January in IoT: Building and Succeeding With IoT

It's a new year, so it's time to dust off your boards and get to work! New year's resolutions and all that...

Anyway, this month, finding ways to make use of IoT has been a popular theme. We've got a few DIY projects, but also some ways to make use of IoT by monetizing the data involved with cryptocurrencies.

In addition to that, the ever-present threat of poor security still haunts the Internet of Things. Let's see what's going on with Spectre, Meltdown, and some new research that could help identify vulnerabilities in IoT devices.

Connecting You With What's Cool

1. Build a Digital Photo Frame With a Raspberry Pi, by Farooq Kaiser. Got a Raspberry Pi and a screen? Then you've got yourself a digital photo frame. Let's build one using JavaScript and HTML5's canvas elements.

2. Monetizing IoT Data Using IOTA, by Benjamin Cabé. Cryptocurrencies offer up new opportunities for development, and particularly for IoT. Here, we examine a simple proof of concept that uses IOTA to monetize IoT data.

3. Building an IoT Notification System, by Francesco Azzola. Here's a great way to build your own IoT notification system that sends alerts to multiple devices using an ESP8266, PushingBox, and relatively few lines of code.

4. The 3 Best IoT Frameworks for Beginners, by Raseel Bhagat. With hundreds of available platforms to start your IoT project with, which one do you choose? We shed some light on the subject and look at three of the best choices.

5. 5 of the Most Crucial IoT Skills, by Laura Buckler. IoT development takes more than just software-building proficiency. Take a look at the UX, BI, security, and mobile app dev skills that will help your career.

By the way, if you're interested in writing for your fellow DZoners, feel free to check out our Writers' Zone, where you can also find some current hot topics and our Bounty Board, which has writing prompts coupled with prizes.

IoT Around the Web

An Echo-Compatible, Arduino-Powered Smart Light

I always do my best to include at least one hobbyist IoT project in these recaps. Short on time and imagination, I slipped over to Hackster to find some instructions for this Arduino-powered smart light system that you can control with an Amazon Echo. Given that I just moved and got a new Echo, this is something I'll probably just give it a shot.

It's a Bug Hunt, Man!

It's always fun when Wired has something about IoT, particularly IoT security. I won't spoil how it's all done, but a couple of researchers are using an old firmware evaluation and unpacking tool to help identify vulnerabilities. See how it works and whether it really could be the solution to solving IoT security.

Meltdown, Spectre, and IoT

And lastly, take a look at this interview with ARM CEO Simon Segars to see his take on the recently discovered vulnerabilities Meltdown and Spectre and how they'll impact the Internet of Things — as well as what kind of impact AI is going to have on the IT sector.

Diving Deeper Into IoT

• Refcard: Getting Started With MQTT
• Guide: IoT: Applications, Protocols, and Best Practices