Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
Conclusion
By definition, networked devices don't stand alone. If you're connecting a
device to the Internet, you should take advantage of the power it offers. The
more tools and protocols you know, the easier and more fun that is. Consider
advantages offered by servers that have public addresses—and plenty of
computing horsepower to spare. Consider combinations of wired and wireless
protocols to give the things you build maximum freedom to respond to their
physical environments.
As you can see by now, the physical interfaces that are
the most flexible are usually the ones that are the most
ephemeral on the network. They get turned on and off,
they connect through private networks, and they use
limited processors to save size, weight, and power. They're
not always capable of doing everything that a dedicated
web server can do, nor are they available at all times.
However, these are not limitations when such devices are
used in conversation with dedicated servers.
Making things talk to each other always comes back to
two questions. Who are you serving in making what you're
making? What does that person need, and how can you
best give it to her?
To design a flexible network of physical things that's really
useful to humans, you have to think about the person's
needs and actions first. Then, it's all about the rules of love
and networking:
As hubs of your projects, use public, persistent servers
that have public addresses and are always on the Net.
They can store messages for physical devices that aren't
online and deliver them later. They can act as proxies
to take care of things for which simpler devices aren't
designed, like complex data management or authentica-
tion. Don't be afraid to use tools and protocols in ways not
thought of by their original designers. Make the technology
fit the person's needs.
• Listen More Than You Speak
• Never Assume
• Agree on How You Say Things
• Ask Politely for Clarification
The Internet of Things is useless if those things don't
improve the quality of our lives and the ways in which we
communicate with each other.
