We've recently released updated groov View apps in both the App Store and GooglePlay.

These are optional apps you can download for free and use to see your groov operator interface on iOS or Android mobile devices. Using an app instead of a browser can help reduce distractions and keep focus on the interface.

The new version 2.2 lengthens the timeout from 20 seconds to 60 seconds, which may help with slower network connections.

groov is designed for building simple mobile operator interfaces, but some of you have asked about more advanced features.

For example, you've asked if it's possible to put one gadget on top of another.

In most cases that won't work, because the gadget on top "wins"—it's the one users will see and be able to use.

But sometimes you can use a special trick to put an image gadget on top of another gadget and have the combination work to your advantage. The two graphics above show one use of this trick: making an arrow appear or disappear based upon whether you're filling or draining a tank.

Do you have an Allen-Bradley® PLC? Would you like to monitor or even control parts of your system with your smartphone or tablet?

Our video groov your A-B shows you how easy it is to do exactly that.

Opto 22 engineer Ben Orchard steps you through it:

1. Import tags from your A-B PLC to the tag server.
2. Import tags to groov.
3. Attach tags to gadgets.

Researchers at Michigan State University Foundation's biotechnology research center rely on deionized (DI) water for their experiments.

But with a limited supply of DI water, they sometimes ran out before an experiment was completed.

Facilities Director Phil Hegge knew that the best solution was a costly upgrade to the center's ionization and filtration system. A low-cost temporary solution, however, was to give researchers up-to-the-minute data on the water supply. They could monitor the water level in the tank and know whether to reschedule an experiment.

A recent OptoForum post (in the groov forum, of course) talks about two new gadget improvements in groov 2: a new feature for an existing gadget and a new gadget.

Do you have a Siemens® PLC system? If you do, take a look at our latest video: groov your Siemens.

The video shows just how easy it is to build an operator interface to monitor or even control your Siemens equipment from your smartphone, tablet, or computer. It's Your system on your mobile™.

Opto 22 engineer Ben Orchard walks you through the setup in three steps:

If you bought groov before November 22, 2013—either the original groov Box appliance or groov Server for Windows—we've got great news: you get a free upgrade to groov 2. That's an $895 value.

You can download the new version today and start talking to other manufacturers' automation systems as well as Opto 22 SNAP PAC Systems and OptoEMU Sensor energy monitoring units.

Control Engineering's annual Engineers' Choice Awards highlight some of the best new control, instrumentation, and automation products in the industry.

And this year groov is a finalist in the Awards for 2014!

For 26 years Control Engineering has recognized new products, and their 23 categories include a variety of hardware, software, safety, and process control products.

Now you can easily build mobile interfaces for virtually any automation system.

Allen-Bradley, Siemens, GE, Schneider, Yokogawa, Modbus: with groov 2 you can securely monitor and control these and many more systems—through a groov operator interface that you can use on just about any mobile device.

In the Charter Township of Union, Michigan, staff used to have to travel to each equipment location to check on wells, pumping stations, and water treatment plants.

Wastewater Superintendent Michael Dearing and Chief Water Operator Shaun McBride added PCs running HMI software plus remote desktop software to view them, but it wasn't enough.

What they really wanted was a mobile solution to monitor even the smallest installations and check on key process indicators like flow, tank levels, and power consumption.