For the above scenario, specifically, check out Perch – they are officially integrated with SmartThings (as they were sponsored by the Samsung Accelerator).
(Regardless… if you can run a simple web server on your PC (such as node, IIS, or Apache), you can have SmartThings communicate to it via REST-API and perhaps shell out to issue camera commands. But it’s quite a project … let’s see what you think of Perch.)
Cool, thanks for the idea!
After a bit of digging around, I have developed a SmartApp which will monitor for contact sensor events, and then call an HTTP get request through a hub command which hits an iSpy server which switches on my desktop webcam. Not sure how well it will work in practice with an actual contact sensor, but seems pretty snappy in testing (including use on my phone!)
Now I am daydreaming about how I could possibly integrate actions from my Cox security system into this, possibly via text message or something else. Really wish I could integrate them directly though!
Do they publish any API? Do you know if Cox is using a whitelabel service like iControl? (There are, what, perhaps 3 major vendors that are used by various resellers and internet service providers, etc.; PEQ uses iControl, for example).
Not sure what they use, I would think they would be as closed as possible because they want to sell their own overpriced, minimally capable equipment. This shows the control panel/tablet they provided: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8p8DmvvYS4
Edit: “At iControl—whose technology powers connected home services for ADT Security Services, Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Cox and Rogers—the company works with vendors and partners to ensure that device development, software development, and server side management are up to snuff.”
Well… It seems they have a “partners / developers” program. It would be nice to have world peace and SmartThings work out an API agreement with them.
A desktop client would be extraordinarily useful seeing as the mobile app is buggy as hell and frequently crashes on a Galaxy S5 (which you would assume would be well supported).
C’mon Samsung, get your shit together! I’ve spent nearly 700$ on this and my only point of interaction with the whole thing is nigh useless
it would be so nice to be able to run and install smartapps and create rules. Mobile app but able to point/click/ and type on a PC or Mac. Tehy could even jsut make it a web app part of the portal
You can do this on a PC if you install an Android emulator such as Andy or BlueStacks
Not the same as a Desktop client. I web portal would be nice.
Web App is absolutely needed!
Desktop app would be fantastic too!
Any news on being able to control it from a desktop PC and/or browser?
Depends on what you mean by “control”.
SmartTiles offers browser based control of most Things, Mode, Routine; just can’t do SmartThings configuration stuff (Add/Remove new devices, SmartApps). Our next generation is entering final set of QA tests and we’re quite proud of how flexible it is. It can do many things that the SmartThings App can’t.
SmartThings has no short-term plans to offer a full desktop / web version of their mobile App. One desktop option frequently used is to run an Android emulator (MeMu, Bluestacks, Andy, …).
If you have a Samsung Galaxy smartphone or tablet, there is an awesome app I use called SideSync. I use it daily while working on my PC. It puts your phone screen and control on your PC, Wi-Fi or USB connected. Cut and paste, type, full audio in/out, make calls, full screen or windowed, all from your PC.
And there is the problem in a nutshell. We need a REST API that would let developers create things that can do the kinds of operations that the app can do. If you would publish such an API the community would get to work and create great things like a desktop app, and a web app.
Given that this thread was started in '14 (before the v2 hub), I’d wager that a desktop interface isn’t going to happen. Samsung is too focussed on pushing out new hardware to care much about adding software functionality, IMHO.
What @matthewcingram said, plus the ability to create Routines, install SmartApps and shop the Marketplace. Basically the mobile app for a Mac or PC.
Scenes. Don’t forget scenes. A deal breaker if missing.
SmartThings is so proud of how open the platform is, but they don’t provide a public API for doing simple things like looking at logs or s defining routines or modes? I find this incongruous.
I want a way to make api calls to the same endpoints the mobile application and the IDE use. This way I can make my own interfaces. The IDE and the App are both fine as far as they go, but they are not flexible enough – the App workflows in particular are very cumbersome to use compared to what you could do with an API like this.
I use both.
I switched to Wink just because interface is perfect. and runs super fast, I can select by category “lights”, “garage”, “cameras”, bla bla… But I know, SmartThings is the future as hub. Community is amazing and is open. So I switched back to SmartThings. but I remember OLD Smarthings UI on iPhone and was better than new interface since they added “SECURITY” as main page.