Oh, and back to the Dashboard Widget though... I hadn't messed with the widget architecture before, but it's pretty straightforward. What I'm hoping to do is actually write my own widget that can be replicated and set to control a particular device.
So it'd work something like this:
-install the widget
-drop an instance on your dashboard
-flip it over to access settings
-set your server params (host, user, pass, isRemote)
-select your device
-UI will adjust to match selected device type (LampLincs and Dimmers would be giant lightbulbs, EZFlora would be a sprinkler, Thermostat would look like wall unit, etc). This would have to be customizable to account for multipurpose devices like ToggleLincs, OutletLincs and I/O Lincs...
-you'd then be able to drop and configure additional instances for devices you want quick control to
Why you ask? Well, I spend most of my evenings on the couch with a laptop working on side projects and general nerdery. There's a few nearby lights that I'd like to be able to control easily and I also like to keep an eye on the sprinklers to make sure it's cycling properly. So ideally, i'd just hit the hotkey on my laptop to switch to dashboard and .. bam there's all my favorite devices a click away. No need to find my phone, unlock it, open the app.. etc.
This is mostly an excuse for me to delve into widget programming. But in my case, laziness is often the mother of invention