Posts

,

SMS & Voice Calls from Twilio meet thethings.iO

Internet of Things is about monitoring, alarms, notifications, among other, then it’s important to get real-time updates and the best way to get informed it’s probably through phone calls and SMSs. The IoT platform thethings.iO integrated Twilio, the communication platform that leads the voice and messaging applications.

Twilio with thethings.iO

Twilio with thethings.iO

Send SMS and make voice calls from your things with thethings.iO and Twilio

thethings.iO offers notifications (SMS and Voice calls) for your things through cloud code. This feature allows you to receive voice calls, SMS (with Twilio), emails, and tweets (with Twitter), whenever you trigger these messages from your networked products.

Recently, we have integrated Twilio on our Cloud Code feature. This allows our customers to easily program business logics on the top of connected devices and send SMS messages or make a scripted voice calls when needed. In this post I’m going to go through how to integrate Twilio on your IoT solution with a simple example.

Set up Twilio at thethings.iO

To start working with Twilio on thethings.iO IoT platform, you need an account on Twilio, because you need to introduce your Twilio credentials at thethings.iO. Don’t worry if you don’t have an account on Twilio, it’s free to create one and you get a phone number to start playing.

After that, you need a thethings.iO account to start sending data from your devices to our IoT platform. It’s very simple! Register here at thethings.iO follow the configuration step by step. And when you are ready, find some examples from some of the most famous IoT hardware platforms here, such as Arduino, ESP8266, Atmel, Electric Imp and other on our github account. An account on thethings.iO is free and simple to use. You can follow our getting started document and be ready in 1 minute.

Now that your thethings.iO and Twilio accounts are created and configured, you are ready to try the Cloud Code example that sends SMS when the temperature is too high.

Receive an SMS when the temperature of your device is too high

First, go to the Cloud Code feature clicking on the ‘Cloud code’ link at the left sidebar.

Cloud code main view

Create a trigger at the ‘Add Trigger‘ button. A form to create a trigger will appear. You have to name the trigger, link it to a product and insert the Javascript code that will be executed.

Triggers are executed when an event occurs like a thingWrite (when your thing post a value). So, we are going to code a script that sends an SMS when the temperature of a thing is up to 50. Here there is the JS code:

function trigger(params, callback){
  console.log('trigger triggered!!')
  //ignore non write events
  if(params.action !== 'write') return callback()</code>

  var values = params.values
  var thingToken = params.thingToken

  //iterate over the values of the write
  for(var i=0; i<values.length; ++i){     
    if(values[i].key === 'temperature' && values[i].value > 50){
      console.log('omg too hot')
      var telf = '+346661199991111'

      var message = 'Master, it’s too hot here! Device: ' + thingToken

      var twilio = new Twilio(
        'YOUR Twilio AccountSid',
        'YOU Twilio AuthToken'
      )

      twilio.sendMessage({
          to: telf, // Any number Twilio can deliver to
          from: '+346660099991111', // A number you bought from Twilio and can use for outbound communication
          body: message // body of the SMS message
        },
        callback
      )
    }
  }
  //end the trigger
  callback()
}

Now, every time that the temperature of all the devices from the product are up to 50, you’ll receive an SMS alerting you in real-time. And all you need to include to enjoy this feature are 32 lines of JS on your thethings.iO cloud code feature.

If you prefer to receive a voice call instead an SMS, you only have to change the twilio.sendMessage to twilio.makeCall as in the following example:

  twilio.makeCall({
    to: telf,
    from: '+346660099991111',
    url: url_call // A URL that produces an XML document (TwiML) which contains instructions for the call
  },
    callback
  )

Further reading

,

Internet of Loving Things

Internet of Loving Things

It seemed impossible to understand “love” in multiple ways, but like everything around us, love is ever changing and evolving with the other revolutions. No one believed in the possibility of a long distance relationship, but with the evolution in technology and the new forms of communication that have came with it, long distance relationships have become common place today. People no longer need to be in the same room to be able to express their affection to one another.

There are lots of new ways to keep in touch with the people we love, even when she/he is on the other side of the world. Texting, skyping… the possibilities become infinite, and it will be something even bigger when the Internet of Things introduces itself in the love sphere. Actually, the Internet of Things already has made an impact in how we can show our emotions to one another.
Feel the Internet of Things
It is time to go to sleep and the only thing that you want is a kiss from your significant other, but they are on the other side of the planet away on business. You can try and imagine the feeling you remember but what about the actual feeling? Would that make it better?

