The Wink home automation thread

[Kaido]

Note: I'm separating this thread out from my general smarthome thread since this is focused on a specific product (Wink).

What is Wink?

Wink is a home automation system. It is simple to operate, works on Android & iOS, and is available at Home Depot. The basic idea is to use your smartphone as a remote control for "smart" appliances such as lights, door locks, and motorized blinds. It supports multiple protocols and can talk to many existing devices. At their launch in July 2014, they already have 15 partners with more than 60 products available.

How does it work?

Wink is a smartphone-based home automation system. The heart of the system is a central "router" called a Wink Hub. The Wink Hub has several different types of radio to talk to a variety of smarthome devices. They include:

1. Wifi
2. Bluetooth
3. Zwave
4. Zigbee
5. Lutron Caseta (a subset of ClearConnect)
6. Kidde (smoke detectors)

The Wink Hub is wireless. It requires a wireless router to talk to your network.

What makes Wink different?

A few things make Wink unique:

1. It's inexpensive (the Wink Hub is only $50)
2. It is backed by GE (big name)
3. It is being sold through Home Depot (and other retailers including Amazon)
4. It has support for multiple protocols (Lutron, ZigBee, Zwave, etc.)

There are many products on the market like this (centralized controllers that try to integrate multiple communication protocols) but none with the corporate backing or pricing of Wink. imo, Wink is going to be the system to beat going forward. Thanks to their smartphone integration, they will have support for Android Wear, Apple's Homekit, etc. in the future.

How do I use Wink?

Wink is controlled via smartphone. You will need to download the app (version 2) on your smartphone or tablet: (free)

iOS app

Android app

Wink has two methods of control:

1. Direct control ("Wink App Ready")
2. Hub control ("Wink App Compatible")

Some products have smartphone-compatible radios (Wifi or Bluetooth) & can be directly controlled via the Wink app without the Wink Hub, such as the Quirky Aros window air conditioner. Other devices, such as GE's LED "Link" lightbulbs, require the Wink Hub to communicate (via ZigBee radios, in this case).

Where do I buy Wink?

Home Depot is selling them locally & online Amazon also has them available. Until Labor Day (September 1st), they are running a special on pricing:

1. Wink Hub for $50
2. Wink Hub for $25 if purchased with one Wink Certified device
3. Wink Hub for $1 if purchased with two Wink Certified devices

Wink Hub on Amazon

Wink Hub combo deal on Amazon

Wink homepage on Home Depot

How do I get help?

Wink has 24/7 free help. The latest contact information is on their Support page:

ttp://www.winkapp.com/support

Phone number: 1-844-WINKAPP
Email support: support@winkapp.com

Additional Resources:

I'm compiling my Wink-related notes into a wiki page here:

http://catch42.pbworks.com/w/page/82660393/Wink

Since I'm posting on release day (July 7th), I'll post again once I pick up & test some of the equipment (first release is the Wink Hub & GE Link bulbs).

 

[Kaido]

Just for a quick editorial:

I think Wink is a really great idea. I've been a big fan of home automation & smartphones for a really long time and almost got into it professionally. I've used a variety of systems, but have never found one that I wanted to bring home. Control4 was about the closest I had come, but what I really had in mind was an off-the-shelf product that you could literally purchase at Home Depot, easily setup, and would work with a variety of devices.

Wink has answered the mail on that: they support six major radios (plus cloud connectors, such as to Dropcam) and have support for both Android & Apple. The system looks to be super easy-to-use: setup your favorites, setup simple macros ("robots"), and setup timers. I think this is going to be a huge gamechanger in the smarthome industry & will disrupt a lot of the big names, since you're not going to need a $50,000 install to get really great features.

I also don't think you need full system integration these days. For example, Sonos & Airplay both make a pretty great standalone whole-house audio system. Roku & Plex have made home theater incredibly easy. Spotify & Netflix provide plenty of inexpensive streaming options. What's missing is the "next level" of hardware control - the ability to use your smartphone as a remote for everything else. Wouldn't it be nice to have a proximity sensor on your smartphone that automatically opens the garage door, turns on the A/C, turns on the house lights, and unlocks the door for you? I don't think it needs to be overly-complicated, but a little extra automation & control can go a long way for making life more convenience. I'm excited to try this stuff out!

 

[gorcorps]

The product itself sounds good, but I just don't get most of the home automation stuff. It over complicates very simple things. Turning lights off from the couch is about the only thing that sounds useful.

It doesn't help that to make use of the product you have to dump a ton of money into devices that are compatible. They can make the hub as cheap as they want but without things to control it's worthless. $20 per lightbulb (for the "cheap" smart ones) is bananas.

 

[Kaido]

The product itself sounds good, but I just don't get most of the home automation stuff. It over complicates very simple things. Turning lights off from the couch is about the only thing that sounds useful.

It doesn't help that to make use of the product you have to dump a ton of money into devices that are compatible. They can make the hub as cheap as they want but without things to control it's worthless. $20 per lightbulb (for the "cheap" smart ones) is bananas.

That's part of the problem of mass adoption: it's expensive & overly-complicated. Wink is trying really hard to solve both of those issues. The Hub is only fifty bucks (even cheaper if you buy some compatible devices with it) and the initial gear is pretty cheap as well - $15 for a ZigBee-enabled 60w LED bulb is in the pricerange of normal LED bulbs. So not only do you get smartphone control, but the bulbs have a 22-year life and cost less than $2 per year to run, so you're getting some added efficiency that way.

I agree though; I've moved away from "smart homes" and more towards "home automation", the difference being that home automation is more of a simple remote-control type of setup that let you control things remotely & do basic stuff with timers & whatnot. And as mentioned above, it's not like you need an excessive amount of smarthome equipment to add features anymore - an Apple Airport Express lets you stream music wirelessly to any set of speakers for $99, so whole-house audio works out to $100 per room plus a set of speakers & an amplifier. Or just grab a Sonos system for a bit more. Dropcam & Tabs provide an easy security system. Technology always becomes democratized over time; I think this is just the next step in making things more practical.

For me, I think my home automation desires boils down to less than ten items:

1. Lights (on/off/dim)
2. Blinds (motorized blackout & sunscreen blinds)
3. Door & window sensors
4. Garage door
5. Motion sensors
6. Ceiling fans
7. HVAC control
8. Outlet control (for things like pedestal fans)

Even in my smallish rental, I still have a good 40 bulbs, so being able to do an "all off" at night would be great. Being able to see that all of my doors & windows (including garage door) are both closed & locked would be nice too, or being able to remotely turn on the A/C before I get home so that it's nice & cool when I walk in would be nifty. Nothing groundbreaking, just added niceties. For $50, the Wink Hub sounds like a pretty good deal to add some convenience into my life.

 

[TheStu]

That's part of the problem of mass adoption: it's expensive & overly-complicated. Wink is trying really hard to solve both of those issues. The Hub is only fifty bucks (even cheaper if you buy some compatible devices with it) and the initial gear is pretty cheap as well - $15 for a ZigBee-enabled 60w LED bulb is in the pricerange of normal LED bulbs. So not only do you get smartphone control, but the bulbs have a 22-year life and cost less than $2 per year to run, so you're getting some added efficiency that way.

I agree though; I've moved away from "smart homes" and more towards "home automation", the difference being that home automation is more of a simple remote-control type of setup that let you control things remotely & do basic stuff with timers & whatnot. And as mentioned above, it's not like you need an excessive amount of smarthome equipment to add features anymore - an Apple Airport Express lets you stream music wirelessly to any set of speakers for $99, so whole-house audio works out to $100 per room plus a set of speakers & an amplifier. Or just grab a Sonos system for a bit more. Dropcam & Tabs provide an easy security system. Technology always becomes democratized over time; I think this is just the next step in making things more practical.

For me, I think my home automation desires boils down to less than ten items:

1. Lights (on/off/dim)
2. Blinds (motorized blackout & sunscreen blinds)
3. Door & window sensors
4. Garage door
5. Motion sensors
6. Ceiling fans
7. HVAC control
8. Outlet control (for things like pedestal fans)

Even in my smallish rental, I still have a good 40 bulbs, so being able to do an "all off" at night would be great. Being able to see that all of my doors & windows (including garage door) are both closed & locked would be nice too, or being able to remotely turn on the A/C before I get home so that it's nice & cool when I walk in would be nifty. Nothing groundbreaking, just added niceties. For $50, the Wink Hub sounds like a pretty good deal to add some convenience into my life.

Things that don't require user intervention would be even better. I have a jawbone up, so once I put it in sleep mode it would be nice if the whole house went into lockdown. Then, when I woke up in the morning, have the coffee maker fire up, and the kitchen light turn on. Smart sleep timers to tie the bedroom lights in to slowly come up in the morning so it's not quite as harsh.

Use Geofencing so that when I leave in the morning, the doors and windows lock, and the HVAC adjusts accordingly. Let me authorize users to have limited access to my home when I'm away, so they can check in on my pets (or whatever), and I don't have to give them a physical key. If you had house-wide smart locks on every door, that would be even better.

 

[Kaido]

Things that don't require user intervention would be even better. I have a jawbone up, so once I put it in sleep mode it would be nice if the whole house went into lockdown. Then, when I woke up in the morning, have the coffee maker fire up, and the kitchen light turn on. Smart sleep timers to tie the bedroom lights in to slowly come up in the morning so it's not quite as harsh.

Use Geofencing so that when I leave in the morning, the doors and windows lock, and the HVAC adjusts accordingly. Let me authorize users to have limited access to my home when I'm away, so they can check in on my pets (or whatever), and I don't have to give them a physical key. If you had house-wide smart locks on every door, that would be even better.

Yeah, exactly. Wink uses a lightweight IFTTT system called "Robots", which are basically simple macros. They have an open API as well, so there's a lot of room for customization. They already have a cloud connector for stuff like Dropcam, so that's pretty cool. The new Bluetooth standard has proximity sensing, which would be cool to tie into the Wink Hub with something like Tile:

http://www.thetileapp.com/

Have stuff activate depending on your location, or pull the geo-location off your phone periodically. Lots of neat options to pursue!

 

[Kneedragger]

The product itself sounds good, but I just don't get most of the home automation stuff. It over complicates very simple things. Turning lights off from the couch is about the only thing that sounds useful.

It doesn't help that to make use of the product you have to dump a ton of money into devices that are compatible. They can make the hub as cheap as they want but without things to control it's worthless. $20 per lightbulb (for the "cheap" smart ones) is bananas.

I'm more interested in the motion sensors and water sensors. I like the idea of getting notifications of leaks or movement in my house. Maybe have a siren set up to go off when certain spots have movement when I'm not in the house? I might be able to use this a a deterrent with setting up lights to come on at certain times or if motion is set.

I live in an apartment right now so I can't really wire in an alarm.

 

[Kneedragger]

Wink Hub on Amazon

Link doesn't work

 

[Kaido]

Link doesn't work

Yeah, I think they're updating it - it's still showing up in search, but the link isn't functional. The combo deal page is working though:

http://www.amazon.com/b?ie=UTF8&node=9637704011

 

[Kaido]

I'm more interested in the motion sensors and water sensors. I like the idea of getting notifications of leaks or movement in my house. Maybe have a siren set up to go off when certain spots have movement when I'm not in the house? I might be able to use this a a deterrent with setting up lights to come on at certain times or if motion is set.

I live in an apartment right now so I can't really wire in an alarm.

