Electronics makers often build mobile apps to control electronic devices. These are typically WiFi or Bluetooth-connected devices controlled by a smartphone. Several software frameworks and tools support the development of native or cross-platform mobile apps for iOS and Android. Some popular frameworks include React Native, Flutter, Xamarin, Swiftic, Ionic, Apache Cordova, Jquery Mobile, and Native…
How to design an app-controlled irrigation system
In this project, we’ll design a mobile app-controlled watering system that drip irrigates a home garden or small farm. This system is developed on an ESP8266 microcontroller, which controls the water pump through a 3V relay or an electronic valve. The user can switch the water’s motor/electronic valve ON or OFF and even set a…
How to control LEDs using the MIT App Inventor and Bluetooth
In a previous tutorial, we discussed the MIT App Inventor, a popular online platform for building mobile applications using visual programming. The platform is helpful for quickly prototyping Internet-of-Things (IoT) applications and simple embedded systems that interact with mobile devices. We already reviewed the platform’s architecture and user interface. Its visual programming platform is ideal for…
How to build a plant health monitor using ESP8266 and the MIT App Inventor
Most house plants require temperature, humidity, and moisture monitoring for optimal care. Temperatures exceeding the optimal range can cause stress, wilting, stunted growth, and even death, while cold temperatures can slow plant development, leading to weak growth and susceptibility to frost damage. Excessive humidity encourages fungal diseases and prevents proper transpiration, while drier air typically…
Samsung’s AI voice assistant now responds in Latin American Spanish
Samsung Electronics announced that Bixby, and its artificial intelligence (AI) voice assistant, supports Latin American Spanish as a language option. Latin American Spanish-speaking Bixby users around the world now have the option to interact with their Samsung Galaxy devices in their local language — as Brazilian Portuguese was previously the only Latin American language supported…
Samsung upgrades Remote Test Lab Program to support developers, globally
Samsung Electronics recently revealed the revamped Samsung Remote Test Lab program, which allows developers to easily test their applications virtually and remotely on thousands of Samsung Galaxy devices — including the Galaxy S21 series with One UI 4 beta, and the latest Galaxy Z Fold3 5G and Z Flip3 5G. The Remote Test Lab program…