Connect iOS and Android Together for Home Automation

What is this?

Android is a lot easier when doing home automation tasks and this appears to be the best way to link your devices together using a little trick.

Software

AutoRemote, Now Now, Google Search, Tasker, Activator, GooGiri

Hardware

iOS 7 with Jailbreak and an Android with AutoRemote and Tasker installed.

Steps

  1. Setup GooGiri, NowNow and Activator and Install Google Search on your iOS device. Below is a brief video on how Googiri works.
  2. Add a command to send all said ‘text’ to your server such as AutoRemote on a Tasker Android Device.
    Photo 10-21-2014, 10 38 21 AM

    You can see above that I have setup my webserver address to send the text to my server. This server is the URL to the custom link of my AutoRemote URL. This could also go to an EventGhost PC url if you want to do so.

  3. On your Tasker device you’ll need to setup possible said commands but you should receive these commands from your GooGiri setup
  4. Begin starting to create interesting recipes to control every aspect of your home using your iOS device.

What I use it for

  1. I search my XBMC tv shows and movies to play any file using my iOS device
  2. I launch an AutoIt script to search for iTunes or Grooveshark music
  3. I can turn my TV on and do all my regular home automation tasks using my voice and holding the home button.

Why should you use this?

This is far more powerful and useful than HomeKit as it has very limited integration and you can’t interact with the web. You could also create commands to search your computer to send files, browse websites and spit back useful data. You could also integrate this with Acute to have a complete hands free experience. Let me know how you use it in our forums.

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Activator and Automation Tools

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Introduction

Activator is the ultimate automation tool for iOS but it requires that you jailbreak your device first.  It has a ton of features that you should be using to optimize your day and save you time completing tasks around the house or just walking around the city.

Plugins

Tweaks can create plugins to launch tasks based on the plugins trigger.  There are lots of tweaks that have integrated Activator.  Some of our favourites include:

  • Activate Command
  • AirPlayServer
  • GooGiri
  • NowNow
  • Programmable SMS

Types of Triggers

You can create tasks based on:

  • Application Launch
  • Battery Status
  • Icons, Swipes on the Screen
  • Wifi, Bluetooth, Emails, Messages, Time
  • Device Status
  • Button Presses (long, short, double and triple clicks)
  • Headset Status

Automate Your Phone | Create Scheduled Profiles

There are other ways to do this but we like using activator best.  To do this open Activator and select the ‘Anywhere’ and then select ‘More’  Here is where you can select Triggers for your profile.  In the example I’m going to choose is based on Time.  Select Scheduled and then select which days and then you can select what to do.

Make Your Device Aware

You can also make your device aware and act on where you are.  That way you can turn your radios on an off to save battery, launch apps, start XBMC (airplay) etc. Other examples:

  • Get in the car and have the bluetooth connection start the google maps app and turn on your location services.
  • Walk outside to the park where you start your run and have a profile start (RunKeeper with Location services and volume up high for music with Bluetooth on).

Remotely Receive Commands

Every device should have setup the email triggers to launch certain devices, apps or profiles.  Examples could be:

  • Take a picture with the front camera (and sync to your iCloud photostream to view)
  • Start an IP camera for your local PC to stream to your remote device
  • Launch iBeaconTransmitter so your device can know when you arrive in the area to launch another app

Create Menus

Create a menu which can be activated with a trigger.  Ie. Launch a home lighting menu to control the lights in your home by triple clicking the home button.  This can provide 20 items to launch commands.  To do this click: ‘Menus’ -> ‘Add New Menu’ and then you can add actions to menu items.

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Activator Discussions

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