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How I Hacked Amazon’s $5 WiFi Button

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Re: How I Hacked Amazon’s $5 WiFi Button

#111

Post by ja27 »

jo909 wrote: post #64

This is really cool. I suspect the buttons are already sold at loss, so it is probably very hard to build a similar, but more open, device at around a price point where you could just plaster the whole house with such buttons. But I wonder if it might be done when leaving out the WiFi and most of the processing power from the button, and having essentially what is a RF remote control (like used for remote controlled…

I need to get one Dash button and set it up so that pressing it orders more Dash buttons.

Re: How I Hacked Amazon’s $5 WiFi Button

#112

Post by pavel_lishin »

Istof wrote: post #71
pavel_lishin wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I assume you're concerned about privacy; the bathroom is probably the second best place (after the fridge) for tracking your health stuff. I would 100% buy a digital medi-toilet that analyzes my wastes and warns me if something is off.

Then they might start putting traceable additives to foods to better track you.... eg: you eat at restaurant X.... or shared food with person Y (by analyzing combinations of additives)... or used too much of drug Z...

Now that's an interesting thought.

Especially coupled with another reply, about my insurance company buying me one. They buy me one tomorrow, and raise my premiums the next year because I drink more than their actuarial table allows.

Re: How I Hacked Amazon’s $5 WiFi Button

#113

Post by TazeTSchnitzel »

This is pretty cool!

I got distracted by the startup, though. Cloudstitch sounds kinda... strange. Their sole product is APIs that interact with Google Docs - well, Google Spreadsheets, they don't use the other formats. Are they wanting Google to buy them, or something?

Re: How I Hacked Amazon’s $5 WiFi Button

#115

Post by dustincoates »

jdpage wrote: post #109
spydum wrote: post #103

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Isn't that what Amazon echo does?

Yep. But it's a closed-source always-on cloud-connected microphone that lives in the middle of your house, which creeps the hell out of a lot of people (including myself and most of my housemates).

Amazon released the Alexa Voice Service recently: https://developer.amazon.com/public/solutions/alexa/alexa-vo.... It takes advantage of the cloud functionality that powers Alexa but can be used on any device.

Re: How I Hacked Amazon’s $5 WiFi Button

#117

Post by iofj »

ctdonath wrote: post #34
sp332 wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you don't mind pulling your phone out, IFTTT launched a new app called Do that just lets you push a button to "do" something on one of their channels. They have pre-made recipes for putting the current time into Google Spreadsheets etc. https://ifttt.com/recipes/227069-track-your-work-hours I think IFTTT is working on a Pebble app as well, but it hasn't launched.

That would work best as a watch "complication". Pulling phone out, turning on, finding app, tapping activity button takes too long; much easier/suitable to turn wrist, tap icon (adjacent to clock), tap activity. Good idea, if implemented with zero friction.

Fortunately IFTTT Do has a widget you can stick to your homescreen and even your lock screen.

Now if only it was a bit faster :( I use it to turn on the lights of a belkin wemo and it takes ~9 seconds for the light to respond, and frankly often doesn't work (in which case you get a helpful email stating it didn't work). But it's certainly much, much faster than using the Wemo app.

Re: How I Hacked Amazon’s $5 WiFi Button

#118

Post by jo909 »

bigiain wrote: post #96
jo909 wrote: post #64

This is really cool. I suspect the buttons are already sold at loss, so it is probably very hard to build a similar, but more open, device at around a price point where you could just plaster the whole house with such buttons. But I wonder if it might be done when leaving out the WiFi and most of the processing power from the button, and having essentially what is a RF remote control (like used for remote controlled…

The wifi and a tiny microcontroller are available for around $5 in single units these days - google "esp8266" - I'm only _marginally_ surprised Amazon can ship these for $5, but I bet they aren't making much (if any) loss on these at their volumes.

If $5 was near their costs, wouldn't they then sell it for 2$ or something, because Amazon (and their brand partner) make money with the button later?

I bet the $5 price point is something they arrived at mostly by asking what customers are _willing_ to pay.

That whole concept is so new they would not hinder it's success by making the button $10 or anything near the true cost. Amazon is all about investing in growth, and this is very likely an investment. Maybe not even that much in additional sales, but in mindshare for a totally new and unique shopping experience.

All of that does not work for an open "does anything you want"-button, so anybody designing and selling such a thing would have to think very very different about the hardware cost.

Re: How I Hacked Amazon’s $5 WiFi Button

#119

Post by patrickk »

sp332 wrote: post #13
willhinsa wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's exactly what I plan on using mine for. It makes logging actions so much faster. I would love to just have a smartwatch with a set of about 12 or so buttons that correspond to a specific action, but that will take time to happen, if at all.

If you don't mind pulling your phone out, IFTTT launched a new app called Do that just lets you push a button to "do" something on one of their channels. They have pre-made recipes for putting the current time into Google Spreadsheets etc. https://ifttt.com/recipes/227069-track-your-work-hours I think IFTTT is working on a Pebble app as well, but it hasn't launched.

You can also automate the process with GPS tracking: https://ifttt.com/recipes/133495-log-how-much-time-you-spend...

Re: How I Hacked Amazon’s $5 WiFi Button

#120

Post by fweespeech »

jreed91 wrote: post #108
fweespeech wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The hilariously sad part is there is no technical reason this feature isn't available. Just change the ASIN the button buys.

Ahh I was wondering if it had some specific API for only allowed purchases. But if that's the case I may buy one of these.

No, no. I said there wasn't a technical reason [e.g. Purchasing N is the same as purchasing Y from Amazon's perspective]. They may have a security policy in place to prevent it.
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