Anyone found this yet?
The “Gentle wake up” feature sounds interesting… Anyone has a Deja vu, but me?
Here is the official blog post…
To kick off the debut of SmartThings Labs, users will be able to test the following services:
- Universal Remote control: Control multiple devices on a single screen, scrolling through different connected devices
- Virtual Switch: Create switches that can be used in scenes and automation without buying actual devices
- TV Quick Control: Add TV Control widget on the notification panel and lock screen on your phone.
- Device as a Bluetooth Keyboard: Users can key input into their televisions and accompanying apps through a Bluetooth keyboard. Make typing on any device a breeze.
At present, only available in the US and Korea, and only an android.
https://www.smartthings.com/partners/smartthings-labs
And at present, it looks like almost all of the information on that page is in graphics that don’t have text labels, so completely unusable for someone dependent on a voice reader. 
I saw that, and unfortunately cannot try it.
And seriously, it sounds like a joke…
I couldn’t say, because it present it doesn’t sound like anything. (Not a joke. 
)
I really wish they’d focus on fixing existing issues instead of releasing new stuff like this that will also have issues itself if history is anything to go by.
When is the ST Connect app going to get an update that makes it usable? (I’m referring to the chronically slow responses time issue for one).
And JD, it seems that after multiple promises ST have zero interest in addressing Accessibility.
Just so frustrating.
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The worrying thing that is not new stuff, it is old stuff.
Gentle Wake Up
Virtual Switches
It is just skinning the cat one more time…
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It’s it’s not even as good as the old stuff.
The new SmartThings Labs ‘virtual switch creator’ creates a cloud device. Their previously released Virtual Device Creator creates a local device. This is weird, since they are using the same Type when I click “Edit Device” in the IDE, but they definitely differ by “Execution Location”.
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its been out on Android for a couple app versions now.
This confuses me. So you want them to kill off the Groovy apps without replacing them?
IMO, its good to see them making an effort to replace commonly used Groovy smartapps like virtual switch creator, gentle wakeup and vacation lighting director so they work with the new platform. yes they app still has tons of bugs and is still getting things broken every iteration, but I assume the devs making these new apps are not teh ones that are supposed to be fixing the overarching issues of the mobile app as a whole.
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I’m still confused why Smartlabs is region locked ???
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No. I didn’t say that.
I mean in general I keep seeing new things added to the platform but we have fundamental, systemic issues that need addressing and I’m not seeing that happening.
Yes, perhaps there are different teams working this stuff but they are compounding issues because EVERYTHING they add has issues and/or breaks something else.
It’s time for ST to take stock and rework how they are marching here. But I know I am p***ing in the wind. Just venting.
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That’s a really good question, when the old apps were not.
@Nezmo, even the new things are not working. The Android Auto integration is unable to show any of my Scenes…
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I don’t know why they’d change it, but have they perhaps simply not assigned the device to a hub?
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Im in the US on Android and I still dont see it so I cant comment.
Open SmartApps, then tap the 3-dot menu in the upper right corner to select SmartThings Labs.
I’ll confirm what @jlv advised that the Virtual Switch Creator creates a virtual switch using the ‘Virtual Switch’ device handler, but it’s ‘cloud’ vice local execution, and no matter what I tried I couldn’t find a way to get it to change to local instead of cloud execution. That’s a waste, and a very confusing because if I manually create a device in the IDE using the same Virtual Switch device handler, it shows local execution.
I’ve only found the Bluetooth keyboard feature of any real use so far since I use it with most of the 3rd party apps installed on my Samsung QLED HDTV when I need to enter login credentials or use the search feature of the specific app.
Here is the current U.S. SmartThings Labs offerings.
The TV Quick Control puts TV controls in the Android Notification bar.
And the Universal Remote is an imitation of something like the Home Assistant GUI interface, but its not very customizable at all. I’m hoping they will make the Universal Remote more enhanced and customizable in the future.
@blake.arnold - two things:
-
ACCESSIBILITY - so many promises and still failing to comply…
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Why is this region locked?
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I don’t even understand why half of these things are described as ‘experimental features’.
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