I was pretty excited until I read that you have to download their generic app to make it all work. It sounds like everyone is thinking it is part of the OS. The example of walking into the shoe store would go like this. Nothing would happen. When your wife walks into the shoe store, she would need to read a sign that tells her to go to the app store, search for this app, download and install it and then connect it to this device. So that bit is not any different than any other Bluetooth LE enabled solution that requires a special app. Granted once the app is installed it sounds like she is good to go with the next device. But it's not part of the OS on the phones or am I missing something here? Does this device trigger the generic app download from the app store on first run? That would be big step.
Now with that being said this thing is still freaking awesome! Just wish it was part of the OS but that would require the Apple encryption chip and license fee. I have been looking for a simple way to configure my devices this just may be the ticket as long as we connect the propeller to it. If the Arduino is used to program it and then the actual Bluetooth chip can be taken out and directly connect to my Propeller this is perfect!
@TChap thanks for posting this!! This kind of stuff is what makes this forum and Parallax such a great place!
JohnR, there is nothing on the market that allows you to interact with a phone unless you either download an app or go to a website on the phone. My car will allow me to talk on the phone over the car audio system, but even this still requires an initial pairing. The benefit of the Simblee is that it is a very simple low investment platform for creating a bluetooth compatible app, and in my case I have a great way to control the Propeller with an app. IMO it does not get much simpler to have an app controlling the Prop.
JohnR, there is nothing on the market that allows you to interact with a phone unless you either download an app or go to a website on the phone.
Yep I totally get that and I think this is a great solution for a simple interface into my devices. But based on the reactions from people in this thread I wasn't sure everyone was getting that you have to download an app and run your application inside. I wonder how rich of a mobile app you can truly make this way? Will you have access to all the phone's features: camera, location, multi touch, orientation, mic, speaker, etc?
It would be cool if instead they allowed you to create an HTML5 page with full support of java scripts. Load it into their Bluetooth chip and then use the phone's browser to present it. You can make some very rich HTML5 apps for a iPhone and Android. The users wouldn't have to download any app from the store.
JohnR, there is nothing on the market that allows you to interact with a phone unless you either download an app or go to a website on the phone.
I for one, think this is a good thing. I wouldn't want anyone to be able to load an app like interface to my phone without my first giving it permission to do so.
I think the big advantage these Simblees have is the ability to use a pre existing iOS app as an interface. I understand it's a big hassle to make an iPhone app others can use. (I understand it's not very easy to make one for your own use.)
Sparkfun Simblee BLE Breakout - RFD77101
WRL-13632 ROHS Open Source Hardware
Description: The SparkFun Simblee BLE Breakout board is a programmable board that allows you to add mobile app functionality via Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE, or Bluetooth 4.0) to your embedded projects. Unlike other BLE solutions, the Simblee requires no specialized app development skills to realize the phone-side interface: all the necessary coding is done in the Arduino environment and then uploaded to a browser app on the phone.
The Simblee RFD77101 module, equipped to this board, is intended to make embedded devices using Bluetooth Low Energy connections easier for everyone: hardware hackers, app developers, students, makers, engineers, and anyone else who wants to leverage their smartphone via BLE. For more information on using the Simblee to create your own applications for embedded project, visit our Simblee Concepts tutorial found in the Documents section below.
With the Sparkfun Simblee BLE Breakout you gain access to all the Simblee pins (with the module end compatible with RFDuino/Simblee shields!), as well as a reset button, an LED and a user accessible button. This is a great development board to stick in a breadboard and start playing with. It is also small enough to fit inside many projects. The voltage regulator is extremely low current, so your low power applications won’t suffer too much for it being included. While you can use the RFduino Programmer Board with this Breakout, we’ve provided a standard 6-pin FTDI breakout programming header as well. This allows the profile of the board to remain low unless necessary. We recommend using the either the LilyPad FTDI Basic or the 5V FTDI Basic for programming the Simblee Breakout.
Note: Please do not use the 3.3V FTDI Basic with this board, as it may not be able to source enough current from the 3.3V rail.
As far as documents, they emailed my a lot of examples, the examples were not posted online when I first go my module. Not sure if they have posted everything only since then as I have not checked. With the examples, you are able to sort out things pretty easily. You must use the Arduino USB module to program, then you can remove it. As far as footprint, you only need GND, VCC, Tx, and Rx so it is easy to wire up to your board with either the sparkfun or their eval module. With their eval module it is easy to stack up the USB programmer and the SImblee module. I had to put this on the back burner but I found it rather easy to get into it with the examples.
I messed around with these for a bit. And yes you had to get the initial info from them as there really isn't much of any documentation. The Sparkfun tutorial on this page provides a lot of good examples and info: https://learn.sparkfun.com/tutorials/simblee-concepts/library-reference
"Simblee is IoT for connecting Everyone and Everything (IoT4EE).
