Hello Hello! We're back and we have a couple new things to talk about this week. First, let's check out the video.
It's interesting to see how much traffic there really is in the building. This shows just how easy it is to implement a simple sensor network to gather data and post it to the Internet. What a time to be alive.
Over the past year, the ESP8266 has been a growing star among IoT or WiFi-related projects. It’s an extremely cost-effective WiFi module, that – with a little extra effort – can be programmed just like any microcontroller. The SparkFun ESP8266 Thing is essentially a breakout and development board for the ESP8266 WiFi SoC. Why the name? We lovingly call it the Thing due to it being the perfect foundation for your Internet of Things.
SparkFun’s new development board for the ESP8266 breaks out all of the module’s pins, and comes equipped with a LiPo charger, power supply, and all of the other supporting circuitry it requires. Check out the video above for a demo. This is the perfect board for building a wireless sensor network.
Inside each kit is one Nintendo DS Touchscreen and one SparkFun Touchscreen Connector Breakout. All you need to do to set this kit up is to simply attach the touchscreen’s ribbon cable into the connectors connector, solder on some headers or wires and connect it up. The kit makes it really easy to add touch functionality to a project. Check out this demo of how it works:
We also have some new microswitches. These come in a 2 pack and are great for limit switches for sliders or 3D printers. They are rated for 5A at 250VAC.
Finally, we're excited to announce the upcoming release of our second SparkFun guide - written by Curriculum Curator Derek Runberg and published by No Starch Press - The SparkFun Guide to Arduino! This book will introduce you to the open-source Arduino platform, designed to help total beginners explore electronics. Our first release, The SparkFun Guide to Processing, teaches you to craft your own digital artwork and even combine it with hardware, with no prior programming experience required. Both books are a great classroom resource for teachers, and for a limited time you can pre-order The SparkFun Guide to Processing for 30% off with the code MAKEART! We'll be announcing more our the Guide to Arduino when it is available for pre-order -- but know that it's coming soon!
That's it for this week. Thanks for reading as always. We'll be back next week with more new stuff, see you then!
