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.