It incorporates Mobile, Bluetooth® Smart, Mesh, Cloud and other forms of wireless connectivity.
Using the Simblee mobile browser on a phone or tablet, anyone can interact with Simblee enabled devices instantly without needing to download additional apps for each device."
Edit: Whoa, the Puck.js looks pretty darn cool, also.
Thing is, I watched the Simblee video, which falls over itself about being a game changer etc. Scanned around. Did not find a concise spec of what a Simblee is or does. Except something about BLE and auto-loading apps to your phone. Which sounds like a really bad idea.
Is there a Simblee spec, just the bullet points, anywhere?
Comments
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.satflare.miupanel
https://www.antratek.com/upanel-kit
Now with that being said this thing is still freaking awesome! Just wish it was part of the OS but that would require the Apple encryption chip and license fee. I have been looking for a simple way to configure my devices this just may be the ticket as long as we connect the propeller to it. If the Arduino is used to program it and then the actual Bluetooth chip can be taken out and directly connect to my Propeller this is perfect!
@TChap thanks for posting this!! This kind of stuff is what makes this forum and Parallax such a great place!
Yep I totally get that and I think this is a great solution for a simple interface into my devices. But based on the reactions from people in this thread I wasn't sure everyone was getting that you have to download an app and run your application inside. I wonder how rich of a mobile app you can truly make this way? Will you have access to all the phone's features: camera, location, multi touch, orientation, mic, speaker, etc?
It would be cool if instead they allowed you to create an HTML5 page with full support of java scripts. Load it into their Bluetooth chip and then use the phone's browser to present it. You can make some very rich HTML5 apps for a iPhone and Android. The users wouldn't have to download any app from the store.
I for one, think this is a good thing. I wouldn't want anyone to be able to load an app like interface to my phone without my first giving it permission to do so.
I think the big advantage these Simblees have is the ability to use a pre existing iOS app as an interface. I understand it's a big hassle to make an iPhone app others can use. (I understand it's not very easy to make one for your own use.)
Give me open protocols that I can communicate with however I choose.
Your bluetooth project just got easier –
meet the new Simblee BLE module line
https://www.sparkfun.com/products/13632
Sparkfun Simblee BLE Breakout - RFD77101
WRL-13632 ROHS Open Source Hardware
Description: The SparkFun Simblee BLE Breakout board is a programmable board that allows you to add mobile app functionality via Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE, or Bluetooth 4.0) to your embedded projects. Unlike other BLE solutions, the Simblee requires no specialized app development skills to realize the phone-side interface: all the necessary coding is done in the Arduino environment and then uploaded to a browser app on the phone.
The Simblee RFD77101 module, equipped to this board, is intended to make embedded devices using Bluetooth Low Energy connections easier for everyone: hardware hackers, app developers, students, makers, engineers, and anyone else who wants to leverage their smartphone via BLE. For more information on using the Simblee to create your own applications for embedded project, visit our Simblee Concepts tutorial found in the Documents section below.
With the Sparkfun Simblee BLE Breakout you gain access to all the Simblee pins (with the module end compatible with RFDuino/Simblee shields!), as well as a reset button, an LED and a user accessible button. This is a great development board to stick in a breadboard and start playing with. It is also small enough to fit inside many projects. The voltage regulator is extremely low current, so your low power applications won’t suffer too much for it being included. While you can use the RFduino Programmer Board with this Breakout, we’ve provided a standard 6-pin FTDI breakout programming header as well. This allows the profile of the board to remain low unless necessary. We recommend using the either the LilyPad FTDI Basic or the 5V FTDI Basic for programming the Simblee Breakout.
Note: Please do not use the 3.3V FTDI Basic with this board, as it may not be able to source enough current from the 3.3V rail.
Introducing Simblee
https://www.sparkfun.com/pages/simblee
Wish there was a version with an XBee footprint, so I could plug it into some boards I have...
I'm thinking about making an XBee header to Simblee DIP adapter...
https://learn.sparkfun.com/tutorials/simblee-concepts/library-reference
I'm also waiting for the Android version...
https://www.simblee.com/news.html
Android....Finally!!!!
LOL...I didn't even get through them...reminded me too much of reality TV....Instant turn off. Gonna test the product though.
I'm going for the Puck.js BLE beacon https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/gfw/puckjs-the-ground-breaking-bluetooth-beacon
More than just BT, apparently...
"Simblee is IoT for connecting Everyone and Everything (IoT4EE).
It incorporates Mobile, Bluetooth® Smart, Mesh, Cloud and other forms of wireless connectivity.
Using the Simblee mobile browser on a phone or tablet, anyone can interact with Simblee enabled devices instantly without needing to download additional apps for each device."
Edit: Whoa, the Puck.js looks pretty darn cool, also.
Is there a Simblee spec, just the bullet points, anywhere?
OK. Never mind, I found it.
If I understand correctly, a UI appears on your device and then disappears when out of range.
Pretty impressive, IMO.