What to show off from Automagic

[Desmanto]

Just this morning at the office, my friend ask me about any android app that is useful. I ask back, in which part? Because it depends on his need. I then continue on, if there is a single app that i can't live without now, it is Automagic. But somehow when he asked what are the usages of Automagic, I can't show him exactly the idea! He knows some of the time announcing, where my phone will tell it is the time to have lunch or go home (using time trigger).

But out of almost 100 flows, I can't show him immediately how useful it is! I can only plug in charger and show him how the phone speaks out the battery percentage. But most of the other flows are quite technical and do things under the hood which is specific for my needs. I am not connected to my home wifi. If I am at home, I can show him how I can copy link immediately from phone and open the link at Chrome ini PC directly. (this amazes my sister anyway). Or how I can lift my wrist to turn on the lamp (requires additional setup).

I can't show him flows using voice command, as they can use google assistant too. I can probably show him my multiclipboard manager, direct share link/certain text to whatsapp contact, or maybe creating QR code. But it seems not charming/wow enough to make him rethink about his life.

So, what about you? What are the flows that you use to show off Automagic to your friends/families, without relying on certain condition? (need to be connected to home wifi or certain condition must be fulfilled first). I need something that can makes them think that their whole life is a big lie. Something those are unique, useful, daily usage and quite catchy to show how advanced the technology nowadays.

[newturn]

i know what you mean. Most things are under the hood, mostly tweaking some annoying behaviour.

But there are also many things which are really practical. Just some for example:

Sending messages via devices. Making calls, answering to them. Sending youtube/amazon/... links for listening. replying and sending messages. Adding todo items. Automating other apps...

ps: if you need real world examples i can give you some more infos how i use automagic

[Desmanto]

A lot of them are very useful, but most of them are very specific to certain people only. That's why I rarely share my flows. As I browse for other flows, try theirs and found out I don't need it.

I am starting to learn German. I can modify my other flow to track the time I spent in the app, and remind me if I haven't reach my daily goal. But my friend won't be impressed, as it doesn't served any purpose for them. Even though most of my Control UI usage are very useful, when I show them, they just "oh" (not catchy enough). I can say 90% of my flows are something like this, only to my purpose.

After thinking for a while, I think i will focus more on the impression regardless of the usage. We only need to get the idea passed, that Automagic can do such things. Of course in daily usage, we will have to modify them to suit to the needs. I have several flows which are good to show off but serve almost no real purpose for daily activities. But the ones those are useful tend to be not good for show off (kinda ironic). I need to summon those flashy ideas back again to tease my friend, something those will make their jaw fall to the floor and wonder : "How can you do that?"

Several of them such as :
1. Shake to unlock or launch camera. This trigger isn't battery friendly. Lifting my wrist (coupled with Mi Band 2) to capture picture.
2. Phone facing down to screen off and facing up for screen on, or maybe speak out something when we shake or face to certain direction.
3. Wave thru the proximity to change music, hold to play/pause (even though can be useful, I never found usage of it)
4. Voice command with customized reply. Google assistant is good, but I want the phone to answer according to my answer. We can ask something like : "Who is the most handsome man in the world?" and Automagic will show our own picture and tell them it is Desmanto. Sure, our friend know this is just a joke, but they get the idea it can be done.
5. Tilting our phone to certain degree or maybe use magnet to trigger a flow, wait for a random interval and initiate a fake call screen from public figure, president or any famous artist (using video or widget), we "answer" it and play some prerecorded call or speech output, where we would answer as if it is real. (make it so real, but absurd at the same time, so they know it is just a prank)
6. Faking incoming sms (need root), where you can fake replying it (you don't actually reply), and there will new response based on our reply. It is possible by overlaying widget at the send button and execute other flow to craft the fake reply.
7. Faking a cracked screen and recover it just using a swipe.

The more absurd it is, the better. I am adding above into my to do list. I think I will go with the voice command one first, since it is quite interesting to feed our own answer; which will be different if we really ask to google.

[digitalstone]

I also think that people are most likely going to be the most impressed with flows that are going to suit the needs based on what you know about them.

A smart watch didn't come to my mind until you (Desmanto) talked about your wristband (is it a wristband?).
Anyway, that sounds like a good example to use in any case since that shows off an extra physical step in the flow process.

