Humboldt MCU Opportunity Tech Companies Recruiting IoT Developers

One of my goals for this blog is to identify ways for Humboldt microcontroller (MCU) users to earn money and to try to highlight those money-making opportunities for people who are interested in them. It will help Humboldt people and the regional economy if we can increase the number of Humboldt MCU-related paid projects and jobs.

IoT concept graphic (from comsoc.org)

Wired.com had a short July 25 article, "Tech Giants Begin Recruiting for the Next Big Platform Wars", which talked about a technology-economy trend that Humboldt MCU people should be aware of and should look at as an opportunity for projects or jobs. The article says that the Internet of Things (IoT) is going to be a huge revenue opportunity for MCU developers, the next big platform. The killer app for the IoT hasnt come over the horizon yet, and there is no clear leader among companies competing to cash in on the billions of dollars expected to be spent on embedded computing systems and other IoT products and services. Even though no company has a firmly established lead, those organizations who want to have a chance in this race are hiring technical people, including MCU developers, to create and improve their organizations products. As Wired puts it:

Microcontroller (from ti.com)

"The Internet of Things is still young, but it’s real. There are already dozens of internet-connected devices available, ranging from home-automation tools to wearable fitness trackers. And it’s about to start growing at an even faster pace. According a new survey...17 percent of the world’s software developers are already working on Internet of Things projects. Another 23 percent are planning to start an IoT project within the next six months. The most popular devices? Security and surveillance products, connected cars, environmental sensors and smart lights and other office automation tools. The world’s largest tech companies are already in fierce competition to attract developers to their respective connected device platforms. After all, the winners of these new platform wars will define the future of computing."

Two previous technology-economy trend platforms early stages that employed a lot of developers were when businesses started having websites on the Internet and when the iPhone catalyzed a huge market for smartphone apps. New sustainable trends have a tipping point where the trend actually becomes an important economic factor and creates a significant amount of ongoing sales and reliable employment. The IoT appears to be approaching that tipping point, and the Wired article is saying the trend is sustainable and there will be a large number of steady employment opportunities for IoT developers. The Barrons.com article "Silicon Labs Tuned In for Upside" phrased it this way:

"...we dont think IoT for Silicon Labs will turn out to be an overextended hype cycle. Connected/smart-home adoption has parallels to smartphones in 2008, where developers created unanticipated high-value applications on a platform to drive rapid adoption. From that perspective, 50 billion IoT devices by 2020 does not seem unreasonable."

Other recent articles about MCUs, embedded computing and the IoT have also talked about MCU-developer opportunities in the upcoming months and years. So the question at this point is, how can Humboldt developers get involved with the IoT platform to make money? Ill talk more about this topic in some of the future posts on this blog. But for now, Humboldt MCU developers and users might consider doing some or all of the following activities.

1. Learn a lot about the IoT and microcontrollers and keep up-to-date on these two topics.
2. Learn more about the IoT and MCUs by designing and building unique projects and document them online.
3. Use the internet to document and promote your IoT and MCU knowledge and skill.
4. Teach a class about Arduinos, MCUs or the IoT.
5. Build and promote interesting MCU / IoT products and sell them online.
6. Identify and reach out to knowledgeable and interesting people who are relatively well-connected in the IoT and MCU communities.
7. Use craigslist and other online developer job boards to look for MCU / IoT job or project opportunities and to advertise your availability for MCU / IoT projects and employment.

All the above activities can be done without participating in any of the Humboldt Microcontrollers Group meetings or collaborative MCU projects.

But the above money-making activities can also be done with people who are active in the Humboldt Microcontrollers Group. In my experience, its often more fun and more interesting to work on projects or activities with other people who have complementary or similar knowledge and interests. If youre interested in discussing any of the above IoT money making opportunities, come to the next MCU meeting. Or email me at arcatabob (at) gmail {dott} com.

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Friday and We are all a Bit Sick of this Weather

So I guess most of us are wondering what is the next weather installment. Well not me, Ive had all the weather I need. So Ill just sit here and get on with work:


It occurred to me a couple of days ago that I had never written anything reviewing my Friendly Aquaponics Commercial Training experience.  It was a profound four days in my life and yet I have never chronicled it.  I think I finally will now.

We arrived in Kona late Saturday night after grounded planes and nearly missed flights.  We were tired but excited as we drove from the airport up to Waimaia where we were staying.  Tomorrow we would go to the farm tour and then the class would start on Monday.  We slept well, but cold in the little Hawaiin hotel room with no heat.  It was dipping into the 40s there at night and we Florida girls were freezing!  The next morning we headed out for breakfast and to go to the farm tour.

