Category: Internet of Things

Wittech BT4 luggage belt, smart energy meter, luggage scale

Posted by – January 31, 2014

Wittech Hong Kong Limited shows some smart Bluetooth 4 devices, anti-theft BT4 luggage belt, smart BT4 power meter and a BT4 luggage scale.

Filmed at the HKTDC Hong Kong Electronics Fair (Autumn Edition) 2013

$179 OKIDOKEYS Smart Lock, BT4, NFC, RFID, CAC

Posted by – January 25, 2014

OKIDOKEYS Smart-Lock sells for $179, installs on the interior of any home door using the existing ANSI Grade 1 and Grade 2 deadbolt and keys. It is easy to install in just a few minutes with no drilling or wiring required. Once the Smart-Lock is installed, users can lock and unlock their doors with Bluetooth 4.0 enabled smartphone, using the free OKIDOKEYS App available for iOS and Android. Users can select different opening rules according to their needs. Among them, the hands-free mode unlocks the door automatically when an authorized user gets close to it. Also works with garage doors and electronic gates. Uses Bluetooth 4.0 (BLE), Near Field Communication (NFC), Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), Crypto Acoustic Credential (CAC) and is not dependent on WiFi networks thanks to OKIDOKEYS Virtual Network (OVN). OKIDOKEYS claims to have a portfolio of 27 patents, design patents and pending patents for this technology. Using OKIDOKEYS App web portal, users can create, share and revoke keys with family, friends and all trusted third-parties, at anytime, from anywhere. This solution could potentially be very practical for Airbnb hosts sharing access to their homes to Airbnb guests without needing to give guests a physical key.

Archos Smart Home, Connected Home and Connected Self Smart objects

Posted by – January 17, 2014

Archos releases a full range of Smart Home Bluetooth 4.0 low energy sensors, cameras, fitness band, scale, blood pressure monitor, movement sensor, temperature meters, GPS/3G tracker (for dogs, cars, bicycles etc), and a bunch more. Archos designed a special 7″ Tablet with modified Bluetooth 4.0 to synchronize seamlessly with up to 30 devices at the same time (while the normal Bluetooth 4 spec limits devices to connect to 4 devices). Archos is going to sell their range of Smart Home and Smart Self devices in batches, and where users will be able to buy separate pieces as they wish, buy extra smart plugs, buy extra sensors, cameras, etc as you need more, at prices from around $20 retail per device. Flat batteries last about a couple of years in each of these devices, they don’t need to be connected, they all work wirelessly. Archos also presents their really cool Android and iOS app that enables users to program their smart home, selecting conditions, programs, things you want your smart home to do automatically. For example send you a picture to your phone when there is movement in your home, turn off lights when you exit the room, wake you up earlier if the weather is really bad. Archos kind of invented the ARM Powered Tablet, introducing it (on my initial video-blog posting) in 2004 running Qtopia Linux. Then copied by Android and everyone. Archos also introduced the 7″ Tablet in 2006, years before the Nexus 7, Archos was the initial Android tablet maker since 2009, this is now Archos showing the industry what is next.

Latest Freescale powered devices, wearable, internet of things, home hub and more


Freescale shows their wearable reference design, tiny to develop i.MX6 based BT4.0 accellerometer, adding ECG, heart-rate monitor, enabling a new range of Freescale powered wearable computers, smartwatches, headmounted computers, fitness devices, more to be announced and integrated. Freescale powers a range of healthcare products, weightscales, heart rate monitors and more. Freescale shows their Freescale One Box Platform, providing a reference Smart Home hub gateway, using Java, all the different wireless technologies integrated.

Powertech Smart Multi Plug Adapter, Motion Detector, Light Meter and more

Posted by – October 28, 2013

Power Tech can provide Plug & Play Controls, Power Safety and Power Usage information Applications for Android or iOS system.

Power Tech make Power Plugs that have an LED light that warns you when you are over-using the power capacity of the Plug to prevent future damages to the environment.

They make Smart Multi Plug Adapter with a transmission module. Each Plug can be controlled from your Android or iOS device. These Plugs have an option that can be turned on or off when the person is near the central Plug in the room.

Motion Detector, Usb charging adapter and Light Meter are other products that get made from Power Tech.

Power Tech Company is based in Taiwan.

Filmed at the HKTDC Hong Kong Electronics Fair (Autumn Edition) 2013

Wireless Input iSuper Rainbow, For The Internet of Things


Wireless Input is the creator of iSuper remote controlled products for the “Internet of Things”. Most of these products work through Wifi or Bluetooth and they work with Android or iOS devices. iSuper devices primarily targets United States, Western Europe, and Australia. Wireless input uses a moderately size factory employing about 30 people.
Some of the product they create include.
The iSuper rainbow a remote controlled colored lightbulb that works with an Android or iOS device for around 69 USD. The device runs on an unspecified Arm7 processor and uses Bluetooth 2.1. The product will selling worldwide soon.
Other products Wireless Input creates include mobile controlled toys such as a mobile controlled Ferrari for 59 USD, a remote controlled tank 79 USD, and a remote controlled helicopter for 69 USD.

