e-Robot app

[rusty69]

1 minute ago, smileypete said:

So all in all it may be worth creating a 'throwaway' gmail account for e-robot to log into and send the emails, then be watchful they don't initially end up in a spam bin of any accounts the emails are sent to.

I made a throw away gmail account simply because I didn't want to give away my password.Went straight into the inbox though,not spam.

[Dr Bob]

2 hours ago, smileypete said:

I just tried it out and with gmail and had a bit of strangeness.

    The first email from a lesser used gmail account to my normal one got a warning about 'less secure apps' in the lesser used account with a link where I could turn access on.

    Having done that the next email ended up in the spam bin of my usual account so I had to mark it as 'not spam'

   The email after that came through fine though it took a few seconds (5-10)

So all in all it may be worth creating a 'throwaway' gmail account for e-robot to log into and send the emails, then be watchful they don't initially end up in a spam bin of any accounts the emails are sent to.

All in all e-Robot is a nice little app though the format of commands can take some getting used to! Also newer versions of Android are making things more restricted (unless rooted, of course)

That's exactly what I have found. My 'boat security' phone (my main mobile 'till I replaced it a few months back), I leave on the boat if I am away and it sends me texts if the power goes on or off. Now today - as I now have the email working due to a very clever person and an almost clever person - I got that 'less secure app' bit on my throwaway google app - ie I needed a throwaway google account to email my main one.

The emails are going direct to the inbox but I will look out for the spam in case they go there.

I am glad to see Pete that you too are struggling a bit with the format of the commands. I was starting to think I was a muppet, and the duck was having problems with the logic too.

I take it from all the responses, that no one here had actually used it before my OP? If so, a big thanks to all for trying it out and sorting out my problem. If any of you work out other useful things to do with the app, please post them to let me know. At the moment I can monitor power to make sure the oil fired radiators are on, if we leave the boat, or if the boat moves when we are not on board.....and I can track the kid when they borrow the boat for a week.

[TheBiscuits]

@Dr Bob @smileypete @rusty69 

Did you activate the boat/test phone with your new throwaway google account or your usual personal one?

It's all well and good using a burner email account, but if the phone is logged in to your main account and the app is a device administrator (or needs root) it could have access to lots of your stuff that isn't on your phone.

It sounds like a great toolkit (I will be looking at it myself) but just be aware of how much you could be feeding it.

Edited February 20, 2018 by TheBiscuits

[Dr Bob]

9 minutes ago, TheBiscuits said:

@Dr Bob @smileypete @rusty69 

Did you activate the boat/test phone with your new throwaway google account or your usual personal one?

It's all well and good using a burner email account, but if the phone is logged in to your main account and the app is a device administrator (or needs root) it could have access to lots of your stuff that isn't on your phone.

It sounds like a great toolkit (I will be looking at it myself) but just be aware of how much you could be feeding it.

No, I started from scratch and set up a new google account with the boat phone.

[rusty69]

7 hours ago, TheBiscuits said:

Did you activate the boat/test phone with your new throwaway google account or your usual personal one?

I only set it up as a test with a new email on my existing phone. 

[rusty69]

8 hours ago, Dr Bob said:

take it from all the responses, that no one here had actually used it before my OP

I haven't, but I recall @smileypete mentioned the app and it's uses before on a number of occasions. 

[Dr Bob]

10 hours ago, TheBiscuits said:

@Dr Bob @smileypete @rusty69 

Did you activate the boat/test phone with your new throwaway google account or your usual personal one?

It's all well and good using a burner email account, but if the phone is logged in to your main account and the app is a device administrator (or needs root) it could have access to lots of your stuff that isn't on your phone.

It sounds like a great toolkit (I will be looking at it myself) but just be aware of how much you could be feeding it.

I've been using the app since the middle of last year so it seems like a bone fide app. Not had my accounts hacked ....Yet!! ....but best to be careful. Strange there is not more on the internet sharing commands etc.

[ronnietucker]

Haven't used e-Robot, but it sounds like you might be better off using 'If This Then That' (IFTTT):

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ifttt.ifttt&hl=en_GB

It can do a ton of stuff where you specify (as the name implies) if THIS (happens) then (do) THAT.

IFTTT also has a website where you can create things: https://ifttt.com

Edited February 21, 2018 by ronnietucker

[David Mack]

52 minutes ago, ronnietucker said:

Haven't used e-Robot, but it sounds like you might be better off using 'If This Then That' (IFTTT):

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ifttt.ifttt&hl=en_GB

It can do a ton of stuff where you specify (as the name implies) if THIS (happens) then (do) THAT.

IFTTT also has a website where you can create things: https://ifttt.com

Since their website and play store links won't tell me what ifttt can actually do unless I download the app or use a Facebook login, I am at a complete loss to know whether this might be of any use!

