Everyone’s talking about the internet of things. Well, we are anyway – and that’s the main thing. To follow up from our blog about the ways IoT could impact the events industry and event tech providers, we thought we would take a look at some of the cool ways it’s being used.
IoT has become one of 2017’s biggest buzzwords and every day we seem to be bombarded with information about the latest connected devices, from smart toothbrushes to toasters that print secret messages on your daily bread.
We asked Team Noodle to talk us through their favourite IoT devices. Here’s what they picked:
Clemi, Head of Pencils
“I’m a bit of an IoT geek. I’m fascinated by it. Smart mirrors make me smile. Tech geeks love creating their own smart mirrors at home, so you often see them popping up on Reddit. They make me feel like I’m in some kind of futuristic movie. There’s something very geek-cool about having a mirror that’s also a computer screen. Or is that just me?”
Hear more about Clemi’s views on the ways the internet of things will impact events in this video from Event Tech Talks in June.
Boo, Projects & Events Manager
“I went for a smart hairbrush called the Hair Coach. It’s really clever. It allows you to monitor the condition of your hair by providing real-time data and analytics created by professionals. In addition, it also gives advice on improving brushing techniques to improve quality and strength. I would love to see IoT devices that blend into our daily lives and help us make even the most basic of tasks a little easier to manage.”
Kitty, Content and Communications
“Transport seems to be one of the biggest areas of growth for smart products, you can get everything from smart helmets to connected wheels. I would love to have one of these smart padlocks for my bike. The lock opens automatically when you present your smartphone, which means no more hunting for lost keys and reduces the chances of theft. I also love this wallpaper that tells bedtime stories. It comes to life to tell bedtime stories. A whimsical wonderland!”
Scherri, Event and Project Manager
“This awesome DrnkPay app connects your credit cards to a breathalyser so you have to prove you haven’t drunk too much before spending your cash at the bar. You can choose the types of payments you want to block (eg food or drink) and also the alcohol limit. Let’s face it we’ve all done it….woken up and checked your bank balance through gritted teeth. The ‘you pour, I’ll pay’ scenario late at the bar! This could be a real helping hand.”
Kiarash, Event Technology Consultant
“This Fuze Card allows you to store details for up to 30 cards using a built-in EMV chip. I really like the idea of just carrying this one card that has all of my cards loaded. Probably won’t use it for all my Debit and Credit cards, but definitely amazing for all the membership and gift cards that you accumulate over the years. It’s currently crowd-funding.”
Tanya, HR & Operations Assistant
“I love the idea of this Smarter Coffee Machine. I’m a zombie from the moment I wake up until I’ve had my first mug of the day. My mornings would be so much better if I didn’t have to even boil a kettle in the morning. I love the fact this product can be activated by your morning alarm. I want this product in my life.”
The Techies
The Noodle Labs team came up with some great suggestions for software to help developers create their own IoT devices.
Matt, Technical Event Assistant
“I’ve chosen Microsoft IoT Central, a piece of software that helps people deploy smart products. I think the best IoT products are still to come. Software like this will mean a huge rise in the number of products we see in the next few years. I like the way this software will help facilitate communities wanting to build IoT products. Platforms like this will help to centralise security issues and allow more seamless development. I also really like KlikR. It allows any infrared remote controlled device to be instantly controlled by your iPhone or Android phone. It’s a really elegant solution that works with existing technology. Some IoT devices try to enhance a product that doesn’t need changing. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
Glyn, CTO
“Amazon AI is super cool. It’s not a finished product itself, but rather a tool allowing developers to start using sophisticated deep-learning frameworks to create artificial intelligence models. This should enable some very cool new products to be created over the next few years.”
Glynn also had some interesting insights into the massive elephant in the room – security. See what he had to say in our blog on the ways IoT will impact #EventProfs.
Bratt, iOS Developer
“Resin.io is a framework which allows developers to distribute their software to their IoT devices very easily. First, you register all of your IoT devices, e.g. a raspberry pi device with different sensors (cameras, sound, distance, heat, etc). You write your code once for an IoT device, you upload your software through their online portal, and all registered devices are automatically updated. If all goes well, in about 5-15 minutes, all your IoT devices (could be from 1 to 10 to thousands, there are no limits) are updated with the newest software. Resin.io also has a nice community with working and deployable IoT apps. I first saw this at a hackathon. I was able to deploy IoT devices within a few hours.”
Interested in how the internet of things will impact your events? Team Noodle are event tech providers and are happy to talk to you about using event apps, wristbands and name badges to create smart event environments. Feel free to give us a bell! We love a good chit-chat.