Remote Arm/Disarm

[shawneric]

Understandable. When I say, "the community builds"....I don't mean for hire. This is something people would have to volunteer for, because I know Sighthound doesn't have something like this slated in their budget, but it's definitely something that's needed. An open source platform, whether it be a piece of software or a webserver, at least until Sighthound gets together and builds something themselves.

[HITECHTLS]

When it comes to something like security, i would prefer the least amount of actors in play to provide QoS. I already have the following in the mix as single point of failure (sure i'm missing some too):

Cell Phone App
Cell Phone Hardware
Carrier / WiFi
IFTTT Cloud
SightHound Cloud
Back End ISP
Front End ISP
Building Power Grid
Local Networking Hardware
SightHound Computer and Camera Hardware
SightHound Software

No need to add more men in the middle that would inject MTBF.

[shawneric]

I see your point, but it really doesn't move me. The fact is Sighthound is just a piece of software for a simple home security system. If you're trying to use this as an enterprise level system and you don't have backups and fixes for your loopholes then that's your own issue to deal with. I'm just doing this on a home base level. If my power goes out then I've got more to worry about than my cameras not working. My smartphone, while it isn't invincible, is fairly secure. As a security tech I make sure it's locked down. I can't, nor can anyone else, control the ISP or their connectivity.

The fact is, unless you've specifically put in place measures to counteract single points of failure, then Sighthound is just that, Sighthound. It doesn't come with any special features. The fact that I can't remotely activate and disable rules for my cameras upsets me a bit. I understand that such a feature would require a great deal of work on Sighthound's end, so I'm not apt to ask them to put everything on halt and put it in there.

However, as a community, wouldn't it make sense that if we don't have a feature, that we team up and make it ourselves? I get it though, you personally don't want to do it, fine, that's ok. I'm certainly not afraid of single points of failure that are in the hands of the beholder anyways. I can't control most of those issues, so I'm not going to worry about them. If you can control them, then by all means, worry about them.

[shawneric]

And just to show that you don't have to do everything in Sighthound, here's a solution I've already come up with. I'll implement it in a few weeks, test it, and record a video so you can all use it as well. It utilizes a different piece of free software, it's a bit rudimentary, but it works a whole lot better than...well...not working at all.

Tools and Requirements:
1. Sighthound
2. EventGhost
3. IFTTT
4. Android/IOS phone with IFTTT Do Button App
5. Pushbullet

First, you're going to want to create some recipes on IFTTT with the do button. For example, "If Do button 'ppl_in_living_off' is pressed then send pushbullet"

Then you're going to want to have pushbullet send a note into Eventghost (using the pushbullet plugin for EventGhost), and that pushbullet will be the event that sets off the rest of the EventGhost triggers.

Next, eventghost will have to find the screen "SightHound Video.exe" and bring it to front. From there you want to make screen grid triggers (this might require additional software, I'll figure it out, basically your screen is broken down into grids and you can specify where you want your mouse to click, then, with grid coordinates, your mouse left or right clicks that spot). Figure out where you want it clicked, make sure you click "Cameras" first, and then click your camera, and then where your rule would be for enable and disable. Make sure you give it time for your computer to respond to commands before producing the next command.

BOOM, now your camera rule is enabled or disabled, with the push of a button on your phone. No logging into an app, no going to a website, just a button. Done. And you can even get a notification that it's been done too.


So, Ryan, no, there's no need for an additional cloud, IFTTT IS that cloud for you, and Eventghost, well, it just automates what I would do if I were sitting there at my computer in person.

So, I'm going to set this up for all my cameras and each of their respective rules and I'm going to record a video of how to do it. If anyone wants to try this, or has a better idea than "DUUUhhhhUHHUUHUHUHHHHhhhhh too many SPOFs!!!!" and "let me stick my freaking head in the sand", then please, toss it forward and lets see what you have.

There. Solution made. Remote Arm/Disarm. Did it my own freaking self. >_>

[shawneric]

Done. It works as desired. I'm going out of town for the weekend but I'll upload a video of it sometime next week.

[AGDunc]

I have a Nest thermostat which I control using an app called Skylark. I am not able to use the auto-away functionality as I have dogs (which is the reason I am interested in Sighthound) but Skylark uses the geo-location of all of the phones registered to it to determine if the house is occupied instead. If somebody is in then the heating will stay on but if everybody goes out it will switch off. I will be holding out on purchasing a license for Sighthound until this sort of functionality is added (I don't see why the current app couldn't work in the same way).

[joelegg]

Hi Devin - is this still the case that it's not a high priority? or is this feature coming soon?

[johnnyknox]

Hi joelegg,

You currently can remotely arm and disarm the cameras using our mobile app, though arming/disarming based on proximity and having Sighthound Video take action with IFTTT are not currently at the top of our feature list.

Regards,

-Devin

Disappointing to hear to say the least because so many people are asking for this yet Sighthound don't see it as a feature worth prioritising for their users.

Enough people want it, that much is evident from a search that took me 2 minutes:

topic13240

topic13128

topic13220

[jimbo]

I'm about to start evaluating and will purchase pro license if it works out. But, not having a API to the local server will be a huge issue. My Home Automation & Alarm systems already know when nobody is home so I would want them to Arm this system as well...

[joelegg]

Agreed.i guess the focus is the new platform then features like this. It would be cool to know it will be on their roadmap at least soon