Wink+Amazon Echo: Just ask to control smart products around your home

UPDATE 10/26/15: Amazon Echo + Wink now supports dimming! Just ask Alexa to dim your lights by saying “Alexa, set living room light to 50%.”  Choose from over 40 lighting products from the most trusted lighting brands including Cree, EcoSmart, GE, Leviton, Lutron, OSRAM, Philips, and TCP

UPDATE 8/14/15: We've added more Wink-compatible lighting products to the Amazon Echo certified product list so you can chose the light that's right for you.  You can now control Cree, OSRAM LIGHTIFY, and TCP LEDs with Echo+Wink.  More products and features coming soon!

Amazon lovers, you’re really going to like this one... Wink is now compatible with Amazon Echo!  If you’re not familiar, Echo is a product completely designed around your voice. It’s always ready; as you say the wake word—“Alexa” or “Amazon” (most people select “Alexa”)—it springs to life. Alexa is the cloud-based voice service that powers Echo--you can ask for information, play music, get the weather, and much more.

Starting today, Echo can also control a number of Wink-compatible lighting products from GE, Leviton, and Lutron. Here’s how to get started:

1. Connect compatible products in your Wink app and set individual names for each lighting product (bedroom lamp, kitchen light, etc.). 
2. Then, link your Wink account to Echo within the Echo mobile app (Settings > Connected Home > Device Links > Wink).
3. From there, say “Alexa, discover new devices.” This can take up to 20 seconds.

After that, you’re all set up. You can then turn your smart products on or off in the blink of an eye with a simple voice command to Alexa. For example, you could say “Alexa, turn on the living room lamp ” or “Alexa, turn off the kitchen light.” 

This integration gives Wink users like you yet another touchpoint through which you can easily control your smart home. And we’re just getting started! We’re excited to work with Amazon to add additional functionalities and many more Wink-compatible products down the road.

Want to learn more about Amazon Echo? Click here for more info and to purchase one today!

Wink + Pro.com: smart home installation made easy

Some exciting news! Wink and Pro.com—the company simplifying home installation—are partnering to bring you an extra set of hands when setting up your smart home. 

We’re always looking for ways to make building your smart home as easy as possible. This partnership gives you the option to seamlessly utilize Pro.com’s expert professionals; they’ll install your Wink compatible devices to get them up and running in a snap. 

Here’s how it works:

1. Shop Wink.com for hundreds of smart products from leading brands
2. Tell Pro.com which products you would like professionally installed
3. Schedule the installation and a job manager from Pro.com will contact you within the hour
4. 100% satisfaction guaranteed - you pay only when the job is complete and you’re happy with the installation.

The service is available beginning today for residents in New York, Los Angeles, Washington D.C., and Seattle. Additional locations will be supported as the partnership rolls out nationally. Find out when it will be available in your area here.

Get started today by visiting wink.pro.com!

Wink now compatible with IFTTT, Google Now and the Google app

We’re always looking for ways to make it easier for people to interact with their smart home and control their favorite devices. Here are three of our most recent partnerships that will help you do just that: IFTTT, Google Now, and the Google app. Here’s how they work:

IFTTT

IFTTT or “If This Then That” is a web service that aggregates lots of web apps—from Instagram to Dropbox to Gmail—into one place and then performs actions given a certain set of criteria. How? Once you’re signed up, you can create “Recipes” that automatically prompt something to happen as soon as something else does.

The Wink Shortcuts channel on IFTTT enables you to activate Wink Shortcuts through IFTTT triggers.
Use a Jawbone UP to monitor your sleep activity? Set up a recipe in IFTTT that tells the lights to turn off and the thermostat to adjust automatically when your UP goes into Sleep mode.

Google Now

Google Now is an intelligent personal assistant available for Android users that serves information at the right time. If Google and Wink detect you aren't home and your door is unlocked, an alert will now automatically prompt you to take action through the Wink app. Google enables Wink Android users to know what's going on in their home, no matter where they are.

 

 

 

Google App

Lastly, the Google app integration allows Wink users on Android phones to trigger eight different Wink Shortcuts by saying "Ok Google, activate [shortcut] on Wink."

Users can customize each Shortcut within the Wink app so that multiple smart products can be controlled simultaneously with a simple voice prompt.

For example, saying "Ok Google, activate Away Mode on Wink" can now lock the doors, lower the thermostat, and turn off the lights.

Introducing the Wink blog

Wink’s mission is to make the smart home accessible. Whether it’s improving how users interact with our app or partnering with trusted brands to bring their products onto the Wink platform, that mission is the underlying driver behind everything we do.

Where it all started.

Since our launch last July, we’ve experienced some amazing highs: We tripled the number of partner devices compatible with Wink, brought the Wink HUB to nearly 3,000 retail stores, and began adding a new Wink home every 60-90 seconds.

But, we’ve also seen some lows: The service disruption we experienced in April was proof positive that any company can make an error that impacts the people who rely on it.

No matter how high the highs or low the lows, we pride ourselves on our transparency and honesty when communicating with our customers, partners, and the industry.

With that in mind, we realize there is a growing need for an outlet to share what’s going on at Wink while helping people navigate the smart home.

And so today, we’re thrilled to introduce the Wink blog! We’re just getting started, but here’s what you can expect to see from us here:

• The latest Wink product news and partnership announcements
• Our take on topics currently bubbling up in the industry
• Content that demystifies some of the common misconceptions or confusion surrounding the smart home
• Tips and tricks to maximize the value of your smart home
• Spotlights on the real people using Wink each and every day

We hope this will be a valuable resource for you, and we are excited to see it grow and evolve. Please check it out and let us know what you think!