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Best LeWeb keynotes: Marcus Schappi, CEO, Ninja Blocks

Posted by – December 6, 2012

Ninja Blocks makes open source hardware and software to the enable the Internet of Things.

SmartThings CTO, Jeff Hagins, platform for the Internet of Things

Posted by – December 5, 2012

SmartThings launches on Kickstarter, building a Hub using RF, Zigbee, WiFi, Bluetooth and other wireless technologies to connect all lights, heaters, doors, windows, cubboards, etc in your home to the Internet, you can remote control everything on your smartphone and tablet.

You can watch his keynote at LeWeb 2012 here:

QGate Plug it in, GSM and RF for power plugs in your house

Posted by – May 10, 2012

Here’s QGate’s demonstration of the Internet of Things. You buy one of those plugs and then you can control and monitor your home from your smartphone.

ARM Cortex-M0+ announced, to power the Internet of Things

Posted by – March 13, 2012

Here’s the press release:

CAMBRIDGE, UK – March 13, 2012- ARM today announced the ARM® Cortex™-M0+ processor, the world’s most energy-efficient microprocessor. The Cortex-M0+ processor has been optimized to deliver ultra low-power, low-cost MCUs for intelligent sensors and smart control systems in a broad range of applications including home appliances, white goods, medical monitoring, metering, lighting and power and motor control devices.

The 32-bit Cortex-M0+ processor, the latest addition to the ARM Cortex processor family, consumes just 9µA/MHz on a low-cost 90nm LP process, around one third of the energy of any 8- or 16-bit processor available today, while delivering significantly higher performance.

This industry-leading combination of low power and high performance provides users of legacy 8- and 16-bit architectures with an ideal opportunity to migrate to 32-bit devices, thereby delivering increased intelligence to everyday devices, without sacrificing power consumption or area.

The Cortex-M0+ processor features enable the creation of smart, low-power, microcontrollers to provide efficient communication, management and maintenance across a multitude of wirelessly connected devices, a concept known as the ‘Internet of Things’.

This low power connectivity has the potential to enable a range of energy-saving and life-enhancing applications from sensors to wirelessly analyze the performance and control of domestic or industrial buildings, to battery-operated body sensors wirelessly connected to health monitoring equipment. Current 8-bit and 16-bit MCUs lack the intelligence and functionality to deliver these applications.

“The Internet of Things will change the world as we know it, improving energy efficiency, safety, and convenience,” said Tom R. Halfhill, a senior analyst with The Linley Group and senior editor of Microprocessor Report. “Ubiquitous network connectivity is useful for almost everything – from adaptive room lighting and online video gaming to smart sensors and motor control. But it requires extremely low-cost, low-power processors that still can deliver good performance. The ARM Cortex-M0+ processor brings 32-bit horsepower to flyweight chips, and it will be suitable for a broad range of industrial and consumer applications.”

The new processor builds on the successful low-power and silicon-proven Cortex-M0 processor which has been licensed more than 50 times by leading silicon vendors, and has been redesigned from the ground up to add a number of significant new features. These include single-cycle IO to speed access to GPIO and peripherals, improved debug and trace capability and a 2-stage pipeline to reduce the number of cycles per instruction (CPI) and improve Flash accesses, further reducing power consumption.

The Cortex-M0+ processor takes advantage of the same easy-to-use, C friendly programmer’s model, and is binary compatible with existing Cortex-M0 processor tools and RTOS. Along with all Cortex-M series processors it enjoys full support from the ARM Cortex-M ecosystem and software compatibility enables simple migration to the higher-performance Cortex-M3 and Cortex-M4 processors.

Early licensees of the Cortex-M0+ processor include Freescale and NXP Semiconductor.

“We’re excited to further strengthen our relationship with ARM as a lead partner in the definition, and first licensee of the smallest, lowest-power ARM Cortex-M series processor yet,” said Dr. Reza Kazerounian, senior vice president and general manager of Freescale’s Automotive, Industrial & Multi-Market Solutions group. “The addition of products built on the Cortex M0+ processor will make our fast-growing Kinetis MCU line one of the industry’s most scalable portfolios based on the ARM Cortex architecture. With the ability to reuse code, higher performance and improved energy efficiency, the Cortex M0+ processor will enable designers to transition from legacy 8-bit and 16-bit proprietary architectures to our new Kinetis devices, without sacrificing cost and ease of use benefits.”

“NXP is the only MCU vendor to have adopted the complete ARM Cortex-M processor series, and we’re excited to be able to add the Cortex-M0+ processor to our portfolio,” said Alexander Everke, Executive Vice President and General Manager of High-Performance Mixed-Signal businesses, NXP Semiconductors. “We have already proven the success of our Cortex-M0 processor portfolio with over 70 part types shipping in high volume today, this new Cortex-M0+ processor further accelerates our momentum into the 8/16-bit market.”

“The Cortex-M0+ processor is yet another demonstration of ARM low power leadership and its commitment to drive the industry forward towards ever lower power consumption,” said Mike Inglis, EVP and GM, Processor Divison, ARM. “With our expertise in low-power technology, we have worked closely with our Partners on the definition of the new processor to ensure that it can enable the low-cost devices of today, while also unlocking the potential benefits delivered by the Internet of Things.”

