I just tried something new and published my first “Instructable”. Instructables are online posts that teach people how to build things. In this Instructable, I teach the readers how to build a magic button that when pressed sends an SMS message. In addition to the Instructable, I also post a video about the topic to the DrVAX YouTube channel.
https://www.instructables.com/Magic-SMS-Button/
I look forward to everyone’s feedback.
Very interesting, and I agree: hardware is becoming something like object oriented program languages: you don’t need to truly understand what’s going on inside each ‘black box’, only how to connect them together to get a desired result.
Very interesting project Irv!!! Well done! This project could apply like this: While print ends and the axis X axis is homed, it will press the button to send an SMS to inform us about the completion of the print.
When you use OctoPrint, you just need to use a plugin for that. 
Very interesting! For those that don’t know, can you please explain about it?
I did not try this myself, because of the lack of need, but OctoPrint supports custom actions and delivers three default actions. There are plugins that allow you to execute system commands or place GCode commands on those actions, so this should be easy to activate.
You can even integrate Amazon or Google devices, so you can ask them for a status on your printer army.
Also possible to add a gcode commands to you printjob, which cause OctoPrint to run a system command, when they appear in the data stream. So your computer can play an “applause” sample when a print job is done. If you launch a script you should be able to do anything from sending SMS, email, playing samples.
OctoPrint seems to be basic in some regard, but all the official plugins available are opening so many doors.
Here the specific ones for sending SMS: (yes there are two)
Even so a github page is linked here, you can install them with just one click from the plug in manager within OctoPrint and there is a UI to configure the SMS authentication and stuff.
Can it do dishes?
Yes, but only if the dishes really want to be done 
Thank you Geit!! Very informative!!