Upon2020 (archive)
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How GnuPG Works
I first used GnuPG 21 years ago, to securely communicate from Germany with my US-based girlfriend at the time (who became my wife of by now 17 years). That was before the web (I discovered it in December 1993), and connectivity was over a modem, “somewhere” in the company that paid my salary. This modem…
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The consumer #IoT is mostly gimmicks today
I’m a believer that good things can be made to happen with the Internet of Things, but we are still very, very far away from that, in spite of all the hype. Exhibit A: visiting the hardware store to buy a new thermostat for my house. (Mine gave up this week after maybe 25-30 years…
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Another inverse #PhysicalWeb use case
By “inverse”, I mean where the Thing with the beacon wants to talk to the person, instead of the person to the Thing. Here it is: doing the laundry. I carry the dirty laundry to the washing machine. I have my cell phone with me, but in my pocket. My hands are full with laundry…
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A UI Mockup for the #PhysicalWeb
Let’s say @scottjenson and the Google guys are right (and I wasn’t completely crazy 10 years ago either) and many physical objects begin broadcasting URLs over some local wireless connection like Bluetooth Low Energy. Let’s say I’ll have several dozen of those in my house. How are we going to interact with them? Here’s a…
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House thermostat died. Suggestions for replacements that don’t spy on me?
There are a lot of projects — like the well-publicized “Build an Open-source Nest in a Day” — that have built open-source thermostats. But those are “projects”. Are there any #IndieIoT thermostat products ready to go that I can buy? Or do I have to build my own? I’m looking for suggestions. P.S.: I’m using…