Topic: My day job...

So, in addition to the stuff I'm working on for Chumby evenings and weekends, I do a lot of mobile app development during the daytime.

One on my iOS apps (Piper) just went live on the iTunes store - it's app that uses iBeacon technology to set up chat between iOS Devices.  it also allows you to set up physical iBeacons and Qualcomm Gimbal beacons and assign content to them like web links, Facebook pages, Twitter feeds, photos, etc.

If you have a compatible iOS device (4S, 5, 5C, iPad 3, iPad Mini, iPod Touch 5, with iOS7), please give it a try!  (Of course, you'll need to have a friend use it too..)

http://www.piper.ly

It's in the process of being indexed for search - in the meantime, there's a link on the site page.

I'm working in the next revision so now's the time for feedback!

Re: My day job...

Does it work with *not iOS 7*? I'm not some fatcat with a million bucks to spare, here. On the website front, whoever the sixth guy is really got the short end of the stick, there. Also, it must be some coincidence that Steve Tomlin and you ended up at the same company again.

Re: My day job...

Cool!

Hey, I wonder... could a chumby be an ibeacon? smile

Re: My day job...

Yes, actually a Chumby *could* be an iBeacon.

I picked up a cheap Bluetooth 4.0 USB dongle and it was recognized for what it was.

All that needs to happen is to port a recent version of BlueZ (i did an older one a year or so ago), and these instructions should work.

Re: My day job...

Bluetooth 4 is only supported in iOS 7 and devices with the appropriate hardware.

In the case of Android, Bluetooth 4 is only supported in a handful of handsets, and Android does not support Bluetooth peripheral mode, which would be required for a phone to *be* a beacon.

Re: My day job...

Duane -

I am interested in the iBeacon technology and the Piper application(s) sound interesting. Since I am a bit of a chumby-holic (check my eBay Purchase History), I am curious if you would be willing to provide an updated BlueZ app and instructions on how to get a Chumby to be an iBeacon? If you would like some documentation help, I can do that.

Re: My day job...

Sorry, I haven't done the port of the newer BlueZ stack.  If I find some time, I might give it a go.

Re: My day job...

Late to the party...
Does Chumby recognize Bluetooth dongles? I reasoned that you have to apply some software to the chum? It would be cool to throw the sound to a BT speaker system.
I finally got a Ethernet connection to work on my CC. Very cool. I think I will bring that boy to work with me. Since I don't have WIFI the wired connection will be great.

Owner of 3 Sony Dash, 2 Info 8.

Re: My day job...

Yes, it does recognize BT dongles - I tried several.  I think it's a standard USB profile.  It doesn't automatically *do* anything with them, but you *might* be able to coax the audio system to reroute audio with some command-line foo.  I haven't tried.

I did a hack with one of the original smart watches (the Inpulse, predecessor to the Pebble) that sent a resized screenshot of a chumby One to the watch every few seconds.  This was done with an older version of BlueZ and a fairly trivial app on both ends.

I think I spent all of five minutes to see what it would take to port a newer version - as I recall, the build process had changed a little and was too busy to collect all of the dependencies and give it a go.

Re: My day job...

demarks51 - Can you provide some guidance on getting the Ethernet connection working?

11 (edited by demarks51 2015-09-24 10:07:17)

Re: My day job...

Just have to get one of the *approved* Ethernet adapters. There is a list on the forum (see below) Once you plug the adapter to the internet with Ethernet cable you just plug USB cable (with standard-b end on one side, like a printer cable) to the USB port in the back of the Chumby. Reboot and check for internet connections--one will be Ethernet. Highlight and boom, you got connection. I have a Netgear FA120. It works great. I got a good deal on it too.

Here is a list of adapters. Don't know which is best but I can say my FA120 works great.
Linksys USB200M
Netgear FA120
DLink DUB-E100
Intellinet, ST Lab USB Ethernet
Hawking UF200, TrendNet TU2-ET100
Billionton Systems, USB2AR
ATEN UC210T
Buffalo LUA-U2-KTX
Sitecom LN-029 "USB 2.0 10/100 Ethernet adapter"
corega FEther USB2-TX
Surecom EP-1427X-2
goodway corp usb gwusb2e
ASIX AX88772 10/100

Owner of 3 Sony Dash, 2 Info 8.

Re: My day job...

I've got a couple of Belkin F5D5050 adapters and a Netcomm NP1020 that work with Chumbys. They're pretty old now, so they may well have been superceded.