Much needed garage door opener hack becomes available for forgetful people

[refused9150]

Now that developers are pushing out the first wave of hacks we are seeing ideas and concepts that are amazing. The latest hack that we have stumbled upon is the garage door opener. Now you can program your G1 to open your garage when you don't have... Read more

[reggdog]

I am a little slow can you break it down Barney style on how I will get this to work on my garage door at home. Thanks

[f4phantomii]

EDIT: Ah...now I see....he has a web-enabled garage door opener...something 99.975% of the rest of the world does not have.

Yeah....first of all one of the radios inside the phone has to be physically capable of radiating at the same frequency the garage door opener uses. Unlikely, but OK, I guess between wifi, BT, and GSM, one of those might be close enough to work.

Second, you'd have to sync your phone to your garage door opener's code. If I remember, they typically use a bit-shift register to roll codes.

But if it does indeed work, you should be able to also unlock your car doors with your G1 as well, correct? Control X10 hardware? Control RC cars and aircraft?

Need I go on?

[g1ampd]

nice the useful and cool ... be hot if u can use the g1 on ur tv.

[reggdog]

Originally Posted by f4phantomii

EDIT: Ah...now I see....he has a web-enabled garage door opener...something 99.975% of the rest of the world does not have.

Yeah....first of all one of the radios inside the phone has to be physically capable of radiating at the same frequency the garage door opener uses. Unlikely, but OK, I guess between wifi, BT, and GSM, one of those might be close enough to work.

Second, you'd have to sync your phone to your garage door opener's code. If I remember, they typically use a bit-shift register to roll codes.

But if it does indeed work, you should be able to also unlock your car doors with your G1 as well, correct? Control X10 hardware? Control RC cars and aircraft?

Need I go on?

Thanks for the response.

[Tensai]

You really don't need anything that complex at all. (This may not be how he did it, but it is what I've been planning to do for a long while already.)

1. Get a standard garage door opener (does NOT have to be web-enabled).
2. Set up an insteon controller to open/close door (easy).
3. Write a web app capable of talking to the insteon network over a serial or usb plm (not extremely assuming you know how to program).
4. Use your android phone to access the web app.

All he's really done is write the web app such that its runs based on unique time-stamped url so it can't be duplicated by passers-by.

This system could be expanded by implementing insteon devices throughout your home. Your android phone could control house lights, entertainment systems, security, garage doors, anything. No special wireless or frequency mapping required at all.

[ggreeenwood33]

anybody actually gotten this to work yet? let me know. cuz i'm gunna try it sooner or later. wondering if someone wants to do it at the same time as me and IM. So PM me if you want to.

[bdb4269]

Originally Posted by article

The one hack we are still waiting for is the ability to remotely control your PC through the G1.

Gmote has a mode that allows you to remotely control your computer. (i.e. keyboard and mouse control)

It is not a remote desktop client, and does not bring the 'desktop' your PC back to your phone or anything, but it does allow you to remotly control the mouse and keyboard inputs on your PC.