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Gardening by the use of an aquaponic system will enable you to cultivate plants along with aquatic life, and starting out at a small scale will allow you to get started without the need for significant amount of expence or maintenance. Understanding the benefits will help you to determine what type of system is best for your needs.

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Food Justice Workshop at GrowHaus
The GrowHaus of Denver and Hazon invite you to a special Food Justice Workshop with Nigel Savage and alumni from Hazon’s food conference on Sunday, February 6th, 1:00-4:00pm.  Come join “Hazoniks” of Colorado and friends for a tour, discussion, and volunteering at the GrowHaus in west Denver. The GrowHaus serves fresh fruits and vegetables that they grow in their cutting-edge aquaponics greenhouse system to a large community in a food desert in the Elyria-Swansea neighborhood.

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Aquaponics in Education, Inspiration, and Community Building
By slywoman
Video of the presentation I gave at the Sweet Water Organics Workshop titled Aquaponics in Education, Inspiration, and Community Building.

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Aquaponics 101-Part One: The Process
This is the first of a series of articles that are going to teach you most of what you would need to know about Aquaponics to build and maintain your own system. These articles are part of a book we are writing and will eventually be selling on our website at www.aquaponicsusa.com

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How to build a basic Aquaponics System
A basic guide on how to build your own Aquaponic system. This is sytem is based on the barrel ponic and S&S setup and was built by me in the summer of 07?.
I have been very pleased with my DAYMAK AUSTIN electric motor bike. This is the fourth season of riding around the city streets and local highways. I have had a few electrical/electronic issues which I repaired quickly...

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[WATCH]: Aquaponics Greenhouse Tour
This is a Harbor Freight 10×12 greenhouse that is used for an aquaponics system. It’s not as big as my regular garden, but I can start it 2 months earlier! Thanks for viewing! For more info, see my blog at web4deb.blogspot.com or http Also “like” us on Facebook by searching for “Bigelow Brook Farm” 


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Barrel Aquaponics Workshop
If you want to get started producing a constant supply of fish, rabbits, chickens, vegetables, herbs, greens and other plants in an efficient, inexpensive small-scale system, plan to attend the Aquaponics training in Starksboro, Vermont.

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Lynn labor leaders look to form workers co-op
LYNN - Two local labor leaders want to start a worker-owned cooperative in Lynn, modeled after a successful one in Spain, as a way to create jobs and wealth for the citys working class.
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The GrowHaus: Building A Community Around Food In Elyria-Swansea
Growhaus
"What I really see here is a hub for community development, a place where we support and inspire the neighborhood," says Adam Brock, of Northeast Denvers GrowHaus.
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Community Calendar
11:30 a.m. Feb. 1, Savannah Morning News Auditorium, 1375 Chatham Parkway. James C. McCurry Jr., director of administration at Georgia Ports Authority, will be speaking on the Port of Savannah and the Savannah Harbor Deepening Project. Cost: $11. For information, call 912-644-6434 or go to
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Diy Aquaponics - Very Easily Make Your Aquaponics System.
If you are seeking any sample Aquaponics Layout you could follow then Im planning to place you in the right direction. There are a lot of different types of aquaponics tanks & gardens, hence you have to consider which you would like to select. The best way to begin this would be to work with a DO IT YOURSELF guideline
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My DIY Aquaponics REVIEW-Organic Gardening Secret
If you are wondering about My DIY Aquaponics REVIEW , Mydiyaquaponics.com reputation, or...
is My DIY Aquaponics SCAM or The Real Deal? Youve come to the right place.
With aquaponics it is simple to grow 10X the quantity of plants within the same space a garden would normally take. This step-by-step guide continues to be engineered to obtain your personal aquaponics system ready to go to help you produce your personal produce with 1/10th the quantity of work. Certified Organic Food that tastes great! ...[more details]
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Movement in the Bottoms: Operation Canned Spinach!
Starting a grassroots urban farm with little means on a small plot of industrial wasteland with soil so toxic you can’t put any seeds in the ground is no small feat. However, for a small African American community in the Village Bottoms district of West Oakland, being able to feed themselves

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 Well, Thats a wrap - For Now
Be Back Soon
A U Z Z I E

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Skys Not The Limit For Arduinos In Space

Arduinos In Space could be the tagline for the two microcontroller (MCU) products that are the topic of tonights post -- Ardulab and ArduSat.

