Thursday, October 20, 2016

IoT Development using Raspberry Pi

In the upcoming IOT101 - Programming Internet of Things using Raspberry Pi course,  we will be covering the latest Raspbian OS - PIXEL. This is the latest version of the Raspbian OS and it is updated with a very modern look-and-feel.


Besides using the latest OS, we have also taken this opportunity to update the course content. In this upcoming course, we will cover:

  • how to send data to the cloud
  • how to implement your own Amazon Echo using Amazon's Alexa service

Of course, we will also cover the popular topics that our participants have always enjoyed:
  • How to send push notifications to your Android devices
  • How to implement and scan iBeacons using the Raspberry Pi
  • How to interface with NFC readers
  • How to connect the Raspberry Pi to sensors - smoke, ultrasonic, temperature, and motion sensors
And of course, participants will get to bring back the IOT Kit, which includes items like:

  • Raspberry Pi 3
  • Various sensors
  • LCD screens
  • Mic and Speaker
  • Pi Camera
  • NFC Reader

Monday, October 17, 2016

IoT development using Arduino

The upcoming IOT104 - Programming Internet of Things using Arduino course has been totally updated to include more exciting topics. Instead of one day, this course is now two days and include a comprehensive IOT Kit with all the various sensors and accessories that allows you to build interesting connected IoT apps.

Projects you will create:

  • How to connect the Arduino to the Internet using Ethernet and WiFi 
  • How to display information using LCD, LED Dot Matrix, and OLED displays 
  • How to measure temperature, pressure and humidity using Arduino 
  • How to control your Arduino using infrared remote control 
  • How to control your Arduino using Bluetooth Low Energy 
  • How to interface the Arduino with key pads 
  • How to send data to the cloud 
  • How to send push notifications to Android devices 
  • How program the NodeMCU development board (bonus topic)
  • How to communicate between Arduinos using ZigBee

This course comes with the IoT Kit containing more than 30 accessories and sensors, including the following: (this list is continually updated to include the latest devices; items subject to change subject to availability)

  • Arduino Board 
  • Arduino board with ESP8266 
  • Arduino Ethernet Shield 
  • LCD with Keypad Shield 
  • Dupoint Jumper Cables 
  • Breadboard 
  • PIR Motion Sensor 
  • Ultrasonic Sensor 
  • LEDs 
  • Colored Tactile Push Buttons 
  • Light Dependent Resistor 
  • 7 Segment LED Display 
  • Potentiometer 
  • Keypad Keyboard 
  • Dot Matrix Display Module 
  • OLED Display Module 
  • LCD Touch Module 
  • Key Display + Push buttons Module 
  • IR Remote Control Module 
  • Bluetooth Low Energy Module 
  • Xbee Shields 
  • Xbee Modules 
  • 4 7-Segment Display Module 
  • Stackable Header for Arduino 
  • Temperature/Barometric/Pressure Sensor Module 
  • Heart Rate Sensor 
  • Accelerometer and Gyroscope Module 
  • NodeMCU development board

Thursday, October 13, 2016

IOT104 - Programming IoT using Arduino

One of the many accessories and sensors that attendees of the upcoming IOT104 - Programming IoT using Arduino course will get is the 128x32 OLED display. This is a really cute little display that allows you to display both text and graphics. It is ideal for small little embedded projects that require a small display to show some outputs.




Wednesday, October 12, 2016

macOS Sierra - Allowing apps from anywhere to run (disabling GateKeeper)

In macOS Sierra, GateKeeper by default will no longer allow you to execute apps that are not from the App Store. Even if you go to the System Preferences | Security & Privacy | General page, you no longer have the option Anywhere:


For example, recently I downloaded the UnRarX app directly from the developer's web site and macOS Sierra does not allow me to run it even when I click the Open Anyway button (see above).

To fix this, you can use the following command in Terminal:

udo spctl --master-disable

Once you run this command, the Anywhere will now appear in the System Preferences | Security & Privacy | General page.

Tuesday, October 11, 2016

WEB202 – 1-Day Implementing iOS and Android Push Notifications

Push notification is one of the most interesting topics in mobile development. Using push notifications, you can keep your users up-to-date on the latest happenings, regardless of whether the user is using your application or not.

In this 1-day course, you will learn how to implement push notifications in iOS and Android, as well as learn how to create your own backend push provider so that you have ultimate control on what you want to push to your users, as well as who to push to and when you want to push the notifications.

Please note the following:

  • This course will cover both the iOS and Android platforms, so you need a Mac. 
  • You need to bring along an iOS and Android device. Simulator/emulator will not work.
  • For iOS, you need to register for the paid iOS developer program (US$99/year)
  • For server-side development, we will use Node.js, Python, and MySQL