In one of our earlier posts about Tactile Internet we talked about the opportunity to be able to feel sensations using the Internet. We are soon realizing that everything imaginable will be possible in the near future. Feeling, emotions and even sensations will be able to be sent via the internet to the ones we love. Just a few days ago, Facebook’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, said that “One day, I believe we’ll be able to send full rich thoughts to each other directly using technology. You’ll just be able to think of something and your friends will immediately be able to experience it too if you’d like. This would be the ultimate communication technology”.

Do you not remember the Kissing Machine from The Big Bang Theory’s show a couple of years ago? Check the clip out below:

Love without limits thanks to IoT

In 2013, it was something funny and often laughed at. Now in 2015, it is more that that, hugs, kisses, and touch are possible even when your significant other is around the globe.

The main idea of Pillow Talk was to allow long distance couples to feel closer to one another when not together. Each person has a wristband they wear to bed at night while also placing a speaker inside their pillowcase. The wristband picks up your real-time heartbeat and transmits it to the others pillow so that the heartbeat of your partner can be felt by the other even when apart.

While being interviewed by StuConnect, the founder of project Pillow Talk said, “In today’s digital world, it’s easier than ever to maintain a relationship across long distances, but existing methods of communication such as email or facebook are very two-dimensional, often screen-based, and don’t capture one of the fundamental aspects of being in a relationship with someone: the other person’s presence”.

BOND was born with this same principle. This product proposed the idea of being able to transmit tactile touch. Each person has a bracelet or a pendant, and when someone touches it, it transmits a vibration to the other person’s device no matter where they are at that moment.

The role of thethings.iO in here

At thethings.iO we connect devices or wearables such as the ones we have mentioned in this post to the Internet. We are a Cloud solution for companies that decide to build new cool things that can be connected to improve our lives. If you want to know more about us, you can create an account by clicking here, sign up to receive our monthly newsletter or follow us on Twitter! Stay tuned and be the first in knowing the latest news of the IoT world and thethings.iO.

,

thethings.iO on Think Big: From Futuristic Ideas to the True Reality

Think Big

Last June, we appeared on Think Big blog (a project of the company Telefonica). The post was about the growth of wearables in the last couple of years, and how they are changing the entrepreneurship world. The movement started with the Apple Watch, and now the scene is looking to explode with not just wrist products but anything imaginable.

Marc Pous, thethings.iO CEO, says that the revolutions will not be just with the wearables, but with lots of internet-connected devices, the number of which will increase in the next 5 years.

“If we compare it with the forecast of connected devices by 2020, when the number of those devices will be 7.000 milion, can you visualize the number of business models that a technology which is 4 times bigger than the mobile era will generate?”, says Marc Pous.

Lots of entrepreneurs and startups have taken this opportunity to jump into the industry, developing new projects and products that will forsure be part of the new technological revolution.

Marc Pous adds, “The most important thing is to create a product that offers value or a need that can not be covered without a wearable”.

To create and make all those wearables useful, there must be other companies that connect the things to the Internet. That is the reason why we are beginning to see Internet of Things as its own market, and companies that offer exactly this service. The IoT devices are changing the way we understand our cities, houses, cars, kitchens… making our work that much easier. thethings.iO appears in here in order to make the process of connecting things to the Interner easier by offering a Cloud solution service.

“Nowadays, companies that connect things to the Internet do everything from scratch, and that costs too much. We let them focus on building the product and with our technology we connect their devices to the Internet in real time. In addition, we not only accelerate their development, our technology also allows them to save money. Our pricing system allows them just to pay if they sell the devices”, explains Marc Pous.

You can check the whole post (in Spanish) by clicking here!

, ,

HackLeumi & thethings.iO

Shalom hackers and makers of the HackLeumi hackathon 2014. We are sad to say that we will not be able to attend the HackLeumi at Tel Aviv in Israel for this reason we will be writing this post instead of our usual #iotfriday.

In this post, we will guide you through the tools and APIs of thethings.iO. We want to help everyone succeed at the hackathon and win the prizes being offered this year. In our video below we will tell you how to register, how to connect things (or processes) and finally how to contact us in case you have any problems.

