Category Archives: WiFi (and AirPort)

fixed : problems installing Fibaro Z-Wave Smart Thermostat and Room Sensor

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Question :

I have chosen to install the Fibaro “The Heat Controller” in my home, and even though I have the Fibaro Z-Wave Home Center 3 Lite controller/hub already installed, I can’t get The Heat Controller (Z-Wave version) Smart Thermostat to connect to it. Whenever I try to connect from the Fibaro Yubii.app it can’t find the Smart Thermostat.

How do I set up the connection ?

Answer :

To install a Fibaro “The Heat Controller” (Z-Wave version) FGT-001 Smart Thermostat (that also comes in a Starter Pack combo teamed with the Fibaro FGBRS-001 Room Sensor), do this :

  • make sure you have the Yubii.app installed on your iPhone
  • make sure you have a ‘Z-Wave controller’ (a Z-Wave protocol hub/bridge device) set up, the most basic one that Fibaro offers is the Home Center 3 Lite
  • to prevent connection problems temporarily unmount/unscrew the Smart Thermostat from the radiator and make sure you have the Smart Thermostat near your Z-Wave bridge
  • >> if theSmart Thermostat is completely new, you will need to charge it first ; so plug in a micro-USB cable and power that using any USB (phone) charger, USB battery pack or USB wall outlet ; if the Smart Thermostat is fully charged it’s LED ring will flash in green
  • then, in the setting of your wireless router, make sure the WiFi is (temporarily) set to “2.4GHz only”
  • then, open the Yubii.app
  • in the Yubii.app on the main page, click the More button (bottom right)
  • in the MENU page that opens, click Add Devices
  • in the Z-Wave page that opens, wait until there is only one huge “Z-Wave protocol” button, then click on it
  • in the Add Device page that opens, click the blue Start button (bottom right)
  • on the next page, you will see a countdown circle of 60 seconds (so you now have 60 seconds to add the Smart Thermostat)
  • now, on the Smart Thermostat, long-press the small bubble button (so, press it for at least 1 second)
  • the LED ring on the Smart Thermostat should now light up (in blue)
    • >> if not, try again
  • if the LED ring is blue, triple press the small bubble button (so, press it for 3 times in a row)
  • the LED ring on the Smart Thermostat should now start blinking (in white)
  • >> if it does not, triple press the small bubble button again (and again, and again) with 1 second pauses until the LED ring starts blinking (in white)
  • >> if the circular countdown timer in the Yubii.app reaches 0 seconds before you get the LED ring blinking (on the Smart Thermostat) just try again
  • when the Smart Thermostat is recognised, just wait for the connection process to finish
  • when the connection has been established, the LED ring on the Smart Thermostat will change to let you know it was successful
  • >> if it was not, just try again
  • basically you’re ready now, so you can screw the Smart Thermostat back onto the radiator and start setting the scenes (operation programs) for the Smart Thermostat
  • do not forget to switch your WiFi setting back to “2.4 & 5GHz”
  • >> note #1 : in the Yubii.app you can only select scenes that you have already programmed ; all new scenes need to be programmed on the ‘Z-Wave controller’ first ( using the local web interface that you need to access from your browser ; if you have a Fibaro Home Center, access it by going to https://find.fibaro.com )
  • >> note # 2 : if screwing the Smart Thermostat back onto the radiator is difficult, turn the head knob of the Smart Thermostat until the LED ring flashes in red and you hear it buzzing (that will take the pressure of the valve inside the thermostat knob)

If you also want to connect the Fibaro “Temperature Sensor” FGBRS-001 Room Sensor (if you already have the Smart Thermostat installed) do this :

