Perceptive Automation Debuts Indigo 6 Mac Home Automation Server The latest version of the company's Mac-based control software is now available. August 13, 2013 Rachel Cericola.
If you want to increase your productivity,try using automation software. There are several repetitive functions which can be handled with these tools. Whether it is customer management, or how you run processes on your computer, these tools are designed to make regular daily activities much easier.
Related:
With these tools you can send out emails, launch programs, perform calendar tasks, and a lot more without your direct input.
Automation Anywhere
Automation software that allows you to automate various processes within your enterprise. The script-free technology allows you to scale your business with ease. You can focus on adding value to your business rather than manually running individual processes every day. Record and edit processes and tasks, then run them from anywhere.
GhostMouse
Record and automate your keystrokes and mouse clicks on your Windows computer with this automation tool. Simply hit record to start recording and hit the replay button to see the recorded sequence in action. As a security precaution, save the script in a different location, when you record sensitive account-related actions such as user IDs and passwords.
WinMacro
A simple automation macro recorder for Windows which plays actions that you perform on your desktop by employing hooks to record said actions. The actions recorded are global and not application-specific. You can record daily activities and have the tool replay them for you every day, saving you a lot of time, which you can use to do other tasks.
Do It Again
This is a free automation tool that is quite simple to use. Have it record and replay tasks on your computer whenever you want it to. When you have repetitive tasks that you do every day, in the same manner, this tool helps you do this automatically at the click of your mouse.
Customer.io
Record actions that you do for your customers using this versatile automation software. Create segments for people in a similar group and have it repeat the actions with ease. See how people interact with you by creating user profiles. Measure success using the analytics tool. This is a powerful automation tool for your business.
iContact
This is an automation tool that is used for marketing purposes. Automate your communications with your contacts and prospects. You can automate the sending of emails, newsletters, offers and a lot more using this tool. Create groups of customers depending on their needs, so that you send targeted communications to them.
Mini Mouse Macro
This is a free, open source automation tool that you use to record the actions of your mouse and keystrokes. The tool automatically records your mouse movements, instead of asking you to input coordinates. Save several different macros, depending on the particular action that you are performing, and then upload them whenever you need to use them.
Macro Toolworks
This automation software comes with advanced macro recording tools for easy automation of your daily tasks. It has an easy-to-follow interface and comes with a wide range of macro triggering options. Advanced recording of your mouse and keyboard actions has never been easier; you will get more done with less effort and time.
Mouse Recorder Pro 2
This is a free automation tool that you use to record your mouse and keyboard input. Schedule the time when the action should be triggered and watch the program in action. For further development, you can edit each macro to add more functions. It is small and easy to use.
Other Automation Software for different platforms
When you think of automation software, you immediately think of those that run on Windows or Mac OSX. However, there are tools that run on iOS, Android, Ubuntu, Linux and other systems. These tools enable you to automate your tasks if you are not using Windows and Mac computers.
Cuttlefish
A powerful automation tool for Ubuntu, which allows you to launch programs, record tasks, among many other features. Activate and mute your speakers when you launch and close your audio files. Use the indicator applet to run any rule that you want at any time; real automation power at your fingertips.
Actionaz
This is a free automation software for easy automation of tasks in Linux. It can record keystrokes, mouse clicks and many other actions on your computer. It has the ability to launch a program, perform the repetitive tasks and then close it at the end; all without writing a single line of code.
AutomateIt
This is an automation tool for automating various actions on your Android Smartphone or Tablet. You can set a series of actions that you would like to perform on your phone whenever you want. Each behavior is controlled by trigger actions which you set. It also comes in multi-language mode.
AutoTouch
An automation application that works on all mobile phone operating systems, including iOS 8/9 and above. The Lua Scripts allow for the recording of human touch and pressing actions on the mobile phone. Simply record your actions and then play them back. This is a great way of automating your daily tasks when you are on the move.
AutoHotkey – The best automation software for 2016
This is a powerful, feature-rich automation tool for Windows, which allows you to record practically any actions in all Windows applications. You can use the macro recorder to record your actions or write/edit the macros by hand. It is one of the few that allow you to record a joystick in addition to the mouse and keyboard.
What is Automation Software?
Automation Software is used to record and replay repetitive tasks on your computer or mobile device. Basically, you can automate your marketing, web management, and computer processes with these tools. If you need to update your website, simply automate the FTP functions from a particular folder on your computer. The website will be updated at the scheduled time. These tools improve productivity by doing away with the regular daily tasks, allowing you to concentrate on other tasks. You should remember to keep your macros in a secure location to protect your proprietary and personal information.
How to install Automation software
All automation tools come with a simple installer which you launch to install. For mobile devices, you simply go to the relevant download site and let the tool be installed automatically by your operating system. There is no need to tweak the settings through coding – All tasks can be set from the easy-to-follow user interface.