Read more

,

thethings.iO Aelected at the Pioneers Startup Competition

We are very happy to announce that thethings.iO is one of 50 startups that have been selected for the Pioneers startup challenge in Vienna October the 28thPioneers festival

Pioneers festival

We will be pitching our company in fron of investors on October 29t at the  Investors Day at the Pioneers between 3:30 PM and 4:30 PM. After that the thethings.iO will be presenting at the Show Room for startups between 4:40 PM and 5:40 PM. From that pitch competition, 10 startups will be selected to pitch at the Pioneers Festival.

Feel free to contact us via Twitter or e-mail (hello at thethings.io) to meet us in Viena during the Pioneers Festival if you need further information about what is thethings.iO.

, ,

3 Internet of Things Protocols #IoTFriday

Happy IoTFriday ! Today we are going to talk about three of the most popular Internet of Things protocols: HTTP, REST, MQTT and CoAP.

 These three protocols are often discussed among experts who decide which one has the best features, security, and lowest cost, among several other important categories. Deciding which protocol should be used depends on your needs and potential uses. At thethings.iO, we have endpoints with REST, MQTT, CoAp and Websockets. (You can find documentation for IoT developers here.)

Marc showing 3 Internet of Things protocols #iotfriday

Marc showing 3 Internet of Things protocols #iotfriday

REST APIs are the most popular of the protocols. Based on HTTP and TCP/IP, it is the most standard used to share information among services on the Internet. REST APIs enable developers to access their data using market standardized methods and formats also known as JSON and XMLs.

MQTT (Message Queue Telemetry Transport) is an IBM open source protocol that offers a light-weight and easy publish-subscribe outlet to the Internet of Things. MQTT is based on TCP/IP in which several platforms are using for atomization of subscriptions and push messages to customers.

Lastly, CoAP (Constrained Application Protocol) is a simplification of the HTTP protocol. CoAp is mostly designed for processing restrictions that cannot process or run HTTP on the hardware. Even though it is not a standardized protocol, there are a lot of interesting features such as the observe or discovery methods that will boost the Internet of Things.

 

At thethings.iO, we are offering for developers four Internet of Things protocols. Write us in order to have an invitation and test our Internet of Things real-time platform.

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter!

,

Does Your Thing Need An Open API? #IoTFriday

Welcome to the newest edition of the  IoTFriday segment at thethings.iO. Today, we are trying to answer some questions we have been receiving asking why one should open their devices on API.

 

Remember that the Internet of Things is a bottom-up technology wave, much like the Web was some years ago. Most of the innovation and new features are coming from makers, hackers and new startups. Opening your things’ APIs allows you to build new features on the top of your things. That means more functionalities for you, which in turn leads to a smarter device and finally brings you more revenue due to third party people.

What do you think? Feel free to send us your feedback and comments!

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and be sure to check out our #IoTFriday blog!

,

thethings.iO Appeared on Cinco Días

Last week, we were interviewed by Cinco Días newspaper about the Internet of Things in a post entitled “Applying the Internet of Things” in Spanish. In the article thethings.iO and GreenMomit were mentioned as some of the most advanced Internet of Things startups in Spain.

Cinco Dias y theThings.IO

Cinco Dias y theThings.IO

The English transcription of the article is:

The advantages of connecting everyday objects to the Internet are infinite. From efficiency to security, and even control remotely our gadgets. With cars connected to the Internet, for example, we are able to know if there is traffic jam or an accident, where the car automatically can call an ambulance.

GreenMomit is an example of temperature control. GreenMomit has a smart thermostat that learns from our habits at home, reducing about 25% of our electricity invoices.

Wearable is an English concept that describes clothing and complements (bands, helmets, gloves, among other) that are connected to the Internet, usually from our mobile device. For two year, the fitness wearables are being very successful, for example the fitness bands that counts steps, distance, calories or your sleep cycles.

The next generation of smart watches will integrate a lot of the sensors that these fitness bands have been using individually. That said, wearables such as motorbike helmets or glasses, through connectivity, are going to give extra information to their owners about their context and surroundings.

thethings.iO is a full-stack platform that powers the Internet of Things. That means that we help any company that is developing hardware or any Internet of Things to connect it to the Internet. We are the easiest and simplest way to connect your things to the Internet.

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and be sure to check out our #IoTFriday blog!