  • make sure you have the Yubii.app installed on your iPhone
  • make sure you have a ‘Z-Wave controller’ (a Z-Wave protocol hub/bridge device) set up, the most basic one that Fibaro offers is the Home Center 3 Lite
  • to prevent connection problems temporarily unmount/unscrew the Smart Thermostat (the one that you want to integrate the Room Sensor with) from the radiator and make sure you have the Smart Thermostat near your Z-Wave bridge
  • then, in the setting of your wireless router, make sure the WiFi is (temporarily) set to “2.4GHz only”
  • now, take out the plastic battery initiation strap from the Room Sensor (if it’s still there)
  • >> if there is no strap, the Room Sensor may have been used before and/or the the battery may be dead so the next installation steps will not work until you resolve this
  • >> if the battery is dead, use a coin to twist open the battery compartment and replace the battery first ( you will need a 3.0V CR2032 battery cell )
  • >> if the Room Sensor has been used before, it might still be connected/paired to other Smart Thermostats so you will need to reset it first, so use the F-marked pin to long press (press and hold) the button inside the hole for at least 2 seconds ; if the LED light on the Room Sensor blinks 3 times, the unpairing has succeeded (just try again if unsuccessful)
  • to continue the installation, open the Yubii.app
  • in the Yubii.app on the main page, click the More button (bottom right)
  • in the MENU page that opens, click Add Devices
  • in the Z-Wave page that opens, wait until there is only one huge Z-Wave button, then click on it
  • in the Add Device page that opens, click the blue Start button (bottom right)
  • on the next page, you will see a countdown circle of 60 seconds (so you now have 60 seconds to add the Room Sensor)
  • now, on the Smart Thermostat, press the small bubble button (so, press it once) for at least 1 second
  • the LED ring on the Smart Thermostat should now start blinking (in blue)
  • if not, just try pressing the small bubble button again
  • while the LED ring on the Smart Thermostat is blinking, use the F-marked pin that came with the Room Sensor to press the click button inside the small hole on the back of the Room Sensor
  • clicking the Room Sensor’s button is successful if a small light on the back of the Room Sensor lights up
  • if not, try pressing the click button inside the small hole again
  • Now, the LED ring on the Smart Thermostat should blink 5 times (in green) to indicate that the connection was successful 
  • if not, try pressing the click button inside the small hole again
  • if the countdown circle in the Yubii.app hits 0 seconds before you have the connection set up, just try again
  • That’s it
  • Do not forget to set your WiFi back to “2.4 & 5GHz”

enjoy !

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fixed : Google Chromecast-ing option not showing up

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Question :

I have some Chromecast devices (a Google Chromecast, a Google Nest Hub, a Google Home Mini, etc.) that I want to stream to from my iPhone. But even though te Apple AirPlay streaming option shows up, the Google Chromecast option only shows up in some of my iPhone apps and not in the other ones : in my case I can stream to Google Chromecast devices from the Spotify and Netflix iOS-apps, and not from Disney+, AmazonPrime and ZiggoGo…

What is wrong ? How can I solve this ?

Answer :

Even though AirPlay is always available on iOS/iPadOS and Apple AirPlay devices are automatically detected by default, the Google Chromecast option is turned off by default.

Since you can stream to some Chromecast-able devices and not to others, you seem to have turned on the option to do so per app individually. Yes, you need to switch on the Chromecast-ing option for each individual iOS/iPadOS-app…

To do so, do this :

  • make sure that your iPhone/iPad is connected to the the same WiFi network that the Chromecast-device(s) that you want to cast to is/are on
  • open the Settings.app in iOS/iPadOS
  • in the Settings page that opens, scroll down to Privacy (the blue icon with the white hand) and click on it
  • in the Privacy page that opens, click on Local Network (the blue icon with the white globe outline)
  • in the Local Network page that opens, scroll down to the app(s) that you need and set it’s slider to ON (slide to right will make the slider green and turn the option ON)
    • your apps are now able to discover the Chromecast devices that are on the same WiFi network
  • now, turn on the app that you want to stream from and the Chromecast-icon should appear (note that in most cases the AirPlay-icon will immediately appear and the Chromecast-icon will be added with a slight delay)
  • then start the video (or audio) you want to play and click on the Chromecast-icon to select the Chromecast-able device you want to stream to

…that’s it !

enjoy 😉

fixed : delete an old TimeMachine-backup file from a Time Capsule

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Question :

I’ve bought a new MacBook and I want to use my existing Time Capsule for it’s TimeMachine-backups, but it’s full. The backup-file, a .sparsebundle-file, from my previous MacBook that I am going to pass on to one of my children, is far too big.