[rusty69]

3 minutes ago, David Mack said:

Since their website and play store links won't tell me what ifttt can actually do unless I download the app or use a Facebook login, I am at a complete loss to know whether this might be of any use!

IF no info THEN don't download. 

[ronnietucker]

1 minute ago, David Mack said:

Since their website and play store links won't tell me what ifttt can actually do unless I download the app or use a Facebook login, I am at a complete loss to know whether this might be of any use!

Clicking the 'SIGN IN' link at the top takes you to a page where you can sign in with a Facebook/Google account.

You can use your phone's sensors to trigger things. For example: when you enter a certain location mute your phone. Or: export your notifications to a Google Spreadsheet.

OK. Granted, they're pretty crap, and unimpressive, examples, but I'm not sure exactly what you need your phone to do within e-Robot.

IFTTT is incredibly powerful as you're linking your phone, and its sensors, to a shed-ton of other services (Facebook, Google, etc.)

[rusty69]

Tasker is also very powerful, but quite a learning curve 

[Dr Bob]

3 minutes ago, ronnietucker said:

 but I'm not sure exactly what you need your phone to do within e-Robot.

 

tell me when the shore power to the boat trips ( and is turned back on) or if the boat is nicked.....and send me an email and SMS .....which e-robot does perfectly well now Rob and Rusty have sorted me out.

[ronnietucker]

1 minute ago, rusty69 said:

Tasker is also very powerful, but quite a learning curve 

IFTTT is easy peasy. It's all drag and drop on the website to create an 'applet' that'll link to things.

My own personal examples:

I have wifi lightbulbs at home and when I leave a certain perimeter around the house IFTTT will turn off any wifi lights that are on.

If I get an email IFTTT will pulse one of my lights (to let me know I have an email)

Little things like that.

1 minute ago, Dr Bob said:

tell me when the shore power to the boat trips ( and is turned back on) or if the boat is nicked.....and send me an email and SMS .....which e-robot does perfectly well now Rob and Rusty have sorted me out.

Yeah. IFTTT would be able to use the phones GPS. You could set an applet to say 'IF the boat leaves this GPS point THEN email me'.

Not sure how you'd determine the shore power with your phone though. If it stops/starts charging? You could do that with IFTTT.

If you're worried about your boat getting nicked then I'd recommend installing PREY on your phone. It will let you lock the phone down (using a text message) then start recording audio/video while broadcasting your GPS location to the PREY website.

[David Mack]

6 minutes ago, ronnietucker said:

Not sure how you'd determine the shore power with your phone though. If it stops/starts charging? You could do that with IFTTT.

 

But how do I interface the phone to any sort of useful sensors? Like a bilge water level alarm, or  to tell me that my auto bilge pump is cutting in more frequently than normal, or that a door has been opened or the smoke detector has sounded or... ?

[ronnietucker]

1 minute ago, David Mack said:

But how do I interface the phone to any sort of useful sensors? Like a bilge water level alarm, or  to tell me that my auto bilge pump is cutting in more frequently than normal, or that a door has been opened or the smoke detector has sounded or... ?

Nope. IFTTT won't do any of those things.

How does e-Robot interface with those things?

[rusty69]

5 minutes ago, David Mack said:

But how do I interface the phone to any sort of useful sensors? Like a bilge water level alarm, or  to tell me that my auto bilge pump is cutting in more frequently than normal, or that a door has been opened or the smoke detector has sounded or... ?

The useful sensor in this case is the phone charging circuit, the GPS and the Internet connection. If you want more input/outputs you probably need to step up to something more complex like a raspberry pi. 

[Dr Bob]

16 minutes ago, ronnietucker said:

Not sure how you'd determine the shore power with your phone though. If it stops/starts charging? You could do that with IFTTT.

 

You can do it with e-robot. The phone knows if there is a charging current. I am now happy.

 

17 minutes ago, ronnietucker said:

If you're worried about your boat getting nicked then I'd recommend installing PREY on your phone. It will let you lock the phone down (using a text message) then start recording audio/video while broadcasting your GPS location to the PREY website.

That sounds like it costs money. E-robot is fine for me.

2 minutes ago, rusty69 said:

The useful sensor in this case is the phone charging circuit, the GPS and the Internet connection. If you want more input/outputs you probably need to step up to something more complex like a raspberry pi. 

I use a Rasp Pi for storing and playing all my tv progs. Not tried tying it into any boat services yet. Some of the Rasp Pi programming is too much like hard work. Never really got into linux.

[ronnietucker]

7 minutes ago, Dr Bob said:

25 minutes ago, ronnietucker said:

If you're worried about your boat getting nicked then I'd recommend installing PREY on your phone. It will let you lock the phone down (using a text message) then start recording audio/video while broadcasting your GPS location to the PREY website.