Automation software can be used for various purposes. Apart from doing regular tasks on your computer, the tools can send out marketing information to improve your sales funnel. You can also use the tools to launch calendar events and other applications at the scheduled times. Productivity is important for any online or brick-and-mortar venture. You need these tools if you want to see an increase in your efficiency and effectiveness. Be clear about the functions that you would like the tool to perform before you decide on which one to install.
Free Automation Software
Related Posts
3D Insider is ad supported and earns money from clicks and other ways.
A quarter of American households used at least one smart device back in 2017, and we’re set to see that number double by the start of the 2020s. Once you get a taste of what a smart lightbulb or security camera can do, it’s hard to stop at just that single gadget. More often than not these are followed by thermostats, smart outlets etc., and before you know it you’ve got a smart home full of devices, all with their own apps and whims.
Rather than clutter up your phone, consider investing just a little more and get a smart home hub! These are home to versatile software used to configure the behavior of smart gadgets you own so that they work together and take cues from each other. You haven’t experienced true home automation until you’ve drawn the blinds, started playing some music, and put the coffee maker on with a single mouse click or phone tap!
Here are the best home automation programs to help you orchestrate your new smart lifestyle. Some are more expensive or harder to get into than others. On the other hand, each can serve as the nerve center of a well-oiled smart home that does your bidding & makes handling so many mundane tasks much more convenient.
Samsung SmartThings
SmartThings is Samsung’s all-encompassing solution to home automation. All you need to get started with it are the SmartThings hub, a few gadgets to control, and a bit of patience to familiarize yourself with the way this powerful yet sometimes convoluted app works.
By far the biggest advantage SmartThings has over other home automation solutions is its broad 3rd-party device support and the relative ease with which they’re recognized. Place your light, thermostat, or any other device close to the hub while pairing is active, and that should be enough!
Even if a device isn’t supported by SmartThings yet, there’s a good chance that someone in the community has written a piece of code that will. You can create applets that integrate such code into the core app, expanding its usefulness exponentially.
The app’s layout is simple but can get confusing if you’ve added a bunch of different smart gadgets. The home screen contains a dashboard to which you can add buttons for devices & scenes you’ll use the most. The devices screen lists all connected devices. Tapping on one brings you to a custom screen with personalized controls (a virtual remote for Samsung smart TV-s, color & brightness selection for smart lights etc.). You can group devices by room or function here too which makes accessing them more convenient.
The most versatile part of the app are automations. Here you can choose among pre-programmed options like regulating the temperature based on a sensor in the room you’ve just entered, or turning all the lights in a specific room on/off. You’ll soon be adding custom automation commands though as this is very simple.
First, you pick a condition, such as ringing a doorbell. Then you can assign multiple actions to the condition that will be carried out simultaneously like turning a light on, playing music through smart speakers etc. Scenes work in much the same way, the difference being that the condition is a virtual button you can pin to your dashboard instead of any physical action.
SmartThings is easy enough for beginners to use while offering those experienced in home automation advanced ways to customize their smart home experience. It’s a balanced piece of software well worth the asking price of its hub.
Apple Home
In spite of announcing HomeKit back in 2014, you could control compatible devices only through Siri onboard an iOS-powered phone or tablet until recently. The folks at Apple have partially come to their senses in the meantime and have released the Apple HomePod and Apple Home app. The former is an Echo-like smart speaker with Siri built in, while the latter is Apple’s take on home automation software, and the focus of our review.
Currently the Home app can be installed only on iPhone & iPad devices and supports considerably fewer products than SmartThings as the criteria for being admitted into the HomeKit family are much more stringent. On the plus side, pairing HomeKit-compatible products with your phone is a snap now – just enter the provided identification code and you’re ready to use the device. This is a welcome change, and a far cry from the troubles you sometimes had to go through with Siri as the only means of control.
On the surface Home is similar to SmartThings – there’s your home screen with customizable buttons, room grouping, scene creation, and automation rules. Home’s individual device controls aren’t always as complete though. Tapping on a device turns it on/off most of the time, while finer control is accomplished by holding your finger down and adjusting the siders that appear after a short while. This is an intuitive approach but may exclude some advanced settings you’ll need to access in the smart device’s original app.
These aside, scene setup, automation, and Siri voice control work very well. The ability to reverse a scene is pretty useful – tapping one that turns your Apple TV on and dims the lights twice will reverse these changes without the need for a separate scene. Automation works with a variety of triggers including the time of day as well as smart device & sensor activation. Siri is always quick to control individual devices or execute scenes. If you’ve got a newer iPhone or iPad, you won’t even need to reach for it as they’re always listening for Siri to be mentioned.
