Blog migration final

content/blog/3rd-party-integrations-in-esp-rainmaker/index.md

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+---
+title: 3rd Party Integrations in ESP RainMaker
+date: 2020-06-30
+showAuthor: false
+authors: 
+  - piyush-shah
+---
+[Piyush Shah](https://medium.com/@shahpiyushv?source=post_page-----3ea4df6afa3--------------------------------)
+
+[Follow](https://medium.com/m/signin?actionUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fmedium.com%2F_%2Fsubscribe%2Fuser%2F57464183000e&operation=register&redirect=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.espressif.com%2F3rd-party-integrations-in-esp-rainmaker-3ea4df6afa3&user=Piyush+Shah&userId=57464183000e&source=post_page-57464183000e----3ea4df6afa3---------------------post_header-----------)
+
+--
+
+![](https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:640/format:webp/1*gpf1R6rG-WZfoTCfubQIpg.jpeg)
+
+IoT, in general, has come a long away. During the very early stage, there was browser based control and monitoring, which, though more convenient than non-IoT devices, had a very narrow market. With the advent of Smartphones, IoT devices became much more easier to use and mass adoption became a possibility. However, the real push was given by the advent of various eco-systems and Voice assistants like Siri, Alexa and Google Assistant. Controlling by just asking verbally is much more natural than opening some app in a smartphone and tapping buttons.
+
+With this in mind, we now have added 3rd party integrations, particularly Alexa and Google Voice Assistant (GVA) support in ESP RainMaker!
+
+## How does this work?
+
+If you are already familiar with ESP RainMaker, you may know that it has the concepts of [devices](https://rainmaker.espressif.com/docs/spec-concepts.html#devices) and [parameters](https://rainmaker.espressif.com/docs/spec-concepts.html#parameters). The devices and parameters have an optional “type” field. We have defined our own standard types for some common smart home devices like switches, lightbulbs, fans, etc. You can find information about the standard types [here](https://rainmaker.espressif.com/docs/standard-types.html). We have now created a layer which maps these parameters to formats that are understood by Alexa and GVA. So a device type in RainMaker (like light, switch, etc.) maps to a similar device type there, and their parameters like power, brightness, hue, saturation, intensity. etc. get mapped to the corresponding capabilities/traits. If you have just the power and brightness params, you get a simple brightness controllable light. If you include hue, saturation and intensity, you get a color light in Alexa and GVA.
+
+## Usage
+
+The code required to implement the standard devices is very simple. Let us look at a colour light example (led_light) which is already available on [GitHub](https://github.com/espressif/esp-rainmaker/tree/master/examples/led_light). The relevant code snippet below is self explanatory.
+
+The [switch example on GitHub](https://github.com/espressif/esp-rainmaker/tree/master/examples/switch) is also ready out of the box for Alexa/GVA.
+
+Once you build and flash the Lightbulb/Switch example, provision your board and link to your account using the [ESP RainMaker Phone apps](https://rainmaker.espressif.com/docs/quick-links.html#phone-apps). Give the device some friendly name so that it is easy to identify.
+
+## Enabling Alexa
+
+- Open the Alexa app on your phone, go to Skills and Games in the menu and search for ESP RainMaker.
+
+![](https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:640/format:webp/1*SsIwUMlN8qxwefmoB1G07A.jpeg)
+
+- Select the skill, tap on “Enable to Use” and provide your RainMaker credentials.
+- Once the account linking is successful, allow Alexa to discover your devices.
+- Once the devices are successfully discovered, the setup is complete and you can start controlling them using Alexa.
+
+## Enabling Google Voice Assistant (GVA)
+
+- Open the Google Home app on your phone.
+- Tap on “+” -> Set up Device.
+- Select the “Works with Google” option meant for devices already set up.
+- Search for ESP RainMaker and sign in using your RainMaker credentials.
+- Once the Account linking is successful, your RainMaker devices will show up and you can start using them.
+
+![](https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:640/format:webp/1*nNmV4ly-4simENKrfBSCGg.jpeg)
+
+- Some users may not see the list like above, but the devices should show up in the device list in the Google Home app.
+
+So, go ahead and start linking your RainMaker devices to your favourite voice assistants. Currently, only switch and light are supported. Let us know what you would like us to add next by dropping a message either on the [forum](https://esp32.com/viewforum.php?f=41) or [GitHub](https://github.com/espressif/esp-rainmaker/issues).

content/blog/a-ceo’s-experience-during-the-covid-19-crisis-—-part-iii-looking-ahead/index.md

