Weekly Mashup 107: The Future is Internet of Things

The Future is the Internet of Things – Deal With It
Ars Technica

"It has been only eight years since the smartphone emerged, introducing the new age of always-on mobile connectivity, and networked devices now already outnumber the people on the planet. By some estimates, within the next five years, the number of devices connected to the Internet will outnumber the people on the planet by over seven to one—50 billion machines, ranging from networked sensors to industrial robots." Read More

Forget Playing With Toys: Kids Can Play With The Catalog
AdvertisingAge

"Get out your crayons and mobile phones. The Toys 'R Us holiday catalog drops this week. At 96 pages, "The Great Big Toys 'R Us Book of Awesome" is its biggest issue ever and includes interactive elements for the first time." Read More

Hudway Glass Gives You Augmented Reality Nav On Your Windshield
SlashGear

"Typically, when we are using a navigation device we are using it on a device built into the dash of our car or via something stuck to the windshield. A new device is on Kickstarter called Hudway Glass that aims to make looking at those navigation cues easier and safer while we drive.

The device turns your smartphone into a head up display and holds it safely on the dash of your car. The device is designed to eliminate any issues with doubling of the image, lack of reflection during the day, image size, and other issues." Read More

Get to Grips with Virtual Objects Using This Stripped-Down Glove
MIT Technology Review

"Keyboards, mice, and touch screens all have their uses but have distinct limitations. They’re not particularly good for interacting with 3-D objects, such as those found in virtual reality or design programs. A company called Gest thinks its device, which slides onto the back of your hands and fingers to track their movements, provides a more natural and useful alternative.

The Gest controller has four soft, rubbery half-rings that clip onto your fingers, and a pad that straps onto the back of your hand. Each device contains 15 inexpensive sensors that measure motion with gyroscopes and accelerometers, much like those found in mobile phones. Thumb movements are inferred using data from the other sensors." Read More