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Netflix Switch – dim lights, turn on the TV, order food, and silence your phone

makeit.netflix.com

71–80 of 91 posts

Re: Netflix Switch – dim lights, turn on the TV, order food, and silence your phone

#71
post #56

This can already be achieved with Flic: http://flic.io Flic is a Bluetooth button which uses your smartphone to communicate with smart electronics. If you have Philips Hue or LIFX smart lights and a Logitech Harmony Hub (for IR), this would work straight out of the box! (Disclaimer: I am associated with Flic)

Does that require a phone nearby at all times?

For the time being, you need a smartphone. But we are currently looking into other areas to expand the use of our product.

Re: Netflix Switch – dim lights, turn on the TV, order food, and silence your phone

#72

Earlier quoted context omitted.

sounds like a bunch of platitudes with a lot of HR speak (a lot of which I REALLY disagree with) And for having the "top talent" they have little to show for it on the technical side

Little to show for it? What percentage of total Internet traffic would you estimate that Netflix handles at 9PM eastern on a Friday night?

[deleted]

Re: Netflix Switch – dim lights, turn on the TV, order food, and silence your phone

#73
post #53
post #50

Speaking of which, do food APIs exist? I've often been tempted to make a generic pizza API that — by limiting options — will deliver a pizza to almost any address via Just-Eat or whatever is local to you.

In 2005, my friends Dave and Adam built a pizza button in our dorm, it actually used the modem to send a fax to a local pizza place because that's all they had. Pushing the button ordered a cheese, but there were two auxiliary buttons underneath to select a topping via a Huffman code. (0 for pepperoni, 10 for sausage, 110 for anchovy, etc.) I presume there are better APIs today :)

Sounds pretty straight forward. Today you have either to talk or to confirm a lot until you get what you want.

Re: Netflix Switch – dim lights, turn on the TV, order food, and silence your phone

#75
post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is it really just a fun project? Or is Netflix trying to use this as the nose of the camel to get into the house automation business? I've always thought house automation was cool, but a lot of trouble and likely to wind up a waste of my time and effort once I stop using it in three years because whatever standard I was using became obsolete. But if Netflix can start automating my house one bit at a time and slowly s…

I honestly can't attribute any profiteering here. This is pure geek fun. Reminds me of the days of the Netflix Prize. http://www.netflixprize.com/

A little viral-ness doesn't hurt either. If it makes a dozen or so blogs today and reinforces the idea that Netflix is a service you cuddle down with in your den, that's not such a bad thing.

Re: Netflix Switch – dim lights, turn on the TV, order food, and silence your phone

#76
post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is it really just a fun project? Or is Netflix trying to use this as the nose of the camel to get into the house automation business? I've always thought house automation was cool, but a lot of trouble and likely to wind up a waste of my time and effort once I stop using it in three years because whatever standard I was using became obsolete. But if Netflix can start automating my house one bit at a time and slowly s…

I honestly can't attribute any profiteering here. This is pure geek fun. Reminds me of the days of the Netflix Prize. http://www.netflixprize.com/

I am sure it was a blast, but it was NOT done "for fun" to amuse the engineering staff. Nor is it an effort at "home automation".

This is part of a marketing campaign not unlike the office depot "easy" button, except they've designed an actual button that sort-of works.

The point is to get people excited about the idea of a Netflix marathon and create some buzz among geeky subscribers. It doesn't matter how many people actually create or use "the button".

Re: Netflix Switch – dim lights, turn on the TV, order food, and silence your phone

#77
post #50

Speaking of which, do food APIs exist? I've often been tempted to make a generic pizza API that — by limiting options — will deliver a pizza to almost any address via Just-Eat or whatever is local to you.

Push for Pizza? https://www.pushforpizza.com/

Re: Netflix Switch – dim lights, turn on the TV, order food, and silence your phone

#78
post #74

> order food, and silence your phone Really? Around me, delivery drivers have pretty much given up on doorbells. If your phone is silent you may not get your food.

Delivery drivers don't use doorbells where you live? What do they do, call you instead? That seems odd to me, even Fedex and UPS ring my doorbell when dropping off a package.

Re: Netflix Switch – dim lights, turn on the TV, order food, and silence your phone

#79
post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Netflix seems like a great company to work for. Recommend reading Reed Hasting's presentation on their culture: http://www.slideshare.net/reed2001/culture-1798664

For another perspective (perhaps a more nuanced/less flattering one), NPR's Planet Money recently did a great episode on Netflix's work culture [1]. I'm not so sure I'd want to work there, but I'm sure it is great for some. [1] http://www.npr.org/sections/money/2015/08/28/435583328/episo...

When I listened to this before it made me wonder if Netflix's culture will get same sort of negative treatment and publicity that Amazon has been getting recently.

Re: Netflix Switch – dim lights, turn on the TV, order food, and silence your phone

#80
post #74

> order food, and silence your phone Really? Around me, delivery drivers have pretty much given up on doorbells. If your phone is silent you may not get your food.

Delivery drivers don't use doorbells where you live? What do they do, call you instead? That seems odd to me, even Fedex and UPS ring my doorbell when dropping off a package.

To be precise, it's Chicago. Being in the city means most deliveries will be to apartments. The door buzzers are often unlabeled, mislabeled, or just broken. But even if you're in a townhouse with a door facing the street, most drivers are firmly in the habit of calling.
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