July 2016 Summaries

The blog post discusses the creation of a WordPress plugin called SiteViz, designed to offer real-time visualization of site content using PubNub's PHP and JavaScript SDKs. This plugin helps site administrators manage content more efficiently by providing a bird's eye view of all categories, posts, and comments, updating live to reflect changes made to the site. It leverages WordPress action hooks to capture and publish updates, allowing administrators to see essential metrics and reduce information overload through a tree-like visualization. While SiteViz is intended for demonstration and not tested in production, it highlights the potential of integrating real-time features into WordPress plugins, paving the way for more interactive and responsive site management tools. The visualization is created using the D3.js library to render a force-directed graph, providing a clear and dynamic representation of the site's structure and content relationships.

The blog post explores the process of developing a smart home controller application using tvOS, Raspberry Pi, and PubNub, focusing on the software side in a two-part series. It explains how to utilize Apple TV as a central command for IoT devices, leveraging tvOS for app development and PubNub for real-time data streaming. The post outlines the setup of the PubNub Swift SDK using CocoaPods, the creation of a PubNub instance for communication between devices, and the design of custom collection view cells to display IoT object states. It also details how the application manages device interactions such as controlling lights, monitoring a kettle's temperature, and adjusting a thermostat, highlighting the integration of different technologies to streamline smart home management directly from a TV interface.

Particle's Photon is a compact, cloud-compatible board designed for makers who seek seamless cloud integration for their projects. The tutorial outlines how to set up the Photon with PubNub to publish messages and subscribe to channels, highlighting its ease of use compared to Arduino due to its intuitive cloud integration and a different IDE. Setup can be done via a computer or mobile app, but integration with PubNub requires using Particle's online IDE. Key steps include installing Node.js and Particle's CLI, setting up the device to connect to WiFi, and importing libraries for use in Particle sketches. The process for publishing and subscribing to PubNub channels is similar to Arduino, although in Particle, a TCPClient is used instead of a WiFi or Ethernet client. Debugging can be challenging due to the lack of a console in the IDE, but using safe mode and PubNub's Developer Console can help troubleshoot issues. Once familiar with the Photon, users can expand their projects by trying Particle's other Arduino-compatible boards for various IoT applications.

Since its development, the Apple Watch has struggled to gain widespread popularity despite being an extension of the iPhone, yet it offers engaging features for both users and developers. This demo project utilizes HealthKit to access heart rate data, which is then published to PubNub and used to control a Raspberry Pi that lights an LED based on the heart rate. The iPhone app displays real-time data in an EON chart and integrates with Twitter’s Fabric to allow users to tweet their workout sessions. The setup involves multiple platforms, requiring configuration in XCode for WatchOS applications, installing PubNub via CocoaPods, and setting up TwitterKit and Crashlytics with Fabric. The project involves complex data exchanges between the Apple Watch, iPhone, and Raspberry Pi, highlighting the challenges of data synchronization across devices. Despite the intricacies, the project demonstrates the capabilities of wearable technology and provides a foundation for further exploration of integrating hardware with health data and social media interaction.

Twitter's inaugural Early Bird Camp, led by developer advocate Bear Douglas, provided an intensive learning experience for sixteen college juniors, including the author, through a week-long Android development program. The camp was characterized by collaborative learning, mentorship from industry leaders, and the development of a Twitter API-based app to encourage personal accountability. Participants, who came from various backgrounds across the U.S., gained not only technical skills but also valuable insights into teamwork and the tech culture of San Francisco and Silicon Valley. The supportive environment fostered new friendships and a deeper understanding of both technical and non-technical aspects of the tech industry, leaving the author eager to apply these skills in future projects and at their internship at PubNub.