Many of you may already be familiar with the If-This-Than-That (IFTTT) web service (ifttt.com), where you can create simple workflow automation chains called Applets. An Applet responds to changes in one web service (the This), which then triggers an action on another web service (the That).
Here are some common examples of Applet configurations (called Recipes):
- Send yourself an email whenever a particular Twitter hashtag is published.
- Turn a smart light bulb on or off at a certain time of the day.
- Open your internet-connected garage door using your phone's GPS when you are approaching your house.
- Log how long you spend in the office in a spreadsheet.
- ...and thousands upon thousands of other examples!
As we will learn in this section and the next, our Raspberry Pi can assume the role of both the This or the That, to either trigger an Applet or perform an action in response to a triggered Applet.
The following...