That sounds like it costs money. E-robot is fine for me.

PREY is free for up to three devices: https://www.preyproject.com

Edited February 21, 2018 by ronnietucker

[David Mack]

15 minutes ago, ronnietucker said:

Nope. IFTTT won't do any of those things.

So when you said this:

1 hour ago, ronnietucker said:

Haven't used e-Robot, but it sounds like you might be better off using 'If This Then That' (IFTTT):

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ifttt.ifttt&hl=en_GB

It can do a ton of stuff where you specify (as the name implies) if THIS (happens) then (do) THAT.

IFTTT also has a website where you can create things: https://ifttt.com

you didn't mean it would actually do anything useful for my boat?

[ronnietucker]

Just now, David Mack said:

So when you said this:

you didn't mean it would actually do anything useful for my boat?

It will, but within reason. You can't hook your phone into a boat pump or something of that sort. But as I said it would let you know using phone sensors if your boat is moved (using GPS) or let you monitor it using a different app like PREY.

I'm just throwing ideas out there to try and help.

[TheBiscuits]

40 minutes ago, David Mack said:

But how do I interface the phone to any sort of useful sensors? Like a bilge water level alarm, or  to tell me that my auto bilge pump is cutting in more frequently than normal, or that a door has been opened or the smoke detector has sounded or... ?

Bluetooth capable sensors.  Wifi capable sensors. Wired sensors connected to a bluetooth enabled computer that can communicate with the phone.

All these apps can only detect things the phone knows about.  If you want other things measuring, you need devices that can "talk" to the phone.  Some people do use complex home automation systems on their boat, but personally I'd rather have a candle and a glass of wine

Do you complain that your stovetop kettle will not tell you if the water tank is getting low? Or that your fire extinguishers will not text you with the amount of diesel in the tank?

[Dr Bob]

26 minutes ago, ronnietucker said:

 

I'm just throwing ideas out there to try and help.

...and thanks for the information Ronnie. It is good to hear there are other options. I had not hear of IFTTT before...and maybe it will be useful to others. It has taken me long enough to get to grips with E-robot so I wil stick to that.

The other problem here though is how the phone actually works on the boat. Have you got a phone signal for SMS, can the phone get a 4g signal or is it using the boat wifi and is it a cheapo payg with little credit? I am balancing all of that in my 'keep an eye on power' or 'has it been nicked'. Phone signals in the metal hull are not usually good so finding somewhere to put it where it will get a phone signal is important. I will set up my 'has it been nicked' with a command where it gives me the gps position if I send the phone an sms (after the inital gps is moved). I am a skinflint and likely the phone will have little credit left so not enough to communicate real time via sms or 4g.

Thanks again for the input.

edit, cost of all this is £10 for a pre paid payg sim and my old phone - just got a new one....from china...for £200 ...indestructable and waterproof.

Edited February 21, 2018 by Dr Bob

[TheBiscuits]

Just now, Dr Bob said:

...and thanks for the information Ronnie. It is good to hear there are other options. I had not hear of IFTTT before...and maybe it will be useful to others. It has taken me long enough to get to grips with E-robot so I wil stick to that.

The other problem here though is how the phone actually works on the boat. Have you got a phone signal for SMS, can the phone get a 4g signal or is it using the boat wifi and is it a cheapo payg with little credit? I am balancing all of that in my 'keep an eye on power' or 'has it been nicked'. Phone signals in the metal hull are not usually good so finding somewhere to put it where it will get a phone signal is important. I will set up my 'has it been nicked' with a command where it gives me the gps position if I send the phone an sms (after the inital gps is moved). I am a skinflint and likely the phone will have little credit left so not enough to communicate real time via sms or 4g.

Thanks again for the input.

Stick it on the Three network PAYG SIM.  You can top up a fiver at a time and it does not expire after 3 or 6 months. SMS are tuppence each, so your boat can be nicked 250 times before you run out of credit ...

[ronnietucker]

10 hours ago, Dr Bob said:

The other problem here though is how the phone actually works on the boat. Have you got a phone signal for SMS, can the phone get a 4g signal or is it using the boat wifi and is it a cheapo payg with little credit?

1

I'd say go with GiffGaff as they have cheap PAYG SIM cards: https://www.giffgaff.com/sim-only-plans

You could probably get by on the £5/mth as only now and again would you be 'pinging' the phone to say send me GPS coordinates, or a photo, or the like. A cheap cheap Android phone is all you need as you don't want a super high-rez camera (or it'll use it your bandwidth in photo(s)) and maybe small enough to hide it somewhere onboard to be like a CCTV.