So much more than video:

One of my all-time favorite groov features is the Video Camera gadget.

The gadget is pretty interesting as it's simply an image placeholder. Just point the gadget at a URL that resolves in an image and the gadget will display it and update it.

Of course, for an IP video camera, this usually means a JPG image. The groov user's guide has a nice section down the back that will help you get your camera showing up in groov, so be sure to check it out.

If you're interested in some other uses for the gadget, then read on and let's have some fun!

Topics: Videos, groov, Internet of Things, Remote monitoring, Electronics, IoT

groov 3.0 is available now! And here are two reasons to get excited about this easy-to-use tool for building and viewing your own mobile apps for automation:

- First, new features like events, notifications, and built-in simulated tags

- Second, new platform options with lower pricing for simple remote installations and machine builders/OEMs

Topics: groov, Updates, optonews, OptoNews 2015-05-21

Introducing 3 new groov platforms with lower prices for OEMs, machine builders, and simple remote installations, in addition to platforms for more complex monitoring and control:

• groov Solo
• groov Plus
• groov Enterprise

Topics: groov, Updates, optonews, OptoNews 2015-05-21

We've just released PAC Project software 9.4008, an important update that eliminates a security vulnerability recently identified in OptoOPCServer (specifically in OPC Test Client, a separate application previously included with OptoOPCServer.)

Topics: Updates, optonews, OptoNews 2015-05-21

You already know that the OptoForum is a great place to get your questions asked and answered. 

It's also a great place to learn about using tables, subroutines, and pointers in PAC Control; built-in protocols like SNMP in SNAP PAC controllers; and more. 

The new forum called 101 Mini-Lessons gets you started learning about a variety of subjects:

Topics: Tips, optonews, PACs, OptoNews 2015-05-21

---

Nothing like a cold shower to get you moving:

Most of us never give any thought to our hot water service pilot flame. But when it goes out...cold shower first thing in the morning, anyone?

Bleh.

The first time it happened, I simply re-lit the pilot and showered with cold water. After the third cold shower, I knew it was time to be a little more proactive!

Topics: Energy management, groov, Internet of Things, Remote monitoring, Water & wastewater, Electronics, Tips, IoT, Machine builder

---

Get a mop, I spilt some electricity:

The past few blogs we have talked about visualizing water usage in groov and how it not only helped me save water, but also highlighted the fact that I was not seeing all the water use I thought I was.

Electricity is a bit different from most other things. Spill water on the floor and it's pretty obvious; spill electricity and often no one is the wiser.

Was I seeing all the power use in my house? Are there any so-called phantom loads (sometimes called vampire loads) sucking or sipping power that I did not know about?

Topics: Energy management, groov, Internet of Things, Remote monitoring, Electronics, IoT

If you've already got your groov, make sure it's activated and back up your project.

If you don't have groov yet, you'll definitely want it now.

Get ready for some great new features in groov 3.0, available soon. Here's a preview of just a few:

Topics: groov, Updates, optonews, OptoNews 2015-04-29

High on the list of things you'd rather not do: clean up liquid waste from an overflowing storage tank.

Avoiding this kind of mess is especially good when your business includes storing and disposing of liquid waste from industry and manufacturing.

That's the business Plummer's Environmental Services is in.

Along with a variety of other services—including hydro excavating, manhole rehabilitation, and emergency spill response—the Michigan-based company collects liquid waste from Midwest industrial and municipal customers, stores it, and treats it.

Topics: Case studies, Water & wastewater, optonews, OptoNews 2015-04-29, Integrators

Here's a tech tip for the more adventurous among you, who'd like to learn a faster, shorter way to code repetitious actions on similarly named variables or I/O.

A recent post on the OptoForum asked for an OptoScript equivalent to Eval(), a function used in a variety of programming languages, typically to act on expressions or operators passed in a string.

We won't get into the question of whether Eval() is "evil" or not (apparently it has a reputation for trouble in more than one language). Instead, we'll move right into how you can do good things by using a similar approach in your PAC Control strategy—and clean up a lot of spaghetti code in the process. 

Topics: Tips, optonews, OptoNews 2015-04-29