The Internet of Things is what you get when you connect zillions of embedded computers to the Internet, along with all kinds of sensors and actuators. It has become possible thanks to several recent technical advances:

• Low-cost microcontrollers that are powerful enough to support Internet and Web protocols
• Software platforms and tools that can be used for programming everything from embedded devices to servers in the cloud
• Cloud computing services that make it easy to store, process and present huge amounts of sensor data
• The REST architecture for systems consisting of many networked computers

This introduction to programming the Internet of Things helps you get going right away.

Inside, you’ll learn about:

• The Internet of Things and the Web of Things
• The .NET Micro Framework software platform
• The Netduino Plus hardware platform
• How to access simple sensors and actuators
• How to write HTTP clients, e.g., a client that pushes sensor readings from a device to the Pachube Web service
• How to write HTTP servers, e.g., a server that controls an LED

And more. With inexpensive hardware, open source software components and free tools and services, getting started with the Internet of Things is easy. To play with the examples in this book, all you need is a Netduino Plus, a USB cable, a couple of sensors, an Ethernet cable, and an Ethernet connection to the Internet.