Crownstone

[vincenttor]

Dutch build. Pretty interesting if it was not Bluetooth only.
Still it's the same I am doing but wired.
Wish this where sooner there it would have saved me allot of. Time and money.
But it's Bluetooth...
Anyway here is the link

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/do ... bmit=Go%21

[raymonvdm]

Today i found the link on tweakers.net

[annevanrossum]

The Bluetooth Low Energy choice is on purpose. It is very, very low-power which makes it actually feasible to use as a standby killer, plus all the home automation stuff is possible as well. And it connects to smartphones, so connectivity will not be a problem. Apart from that the OnHub from Google, the HomeKit from Apple, etc. will all want to be the hub in your home. We are at once cheaper than most alternatives by using a smartphone as a hub and we can integrate with these big players when they are gonna conquer the markets.

Ask me any question!

(Anne from DoBots)

[vincenttor]

Well, since i am using Homeseer there can be written a plugin for it , and maybe it will by someone that has the knowledge.
But in my case its a no go otherwise i would probably have backed it for 30 plugs, i have already everything wired for a bit more money as you sell them
Ah well, nice to see you on the forum to answer some questions.

[Bwired]

I also dont believe in a BT mesh network, i already have problems with a Zigbee and Zwave mesh network
You need to have many devices very close together
i will also skip this time

[AshaiRey]

And it connects to smartphones, so connectivity will not be a problem.

Ahum, i don't have a smartphone. Never had, never will. My parents either but they can benefit from HA to keep them lining longer in their old house. So connectivity is a big issue here.

Apart from that the OnHub from Google, the HomeKit from Apple, etc. will all want to be the hub in your home

OnHub and HomeKit kit are NOT home automation systems and they are far, far to limiting. In fact they are just data gathering systems for the said companies

[annevanrossum]

Well, since i am using Homeseer there can be written a plugin for it , and maybe it will by someone that has the knowledge.
But in my case its a no go otherwise i would probably have backed it for 30 plugs, i have already everything wired for a bit more money as you sell them
Ah well, nice to see you on the forum to answer some questions.

Homeseer is software on your desktop, which can be equipped with a Bluetooth Low Energy dongle for a few bucks. From what I know HomeSeer allows you to write some vb scripts which is not particularly challenging. We already have some Python-based software in place to interact with the Crownstones in our daily development cycle (to automate testing).

Wires are a bit more expensive indeed!

[annevanrossum]

I also dont believe in a BT mesh network, i already have problems with a Zigbee and Zwave mesh network
You need to have many devices very close together
i will also skip this time

I also have experience with Zigbee meshes and part of my professional background is mesh networks indeed. People make weird choices in those protocols so now and then... I totally admit. However, for the low bandwidth protocols that are required for applications like this, there is absolutely no reason to have a sloppy user experience.

[annevanrossum]

And it connects to smartphones, so connectivity will not be a problem.

Ahum, i don't have a smartphone. Never had, never will. My parents either but they can benefit from HA to keep them lining longer in their old house. So connectivity is a big issue here.

Apart from that the OnHub from Google, the HomeKit from Apple, etc. will all want to be the hub in your home

OnHub and HomeKit kit are NOT home automation systems and they are far, far to limiting. In fact they are just data gathering systems for the said companies

Hi AshaiRey.

An interesting user scenario is around the smart meters that are currently introduced in the Netherlands. It is possible to say no, but it is made difficult.

It is possible to fool these companies by using devices as if you're at home while you're actually not. In this case you're of course not saving energy, but using them as a privacy measure. This is the same functionality that can be used as an anti-burglar solution.

One of the main reasons that we chose to have a smartphone as hub is that it allows someone to keep the data on their smartphone. We do not provide particular hubs in which we try to catch customers. However, if people want to have remote control they can still get it by buying products like that. We are not condoning nor encouraging how the user is gonna use your product. We only wanted to put an open-source power outlet in the hands of the people.