Ardulab has been completely open-sourced (from ArduLab)

First off, Ardulab. Although some may find it a skoosh misleading, SpaceRefs July 25 article about an Arduino in space is titled, "Infinity Aerospaces Ardulab Makes Building & Launching Space-Certifiable Hardware As Easy As Baking Cookies." I baked cookies tonight. Oatmeal-raisin cookies. They tasted good. Baking them was more difficult than walking across the street and buying cookies from the North Coast Co-op. But it was much less challenging than building and launching space-certified hardware. On the other hand, baking cookies was also definitely much less rewarding and interesting than launching space hardware.

Ardulab projects are intended to democratize the hardware needed to perform experiments on the International Space Station. According to the SpaceRef article,

"Today Infinity Aerospace announced the complete open-sourcing of Ardulab, the Arduino powered platform for building and launching simple experiments to the International Space Station. Previously costing space researchers, students, and experimenters between $2,000 - $3,500 per kit, anyone can now build and launch an off-the-shelf space-certifiable experiment, with the only costs being building their equipment and launching it. When it was originally conceived back in 2012, the fundamental idea behind Ardulab was to give as many people as possible the tools and information they need to be successful in space. Making Ardulab a completely open-source platform allows for all of the intellectual property to be used to its full extent. The Ardulab is a plug-n-play electronics platform with all of the necessary features and interfaces for use on the International Space Station."

Moon redwoods behind CCAT on HSU campus

It seems like Humboldt creative minds could come up with a few unique and worthwhile space station experiments. Maybe something involving redwoods in space. After all, there are already redwoods growing on the Humboldt State University (HSU) campus grown from seeds that orbited the moon in 1971. Using the Ardulab platform, the Humboldt Microcontrollers Group could help build the hardware for the experiments that get accepted by NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration). Or the MCU group could help organize a design competition for an Ardulab project. That might be a fun and effective way to get Humboldt students interested in learning how to design and build Arduino-powered projects and might also get them interested in space. It would just be a extra bonus if one of the Humboldt Ardulab competition projects was accepted by NASA to be sent up to the space station. Maybe the end result would be that wed have another batch of aerospace redwoods growing on the HSU campus.

The second MCU in space item for tonights post is the ArduSat. The backstory for ArduSat, designed and built by the space startup NanoSatisfi, is an intriguing one if youre interested in how a microcontroller project went from a concept to company that just received $25 million in funding. The backstory can be told as a couple guys that designing a cool, innovative and useful piece of technology in a California garage -- the Singularity Hub article "Space Exploration On The Cheap: Kickstarter Sensation NanoSatisfi Launches in 2013" says:

"NanoSatisfi is based out of a collective workspace provided by tech incubator, Lemnos Labs, and situated near the ballpark in downtown San Francisco. Upon arrival, one is greeted by a nondescript front door sporting a few haphazardly labeled buzzers...NanoSatisfi doesn’t have a buzzer—Lemnos Labs is in the garage."

ArduSat in space (from Singularity Hub)

Or the backstory can be looked at from a different perspective that seems a bit less grassroots bootstrapping, with the same Singularity Hub article explaining that:

"Singularity Hub asked Peter Platzer, co-founder of NanoSatisfi, to elaborate...Platzer began his career as a high-energy physicist at CERN [Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire; same place the Internet was invented]...After CERN, Platzer went to Harvard to get his MBA and wound up running a $500 million quant fund on Wall Street."

The Wikipedia entry for ArduSat has a timeline for the project, but the big picture is that NanoSatisfi ran a Kickstarter campaign for the ArduSat and got over $100,000, about three times what their original funding goal was. They followed that up by raising over a million dollars more. Apparently that wasnt enough money to successfully launch that ArduSat, because they just announced today, July 29, that they have raised $25 million and changed their name from NanoSatisfi to Spire, Inc.

The Wikipedia entry described ArduSat this way:

"ArduSat is an open source, Arduino based Nanosatellite, based on the CubeSat standard. It contains a set of Arduino boards and sensors. The general public will be allowed to use these Arduinos and sensors for their own creative purposes while they are in space...ArduSat is the first open source satellite which will provide such open access to the general public to space."

If there are a few civilian space enthusiasts in Humboldt, we could pull together a complex, interesting, challenging and fun project or competition involving both Ardulab and ArduSat, two MCU-controlled projects that Humboldt people could work on. Thats one project that would truly be out of this world!

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