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.

Comments

Useless?

[omnichad]

automatically prioritize Wi-Fi to your Chromecast when it connects to your OnHub network after you plug it in

Or you could just leave it always-prioritized, and still have the same end result. Unplugged devices don't use much bandwidth.

Re:Useless?

[Midnight Thunder]

Highest priority: Chromecast
Second highest priority: Different device

IFTTT is a messy, bloated way of doing the simplest of simple things. It's not surprising that Google's networking device uses it instead of regular, tried-and-true QoS and other features.

Possibly, but it allows people who wouldn't normally be programming to create solutions based on various services.

Re:Useless?

[Darinbob]

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").

Re:Useless?

[Dutch Gun]

The prioritization doesn't really seem like the best example for this new functionality. It appears that the most useful trigger is the "on connect" or "on disconnect" notifications of personal devices, and it's really only handy if you already have a crapload of IoT devices hooked up in your home as well that can serve as command targets. Take for instance, an electronic front door lock (what could possibly go wrong there?)... You can have your door automatically unlock when you get home, and lock when you leave, or enable or disable a security system. A lot of the other examples were in the "cute but very gimmicky" sort of category, such as turning on party-style lighting when x number of different phones connect at one time.

So, mildly interesting, but I'm still not touching IoT crap with a 10' pole until I'm convinced they're taking long-term security and support a bit more seriously.

Re:Useless?

[skids]

Prediction: the primary use for this service will be to turn off or close all digital pornography when the girlfriend's cell joins the AP because she pulled up in the driveway.

And of *course* it's cloud based with no need to be. There'd be no way to sell the metadata to marketers otherwise.

Security concerns?

[__roo]

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.

Re:Security concerns?

[zenlessyank]

There is no security. I think we have already seen that if someone wants to hack you....you're hacked. This is about being able to monitor you enough to do selective propaganda attacks. The more they know about you and your likes, dislikes, and needs , the more they can then choose the forms of advertising etc. to try to sway you into a certain way of thinking that supports their needs. If you think they are helping you then you won't think about the real raping that is happening to you. Social engineering at its finest.

Re:promised ?

[Anonymous Coward]

Actual networking can't be monetized. Selling your QoS decisions to third parties, however, reveals what services you use.

IPv6? Really? This is 2016: I've had dirt-cheap routers with IPv6 support since forever.

If This Then Assholes

[Anonymous Coward]

This is the same IFTTT that was a total dick to Pinboard.

https://blog.pinboard.in/2016/03/my_heroic_and_lazy_stand_against_ifttt/

Covered on Slashdot back on May 29

Re:When do they brick it with a firmware update?

[rahvin112]

Right before they abandon it as no longer interesting to the company while leaving everyone with a worthless product because it's cloud dependent, i.e. cannot function without the cloud.

What can go wrong?!

[wwalker]

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.

Re:When do they brick it with a firmware update?

[rahvin112]

Revolv http://www.businessinsider.com...
There are others, you are perfectly capable of finding them. Don't be a fool. Google abandons products all the time, at least one major product every year that people have depended on.

Stiching together all these nice, walled gardens

[hughbar]

Soon, it will be unusual to stray outside Google, Amazon, Facebook, eBay etc. unless you are fairly nerdy. This kind of 'product' will keep you where you are 'supposed to be'. As a friend of mine said a couple of years ago 'I used to surf the internet, now I visit sites'. Enough already.

Re:promised ?

[Rob Lister]

IPv6? Really? This is 2016: I've had dirt-cheap routers with IPv6 support since forever.

And has actually been used in the home router market since practically never. I would guess that 99.9% of the router buyers out there wouldn't know IPv6 it it bit 'em in the butt. For the remaining .1%, they're not buying this router anyway.

minor technical troubles to major life troubles

[holophrastic]

When he leaves, the door locks behind him -- because he disconnects. Unless his router has a range of a mile, like many around here. Oh, and so when his phone disconnects from the network, his front door deadbolts -- even if it's wide open, in the middle of a party, when he turns off his phone, or has a connectivity blip.

If this then that. "this". In real life, "this" is a multi-faceted, intelligence-driven scenario. A recipe uses ingredients to create a product. "this" is a scenario during which to take action. A "scenario" is as complicated as, oh I don't know, every legal agreement that's ever been used to define anything.

That's what legal agreements are -- A pays B N dollars is the easy part, but when? Ten pages of scenario descriptions and exceptions and how to observe said scenarios.

If Bob's phone disconnects from the network, when the front door is closed, and no one else is connected, and the lights aren't on, and Bob's phone first connected to the tiny network at the end of the driveway, and Bob isn't gardening today -- I guess his garden spade isn't connected to the network, or is connected to the network in the shed...

FIguring out if Bob is still home, when "being home" includes the garden, and the garage, but not the neighbour's house, and not the road hockey game, ain't as simple as a network connection. And it's certainly not as simple as a spotty network connection.

I sure home Bob's party doesn't run out of ice, forcing him to run out to the store to buy a bag, and wind up locking his party guests in his house. Sounds like false imprisonment to me.