CSA Online by Andrew Moore-Crispin Often enough, it saves me a trip to the shared kitchen only to return to my desk, cup empty, feeling more bitter than the office brew that isn’t. It was a bit strange at first, I’ll admit. Now, though, it’s just part of my day. I know both when some kind soul has started brew and when it’s finished dripping through. When it’s my turn to play barista, I dutifully hit the button that relays the same information to my colleagues (or anyone else following @herdcoffee on Twitter). The initial setup couldn’t have been easy; you don’t just buy a tweeting coffee pot kit. Today, though, more than five years since the coffee pot came online, nearly 100 people know when the brew is fresh without having to do a thing. Granted, it’s a geekier application than this column would typically afford, but it’s a great example of the Internet of Things (IoT) ‒ the concept which we began discussing last issue ‒ in action. It’s a simple solution that solves a problem and that stays out of the way. I FOLLOWMY OFFICE COFFEE POT ON TWITTER. If This, Then That (IFTTT, ifttt.com) ‒ a free service ‒ unlocks some of the power of IoT for the rest of us. It lets anyone build “recipes” to complete mundane tasks without intervention. If you have a smartphone, there are lots of things that you can do without having to buy a single new thing. Anyone can sign up for an account at ifttt.com in order to make their own “recipes.” In addition to the website interface, there’s an app for iPhone and Android, too. Just about any connected tech in your home can be either the trigger or the event; a light bulb can either be the thing that sets a series of actions in motion, or it can be the thing that is triggered into action. An example: You come home after an evening out. As you walk up to the house, a group of lights turns on. You didn’t have to hit any buttons or flick any switches. Your smart light bulbs (Philips Hue, US$99.99 for the Philips Hue Bridge + four bulbs) knew to turn on because your smartphone (iPhone or Android) recognizes where home is and what to do when you get there. You can take this example as far as you like: Your smartphone coming in range of your home Wi-Fi network could turn on the lights, start playing music (via Amazon Echo), send a text message to a predetermined contact to let them know you’re home. It’s only really limited by your imagination. A REFRESHER The Internet of Things (IoT) is about bringing the connective and communicative power of the internet to the things that we use every day. The Internet of Things is background technology. It doesn’t constantly compete for our attention in the same way as does a lot of the tech which we use. IoT is about getting everyday items on the network. It’s about sending data and, in many cases, it’s about receiving and acting on data that’s sent back, too. Last time, we talked about several off-the-shelf IoT products: a video doorbell, an online deadbolt, an internet-connected flood sensor, a smart deadbolt. This time, we’re looking at a free service that gets all of this tech talking among itself. IF THIS, THEN THAT 52 | www.snowbirds.org
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