IFTTT - If This Then That

IFTTT (aka If This Then That) is a FREE, web-based automation service that allows you to graphically create "Applets" to link together web services and tech hardware. You can create the recipes through their website or through their iOS app IFTTT to automate tasks such as downloading email attached files to your Dropbox or Google Drive; saving your new contacts an Google Sheet; logging favorited tweets to a Dropbox file, Google Sheet, or Evernote note. There are currently 319 different services that can be used to trigger an action.

I use IFTTT for both school purposes:

* automatically upload *ALL* email attachments to Dropbox
* send me an email digest of Workflow subreddit posts
* save my favorites tweets to a Google Sheet
* Siri to an Dropbox file

I also use IFTTT for personal/home purposes:

* Track all my car trips to Dropbox (in combination with [Automatic Pro](https://www.automatic.com)
* Track all of my teenage daughter's car trips (using the aforementioned Automatic Pro)
* back up my contacts to Dropbox 
* add a Reminder when my check engine light comes on (with the help of Automatic Pro)
* Turn on (and strobe) my Hue lights when I get home
* Turn lights and holiday decorations on and off with my Amazon Echo
* Send Saved NewsBlur stories to Dropbox
* and many more

IFTTT was the service that helped me take iOS and home automation from a novel idea and a hobby to being a daily reality.