I have installed my new MacBook from the old MacBook’s TimeMachine-backup, so I am not needing that backup again, but I want to make two new TimeMachine-backups as soon as possible : one for my new MacBook and one for the old MacBook right after my child starts using it.

But, I can’t seem to delete the old .sparsebundle-file from my Time Capsule completely… I’ve done several attempts, but I keep running into the same error message “The operation can’t be completed because some items had to be skipped. For each item, choose File > get Info, make sure “Locked” is deselected, and then check the Sharing & Permissions section. When you are sure the items are unlocked and not designated as Read Only or No Access, try again.”. On first sight, the .sparsebundle-file is still there. On further inspection, it turns out the the .sparsebundle-file has shrunken in size.

But… what can I do to completely delete the old .sparsebundle-file ?

 

Answer :

This problem can occur especially with bigger and older .sparsebundle-TimeMachine-backup-files. Note that the really new TimeMachine-backup-files have a .backupbundle-extension, not a .sparsebundle-extension, but there is hardly any difference

To be able to delete the old .sparsebundle-file, start by doing this :

  1. connect your new MacBook to the Time Capsule using a UTP/Ethernet-cable
    • make sure to shut off AirPort/WiFi on your MacBook :
      • in the top menu-bar, click on the AirPort/WiFi-icon (the piece of pie)
      • in the pulldown-menu, set the WiFi-slider to OFF
    • if you do not have an Ethernet-port or a USB-to-Ethernet-converter on your MacBook :
      • connect your MacBook to the Time Capsule using AirPort/WiFi
      • but make sure to disconnect all other AirPort/WiFi-connected devices
  2. Make sure that your Time Capsule has the latest firmware installed :
    • goto Applications > Utilities > AirPort Utility
    • open AirPort Utility
    • in the AirPortUtility-window, click on your Time Capsule’s picture
    • when prompted, enter the Time Capsule’s password
    • in the popup-window, at ‘version’ check if there is an update available
    • if so, click on the button to install it
    • if just the version number is shown, you already have the latest firmware installed, so you don’t need to do anything extra here
    • exit AirPort Utility
  3. Make sure that you have read&write-privileges on the .sparsbundle-file you want to remove :
    • right-click ( CTRL-click ) on the Finder-icon (blue-grey face icon) in the far left of the Dock
    • from the popup-list, select New Finder Window
    • scroll down to the “Locations” group in the menu list at the left and click on “Network”
    • in the window that opens, goto Network > Time Capsule
      • if you have multiple Time Capsule devices, make sure you select the Time Capsule that the .sparsebundle-file you want to delete is actually on
    • if it says “Not Connected” click the “Connect as”-button and typ the Time Capsule’s password
    • if it says “Connected”, you’re good
    • open the Data folder and right-click ( CTRL-click ) on the TimeMachine-backup-file you want to delete
    • from the popup-menu, choose Get Info
    • in the Get Info window that opens, choose these settings :
      • uncheck the check-box at “Locked” (so the file is unlocked, i.e. delete-able)
      • uncheck the check-box at “Hide extension” (so the .sparsebundle extension will be visible in the file name)
      • at “Sharing & Permissions” set Privilege for “everyone” to “Read & Write”
    • close the Get Info window

Having set the above, there are various options that might enable you to delete the old .sparsebundle-file (or .backupbundle-file). Your options are listed below, from simple to extreme. Read all of them before starting, and choose the option you want to try first. Any of these might be successful, and if the one you chose first doesn’t work, just try another one.