Apple Home is by no means bad – it complements the HomeKit environment perfectly and does away with much of the hassle that made setting 3rd-party devices up to work with it unappealing. With broader support for partners and the possible addition of an Android app, the Apple Home experience is sure to become even better.
Wink
The Wink app is another home automation solution closely tied to a proprietary hub, the Wink Hub 2. It might lack some of SmartThings more advanced features, but is very easy to get into for anyone who hasn’t experienced the power of home automation. The hub gives Wink a slight edge over SmartThings in that it supports a wider spectrum of protocols like Kidde and Clear Connect. Users who like to create expansive custom commands may find it a little too basic though.
The app’s home screen is well-designed, showing you groups of related items represented by large icons of locks, cameras and the like. Each of these is home to all installed devices of the same type. Wink made an effort to include in-depth installation instructions for many of the most popular supported devices, so pairing them with the hub is generally a smooth experience. Selecting a single device opens up status and configuration options.
Shortcuts, Robots, and Activity are three other tabs you can navigate to from the home screen. Shortcuts are used to execute simple commands like locking your door or drawing all the smart blinds in a room. Other apps’ automation screen is replaced by Robots. These are more advanced commands that require a device, cause, and effect to be entered. Robots do a fine job for simple tasks like turning the heat down once you’ve left home. They’re limited to one action per condition but can be scheduled to work at certain times of the day. Lastly, Activities gives insight into your smart devices’ actions in an easy to understand history format.
The Wink app could be considered the home automation software of choice for anyone that’s new to the smart lifestyle or just wants a hassle-free experience. There’s not as much room to grow as a user as with SmartThings, but Wink’s ease of use and broad compatibility are sure to find it a broad audience.
HomeSeer HS3
While not nearly as popular as the first three home automation solutions we discussed, HomeSeer trumps them all when it comes to compatibility and customization possibilities. The price of entry is a bit steep since you have to buy one of their proprietary smart hubs, the cheapest of which will cost you $200. On the other hand, the hubs have better processors and more memory than others, and save all of your settings locally, eliminating the need for a constant Wi-Fi connection.
HS3, HomeSeer’s control software, can be accessed either via PC, Mac, or a mobile device. It has a steep learning curve and requires the user to be more tech-savvy than other alternatives, but the payoff is big in return. You get support for lesser-known protocols like A10, UPB, and X10, and can expand the software’s repertoire further through 3rd-party plugins. There’s a premium version called HS3PRO which offers Zigbee & Z-wave support without relying on separate plugins, plus free access to every future plugin released by HomeSeer.
Although you can control & automate practically any smart device through HS3, you should strongly consider getting HS3Touch Designer along with it. This companion program lets you customize both the web-and mobile app interfaces for HS3 down to the slightest details. You can build HS3’s layout from scratch with custom icons, buttons, and even tabs. All of this naturally comes at a price, but advanced users with dozens of smart devices to control will find HomeSeer to be the most sophisticated & user-empowering way of doing so.
Home Assistant
Are you looking for a cheaper alternative to HomeSeer and don’t mind writing a few snippets of code now and again? Home Assistant is an open-source, web-based home automation program you can control all of your smart gadgets with through a combination of user interface & code. There’s a large & thriving community surrounding it so updates are frequent and substantial.
It’s written in Python and can be installed onto any computer that has Python 3 up and running. As the program is very lightweight and not at all resource-intensive you could turn a Raspberry Pi into a 24/7 hub for less than $50. Once installed, Home Assistant searches for and pairs with your devices automatically. It even interfaces with SmartThings so you can access both services from one place.
The user interface is well made but simplistic. Through it you can group items and have them perform various actions based on a single trigger. More advanced automation rules require you to pick up a computer language known as YAML. It’s a bit overwhelming at first, but if you keep at it YAML can be used to orchestrate some truly elaborate scenes. The community is happy to offer help as well as concrete examples you can integrate into your own setup.
OpenHAB
Our final recommendation is another open-source project you’ll need some programming knowledge to use effectively. OpenHAB is written in Java and has both desktop & mobile versions unlike Home Assistant. On the surface they’re pretty similar as initial setup is easy & the number of supported devices high. OpenHAB is a bit more user-friendly though.
Its user interface is more advanced as many options are accessible through clicks instead of command lines. The developers really started paying attention to attracting novice users with Paper UI, a streamlined interface that gives them access to the most commonly-used tasks. Even so, you’ll be spending a fair amount of time coming up with Xtend scripts if you want to write any kind of advanced automation routines. Not familiar with Xtend? Download a plugin and write all the code you need in Java instead.
OpenHAB’s only major drawback is that the official version is slow to receive new updates, partially due to the emphasis the main developers place on quality control. The user base doesn’t seem to mind though. You’ll find many helpful individuals and active discussions on the forums, so if you’re daunted by the prospect of getting into OpenHAB, know that there’s a dedicated community you can turn to for advice.