Wondering if interest in 2-way pager for HS

[r&j]

I have been working with a 2-way pager that can send/receive up to 2000 byte messages via the Internet. I am thinking it could have application for HS where DSL/Cable/Phone is not desirable. This is to say that one could get messages to and from HS from the Internet without wires. The hardware would probably cost between $200-$300 and a monthly subscription of around $10 would be needed.

Rod

[johnwpb]

Not to knock down your idea, but I personally have found my cell phone a better way to go.

I currently use HS to send text messages to my phone when something important triggers, say the cpu temp is approaching critical. I can then reply and have HS act on that incomming message for instance, and tell HS to shut down the computer. I can also send hs a message and have it reply with information. For example I can send a text message to HS with the subject of the text being "webcam now". When HS receives it, it will then email me a current capture from the camera to my phone. If I send a city name in the subject of the message, it will reply with the weather for that city ect ect..

[George]

My Blackberry works just as Johns cell phone does. HS sends it an email and I can email back with a command to execute. The new AIM plugin that is being worked on now will extend that to real time AIM messages to the blackberry. A $200 pager and any kind of subscription would probably not be appealing to anyone that already owns a cell phone or BB. Hummm, who doesn't own a cell phone or BB?

[johnwpb]

George: who doesn't own a cell phone or BB?

George, there are still people out there who do not have a cell phone or BB. I was just talking to someone last week who knows someone, whos friend doest have one

[r&j]

2-Way Pager not a replacement for cellphone/blackberry

The 2-way pager would provide HS an always on connection to the Internet so that you could reach it with your cellphone and Blackberry. The 2-way pager would replace your DSL/Cable connection. I was thinking there might be times (a vacation home) when a DSL/Cable connection would not be desirable.

Rod

[Blade]

John,

How do you send text messages to HS from your cell phone?

[jrfuda]

John,

How do you send text messages to HS from your cell phone?

Not the John you asked, but speaking as a representative of John's everywhere

For my phone (T-Mobile) it's and email sent to ##########@tmomail.net with the #'s being my cell's number. My phone can replay to an email address as well. It can also hold about a dozen text message templates, so I have a template set up that will send emails that will cause HS to execute events. In particular, there's one for closing the garage door.

If my garage door is open wjhen noone's home, HS sends an email(text message) to all my addresses, including my cell. I can then close the door either by logging into my webserver, or just sending one of the templated text messages from my cell.

These features were not at all documented in my cellphone's manual, but I learned about them at T-Mobile's website. I'm sure the implementation of this feature vaires phone-to-phone, and - even among like phones - from carrier to carrier. Check your carrier's website and see what they have.

Text messaging costs can add-up. They're a nikel a piece for me, everytime I send or receive, or I can pre-apy for 100 (I think) messages for $3.00. I rarely send/receive more than 20 or so a month, so I go the alacarte route (except that time DooMotion sent me about 50 low battery warnings - I'ce since fixed that )

[George]

Rod,

Oh, OK, now I get it.. This would not require an internet connection but the pager itself would be hooked up to HS? Now, that might be something that people might be interested in. You are correct, for a vacation home or other uses it could come in handy.

George

[Guest]

I had not seen this thread last week, but just this morning I was starting to search to see if this kind of hardware would be available. I am thinking about building a "car-seer" computer, and communicating with it by pager would be cheaper then getting an Internet 1x or EVDO card and keeping the connectoin up and listening for commands all the time (when it is in the garage, it willuse WIFI of course, but I want to be able to communicate with the car from my PDA phone occasionally).

Alan