Option #1 : delete the .sparsebundle-file from within the Finder

  • goto Finder > New Finder Window
  • goto Locations > Network > Network > Time Capsule > Data
  • right-click ( CTRL-click ) on the .sparsebundle-file you want to delete
  • from the popup-list, select “Move to Bin”
  • wait for the “Move to Bin” action to complete
  • if it doesn’t end in an error, empty the bin/trash (and you’re done)
  • if this ends in an error, try any of the other options

Option #2a : additional TC reset

  • restart your Time Capsule by unplugging the power cable for 30 seconds
  • plug the power cable back into the Time Capsule
  • when the Time Capsule comes back online, follow the directions from Option #1

Option #2b : additional Mac reset

  • shut down your Time Capsule by unplugging the power cable (for 30 seconds)
  • shut down your MacBook by selecting Shut Down from the Apple-menu top-left
  • plug the power cable back into the Time Capsule
  • restart your MacBook by pressing the power button
  • when both your Time Capsule and your MacBook have restarted, follow the directions from Option #1

Option #2c : additionally disconnect other devices

  • shut down your Time Capsule by unplugging the power cable (for 30 seconds)
  • now, disconnect all UTP/Ethernet-cables leading to other devices than your MacBook (you can even disconnect the cable connected to your internet modem-router)
  • shut down your MacBook by selecting Shut Down from the Apple-menu top-left
  • plug the power cable back into the Time Capsule
  • restart your MacBook by pressing the power button
  • when both your Time Capsule and you MacBook have restarted, goto Applications > Utilities > AirPort Utility
  • in the AirPort Utility window, click on the picture of your Time Capsule, typ your password if needed and check which devices are connected
  • then, one-by-one go to each device listed and shut down it’s WiFi-connection
  • when done, close the AirPort Utility application and reopen it
  • again, in the AirPort Utility window, click on the picture of your Time Capsule, typ your password if needed and check which devices are connected
  • you should now see no devices listed at “wireless clients” (except for your MacBook if you aren’t able to connect it using a UTP/Ethernet-cable)
  • then, follow the directions from Option #1
  • NOTE : do not forget to plug all UTP/Ethernet-cables back into your Time Capsule and switch on WiFi on all devices that were previously connected

Option #3 : by backing up the Time Capsule content

  • NOTE : you will need a Mac-connectable external USB-harddisk for this ! (at least as many GBs as the internal HD of your Time Capsule, so 500G, 1TB, 2TB, 3TB of larger)
    • to check if the USB-harddisk is Mac-connectable, plug it into your Mac and if it pops up you’re okay
    • if it doesn’t show up, it’s a Windows NTFS-disk that needs to be reformatted to Mac Journailed format ( note that this erases all content, so ONLY reformat it if it’s an empty brand-new external harddisk ! )
  • NOTE : this method will work 99% of the time, but it will probably take (far) more time than any other method
  • start by connecting the external USB-harddisk to your Time Capsule’s USB-port
  • then, on your MacBook, goto Finder > New Finder Window
  • then, in the top menu-bar, goto Finder > Preferences
  • in the Finder Preferences window, click the Sidebar tab
  • in the list that shows up, make sure that “External disks” and “Connected servers” are checked
  • then close the Finder Preferences window
  • now select the New Finder Window you had just opened
  • goto Locations > Network > Network > Time Capsule
  • next to the Data-folder, there is now a new folder named after your externe USB-harddisk
    • for the following, assume that your extern USB-harddisk folder is simply called “usb-HD”
  • goto Locations > Network > Network > Time Capsule > usb-HD
    • if the “usb-HD” folder is completely empty, you’re okay
    • else, click on the “More” icon (the circle with 3 dot in it) and in the dropdown menu click “New Folder” and call it “TC-backup”
  • goto Locations > Network > Network > Time Capsule > Data
  • inside the Data-folder select all files (both backup-files and other files) that you DO NOT want to delete
  • drag&drop all the files into Locations > Network > Network > Time Capsule > usb-HD
    • it may take some time for all files to copy over, so let it run
    • if you run into an error, try copying over every file one-by-one
    • if you still run into an error, just try again
  • when all files are copied over, you can unplug the external USB-harddisk from your Time Capsule
    • as an extra safety precaution, you can unplug the power cable from your Time Capsule before you unplug the USB-cable and replug the power cable when the external USB-harddisk is disconnected
  • then goto Applications > Utilities > AirPort Utility
  • open AirPort Utility
  • in the AirPortUtility-window, click on your Time Capsule’s picture
  • when prompted, enter the Time Capsule’s password
  • in the popup-window, click the Edit-button
  • in the window that opens, select the “Disks”-tab
  • in the Disks window, click the “Erase Disk”-button
  • next, choose the level of security for the erase (“Quick Erase” should do fine, since you are going to use the disk for the same purpose immediately afterwards)
  • then click “Update” and the Time Capsule’s status light wil flash orange-yellow until the disk is erased and the Time Capsule is accessible again
  • then, exit AirPort Utility
  • goto Locations > Network > Network > Time Capsule > usb-HD or Locations > Network > Network > Time Capsule > usb-HD > TC-backup (depending on where you put your Time Capsule back-up files)
    • if you don’t see the “usb-HD” folder, make sure your external USB-harddisk is plugged back into your Time Capsule
  • now, select all files from the back-up folder (either “usb-HD” or the “TC-backup” folder within it)
  • drag&drop all the files into Locations > Network > Network > Time Capsule > Data
    • it may take some time for all files to copy over, so let it run
    • if you run into an error, try copying over every file one-by-one
    • if you still run into an error, just try again
  • when the copying is finished, you should now have your Time Capsule the way you wanted it : exactly the same (backup) files on it’s disk, but without the .sparsebundle(s) you don’t need anymore