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+---
+title: A CEO’s Experience During the COVID-19 Crisis — Part III : Looking Ahead
+date: 2020-03-07
+showAuthor: false
+authors: 
+  - teo-swee-ann
+---
+[Teo Swee Ann](https://medium.com/@teosweeann_65399?source=post_page-----19e7e88b6965--------------------------------)
+
+[Follow](https://medium.com/m/signin?actionUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fmedium.com%2F_%2Fsubscribe%2Fuser%2F4c3c8300aca5&operation=register&redirect=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.espressif.com%2Fa-ceos-experience-during-the-covid-19-crisis-part-iii-looking-ahead-19e7e88b6965&user=Teo+Swee+Ann&userId=4c3c8300aca5&source=post_page-4c3c8300aca5----19e7e88b6965---------------------post_header-----------)
+
+--
+
+*The COVID-19 situation is developing rapidly, and the CEO of Espressif, Teo Swee Ann, gives a short update of the situation and some considerations of the future.*
+
+![](https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:640/format:webp/1*m39ArDZbkoQOZEcuaiRiyQ.png)
+
+The COVID-19 situation continues to unfold fast and globally. It has reached Europe, Japan, South Korea, and the United States, and on the minds of many is whether COVID-19’s advance will be arrested by warmer weather or if a cure or vaccine will be found.
+
+![](https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:640/format:webp/1*93zxsMh33jbZCJNhm4FLuA.png)
+
+## Update
+
+In Espressif, the COVID-19 situation has imposed upon us many changes, such as how we conduct meetings and interact. But we have otherwise been operating normally for close to three weeks, since the Chinese New Year break.
+
+Here are some of the statistics: 97% of our staff in China are now back to work, of which about 23% are working from home. 2.5% are at home under quarantine, most of whom will return this coming week.
+
+![](https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:640/format:webp/1*CtmgGI9LqY-M26pZJaInRg.png)
+
+## Making Chips
+
+Two weeks ago, we had a test chip back from fabrication, and our engineers have, since then, been busy with the measurements.This chip is one of those “high risk test chips” where we put in our latest ideas and see what works and what doesn’t. As usual, the initial results are a mixed bag: some things work and that’s great; some things don’t work and that’s even better — it tells us that there is perhaps a lesson to be learnt here.
+
+In the last couple of days, the measurement results of the chip have given us more hope as we gradually figure out how we need to adjust our settings in order to coax the best performance from it. The result is a net improvement in performance and lowered power consumption under limited conditions.
+
+## Moving Forward One Step At A Time
+
+Limited conditions? Yes, it’s about first getting to the higher ground so that we could build upon it and generalize and build a platform. I am glad that I still feel the joy of achieving the gain in performance in the chip, because I have had been distracted by the COVID-19 issues. I still have a daily update from my staff about the figures from various countries, the latest news about the virus and spend time reading the statistics.
+
+While it is possible that the virus will be with us for a relatively long period of time on the order of a couple of year or more, the best outcome would be a winding down of infections starting from April, as the weather gets warmer. But in the short term, given that it’s another 30 days to get to warmer weathers, COVID-19 is highly infectious and many parts of the world are not taking drastic measures, if COVID-19 spreads to 5% of the world’s population outside of China with a mortality rate of 1%, then we are talking about ~2.5 million deaths over the next 1–2 months.
+
+## Staying on Course
+
+Despite this, we do not see the direct impact of the virus extending beyond 2020, because there is a very high probability of a vaccine or effective medication to be found within this time frame. With researchers all around the world working round the clock to solve the COVID-19 crisis, and the recent advances in microbiology and science, it is probable that new effective solutions will be implemented by the end of the year.
+
+For the rest of us, we need to focus on some of the bigger issues on the horizon, and in particular, the global environmental crisis.
+
+## IOT
+
+IOT can be an important technology to combat against the global environmental crisis: global warming, rising sea levels, species extinction, resource depletion, plastics, etc. Espressif continues to contribute to useful knowledge of the world, through our [open source projects](https://github.com/espressif) related to IOT and artificial intelligence. In the process of this, we hope to build collaborations and consensus.
+
+Espressif remains on our course to better serve our customers and Makers through the democratization of technology, to use open source IOT technology to build cost effective, smart, secure, connected devices, and in the process of it, solve some real world problems.
+
+This is my last update on COVID-19. [So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish!](https://www.amazon.com/Long-Thanks-Hitchhikers-Guide-Galaxy-ebook/dp/B001OF5F1E)
+
+Teo Swee Ann, CEO Espressif Systems
+
+7 March 2020