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Google's OnHub Is First WiFi Router To Support IFTTT (theverge.com)
An anonymous reader writes: The first router to feature IFTTT support is Google OnHub. IFTTT is an abbreviation of "If This Then That," a free web-based service that can allow users to create "recipes," which are triggered based on changes to other web services such as Gmail, Facebook, Instagram, etc. OnHub's smart features can now connect to the 300-plus programs and apps supported by IFTTT. Google provides some examples in its blog post. For example, you can automatically prioritize Wi-Fi to your Chromecast when it connects to your OnHub network after you plug it in to start binge watching your favorite TV show, or to your Nest Cam when it senses motion or sound after you've exhausted yourself from said binge watching and passed-out on your couch. There's a friendly little video Google put together to explain the feature in detail.
I've seen occasional questions about IFTTT security issues (link, link, link), but nothing that isn't theoretical or speculative. Seems like there are a lot of avenues for compromising your network security and privacy. I'd love to see some hard facts about IFTTT security.
Building Better Software
Sure, let's give more programming power to non-programmers. As if the regular router config options are not already complicated enough for an average person to completely screw things up if they don't know what they are doing. Now you can shoot yourself in the foot in one line or less! Also, I can't wait for IFTTT worms.
And this probably explains why this whole idea was probably dreamed up by an intern who was at Google but didn't know how to program (and full of himself because he was at Google). Google campus is all about having people with no domain knowledge come up with wacky ideas that make no sense to the experts (technical term for this is "disruption").