Option #4 : manually deleting all files inside

  • goto Finder > New Finder Window
  • goto Locations > Network > Network > Time Capsule > Data
  • right-click ( CTRL-click ) on the .sparsebundle-file you want to delete
  • from the popup-list, select “Open Package Content”
  • in the Finder window that opens click on the “bands” folder
    • if the “bands” folder appears empty, just wait a few moments for its content to appear in the Finder window
  • SHIFT-click on the top file and scroll down to select multiple files, then press the Backspace-button on your keyboard to delete them
    • you are able to select and delete up to 8000 files per batch (according to user ‘cmaryg’)
    • if a batch refuses to delete at the first attempt, just try again – usually it will eventually be deleted anyway (according to user ‘cmaryg’)
    • if a batch refuses to delete after a few attempts, reduce the number of files in it by selecting less files at once and try deleting again
    • if you happen to run into a single file that refuses to delete, do this :
      • right-click ( CTRL-click ) on the file
      • from the popup-list, select “Get Info”
      • in the window that opens, make sure that there is no checkmark at “Locked”
      • then try deleting the file again
  • then repeat this for the next batch of files, until the “bands” folder is completely empty
  • if the “bands” file is completely empty, close the Finder window that displays the “bands” folder
  • then, goto Finder > New Finder Window
  • goto Locations > Network > Network > Time Capsule > Data
  • right-click ( CTRL-click ) on the .sparsebundle-file you want to delete
  • from the popup-list, select “Move to Bin”
  • if it doesn’t end in an error, empty the bin/trash (and you’re done)
  • if this ends in an error, you can still try Option #3, but probably this will help too :
    • goto Locations > Network > Network > Time Capsule > Data
    • right-click ( CTRL-click ) on the .sparsebundle-file you want to delete
    • from the popup-list, select “Open Package Content”
    • in the Finder window that opens, select the top folder and drag it to the bin (trash)
    • repeat this for all folders listed
    • then, select the top file and drag it to the bin (trash)
    • repeat this for all files
    • if you run into a file that refuses to delete, do this :
      • right-click ( CTRL-click ) on the file
      • from the popup-list, select “Get Info”
      • in the window that opens, make sure that there is no checkmark at “Locked”
      • then try deleting the file again

That should be it !

As mentioned before : the Option #3 method will work (nearly) always, but it’s time-consuming and you will need a lot of extra disk space for it (on an external harddisk).

enjoy 😉

 

fixed : firmware-update for 70mai A800 dashcam WiFi

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Question :

I just bought the best dashcam I could find for an affordable price : the Xiaomi 70mai A800 4K Ultra HD video with WiFi, GPS and ADAS driver assistance built-in.

