December 2014
Review
AutomatedBuildings.com

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If This Then That 

The new cloud control language as a service?
   Ken Sinclair
Founder, Owner, Publisher AutomatedBuildings.com

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In an attempt to do what I say and to increase my "I of Me" of IoT I am trying to get my head around this control language cloud service that looks more like a cooking school than programming. I have been fascinated by control languages and involved in their creation since the early 1980s and amazed at their power to do powerful things easily.  Being there in the early days of OCL Operator Control Langauges for DDC and watching the standards evolve and the division between IF THEN and Graphic block programing evolve I am very intrigued by this cloud service. Last month's ramblings provided a peek into how my Personal IoT interaction increases industry BAS expectations. My watch texts me with the fact and the time the garage door was left open. Useful information when I need it, where I need it, provided simply by IoT and a low cost DIY not wired sensor. This month we have a cloud control language to channel the power of Personal IoT.

In this article from my past “The Past and Future of Control Languages”  A call to the industry to speed their evolution to open protocol for control languages. Comes these words; This article is not done and may never be.  I invite the industry to interact and give me their take on the future of control languages with articles, emailed comments and interactions with our Linkedin group and other on line blogs. We are an industry in transition and must all do our part to speed our evolution.

Game on industry, help me sort this one out.  Is it just a flash for the trendy or something that may change our future?

I have always favored IF THEN ELSE languages but when l was introduced to this web service there is no else….smile.  Just another IF.

What is IFTTT? (If This Then That)? From their web site;

"IFTTT is a service that lets you create powerful connections with one simple statement:  If this, then that. We call 'this' the Trigger, and 'that' the Action. Together, it is a Recipe.

IFTTT is pronounced like “gift” without the “g.” "

Yikes a Recipe? Not a program but a recipe that connects cloud channels together.

Near as I can figure out what they are selling is channels?

Channels are the basic building blocks of IFTTT. Each Channel has its own Triggers and Actions.

Cloud Devices are connected to cloud channels (cloud services) that can both generate the trigger and carryout the action.

So how could this funny social media talk fall on us as an industry?

[an error occurred while processing this directive]For example a nest thermostat can have the following Recipes

https://ifttt.com/nest_thermostat  So what other kind of things can we IFTTT?

From Honeywell another recipe. https://ifttt.com/honeywell_evohomehttps://ifttt.com/recipes/211933-set-any-zone-s-temperature-for-3-hours-with-a-text-message

Soon everyone has or wants a channel like Homeboy. I love the simplicty and the fact that each url tells a story.

https://ifttt.com/recipes/213525-if-motion-is-detected-in-my-homeboy-location-turn-my-philips-hue-bulbs-red

https://ifttt.com/recipes/207865-if-your-nest-protect-detects-a-smoke-alarm-emergency-then-capture-video-on-your-homeboy-camera

So what appears to be happening is any new product which has a channel created is able to interact with many social media channels once it triggers are known.  Android and Apple OS services are powerful triggers than allow direct connection and control to device.

https://ifttt.com/recipes/164659-turn-on-your-lights-when-you-re-near-home

I love that the url explains it all. All of this is a clear demonstration of what is possible in the world of IoT and why we all must keep focused on improving our I of Me to be part of this brave new world.


 

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