One company is trying to create a Dropbox for the Internet of Things. First, the software firm Bug Labs released Dweet.io, a machine-to-machine service for the Internet of Things. Now it is releasing Freeboard, a Web-based tool that enables users to build interfaces for their connected devices.
“Developing applications for the Internet of Things is far too complicated,” wrote Bug Labs on its blog. “In most cases it requires very specialized (i.e., expensive) skills sets, in both hardware and software, to get even the most rudimentary prototypes up and running.”
(Related: More about M2M and the Internet of Things)
To make things easier on developers, the company wants to develop a modular development platform for the Internet of Things in order to do what Dropbox did for cloud storage, which is making building and deploying Internet of Things apps quick, painless and fun, according to the company.
“Modularity helps address one of the biggest obstacles in [Internet of Things] product development—there is no one-size-fits-all approach,” the company wrote. “Every solution is unique, highly customized and idiosyncratic. Modularity allows our customers to pick the technical components best suited to their needs—not all of which will come from us.”
Together, Dweet.io and Freeboard provide everything a user needs to create an Internet of Things application. Freeboard takes the data streams of Dweet.io and allows users to assemble them on a dashboard.
Freeboard features include widgets and design layouts. It allows users to make their Freeboards public or private, duplicate any Freeboard, and share their Freeboards through e-mail, SMS and social networks. Freeboard is open source and available on GitHub.
Dweet.io and Freeboard can be used individually and in conjunction with other third-party platforms. Both are available for free.
