9 devices shaping the future of the Internet of Things
By Colin Druce-McFadden, Dvice, 8 April 2013.
By Colin Druce-McFadden, Dvice, 8 April 2013.
The 'Internet of Things' (or IoT) is an exciting term to be able to sling around. Everyone who’s aware of the phrase knows that the IoT is coming, and a lot of people are excited to watch it evolve. It’s an imminent reality that promises to connect people to their possessions - and those possessions to one another - in ways that will save us time and effort and enable things never before possible. Despite this promise, when asked to define the IoT, many people - even experts - will do so in very different ways.
This is because the IoT is still very much in a gestational phase. Yes, connected devices already exist, like Nest for example, but a smattering of "smart" devices does not an Internet of Things make. The dream of the IoT is one of houses that open their doors for us when we arrive home, brew our coffee because they know we’re waking up, and turn down the lights when we put on a movie. It’s something akin to the way people interact with the computer on Star Trek or, perhaps even more appropriate, SARAH - the smart house from Eureka. It's when the hows and whys are addressed that this unified concept of the IoT begins to become muddled.
For instance, many people - even developers - view different modes of communication as driving the Internet of Things. And there are lots to choose from. Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, mesh connections, and cell networks could each play a role in facilitating the IoT's communication needs. There’s also the ever-expanding world of RFID tags, motion sensors, and cloud integration. Not to mention different protocols specifically designed to try and make sense out of the IoT, like Zigbee and Z-Wave.
With all these connection possibilities and no unified direction as of yet, the IoT can easily become a muddled quagmire of wires and non-wires and boxes and different protocols. But the more hoops a user needs to jump through, the less seamless the interface becomes. What the perfect interface will ultimately be, and what sort of things the IoT will be able to do with it, is still up in the air. Thankfully, there are a number of brave souls already shaping the IoT of tomorrow, and here are nine of the best and brightest.
1. Mobiplug
A new start-up, Mobiplug promises to connect the hundreds of wirelessly-enabled household items that are readily available and intelligently integrate them, regardless of manufacturer or wireless protocol used. Not only will their system help wireless-enabled devices communicate, but Mobiplug has moved their system's hub into your smartphone. From there, you can create and manage user-created presets (like a mode for "movie night"), integrate cloud data, and receive alerts. You can also use your smartphone to send geofencing data to your IoT. So, when you’re in range of your home Wi-Fi, the garage door can open for you. When you leave your work’s Wi-Fi, your home thermostat might turn itself up in preparation for your return. You can even adjust these commands to allow for the weather, your social calendar, or other useful data stored on your smartphone. [Via Mobiplug]
2. AllJoyn
Developed by Qualcomm, AllJoyn is a platform-agnostic P2P mesh network that is designed to work independently of the Internet. Think of it as a sort of "Intranet of Things.” Using NFC, Bluetooth, or WiFi, you'll be able to transfer that song you're listening to on your car speakers to your phone and then to your home, once you're inside. Sure, you might lose out on the ability to unlock your front door from Iceland - but then, neither will anyone else. Qualcomm is betting that the increase in security that a non-Internet-connected network offers will far outweigh the negatives. It's a bit of a gamble on Qualcomm’s part, since that much of the content that it’s giving up on is still in development. But, if the future is all about a seamless interface secure from remote control, then there’s no better time to deliver on your whims than when you’re personally present and accounted for. [Via Alljoyn]
3. SmartThings
SmartThings is "making dumb things smart." To do this, the company is marketing boxed sets of smart sensors, outlets, and apps that can easily be affixed within the home. Once in place, these systems can secure or adjust the home environment either automatically (based on user-created presets) or by command (via smartphone). Much of what SmartThings is currently offering seems to be based on home security and energy management, but they’re also offering developer kits to those who want to dip their feet into the DIY IoT pool. With heat, motion, and open/closed sensors included with each starter pack, developers might be able to whip up some very cool applications for SmartThings. For example, two people coming home together at 1AM could trigger a date night program, complete with a fire in the fireplace and romantic lighting. [Via SmartThings]
4. Electric Imp