I want to make sure I have the latest available firmware on the dashcam to enable all available features…

How do I install the latest A800-firmware ?

 

Answer :

Aside from all the great features already included in the Xiaomi 70mai A800 dashcam, user-friendly do-it-yourself firmware upgrades are also available to enable even more new features.

First, make sure you are using the right iOS-app : you need the 70mai (Worldwide) app that can be downloaded here.

Now, connect your iPhone to the 70mai WiFi-network and open the 70mai.app. If you have problems connecting to the 70mai WiFi-network, see this post.

Then, open the 70mai.app and do this to upgrade the firmware :

  • make sure you are on the 70mai.app’s main page (the window labeled “70mai” with a picture of a blue car and your 70mai Dash Cam A800 listed below it)
    • if the 70mai.app opens in the “70mai Dash Cam”-window with the current video stream of the dashcam and the “Take Photo” and “Album”-buttons below it, click the “<“-button top-left and in the “Exit the dash cam homepage?”-popup, click “OK”
  • in the “70mai”-window, make sure that at “Device” it says “Connected”
    • if “Not conneted” is listed, click on it
    • the “70mai Dash Cam”-window will open and the connection will be re-established
    • then, return to the “70mai”-window by clicking on the “<“-button top-left and in the “Exit the dash cam homepage?”-popup, click “OK”
  • back in the “70mai”-window, click the person-icon top-left
  • in the slide-in window click on “My Devices”
  • in the “My Devices”-window, click on “70mai Dash Cam A800”
  • in the next window (also called “My Devices”), click “Firmware Update”
  • when the “Firmware update”-window opens, follow the on-screen instructions to upgrade the firmware to the latest version

…that’s it !

enjoy 😉

Note #1 : you can adjust various dashcam settings (like the Speaker Volume, Video Resolution, Parking Surveillance, ADAS Driver Assistance, etc.) by clicking on the 3dot-icon top-right in the “70mai Dash Cam A800”-screen (where you can see the current video stream from the dashcam with the “Take Photo” and “Album”-buttons below it).

Note #2 : this firmware update will use your iPhone’s 4G/5G-data connection to your telecom provider to do download the firmware upgrade, so make sure you have a 4G/5G-enabled data connection ! [ thanks to Majo – see replies – for pointing this out ]

 

 

 

fixed : 70mai A800 dashcam WiFi connection error

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Question :

I just bought the best dashcam I could find for an affordable price : the Xiaomi 70mai A800 4K Ultra HD video with WiFi, GPS and ADAS driver assistance built-in.

I can’t get it to connect properly to my iPhone over WiFi however… I can find the 70mai WiFi network in the list of available WiFi networks in the iOS Settings-app, and I can connect to it, since it is shown as the connected WiFi-network… but the WiFi icon (the pie-shaped triangle) isn’t shown in the upper right corner of my iPhone… and when I startup the 70mai.app and click on the “70mai Dash Cam A800” in the “Please add 70mai devices”-window, I get an error : “Unable to get Wi-Fi connection Please enter [Settings – 70mai] to open location permission and then connect the device.” …and when I click on the “Go to open it”-button, the Settings-app opens …there I can set Wi-Fi, but that is already connected to the 70mai WiFi-network…

What is going on… how can I fix this ?

 

Answer :

The solution is simple, but you didn’t understand the given directions… probably because the the error message isn’t really straight forward : it’s in awkwardly translated English and the button only links halfway to where you need to adjust the settings…

First, make sure you are using the right iOS-app : you need the 70mai (Worldwide) app that can be downloaded here.

