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The 'Internet of Things' gets new digs

The "Internet of Things" has a new and improved switchboard.

Pachube -- basically an API to connect and collect data from all kinds of devices, sensors, and environments worldwide -- yesterday rebranded and relaunched itself as Cosm, with a new focus on collaboration and social elements.

Pachube's founders first envisioned it as a "patch bay" to connect the Internet of Things, but say they've since expanded the vision to be less about "behind-the-scenes infrastructure."

"The idea of the Internet of Things needing a piece of equipment has become less useful than the concept of it involving shared 'workspaces' and 'environments' ('microcosms' and 'macrocosms')," write's Cosm's Usman Haque in a blog post announcing the changes.

Aside from the name change, which Haque repeatedly touts as much easier to pronounce than Pachube, Cosm's improvements include a new user console to monitor data feeds, more real-time data, commenting, and a more sophisticated system to manage into the thousands of devices.… Read more

App tracks direction of Fukushima radiation

It was only a matter of time until we had a decent app to track radiation from Fukushima.

Almost from the moment problems started at the Japanese nuclear power plant, the crowd was in on the action. At first it was just Webcams trained on geiger counters somewhere in Tokyo with the continuous image fed to UStream.

Then some dude from Portland got on Kickstarter and raised more than 35 grand to send more geiger counters to the country and aggregate their readings online with measurements from governments, nonprofits, and the crowd.

That last project also integrates with something called Pachube, an impressive global and crowdsourced platform for sharing real-time environmental and energy data. London-based Pachube also offers up an API and other tools for tinkerers and developers like Japan's Seigo Ishino, who created "Wind From Fukushima."

The free Android app is basically a mashup of radiation sensor readings, Google Maps, and wind data from across Japan--the result is a real-time display of not only where the radiation is right now, but also which way it's heading.… Read more