The IoT devices we all want for Xmas
Exciting tech advances are playing a much greater part in Christmas gifts in New Zealand than ever before, Kriv Naicker, executive director of the New Zealand Internet of Things (IoT) Alliance says.
The NZ IoT Alliance is one of the 15 leading tech organisations in the NZ Tech Alliance.
IoT is growing rapidly in New Zealand and presenting exciting opportunities for Kiwis, many of which are explained in the 92-page NZ IoT Alliance report released earlier this year.
Naicker states, "A great example of the growth of IoT is the announcement by Chorus yesterday that they are developing a proof of concept IoT network in Takapuna and Torbay on Auckland's North Shore.
"This growing network coverage enables sensors to communicate with many IoT devices, such as popular and sought-after Christmas items.
"Typically, an IoT access point in an urban area will give network coverage out to between 1.5km - 3km and around 15km-20km in rural areas, this is how IoT is going to be inextricably linked in our lives from now on.
The Littlebits Droid Inventor Kit
For those who love Star Wars and R2D2, the pretty cool Littlebits Droid Inventor Kit is one of the most popular IoT gifts people can buy this Christmas.
The kit contains a proximity sensor that beams an infrared light that allows it to sense objects in front of it.
Kiwis seem to be fans of the Littlebits Droid Inventor Kit.
Once the magic of the droid wears off, the bits can be used to build whatever older kids desire.
The Quick Egg Minder
Egg Minder is a smart connected tray which generates notifications when a home is about to go out of eggs.
The Internet of Things gadget also helps find out the expiration date of eggs in the tray.
The Botvac
The Botvac cleans up to 5,000 square feet per cleaning cycle.
It gets into corners and close to walls and can be connected to a smartphone.
Users can create a cleaning schedule, and view a summary of where their cleaning robot has been.
The growth of IoT also presents enormous opportunities for New Zealand businesses and farmers to become more efficient.
Later in 2018, the IoT Alliance will bring together leading local and international experts to the New Zealand IoT Summit to accelerate the benefits these new technologies can bring.