Then, do this :

  • connect the 70mai A800 dashcam to power
  • open the “System Settings” page (the icon is a hexagram with a dot in it)
    • Note that there’s no touch-screen so you should use the 4 buttons below the screen to navigate through the on-screen menu-structure
  • On the Settings page, you need to set “Wi-Fi hotspot” to “Enable” :
    • select “Disable” (at the top line, right of “Wi-Fi hotspot”)
    • in the “Wi-Fi hotspot”-page that opens you will see the name of the WiFi-network (at “Wi-Fi SSID”) and the WiFi-password (at “Password”)
    • remember these (or leave this screen open)

Then, open the 70mai.app on your iPhone and do this :

  • on the first page (simply called “70mai”) click the “Add device”-button (the only button on-screen)
  • in the “Please add 70mai devices”-page that opens, scroll down to “70mai Dash Cam A800” and click on it
  • when you get the “Unable to get Wi-Fi connection Please enter [Settings – 70mai] to open location permission and then connect the device.” error message, click on “Go to open it”
  • now the Settings.app will open, but it won’t always on the same page inside the Settings.app
  • so, make sure you go to the main Settings-page and clcik on “Wi-Fi” in the list
  • when the “Wi-Fi”-page opens, select the 70mai WiFi-network (with the name that was listed at Wi-Fi SSID”) from the list of “Other Networks” (or “My Networks”)
  • if the WiFi-password is required, use the “Password” that is (or was) displayed on the dashcam’s screen
  • now, even when the 70mai WiFi-network is connected you will still see 4G (or 3G or some other mobile data indication) instead of the WiFi-icon in the top-right corner of your iPhone screen
  • then click on “<Setttings” top-left
  • back in the main Settings-page, scroll all the way down to “70mai” (in the list of apps that starts after “Game Center”) and click on it
  • in the “70mai” page that opens, set “Location” to “While Using the App”
    • you could also set it to “Always”, but that isn’t a great idea since the 70mai WiFi-network is rather poorly protected
  • now, open the 70mai.app again
  • in the “Please add 70mai devices”-page, click on “70mai Dash Cam A800”
  • now, the “Turn on Wi-Fi hotspot”-page will open with a picture that resembles the “Wi-Fi hotspot” page that is displayed on the dashcam
  • there, you should click on “Dash cam WiFi hotspot is turned on” (eventhough it appears to be greyed-out) so a green checkmark will appear
  • then click “Next”
  • on the next page (the “Connect to WiFi hotspot”-page) click “Connect”
  • now the Settings.app will open again, check that the 70mai WiFi-network is listed at “Wi-Fi”
  • then, open the 70mai.app and you will see a countdown-circle on your iPhone and you will hear a voice from the dashcam
  • so, go to the dashcam screen and tap the button bottom-right to confirm
  • now you will see what the dashcam is ‘seeing’ / ‘recording’ in the 70mai.app on your iPhone

…that’s it !

enjoy 😉

Note that you can adjust various dashcam settings (like the Speaker Volume, Video Resolution, Parking Surveillance, ADAS Driver Assistance, etc.) by clicking on the 3dot-icon top-right in the 70mai-app screen.

 

 

 

fixed : which iOS app can I use for the LeadEdge H245 dashcam ?

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Question :

I have a LeadEdge H245 dashcam (1080p & WiFi) in my car that has been doing a great job for a few years now.

Recently, I switched to a new iPhone and in an attempt to free some space by deleting apps that I seldomly use, I have deleted the app that I had installed for my LeadEdge H245 dashcam…

And now I want to get some video of my dashcam and I therefore need to reinstall the app… but I can’t remember its name or find any info on this online…

Can you help me ?

 

Answer :

The LeadEdge H245 dashcam is a rebrand of the Novatek 96658 dashcam that is also sold as Junsun S550, Podofo, SLB Works, CarSun, Vakind and probably other brand/product names too.

There are at least 4 FREE apps that can connect to this dashcam (maybe there are more) :

  • Lerccenker.app
    • this app is pushed by LeadEdge as the app to use with your dash cam : it’s okay, but rather slow and feels a little out-dated
  • FinalCam.app
    • this app is suggested by LeadEdge as the alternative : it works, but apart from the live view, options are very limited
  • NovaCam.app
    • this app is made by Novatek and works with any Novatek-based dash cam : it’s far better than both Lerccenker.app and FinalCam.app
  • Dride.app
    • this app is made to work with any dash cam : it is fast and has a very nice user interface that is more intuitive than the NovaCamp.app (the ads are a little annoying though…)
    • note : Dride.app can also include GPS data to your dash cam videos by connecting to your iPhone (although you might find this option a little too privacy invasive…)

