Writing a SquareTag Application


Summary

SquareTag is more than a lost and found service because SquareTag is a development platform. You can make SquareTag do anything you want.

SquareTag on keys

We recently launched SquareTag, a service for creating the Internet of My Things. The basic service available on SquareTag is something we call "Safe and Mine." A way to tag things you care so that you can recover them if they're lost.

But as I've said before, what sets SquareTag apart is that it's programmable. Different things can have different functionality. A simple example is my furnace:

I have a note-taking application running on my furnace that let's me keep track of when I last changed the filter. The furnace's cloud keeps track of the filter I use, where I buy it, the HVAC installer I use for service, and so on. To use it, I simply scan the tag on the furnace and start adding a note.
From Introducing SquareTag | Phil Windley's Technometria
Referenced Fri Feb 22 2013 07:19:40 GMT-0700 (MST)

Another example is Steve's blood pressure monitor:

Steve put a SquareTag on his sphygmomanometer (see picture) and made the Journal app the default app. Now when he measures his blood pressure, he simply scans the tag with his phone, enters the reading, and hits "save." Couldn't be easier and since he already had the device, it's cheap.
From Activity Contexts in SquareTag | Phil Windley's Technometria
Referenced Fri Feb 22 2013 07:20:50 GMT-0700 (MST)

Anyone can write a SquareTag application. Jessie Morris has written two simple tutorials for the beginning SquareTag programmer:

  1. The first step is creating a CloudOS application. This tutorial helps you create a Hello World app that runs in the CloudOS.
  2. After you have an app, the next step is to modify it so that it's a SquareTag app. The primary idea is that it has to respond when a tag is scanned.

We can help you source and create custom tags that will be tied to your app so that you can use SquareTag as a platform for whatever you like. Contact us if you'd like to know more.


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Last modified: Wed Feb 12 16:58:06 2020.