INTERACT FORUM
More => Old Versions => JRiver Media Center 23 for Windows => Topic started by: JimH on May 20, 2017, 05:06:49 pm
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The company called If This Then That has been around a few years now. They offer an interface that lets apps communicate in a somewhat automated fashion.
I have to admit that I thought it was slightly trivial and not very useful, but Marc Andreessen, founder of Netscape, and major venture capitalist, invested in it early on. So I've followed their progress. You can take a look at it here:
https://ifttt.com/discover
JRiver developer, John Thompson, has built a web socket interface on a server we run so that MC and Engen can be controlled from the Internet and work with other IFTTT apps.
We'll see where this goes. For now, it would be helpful to hear of any experience you've had with IFTTT.
Thanks.
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Hey Jim - been using IFTTT for years and its potential is only growing with its popularity. In the IoT space, a product without IFTTT supply (eg IKEAs new lighting) has an immediate disadvantage. It's also a source of marketing.
I say go for it -- hell, go integrate all of MC into it. Custom playlist based on the weather? :)
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I see this almost everywhere on android sites, and it plugs into google home so for JRiver, that checks a box for amazon echo, and now google home. IFTTT also lets you share your macros so setting up scenes might be as easy as a few button clicks on your IFTTT account.
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I just use it for a few things. My favorite so far is that whenever I add an item to my shopping list via an Alexa device, it gets synced to all my devices as an Evernote list. It's just there on the phone whenever I get to the store.
It also adds to-do's to my Google calendar, sends me a list of new NYT bestsellers, sends an email when rain is predicted (rare in SW New Mexico), sends NASA's pic of the day, quote of the day, compiles a list of every song I've played via Alexa for the past week, etc.
I'll be buying a Logitech Harmony Companion soon, and expect to find a few more uses with that, like setting scenes...
As far as MC, beyond the basic turn-on, select source, adjust lighting type stuff, it might be fun to automatically scrape the top movies/TV/music or a list of most popular playlists/stations... maybe an auto-mood sensor, prepare appropriate beverage, massage -- just the basics. Ha.
I think the best is yet to come, though, as more IoT stuff comes along and prices drop (no, I don't need a video refrigerator, thanks).
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I've been playing with Google home for a while now. Have set up quite a few shortcuts through the Home app, setup HT control via a Logitech harmony Hub, then setup IFTTT to connect things in various ways.
It's not exactly the easiest thign to setup but it does seem to work.
Biggest issue I have right now is that, once you've setup Google Home to recognize multiple peoples voices, +all+ the shortcuts you've setup are connected to the first account connected to the Home. You have to then connect to EACH OTHER ACCOUNT and re set up all your shortcuts etc. That's a big pain.
But that's nothing to do with JRiver.
I'd LOVE the ability to connect Home to an MC server to stream music from MC to a chromecast of Home device.
Sounds like that's in the works. I'd certainly be open to beta testing it!
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I know a lot of people use IFTTT but I am not too fond of it, having the smart phone as the "brain" in a smart home just doesn't work very well IMHO.
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Is there a way to test this yet? Will it be a feature coming to MC23?
I use Hue and have just ordered a google home mini. It would be great if I could use voice commands with MC.
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Not any time soon. Sorry.
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Working with Google Home via DialogFlow and Firebase is not terribly difficult.
I've got a basic integration going right now. My hangup is that I'm not sure how to register my app as a "Music Service" so that I can react to all the music service shortcuts.
Instead, you have to directly address my app, as in
"Hey google, ask My music service to play some jazz in the kitchen"
Not ideal but it works.
Still digging for solutions for that.