For all 4 of these apps, this is the way to connect to your Dash Cam :

  • turn ON the WiFi on your Dash Cam by pressing the DOWN-button on the left side of the housing until the WIFi-icon is displayed on-screen
  • then, on you iPhone, goto Settings.app > WiFi
  • on the Wi-Fi page, connect to the WiFi-network of your dash cam (probably the only one with a criptic name)
  • then open the dash cam app you want to use
  • fiddle around to get to know the options the app has, generally you can choose for ‘live video’ or ‘recorded video’ and you may also have ‘take picture’ as an option
    • additional instruction for NovaCam.app : in the Camera List, click on the Plus-icon (top-right) and click on ‘Wi-Fi’ when it appears in the list
    • additional instruction for Dride.app : choose “UGP 100 Universal Dash Cam” as your device

That’s it !

enjoy 😉

fixed : Philips HUE lights not responding after upgrading to HUE Bridge

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Question :

Previously we had our Philips HUE lights setup suing Bluetooth, but now we have bought ourselves a Philips HUE Bridge since we want to be able to set some wake-up, sleep and out-of-home routines on our HUE lights. But after installing the HUE Bridge, our Google Nest Hub can no longer connect to our HUE lights.

What is wrong ?

 

Answer :

Since you installed your Philips HUE lights over Bluetooth before you installed your Philips HUE Hub, you have switched from Bluetooth HUE connection to WiFi HUE connection, but your Google Nest Hub doesn’t know about this switch yet…

To fix this, do this :

  • first : to avoid confusion, it’s advisory to delete the HUE lights that you had set up over Bluetooth first from the Google Home.app
  • then, in the Google Home.app, click ‘Settings’
  • in ‘Settings’ screen, scroll down and click on ‘Add…’
  • in ‘Add and manage’ screen, click on ‘Setup device’
  • in ‘Setup’ screen, click on ‘have something already set up?’
  • in ‘Add devices’ screen, select ‘Philips HUE’ (if you don’t see it right away, use the search option top right)
  • you will be redirected to the MeetHUE.com login-page
  • login to your PhilipsHUE-account (you probably don’t have one yet, so either create a new one or sign in using your Google account)
  • follow the on-screen directions to link your HUE Bridge to your account ; press the big button on the HUE Bridge when prompted
  • now your HUE Bridge will be accessible from your Google Nest Hub
  • on the Nest Hub, swipe down from the top of the screen
  • in the pull down window, you will see your HUE lights
  • click on the HUE lights you want to adjust and adjust the lights as you wish

If you want to be able to control the HUE lights in Zones different from the Rooms, use the PhilipsHUE.app to setup new Zones first :

  • open PhilipsHUE.app
  • if the app doesn’t open in the Settings screen automatically, click on Settings (bottom right)
  • in ‘Rooms & Zones’ screen, click on the ‘Create new’ button (top left) 
  • in ‘Create new – Room’ screen click on the ‘Create Zone’ button and follow the onscreen directions
  • now the Zone will be listed in Google Home.app also
  • when the Zone is listed on the ‘Home’ screen in Google Home.app, click on the name of the room
  • in [Room/Zone name] screen, click on the gear/sprocket icon (top right)
  • in ‘Room’ screen, click ‘Choose devices’
  • in ‘Choose devices’ screen, check all HUE lamps you want to include in this Zone (note that Google Home names Zones as Rooms) and click the ‘Next’ button

Now your Philips HUE lights will be accessible from your Google Nest Hub both individually and as Rooms/Zones (Google Home names both as Rooms) :

  • on the Nest Hub, swipe down from the top of the screen
  • in the pull down window, you will see your HUE lights
  • click on the HUE lights you want to adjust and adjust the lights as you wish

Note : you can also select routines for the HUE lights from the Nest Hub if you have set them up in Google Home.app (like daily routines to use when you’re out of home)

That’s it !

enjoy 😉