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Details: Category: Software; Created: 19 September 2022; Last Updated: 19 September 2022; Hits: 826

reference: Reliable pipeline to import contacts from Google?

I've read this thread with all linked threads/issues because I was also looking for a solution to get my contacts from Google to my NextCloud server.

At the moment I use NextCloud 20.0.14 and Contacts 4.0.8.
Sure, you are able to export from https://contacts.google.com but there you have only three options:
1. Google CSV
2. Outlook CSV
3. vCard (for iOS-Contacts)

While the first two options did not work at all to import to NextCloud (it just told me "... imported 0 contacts .."), the option with vCard basically worked, it could import all contacts. What I noticed at first sight was that this did not take profile pictures so none of the contacts had a profile picture in NextCloud after import.

Then I tried the "Google integration" app in NextCloud but after going through the hassle of setting up the OAuth 2.0-Client-ID at https://console.cloud.google.com/apis/credentials and then connecting my NextCloud account in Settings -> Data migration to Google I got some HTTP/403 errors and did not know how to fix that so I searched further for another way.

Since I imported the vCard contacts from Google, I wanted to delete that newly created "myContacts" group (without profile pictures) but found out, that there is a feature request / issue report and the only working "easy" solution was to do that from my (Android) smartphone using DAVx5 and any installed contacts app. This way I simply deleted this "myContacts" label with all contacts in it and started sync in DAVx5 app. Wonderful.

That got me to the idea to also manage my contacts on my smartphone and sync them to NextCloud. So however your smartphone setup looks like, the process could look a little bit different but basically it boils down to following steps:

1. You need any smartphone where your Google account is configured and synchronized
2. On that smartphone open the Google "Contacts" app - there you are able to **export your contacts as vcf file** (this exports **all details** - also profile pictures)
3. (optional) However your setup looks like, you maybe need to transfer/copy the exported vcf file to another phone where you do not have your Google account synchronized but have DAVx5 installed or want to use your contacts synchronized to your NextCloud server without Google.
4. Install DAVx5 and configure it to synchronize your address book from your NextCloud server.
5. Open the Contacts app of your phone (I tried two different apps, it worked with both of them) and import the vcf file to your DAVx5 synchronized address book.
6. Check your contacts if they are all good, go to DAVx5 and start synchronizing your configured NextCloud account / address book - then look on your NextCloud server if your contacts are all good.

While looking through the web, this thread came up at the first few search results so I hope this "Reliable pipeline" works for others too, for me this was the easiest reliable working way to get the contacts from Google to my NextCloud server.

Details: Category: Hardware; Created: 07 August 2022; Last Updated: 07 August 2022; Hits: 753

To remotely power on/off devices, one would for example think about WiFi Smart Plugs but they require an existing local WiFi that has internet connection and then you need to install an app on your smartphone to be able to control them.

In my example I wanted to remotely power off/on my EdgeRouter (which is responsible for my Internet connection), in case the router hungs up and needs a reboot. Even if the EdgeRouter is connected to a WiFi Smart Plug, if the router hungs up I would not be able to reboot the router because then my local WiFi would be offline too and thus the Smart Plugs not reachable from the Internet. So another possibility would be to utilize the LoRaWAN network, which nowadays is nearly everywhere accessible, especially in cities there are often enough LoRa gateways you could use. Looking for off the shelf products which use LoRaWAN and are able to switch off/on I did not find much.
Sure, there are some possibilities with ESP32 but I wanted a product which is ready to use and just needs some configuration.

Best I could find is the RFI Remote Power Switch and the Dragino LT-22222-L LoRaWAN I/O Controller.

The product from RFI is quite simple to use, RFI offers nice software and a good pdf manual to get it running with the thethingsnetwork.org
Only that it supports "100-250 VAC Universal Input/Output" and "universal IEC320-C14 type input and IEC320-C13 output connectors" which is cool for applications using those parameters/connectors.

But I needed something working with PoE 24V for the EdgeRouter, so the Dragino LT-22222-L looked promising. It has a good wiki with a manual online describing to get it configured for thethingsnetwork.org and is able to switch off/on 24V.

RFI LoRaWAN Remote Power Switch:

Product website: LoRa Remote Power Switch

Manual: https://www.rfi-engineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/QIG_LoRa_RPSW_v1.20.pdf

see product website to download MacOS/Windows software for configuration of the device
(needs any USB-A to microUSB cable for configuration)

Shops:

(I bought it from iot-shop.de but they don't offer it any more)

connectedthings.store -> RFI Engineering LoRaWAN Remote Power Switch

market.thingpark.com -> LoRaWAN Remote Power Switch

Dragino LT-22222-L LoRaWAN I/O Controller:

Product website: LT-22222-L LoRa I/O Controller

Manual: http://wiki.dragino.com/xwiki/bin/view/Main/User%20Manual%20for%20LoRaWAN%20End%20Nodes/LT-22222-L/#H3.1A0Howitworks3F

needs CP2102 Module USB to TTL 6Pin for UART to use shipped cable for configuration

Shops:

Amazon -> Dragino LT-22222-L LoRaWAN I/O Controller

iot-shop.de -> Dragino LT-22222-L LoRaWAN I/O Controller

Details: Category: VoIP; Created: 28 July 2013; Last Updated: 04 June 2022; Hits: 35262

Having an own VoIP solution with FreePBX wasn't that much exciting for me, rather connecting it to a cellular network is much more interesting! Looking over and over the web you mostly find expensive solutions or solutions where much knowhow is needed to configure it properly. Also there are some cheaper (~100eur) products where there is too less description to be sure of it, sure its cheap in comparison but would you go ahead and buy another one if that one doesn't fit your needs? And then its a question about who you could talk to, to share experience and solve problems if there is no large number of users. In the end i gave up that idea and put it back in the dusty shelf of collected ideas. But that didn't last long this way...