Developed with the maker crowd in mind, Electric Imp is aiming for a sandbox approach to the IoT. Physically comprised of SD Card-sized Wi-Fi nodes, Electric Imp is almost entirely housed in the cloud. Users are encouraged to create the functionality of each device from scratch, down to writing and editing their own code. Cards can be swapped from device to device easily, as their code is hosted online. Once a card is placed in a new device, it identifies its new home and downloads the appropriate software. That way the same card that controls your lights can also be moved to the radio or TV without a headache for the user. This allows for the ultimate level of customization, so much so that even the creators of Electric Imp seem hard-pressed to explain its capabilities or limitations. Need your breakfast served to you by Rube Goldberg machine, but only after you’ve turned off your alarm? If you can code it, Electric Imp can make it happen. [Via Electric Imp]
5. FitBit
Sure, FitBit is ostensibly an activity sensor. And yes, it is primarily used for fitness. But that all seems to be evolving. With the addition of sleep sensors, a growing suite of apps, and a new scale, Fitbit is gaining (and storing) reams of data concerning its users. Where this becomes interesting for the future of the IoT, is what the FitBit will soon be able to do with this data. When connected to smart TVs, for instance, users will be able to have FitBit restrict their access to programming if they haven’t met their fitness goals. Connected coffee makers can turn on at the first sign of their owner waking. This fitness-centric approach to the IoT may seem foreign compared to much of the rest of this list, but the end result is much the same: automation and interconnectivity which takes cues from an ever-evolving matrix of user data, and adjusts to fit that user's needs. [Via FitBit]
6. EVRYTHNG
Another perspective on the IoT that differs from the pack is that of EVRYTHNG. In a recent interview with Gigaom, EVRYTHNG co-founder Andy Hobsbawm said, "we think a missing piece for the Internet of Things is how the identities of things get managed." To alleviate that need, EVRYTHNG means to create a sort of Facebook for things: a place where consumers and their purchases can interact in a much more dynamic way. Your washing machine can recommend a repairman, for instance. Or, somewhat more annoyingly, your pants can tweet you that there's a sale at a nearby store that carries the perfect shoes for your outfit. While this sort of functionality seems much more vendor driven than user friendly, it’s a rapidly expanding arena - and one whose depths have just begun to be explored. [Via EVRYTHNG]
7. Belkin Wemo
Wemo is Belkin's offering for the IoT world. Wemo is comprised of motion sensors, smart outlets, and the unique offering of a baby monitor. The gadgets can be setup via smartphone, and each comes with its own app, capable of turning them on or off and monitoring their activity. Belkin is utilizing the IFTTT service on top of their native apps to enhance the functionality of the Wemo. IFTTT stands for "If This Then That" and allows for notifications and functionality to be activated when sensors are tripped, the baby cries, or outlets are utilized. IFTTT is also much more user-friendly than Electric Imp, and users can easily create and share "recipes" through the IFTTT online community. Got a sweet recipe that plays Simply the Best every time you enter the house from the garage? Share it and maybe you’ll spark an IoT meme! [Via Belkin]
8. Securifi Almond+
Hot off the wild success of their Kickstarter, Securifi is now in the process of filling orders for their brand new touchscreen router. Actually, that's what Almond was. Almond+ is all that plus an integrated smart home hub to boot. It can wirelessly connect a 5,000 square foot home, and is a whopping four times faster than the average wireless router. The Almond+ also speaks both Zigbee and Z-Wave, smoothing out the whole incompatibility issue and simultaneously replacing the numerous smart device hubs that might be cluttering a closet somewhere. Also, like the original Almond, Almond+ can be set up entirely without the need for a PC or iOS device, directly through its touchscreen. Interestingly, though the router itself can function as a hub, users needn't be married to it. The same adjustments to lighting, heating and energy usage (amongst others) can be made via smartphone app. Give this thing an intelligent vocal interface and it just might be right up there with Star Trek. [Via Securifi]
9. Freescale
Credit: Rocket News
While all these companies certainly have their eyes on the future around us, Freescale is the only one looking within. Still in development, and a little bit hush-hush, is their tiny 'swallowable' ARM-powered KL02 Microcontroller Unit. At just two millimetres square, it's not exactly a tough swallow either. What might we be able to accomplish in developing the IoT when even our insides are monitored by the cloud? Freescale isn't saying much about the new chip, but what is is saying is very intriguing. Freescale openly admits that it has already partnered with FitBit, for one thing. It also admits that it’s developed the KL02 as a response to a customer's request, though it won't admit which customer. What’s interesting to us is that FitBit and Freescale both seem to be leaning more and more toward the IoT and its infrastructure. Maybe the functionality will be as simple as locking up the candy if you’ve been gaining weight. Or maybe it’ll be capabilities so attuned to your whims that all you’ll need to do is feel hungry to start dinner cooking. If that’s where the IoT is headed, you can definitely count all of us here at DVICE in with it. [Via Wired]
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