Supporting ARM Technology
The Cortex-M0+ processor is ideally suited for implementation with the Artisan® 7-track SC7 Ultra High Density Standard Cell Library and Power Management Kit (PMK) to fully capitalize on the ground-breaking low power features of the processor.

The Cortex-M0+ processor is fully supported from launch by the ARM Keil™ Microcontroller Development Kit, which integrates the ARM compilation tools with the Keil µVision IDE and debugger. Widely acknowledged as the world’s most popular development environment for microcontrollers, MDK together with the ULINK family of debug adapters now supports the new trace features available in the Cortex-M0+ processor. By utilizing these tools, ARM Partners can take advantage of a tightly coupled application development environment to rapidly realize the performance and ultra low-power features of the Cortex-M0+ processor.

The processor is also supported by third-party tool and RTOS vendors including CodeSourcery, Code Red, Express Logic, IAR Systems, Mentor Graphics, Micrium and SEGGER.

Pogoplug Mobile, cheap new simpler Pogoplug

Posted by – September 2, 2011

This new Pogoplug Mobile is designed to be cheaper, with just 1 USB host connector, 1 SD card slot, one Ethernet port and the power charger. The idea is that you connect this at your house, with a 2TB external hard drive or whatever other storage you want, and you can then stream it to your smartphone, tablet, laptop wherever else you are in the world. There is also a hacking community at http://pogoplugged.com that may do things like BitTorrent RSS downloads work on this device. This device may still have about the same performance using the same Marvell processor as the previous Pogoplug, but that is to be confirmed. Please post in the comments if you know anything more about the actual performance of this processor to download from BitTorrent RSS, stream HD video files over the local network and other of the processor intensive tasks that can be envisionned from such Internet connected NAS system.

ARM President Tudor Brown Computex 2011 keynote

Posted by – May 30, 2011

Tudor Brown, President of ARM, delivers a keynote speech on the status of the ARM industry and where it’s headed. Here at the Computex 2011 trade show in Taipei Taiwan, look forward to a whole bunch of new ARM Powered devices. As 25 Billion ARM processors have been shipped thus far, look forward to even more uses for these ARM Processors, with the Internet of Things and infinite other uses to turn everything smart.

Android@Home enables 100 Billion new ARM Powered devices

Posted by – May 12, 2011

Android Open Accessory Development Kit

Android Open Accessory Development Kit

Android@Home enables the Internet of Things.

The biggest announcement at Google I/O was the launch of the Android@Home Open Accessory Development platform. This is the platform for a whole new world of accessories and connecting everything through Android to the Internet. Suddenly, we are smart about all things and all things become smart.

Now we are not only talking about about connecting 7 Billion people to the Internet with Android Smartphones, now it becomes about connecting 100 Billion things through Android to the Internet.

Why the Internet of things? Why using Android?

The cost to add an ARM processor such as one of the ARM Cortex-M series, with sensors, switches and wireless connectivity in every appliance in your home may cost as little as few cents or a few dollars per device. It’s so cheap that as soon as an open standard is established and as soon as applications are planned out, all devices will get connected with this technology. Watch my video with Nuvotron NuMicro at Embedded World 2011 about the cost ($0.50-$2) and use of ARM Cortex-M0 32bit microcontrollers in all types of devices.

Here are some of the infinite amounts of uses for putting ARM processors in everything:

– Put a smart control in every lamp and the lights follow you, if you move to another room the lights automatically turn off, you save power. They automatically dim if they detect you’re relaxing or watching TV.

– Put a smart control in all your doors, in all your windows, in all your power outlets, integrated with your heating systems, water systems.

– Add sensors, ARM Processors in your pillow, blanket and in your bed, to monitor your sleep and wake you up at the right time between the right sleeping cycles. You’ll feel better the whole day and you’ll optimize your sleeping times. It’s more healthy, makes you more productive and saves you time.

The trick is that even as the Internet of things has been possible for a while, and even as prices to add smart controllers and sensors in each thing costs $3, people haven’t been doing much of it yet just because the control, management, interactivity systems around this have not been standardized and open yet. If you want to build the Internet of things it has to be built around you and for you and not among each thing and only for each thing. That is why Android is your interface into that world of things, and Google supports the open Adruino platform to enable these developments in an open industry. Android is the UI for the Internet of Things. Android is how you guide it, how you see it, it’s how you control your things.

Expect the next consumer electronics trade shows to showcase more and more ARM Powered things to connect with the Android ecosystem, look forward to an industry about to get really creative in how to use and feature that Internet of Things most efficiently.

ARM President Tudor Brown talks about the Internet of Things at the ARM Technology Conference:

Andy Rubin’s former co-founders on Danger (Sidekick, see these videos from 2004) Matt Hershenson and Joe Britt demonstrate and launch the new Android Open Accessory API and Android@Home platform at the Google I/O 2011 Day 1 Keynote:

IBM’s video on the Internet of Things: