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Keep IoT Simple, Stupid!

Innovation brings enthusiasm when you are making a product. Launching a connected device is hard and expensive. 2015 has been amazing at thethings.iO; we worked together with great projects and awesome people. The most valuable thing we discovered is that things must be more simple, from the UX to the most technological part of the projects.

Inspired by the KISS principle (“Keep It Simple, Stupid”), thethings.iO would like to advocate towards the “Keep IoT Simple, Stupid”!

The “Keep It Simple, Stupid” principle states that the most basic rule in every design is to make it simple rather than complex. That means that simplicity should be more important in design and unnecessary complexity should be avoided. The Internet of Things is a complex scenario and simplicity is much needed, so unnecessary complexity shouldn’t be made.

At thethings.iO IoT platform we have grasped this concept in the essence of our system. Among the connected product and the mobile application, there are hundreds of things to worry about: electronics, mechanicals, manufacturing, packaging, logistics, data security, cloud storage, mobile applications, interoperability with other things, among dozens more.

Simply put the “Keep IoT Simple, Stupid” principle in your project. We suggest that companies focus on what they do best. Some companies are very good at design, other very good with electronics and others with algorithms. How can they bring a connected device into the market faster? The answer is by looking for partners who can make the process less complex. The best projects we worked on 2015 were projects where the consortium of companies that joined the founder team was fantastic. Don’t waste your time and money reinventing the wheel! It’s 2016!

Everyday it becomes easier and easier to connect things to the Internet. This is the main reason why the number of companies building new connected devices in China, Europe, United States or Latam has been on the rise. So, “Keep IoT Simple, Stupid”!

What is thethings.iO’s main role here?

thethings.iO IoT platform

thethings.iO IoT platform

Under this concept of keeping things simple, thethings.iO IoT platform wants to offer a solution to all IoT and digital companies, helping them into the connection, storage, monitoring and data analysis of their cool new devices and products. Outsourcing IoT platform cloud service results in a faster implementation and reduced time to market for the new launches on the IoT landscape. Our advice is to consider taking the “simple, stupid” way to connect your product to IoT: it will be a smart choice.

Hardware companies should focus on building things. At the same time, thethings.iO makes the connectivity development from the prototyping phase until the certification and massive production. thethings.iO offers:

  • IoT Back-End solution to store data that can be accessible in real-time.
  • Customizable front-end user interface with your brand and under your URL.
  • Real-time data analysis with AI and data mining algorithms.
  • Security, Scalability and Data Privacy.
  • Interoperability with the majority of the IoT available.

Yes, it is better when you Keep IoT simple have you not seen it yet?

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IKEA joins the IoT revolution

IKEA joins the IoT Revolution

IKEA joins the IoT Revolution

Internet of Things is now a reality, and lots of companies have to face it. Companies from many different fields (as we have seen: housing, decor, gardening…) have to improve their offers in order to survive in the new technological era. That’s why the famous Swedish company IKEA has decided to adapt things into the IoT’s world and also create new connected things to make our lives easier.

IKEA’s idea is to make a more sustainable life at home, so that is the reason why in the next decade the brand is going to create and develop new connected things, such as the whole kitchen. In a collaboration with IDEO, a global design company, and design students from Lund University (Sweden) and Eindhoven University of Technology (Netherland), IKEA has created the named Concept Kitchen, which was shown at the Milan Design Week.

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How IoT will change our gardens

How IoT will change our gardens

How IoT will change our gardens

In this blog, we have had a quick look at different ways that Internet of Things is going to change our lives soon, like houses, cities, workplaces and even animals! As you see, Internet of Things is going to change absolutely everything, and your garden could not be less. In this post, we are going to know new connected garden equipment that will help you improve it.

It is commonly said that most people do not have many time to take care of their garden. Then, you need to ask yourself if you prefer to have a poor garden, or better hire a gardener who will care of it for you.

Firstly, you need to know that, as well as there are thermostats that can help you control your house temperature or humidity, there is also the garden version. Edyn Garden Sensor is an IoT device that tracks environmental conditions, such as light, humidity, temperature… and then recommends you which plants will thrive or the optimal time for planting, among others. You can see all the information just by using its app. Isn’t it easy?

Edyn Garden Sensor

Edyn Garden Sensor

Other IoT devices can also help you save lot of water, for example RainMachine, which is synchronized with NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) and other international weather data sources, that sends information to the app about temperature, humidity, wind speed, solar radiation, amount of precipitation… This device also calculates daily evapotranspiration losses and, at the same time, auto-adjusts the watering duration depending on the needs of the plant. The main purpose of RainMachine is protect and nourish your garden to perfection.

Koubachi offers a new point of view in tracking and controlling your plants. It offers a plant sensor (there are the indoor and outdoor options) and measures vital plant parameters, like light level (sunlight or artificial), soil temperature, humidity… With it, your own plant will tell you when you should to water it or if you need to change its position. In your app you will have an inventory of your plants.

Koubachi Plant Sensor

Koubachi Plant Sensor

For all those that have tried to have a little vegetables’ garden at home, Click & Grow is the option they were looking for. Their first internet-connected device was Smartpot, a connected pot that allows you to watch how your plants grow. As they describe themselves, the process is simple: “plug it in, add a little water and let it take care everything else”. By using an innovative NASA-inspired technology, they make plants grow faster, but still 100% naturally, without pesticides, insecticides… Can you believe it?

Even the brand Parrot has been interested in the connected devices, specially with a garden product, so similar to Koubachi. It is called Flower Power, and measures the needs of your plants and sends it to your phone. Available indoor and outdoor, it controls fertility, humidity, temperature and light. When it detects a need, it advises you automatically, so you will know in real time when to water your plants, add fertilizer…

Even if you are a garden-lover or a garden-forgetful person, IoT is going to change the way you look at your garden for sure! Now, any excuse is going to be accepted.
thethings.iO connects all those devices to the Internet, as most of you know. Actually, some months ago we connected a Koubachi Plant Sensor here at thethings.iO’s office! If you want to know more about IoT world and thethings.iO stay tunned!

Discover how we can help you to connect wearables and devices to the Internet.

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How IoT will change our animals

How IoT will change our animals

How IoT will change our animals

Could you ever imagine that Internet of Things is going to change our animals? Yes, this is possible, just keep reading and you will discover it!

Pets

Basically, the most common IoT devices for dogs or cats are the animal tracking-kind. Many companies have created a similar FitBit bracelet, but for dogs’ neck. It is commonly said that the dog is the best friend of the human, so why not start understanding it?

Some examples are WÜF or FitBark, which monitors the dog’s everyday activity and allows you to track its progress. By using FitBark, the dog’s master can understand its health, changes in behaviour, share experiences with friends and family, automatically share data to its vet, etc. It fits in all kind of dogs.

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How IoT will change Sport

How IoT will change Sport

How IoT will change Sport

First, it was the Health app from Apple or Nike+, Nike + Running, Runtastic mobile apps…, and now lots of wearables and other devices are connected to the internet to measure, not only your steps, even more and more. From bracelets to t-shirts that control your movements. The inimaginable, has become real to change our lives. Do you want to know more? Keep reading, we are going to show you the latest news in the Internet of Sport Things field.

Fitness

To practise Fitness is in style. Everyone knows what fitness it, and most people around the world have added it to their lifestyles. The Internet of Things fitness devices’ main role is to help athletics practise it in a better way.

If we think about running, the first device that comes to our minds is FitBit. What is it? It is a brand of connected bracelets that allow the customers to track their day-to-day. Your daily steps, the distance you have walked, the calories you’ve burned… everything is tracked with one FitBit device. To monitor your sleep at night, to wake you up with a quiet vibration, act as a clock or ask at phone calls (yes, you can connect it to your smartphone) are some of other capabilities Fitbit offers to customers. But there’s even more! All the data generated can help you see your own personal progress and keep the control. There are other sport brands that offer a similar product as FitBit, for example, Nike, with its device called FuelBand.

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How the Internet of Things will change our houses

How IoT will change our houses

How IoT will change our houses

“Home, sweInternet-of-Things home”. Yes, IoT will be in your house too. Imagine yourself arriving from work. You lock your car just by touching your smartphone. Automatically, you can also open your house’ front door. You are in, and then, looking at your own smartphone, you can know exactly the temperature, humidity… there is in the house. And what about turning your lights on with just one click? Let’s talk about some of those opportunities that new homes will bring us…

Saving energy

As we have said and repeated lots of times, most IoT help us saving energy. Using a new system of connected, for example, lights, you can customize and adapt them depending on your needs at any time. Check Ledmotive, one of thethings.iO customer, and you will realise what we are talking about.

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Light plays Music under the Sea in the Sónar Festival with thethings.iO

The Citclops Project presents the “Musical Tentacle” in the Sónar + D contest

The Citclops Project presents the “Musical Tentacle” in the Sónar + D contest

Every June, Barcelona feels the beats of the Sónar, the Electronic and Experimental Music Festival.

If two years ago, at thethings.iO we were connecting an IKEA sofa to the Internet to allow everyone to feel the music of the Festival, this time we are collaborating in another project called Citclops. The Citclops Project presents the “Musical Tentacle” in the Sónar + D contest, thanks to the Program STARTS organized by the European Commission, about the innovation and creativity in the technological and scientific field.

The “Musical Tentacle” is a project to sonify and artistically express scientific data used to measure the transparency of the sea water through the real-time broker of thethings.iO.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

It only needs a buoy, a KdUINO (a low-cost Arduino), a water-resistant box and thethings.iO. The box fits a basic open-source electronics prototyping platform and communications payload. Buoy’ sensors, which measure the light in the water, are connected via cable to the box. The data generated is real-time transported to thethings.iO and accessible by using a mobile device because of the capability of connecting it to the buoy.

Musical Tentacle offers a unique opportunity to audio-visually experience variations in the transparency of our seas. Are you going to miss the chance to live it for yourself?

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thethings.iO interviewed at the Tech Lounge MWC15

Last March, as you might know, the Mobile World Congress took place in Barcelona. In that congress, Marc Pous, thethings.iO CEO was interviewed at the Intel TechLounge leaded by Sascha Pallenberg. Do you want to see it? Watch the following video:

Most Internet of Things companies do both hardware and software, so they have a lot of work reinventing the wheel. What would happen if each company focus on what they do best? thethings.iO brings to IoT companies a real-time cloud solution, allowing them to make just hardware. So they build the things, and then, thethings.iO connects them to the Internet.

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