M2M and the Internet of Things

Straddling the line between business-centric M2M applications and the consumer-friendly Internet of Things is this inexpensive, open-source board that allows certain GE appliances to interface with smart controllers and embedded computing devices like the Raspberry Pi. Called the Green Bean, the device is touted as a way to connect household appliances with end-users to send notifications, status alerts and other messages, and potentially allow users to remotely control the devices as well.

The group is keeping their efforts in the open source domain in hopes of attracting as many end-users and novel end-uses as possible. It's not hard to imagine a future where manufacturers start embedding this functionality directly into their products too, especially as component prices continue to drop.