[Desmanto]

That's why it is quite difficult to create a flow that can impress almost everyone. But still till dates, my simple office announcer flow which impressed them at first, has been taken for granted. Most of my workmates now wait for my phone to "speak" out that it is 5 o'clock already and we can go home already. I have show off my speech project to my parents and siblings. Of course they are impressed. But It still take a longer time to input more database so I can show off more in front of my friends.

The wristband is Xiaomi Mi Band 2. Using additional app Mi Band 2 Func button to send intent broadcast to Automagic. In Automagic, use General Broadcast to catch the intent and act accordingly. I use it now for more practical purpose. I sometimes need to take long exposure photo. And it is annoying to go back thru to press the shutter button. So I make a full-blown flow, which include timer, notifier and connect to this Mi Band 2. There will be result viewer directly using widget (as it doesn't exit from the app, no reload cache). I only need to tap button at my Mi Band 2 and prepare the pose for long exposure. Timer sound will notify me how much time left, so I can change pose or faster up for the light painting.

[digitalstone]

Let's see:
In your office there are already multiple people present.
So spending time and effort in building a flow to impress a single person, with the chance that no one else is going to "catch on"... will not be a very efficient way of reaching the goal of maximum impression all around.

Now, there *are* computers with speakers, monitors and network availability there, i assume.
And most people are not going to be impressed at first glance if something is overly complicated. Mind you, most probably haven't seen Automagic before, nor do they possess the concept of building logical structures inside any automation app (unless you work at some IT-company, then those chances will probably fly through the roof ).
With these things you always start slowly.
I suggest to build something simple, that catches the attention right there instantly.

No, this will probably not impress everyone or even most.
But because you created just a small simple demo flow, you have the time to create another one, and another, and another.
This way, you will repeat the same type of "surprise events" to catch someone else's attention every time.



--EDIT--
Oh and btw, i also think it's important to NOT go like:
"Everyone!! I have something to show to you!
BEHOLD!!... THIS FLOW THAT I HAVE BUILD TO IMPRESS YOU WITH!!!"

Not saying that i think you'll be doing that
But i just wanted to state that a more nonchalant attitude at the right moment is going to leave the "impression/reaction-part" to the audience.
From there on you let the Darwinistic approach do it's work for you. Those who care, will respond. Those who don't, weren't probably not interested in the first place.

[Desmanto]

Yeah, kinda hard to impress them, unless they understand that it is quite difficult to be done. Only my friend who understand network or computer stuff will appreciate the automation.

But for others, my speech flow actually is quite customizable. I can make specific response for each person when I show off to them. I can even store their personality. I have proof the concept, but I am not done yet with the whole technical things. Sometimes troubleshooting the regex takes longer that expected.

[Wibbly]

With a little UI (even if only toast notifications) the message is simply saying...

Look I "built an app". And it was easy.

Everyone knows apps can do almost 'anything' and also know most folk haven't a clue how to write one. The 'wow' is that I managed to do it and it wasn't difficult

The fact that it's a flow that runs in Automagic is immaterial. It could have been an interpreted Basic program... or compiled code as an .apk in the Play Store... point is, you made an app that does what you want. I, for one, only have the skills to do that in the likes of Automagic and Automagic is my weapon of choice. If someone then wants to know how I did it, I explain why I think Automagic is the best choice as far as I'm concerned.

So, to the original post in this thread, my favorite app is Automagic because it means I can easily make my own "apps" . I know that's not technically true, but actually it's a good start for a discussion on 'I wish my phone would automatically do xyz'....

[Desmanto]

There are a lot of times I can avoid those one-trick pony app, because I can do the same already in Automagic. There was an occassion my workmate ask me if they can blink the flashlight when there is a phone call. There is an app to do it. I simply demonstrate to her, that I can create the same within 1 minute. Proof test directly, call my number and it works. But, yeah, she just : "Oh". Then she decided not to install the app also (nor Automagic). As digitalstone pointed out too, kinda hard to make them impressed until their jaw fall to the ground, if they can see you create that flow just to impress them. Need to caught them off guard and surprise them with something they wouldn't expect it will happen.