The SmartThings Blog

Whether you're a developer, a total tech novice, or someone who's just curious about what this whole "connected living" concept is all about, you're going to want to be sure to check out this year's Samsung Developer Conference from November 11 to 13 in downtown San Francisco. Not only will this year's SDC feature more than 200 speakers and 108 workshops on everything ranging from wearables to the IoT to gaming and virtual reality, but it will also showcase a fully built glass-enclosed smart home that's powered by SmartThings. You can learn more about this year's SDC and register here. After registering, be sure to download the free Samsung Developer Conference app for iOS, which is chock-full of great info, including these highlights, featuring some speakers you may recognize: SmartThings Workshop: Extending the SmartThings Platform Led by SmartThings founder and VP of engineering, Scott Vlaminck; and senior software engineer, Matt Nohr Tuesday, November 11 (9 a.m. - 12 p.m.; 1 p.m. - 5 p.m.) Dig deeper into the SmartThings open platform by learning how to create new ways to use SmartThings ("SmartApps"). Introduction to the SmartThings Platform Led by SmartThings CTO, Jeff Hagins Thursday, November 13 (9 a.m. - 10 a.m.) Learn all about how SmartThings is propelling the Internet of Things by fostering a community of developers to build an open platform for the smart home, and beyond. Creating and Adding New Devices onto the SmartThings Platform A session led by SmartThings founder and VP of engineering, Scott Vlaminck Thursday, November 13 (1 p.m. - 2 p.m.) Learn how to add new device types to the SmartThings Platform, and what kinds of devices can be integrated with SmartThings. Smart Home of the Future: Dreaming of Tomorrow A panel featuring SmartThings' founder and SVP of product, James Stolp Thursday, November 13, 3 pm - 4 pm There is a lot of buzz about the Smart Home, but where is it going? Where will this technology lead us? Come and listen to a panel of speakers discuss where we will be in the not-too-distant future, where the smart home will begin to interact naturally with us. Introduction to SmartApps Led by SmartThings senior software engineer, Matt Nohr Thursday, November 13, 10 am - 11 am This session will be a look at what it takes to write code that runs inside SmartThings and what is possible and accessible for every SmartThings customer and partner. You will learn: What are SmartApps, how do we use them in the SmartThings platform and what can they do; Getting started creating SmartApps; example SmartApp code. And last but certainly not least, don't leave without checking out the SmartThings-powered Samsung Smart Home. Come by for a 15-minute demo to see how SmartThings and Samsung are propelling the smart home forward. Guided demos will be offered on a first come, first served basis. You can schedule your tour in the SDC app for one of these timeframes: • Tuesday, November 11 from noon - 4:30 p.m. (every 30 minutes) • Wednesday, November 12 from 11 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. (every 30 minutes) • Thursday, November 13 from 9 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. (every 30 minutes)  

As Alison and her boyfriend Jeff have increased their living space, they've also enhanced their SmartThings setup. While they use SmartThings each day to secure their home and save them money on energy bills, the most memorable time they've relied on SmartThings has come on a night when they least expected to need it. (more…)

Version 1.0.3 of the SmartThings app for Windows Phone is now available for free download. Version 1.0.3 includes several bug fixes, user interface improvements, and overall performance improvements for an improved user experience and increased stability. Here is a look at a few of the noteworthy new features and bug fixes (more…)

There's a lot of talk about how smart homes and the Internet of Things are the wave of the future. But here are just a few of the many things that happen in homes with SmartThings... today. Click to enlarge...

SmartThings Packs are already the most affordable way to stock up on sensors, but for just a few more hours, we're offering an extra $5 off all Pack purchases with code: PACKS. But hurry, the deal expires today at 4:00 p.m. EST! (more…)

Speaking at yesterday's GigaOM Structure conference, SmartThings CEO Alex Hawkinson talked to Stacey Higginbotham about how smart homes and businesses will disrupt industries and usher in a new era of efficiency, security, and creativity. (more…)

We’ve just released a new version of the SmartThings iOS app that’s available for free download in the iTunes store! This new version includes a handful of brand-new features, as well as lots of fixes designed to improve overall performance. Here’s a quick rundown of what’s what: There are several changes that make this latest this latest iOS version compatible with iOS 8. You'll now be able to pinch and zoom in to see PDF instruction manuals for devices listed in the "Things" category of SmartSetup. ––> You will now receive proactive notifications in the app when there is an update available for your SmartThings Hub. This will ensure that you always know about the latest firmware update available. If you're trying to connect a new device and your Hub isn't connected to an account, you'll now get a notification in the SmartSetup area of the app alerting you that you need to activate an account.

The team at Loom & Mill shows how they're using SmartThings to enhance their business' efficiency, security, safety, and fun. (more…)

Many people have already seen the SmartThings Labs integration with Sonos, but today, we're happy to announce a brand-new way to give your home a custom voice with SmartThings. Enter ObyThing. (more…)

Nicole writes in to describe how she and her husband use SmartThings to stay connected to their two children, secure their home from anywhere, keep an eye on their four-legged pets, and control and automate their lights. (more…)