THE 10 COOLEST IOT PRODUCTS OF 2016
Raspberry Pi 3
In February, the Raspberry Pi foundation unveiled Raspberry Pi 3, the foundation’s latest single board computer, supported by Windows 10, that has been optimized for connected devices.
The Raspberry Pi 3 is powered by the BCM2837, a System-on-Chip produced by Broadcom. The latest board includes 802.11ac WiFi and Bluetooth, features that earlier versions of Raspberry Pi didn’t include. The company said it added more processing power and functionality in an effort to become an “IoT hub” for industrial and smart home applications.
Vivitar Smart Light Bulbs
Sakar International, Inc. revealed its aesthetically pleasing line of new smart multi-colored bulbs in January. The Vivitar 2-in-1 LED Bluetooth Speaker Light Bulbs, which can be controlled via any bluetooth-enabled device, also double as a Bluetooth speaker.
From an app on their mobile devices, users can change the light bulb’s color from the standard white light, to red, orange, yellow, green, light blue, blue and purple LEDs. The bulbs can be screwed into any standard light bulb socket.
Speedform Gemini 2 Smart Sneaker
Runners will especially appreciate the smart sneaker unveiled by Under Armor in January, the SpeedForm Gemini 2. This smart sneaker — the right shoe, to be exact — has Bluetooth, an accelerometer, and a battery built into its sole.
The Gemini 2 integrates with the rest of Under Armour’s clothing line and with its fitness apps, including MapMyRun, MyFitnessPal, and UA Record.
An inconspicuously smart device, these activity-tracking shoes look just like “dumb” sneakers. The Gemini 2 went on sale at the end of February.
Ericsson’s IoT Software
Communication technology company Ericsson unveiled at CES 2016 two software-based solutions geared toward helping enterprise customers and service providers take advantage of IoT.
Ericsson’s Smart Metering as a Service offering make energy metering easier while providing more accurate billing for end customers. The solution gives utility providers an easier way to offer smart services, the company said. Ericsson also introduced its User Data Consolidation solution, which collects and analyzes connected device and sensor data, including both cellular and non-cellular devices.
Sleep Number’s It Bed
Select Comfort debuted its Sleep Number It Bed at CES 2016. Arguably one of the most talked about beds today, the mattress is embedded with biometric sensors that collect user sleeping data. The IoT sensors allow the mattress to track movements, heart rate, breathing and sleep status hundreds of times per second. Users can then track how soundly they are sleeping, as well as their ideal level of firmness via their “SleepIQ” app on their mobile device.
The It Bed can interact with other cloud services and smart devices around the home. Available this summer, the latest sleep number bed will be sold in sizes ranging from twin to king, and will start at $1,000.
