Logitech Harmony Link

Apps & Remote Access
1

Looks like some serious competition to SQ Blaster. Will not include Vera integration, or zWave control though without some IR–>ZWave integration though:

2

I would like to replace my Logitech Harmony remote soon, and I have been patiently waiting for SQ Connect to release their Android version. However, this looks good so I may run out of patience for SQ and jump on this when it is released. Combo Harmony with say Home Buddy on my Xoom and there is my new remote.

3

Looks like harmony link is v promising. Don’t forget that sq blaster have NO android support…so I’m gonna get the harmony link as soon as its out :slight_smile:

4

I’m pretty sure we could integrate with vera:-)

5

I hope they have an api to work with.

  • Garrett
6

hope too…
It seems to be very interesting.

Sent from my GT-I9000

7

The Logitech Harmony Link is now available:

Harmony Link Now Shipping from Logitech.com and Available in Stores this Weekend | logi BLOG

8

Right now I’m slightly irritated at Logitech. I have a Logitech Revue (google tv box) which has two built in IR blasters and also IR blaster ports. They have been advertising it as having “Logitech Link” technology for at least a year, and it does, but the app for the revue only lets you control devices associated with Google TV (that is, your TV, Cable Box, and AVR, but only in setting it up for “tv/cable”).

I tried grabbing the new link app and it didn’t find my revue. The revue is do for an upgrade to Honeycomb sometime the beginning of October, so I’m withholding judgement for now, maybe it will be supported then.

I mention this all because the revue is $99, the same price as the link, but is much more capable if Logitech does not keep it intentionally crippled to help sales of the link. If nothing else third party apps will be available after the update so maybe someone will enable more advanced blasting capability through an app.

EDIT: Just to make it clear, Harmony Link was originally technology that Logitech claimed was developed for the revue box, and they claimed over a year ago this was all coming to google tv: A Peek Under the Hood: Google TV and Logitech Harmony Link | logi BLOG. So I think there is some hope on that front! Might be wait holding off a week or two to see how it plays out if you are thinking about buying a link.

9

I feel your pain…bought the revue when it first came out and still waiting for that update.
As it is now, I almost never use it.

I gave up on the music server idea long ago and went with Sonos, which I’d recommend to anybody.
If something doesn’t happen with this revue soon though, I will probably get rid of it…

10

WOW :slight_smile: I’ve just got mine setup and very impressed with it :slight_smile: :slight_smile: :slight_smile: :slight_smile:

It feels like this thing is faster than the GE Remote!!! Really cool interface too. Works very well with my setup.

11

Can you give more incite on the whole thing? I am thinking of buying one.

  • Garrett
12

Given the bulk of this conversation I’ve moved this to the Remotes section

13

Thank you @guessed - :slight_smile: I also think, someone reading SQ blaster should be informed of Harmony as well…

@guessed, could you Please help me make a thread under Remotes similar to SQ blaster so users know about Harmony Link? Thanks

14

Given that this is the micasaverde forum… how is the Logitech Harmony Link relevant for MiOS or Vera?

Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s cool technology, but the fact that it’s an alternative to a product also sold by a company that makes a product that works with Vera doesn’t warrant it a section on this forum.

15

@mysticjay,
Thi is in response to your original note last night, before you edited it…. I see that you’ve now created a new thread that attempts to draw out comparisons, which is more on-Topic….

This forum is setup for the discussion of Home Automation using MiOS/Vera, and products that integrate with that tech. It is well categorized to focus those discussions and, in the case of Remotes, is subcategorized by specific MiOS-Integrated products.

Of topic posts are routinely moved by the Moderators to ensure that discussions stay on-track. Seriously off-topic posts, and SPAM, are actively removed from the Forum. There are other forums, like the AVS-Forum, that are there for general AV discussions.

To make this post on-Topic for MiOS/Vera, and the Remotes sub-category, you could:

a) Discuss how, specifically, this device integrates with MiOS/Vera
b) Discuss, or present, hyperlink documentation to API’s that could be used to achieve (a)

To make it on-Topic for SQRemote, and the SQ-Remote subcategory, you could:

a) Perform a Detailed Technical comparison between the two products.
b) Compare and contrast UI/Usability though actual usage of both Products.

I waited for this topic to head in that direction, but it never tracked in that manner - hence I move it to the “Remotes” category, which is more appropriate for the discussion being held (even if it doesn’t currently integrate with MiOS, in any form).

This is consistent with how Moderators move other posts within the Forums. If the same occurred for a Peel, USB-UIRT, iTach, GC100 etc then it would be refactored also.

16

@futzle @guessed - I agree with both of you. The only thing is I’d like to find out “how” to integrate Harmony Link with Vera.

  1. Vera works on Android

  2. Harmony Link works on Android

  3. Either Harmony link has an un-published API that can be used to post IR commands to it since it’s wi-fi based

  4. Find the missing piece so VERA + HARMONY LINK integration can be done.

17

So the first step is for you to reach out to the Logitech people. They have both a support line, and a discussion forum, so you should be able to request the API spec for the device. Now, they don’t advertise one, so they’re under no obligation to provide it, but you should always ask first.

Failing that both Wireshark and [tt]tcpdump[/tt], and a lot of spare time to burn, are your friends.

18

:slight_smile: @guessed - the first step towards integration doesn’t seem that promising after seeing your comments on “spare time to burn” - I did send a request to Logitech and waiting to hear from them…I’ll let you know what I find out.

19

@mysticjay - how is the harmony link working so far. Can the link control a movie projector ? I want to get one but it’s not available in Canada yet. I may have to purchase one accros the border.

20

So I did some tests on my logitech revue. I hooked the box upto my laptop via Ethernet, set my wireless card to allow internet connection sharing and fired up wireshark. I than ran one of my android emulators I use for testing my app and installed the logitech harmony revue app (my android devices will not work since the laptop is acting as the gateway). I was able to capture the data from the emulator to the google revue to see what is going on behind closed doors. It looks like the harmony app and the revue are communicating via xmpp (jabber) protocol and not via http requests. When I get some time, i’ll sift through the wireshark output and see if I can make sense of the data. I wonder if the Link does the same.

  • Garrett