I would love a Zapier integration here
AWS IoT Button
51–60 of 143 posts
Re: AWS IoT Button
#52I hacked one of these to power the nightlight in my kid's bedroom ( https://github.com/ecaron/hue-website-nightlights ). The downside is that the button barely lasts for 1000 presses = 90 days (all kids like pushing buttons). And it is heart breaking because its just a AAA battery that they decided to solder in place... I'm excited that this button launched. But $20 is too much for something without a swappable batte…
From the Amazon official page (https://aws.amazon.com/iot/button/):
How long will the battery last?
The battery should last for approximately 1,000 presses.
When the device battery runs out of charge, there is no way to recharge or replace the battery.
Re: AWS IoT Button
#53I hacked one of these to power the nightlight in my kid's bedroom ( https://github.com/ecaron/hue-website-nightlights ). The downside is that the button barely lasts for 1000 presses = 90 days (all kids like pushing buttons). And it is heart breaking because its just a AAA battery that they decided to solder in place... I'm excited that this button launched. But $20 is too much for something without a swappable batte…
Is desoldering an option?
It's tricky, metal tabs are soldered right to the battery terminals. It's a lithium battery so you don't want to heat it too much so desoldering will be annoying and potentially dangerous. What you can do instead is cut both tabs to remove the battery then solder wires to the tabs on the board and connect a proper battery holder. Might need to move the battery outside it since the holder + battery won't fit.
Re: AWS IoT Button
#54Something similar: https://bt.tn/
Re: AWS IoT Button
#55Earlier quoted context omitted.
Yup, but they decided to weld the contacts of the board to the battery. I'm guessing that they calculated it was cheaper (or more business savvy) to get users to replace the button every X months/years than to make the button in such a way that the battery is user replaceable and also indicates charge level.
Is it even safe to weld an alkaline battery? I don't know. Why not just solder the contact? If it's soldered, you should be able to swap the battery with a soldering iron. Sure, heating the iron and cleaning it will take much more time than swapping a battery in a spring-loaded housing, but I've spent just as long opening battery compartments held shut with tiny stripped screws.
Yes. The welding heat is VERY localized to the spots where the electrodes made contact. Very small spots and very localized heating for a secure connection. In this regard, less heat gets "into" the battery than would be the case from soldering, the operation is very fast (cycle times in the low number of seconds and welding times in the few milliseconds range), and more than strong enough for the application.
The better ones use a double pulse for a cleaner weld without the need for any flux.
Re: AWS IoT Button
#56I hacked one of these to power the nightlight in my kid's bedroom ( https://github.com/ecaron/hue-website-nightlights ). The downside is that the button barely lasts for 1000 presses = 90 days (all kids like pushing buttons). And it is heart breaking because its just a AAA battery that they decided to solder in place... I'm excited that this button launched. But $20 is too much for something without a swappable batte…
Wait, what? So, we are basically moving from this which could last decades to stuff which stops working after 1000 presses? And people say we are not moving to planned obculence ( sorry, don't know the English word for it)
It sort of makes sense for the dash button's original purpose. You probably wouldn't order stuff like paper towels / toilet paper / dish soap more than once a week or so (less for for most people), so 1000 presses would last you over 19 years.
Using the exact same hardware for a general purpose remote control seems like a mistake - an extremely limited product at best, an unnecessary source of ewaste at worst. A modified dash button with a replaceable battery would me much nicer, though I'm sure it's far cheaper to just sell a rebranded dash button.
Re: AWS IoT Button
#57Earlier quoted context omitted.
Yup, but they decided to weld the contacts of the board to the battery. I'm guessing that they calculated it was cheaper (or more business savvy) to get users to replace the button every X months/years than to make the button in such a way that the battery is user replaceable and also indicates charge level.
It also means they can reasonably assume there aren't 10 year old buttons using an ancient protocol out there to support.
You'd have to order an awful lot of toilet paper to have it only last 10 years. Even at a rate of one-press-per-week, it'll last getting on for 20 years.
Re: AWS IoT Button
#58I would love a Zapier integration here
Apparently the button supports SNS, which can be integrated with Zapier.
Re: AWS IoT Button
#59FWIW, if you don't need hardware, you can turn your phone into such a "button". Apps allow you to add a widget to your home screen and can be configured to make HTTP requests.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ch.rmy.android...
Re: AWS IoT Button
#60Our Puck ( https://flair.co/products/puck ) is sorta like this but with a small display. Instead of a generic button its a bit like a generic knob. So far positioned more as a heating and cooling device but I know I am excited to open it up to developers.
At 3x the price (or 12x the price of a hacked button), it's not really in the same market as the dash button though
agreed :)