing I do know is that it isn’t anything like as good as Android Tasker, but it is a very small step in the right direction for iOS.

Tasker makes Android completely awesome

Posted by on in Tech

I’ve been messing around with Tasker for a few days now, and I have to say that it is one very good reason to move completely to Android. Tasker is so flexible and modular that it can do pretty much anything in terms of automating an Android device.

If there was a Tasker like app for iOS it would be a massive seller, but of course it doesn’t fit with the whole sandbox approach from Apple. Big big shame.

I found myself seriously considering a move to Android away from the iPhone on my next contract renewal, and if Apple don’t pull something stupendous out of the bag with the iPhone 5 I might just do it.

I’ll post some of my Tasker automations soon too, then you’ll see what I mean.

Getting into ‘if this then that’

Posted by on in Stuff, Tech

If you don’t know ‘if this then that’ then you should. It’s an amazing way to automate services on the internet.  For example, you might want certain items matching a specific search criteria from an RSS feed to always end up in your ReadItLater items. No problem. You can automate that using ITTT (if this then that) and it will check the feed every 15 minutes and drop items straight into RIL for you.

ITTT can connect to a whole host of services that are brilliant when put together. I’m only just starting to get into it at the moment, but I can see it being really useful. You can try it out here.