The Internet of Things phenomenon has businesses looking for new opportunities to innovate, and Google is no exception. The company recently announced two new updates to help developers build smarter and more connected devices: Android Things, and an update to the Weave platform.
“The Internet of Things will bring computing to a whole new range of devices,” wrote Wayne Piekarski, developer advocate for IoT, in a blog post. “This is just the beginning of the IoT ecosystem we want to build with you.”
(Related: Security and discovery highlight Android Developer Conference)
The Android Things is a new platform designed to help developers create IoT products with Android. The platform is being released today as a developer preview. The Android Things will provide Android APIs and Google services as well as familiar tools: Android Studio, Android SDK, Google Play Services, and Google Cloud Platform. According to Piekarski, the company plans to update the preview with regular OS patches, security features, and built-in Weave connectivity. Developers can use turnkey solutions such as Intel Edison, NXP Pico and Raspberry Pi 3 to start developing with Android things.
The Weave platform is being updated to connect a new range of devices to the cloud and Google services. “Weave provides all the cloud infrastructure so that developers can focus on building their products without investing in cloud services,” Piekarski wrote.
In addition, the Weave Device SDK allows developers to build solutions for light bulbs, smart plugs, switches and thermostats. Going forward, the company plans to add more support for additional devices, a mobile app API for Android and iOS, and merging Weave and Nest Weave for more security.