These should be pretty inexpensive to implement. The catch is that products technically need to be Wink Certified to work. If they are not certified, they may or may not work, despite being Zwave or ZigBee-certified, so we'll see what's supported as time goes on. I'll try to keep an updated list on my wiki as much as possible. For example, Zwave battery-powered motion sensors are only $39 on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Ecolink-Securi...dp/B00FB1TBKS/

Water sensors are around the same price:

http://www.amazon.com/Everspring-Z-W...dp/B006TG9W4Y/

Using the Wink's "Robot" programming system, you could probably whip up an alert system pretty easily. As far as security goes, I'm extremely interested in Dropcam's new Tab system:

https://www.dropcam.com/products/tabs

Think of it like a tiny Wiimote - it has a motion sensor, so if it's moved, it can send you an alert. You can stick it on doors & windows for motion alarms - pretty slick, especially since Wink apparently already has a cloud connector for Dropcam.

 

[Kaido]

I live in an apartment right now so I can't really wire in an alarm.

Also on a tangent, regarding security alarms - Lutron partnered with Alarm.com, and Wink just partnered with Lutron, so I'd imagine they'll have a nice deal for getting a call-out security system setup with Wink:

http://www.alarm.com/about/press/PressGeneric.aspx?cmid=78

They use a cell-based phone so you don't need a landline, which is really nice:

http://www.alarm.com/productservices/interactive_security.aspx

 

[rdb4133]

Thanks for all of this info Kaido! I have been reading up on the Wink hub a bit recently and it seems you are going to be one of the first early adopters for this so I'm really interested to hear your comments on it!

 

[Kneedragger]

OK just leaving Home Depot right now. They don't have that starter pack here in Santa Clara CA. They only have hub and a connected Kiddie smoke alarm. It looks like I'd have to order online.

 

[Kaido]

Thanks for all of this info Kaido! I have been reading up on the Wink hub a bit recently and it seems you are going to be one of the first early adopters for this so I'm really interested to hear your comments on it!

Definitely! I stopped by my local Home Depot store at lunch - they had 3 or 4 in, but they didn't have the endcap setup & weren't able to find the box they came in, so I'll stop by after work. Very excited to get some hands-on time! There is a video introduction in the gallery on Home Depot's site:

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Quirky-Hub-Smart-Home-Gateway-PWHUB-WH01/205132090

Wink just updated their website with a commercial:

http://www.winkapp.com/

The brands listed at Home Depot include:

Bali
Chamberlain
Dropcam
GE
Honeywell
Kidde
Kwikset
Lutron
Philips
Quirky
Rachio
Rheem
Shlage
Leviton
TCP

 

[Kaido]

OK just leaving Home Depot right now. They don't have that starter pack here in Santa Clara CA. They only have hub and a connected Kiddie smoke alarm. It looks like I'd have to order online.

Yeah, they had the Kidde stuff & some of the newer Quirky stuff like the smart propane sensor out, but nothing else. None of the staff was familiar with it. I had a couple employees pulling boxes, but they weren't able to find the gear & didn't even have the endcap setup yet - I should have called first!

 

[Kaido]

Gizmodo has a good breakdown of the Amazon deal, which includes the Aros smart window air conditioner, Philips Hue lights, and other products:

http://gizmodo.com/deals-home-automation-galore-100-gift-card-with-ipad-1601159771

The only thing that really worries me are the reviews of the first-generation products. The hardware has bad reviews, the mobile apps have bad reviews, and even tech blogs reported bad reviews:

http://techcrunch.com/2014/06/23/in...a-new-business-focused-on-the-connected-home/

“I tried for almost an hour with a Samsung Galaxy S3 and a Note 3 with brightness maxed in a darkened room before the Wink would detect and log into my home network for programming,” wrote one.

...

“I hooked one up, downloaded the Wink app, set up the acct [sic] and everything worked perfectly for about a month. Then there was the software update…It has only worked intermittently since,” complained another.

I'm hoping that (1) having a centralized hub, (2) having the v2.0 release of the app out, and (3) having the backing of GE & Home Depot will give it the stability we're all looking for.

 

[Kaido]

I have a jawbone up, so once I put it in sleep mode it would be nice if the whole house went into lockdown. Then, when I woke up in the morning, have the coffee maker fire up, and the kitchen light turn on. Smart sleep timers to tie the bedroom lights in to slowly come up in the morning so it's not quite as harsh.

I've read that the Staples Connect hub has Jawbone support:

http://www.techlicious.com/blog/staples-connect-home-depot-wink-affordable-home-automation/

Via Bluetooth LE, Staples Connect supports a variety of wearable devices such as a variety of smart watches and wearable gear from Samsung, Polar, and the Jawbone UP24 fitness tracker, which will be able to control other Staples Connect devices such as thermostats, shades, cameras and doorbells. For example, users will be able to turn on the lights or open the blinds via the Jawbone UP.

And it looks like the Wink Hub does include geo-fencing OOTB:

Also, Wink includes geo-fencing – the system and its devices know where you are, which enables automatic smart operations such as a door lock or garage door sensing you're near to open or close without being told. Staples Connect does not currently include geo-fencing.

Also one other neat feature on the Wink:

For instance, the Wink app includes multiple user profiles, which enables a parent to what children can access; the Staples Connect app includes a single all-access profile.

 

[LegendKiller]

What's the benefit of this vs a Veralite besides cost and the added protocols? They both use a centralized system to log in, correct?

What about this vs smartthings?

 

[Kaido]

Also a note on pricing:

From today's launch until Labor Day, the Wink Hub is marked down from $79.99 to $49.99. But, the Hub's price is further marked down to $24.99 if purchased with any Wink-compatible smart gadget, and to just 99 cents with any two Wink-compatible devices.

I'm trying to confirm if that is only at Amazon or if that applies to Home Depot as well. Also, the Amazon page for the Wink Hub is operational now:

http://www.amazon.com/Wink-Connected...dp/B002YVHYF2/

There's a nice little graphic on Wink App vs. Wink Hub products:

http://media.bestofmicro.com/F/3/443775/gallery/wink-home-depot-lead_w_600.jpg

 

[Kaido]

What's the benefit of this vs a Veralite besides cost?

Same idea as Veralite, only instead of only talking to Zwave, it supports more stuff (Wifi, Bluetooth, ZigBee, Kidde, plus cloud connectors like Dropcam). And cheaper. And it's a bit more smartphone-oriented...very simple programming (robots, activity timers, etc.). So pretty much it does more stuff for cheaper in an easier way.

 

[Kaido]

Products page is live on Wink's site:

http://www.winkapp.com/products

 

[Kaido]

What about this vs smartthings?

Same basic idea, i.e. one hub to rule them all. There's a handful of products like this on the market...Wink, Staples/Linksys, Revolv, SmartThings, etc. One central controller that supports multiple protocols. Wink stands out because:

1. It's super cheap ($50, or even cheaper if you bundle it)
2. It's smartphone based (super easy setup)
3. It supports a huge range of stuff (Wifi, BT, ZigBee, Zwave, Kidde, Lutron, etc.)
4. You can buy it right down the street at Home Depot
5. GE is backing it (launched with 15 partners & 60 products)

I think Wink is going to be the winner because they got into the brick & mortar market first. You can drive down the street to the store, pick up a Wink Hub & some accessories, go home, and get setup in a matter of minutes. That's going to set it apart from a lot of the other products right off the bat.

 

[Kaido]

Wink's Vimeo channel is live now as well:

http://vimeo.com/user29400238/videos

Home Depot also has an expanded home automation mini-site setup now:

http://www.homedepot.com/b/Electrical-Home-Automation/N-5yc1vZc1jw

 

[RossMAN]

Ready to visit Home Depot B&M but I need an external CFL or LED light with at least 800 lumens, suggestions?

 

[Kaido]

Ready to visit Home Depot B&M but I need an external CFL or LED light with at least 800 lumens, suggestions?

The GE Link LED outdoor PAR38 bulb (Wink Certified) is 900 lumens: ($25)

http://www.homedepot.com/p/GE-Link-...ome-LED-Flood-Light-Bulb-PSB38-BW30/205404389

That's the one that is coming out today. I would call before going in to see if they have the display setup. I wasted 30 minutes at lunch for the employees to look around to see where it was (they couldn't find it, even though the box was shown as delivered in-store).