Customer Reviews

Making Things Talk: Practical Methods for Connecting Physical Objects

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

When I first heard about this book, I assumed it was about projects for speech synthesis. When I read the details on the publisher's site I was somewhat disappointed - talking meant communications in this case. However, I ordered it anyway and was quite delighted by the results. The book is well illustrated, well written, and contains 26 very interesting projects. If you are teaching networking to high schoolers or even to college students, these projects might make interesting case studies to drive home some of the points being studied.

There is one thing I would caution you on though. Don't expect the lead-you-by-the-hand electronics-heavy methodology of most other project books. This book - although apparently targeted at electronics hobbyists - goes into painstaking detail on hardware needed and assembly. However, it oddly assumes the reader doesn't need much coaching on the Processing programming language or PHP. Of course, this book would be an unwieldy tome if tutoring on those subjects were included, but just be warned that you'll need some outside sources if you are not already familiar with either of these languages. The following is the list of contents of the book along with the names and locations of the 26 included projects.

1. The Simplest Tools
2. The Simplest Network
Project 1 - Monski Pong
Project 2 - Wireless Monski Pong
Project 3 - Negotiating in Bluetooth
3. A More Complex Network
Project 4 - A Networked Cat
4. Look Ma! No Computer
Project 5 - Hello Internet
Project 6 - Networked Air Quality Meter
5. Communicating in (Near) Real Time
Project 7 - A Networked Game
6. Wireless Communication
Project 8 - Infrared Transmitter-Receiver Pair
Project 9 - Radio Transmitter-Receiver Pair
Project 10 - Duplex Radio Transmission
Project 11 - Bluetooth Receivers
7. The Tools
Project 12 - Reporting Toxic Chemicals in the Shop
Project 13 - Relaying Solar Data Wirelessly
8. How to Locate (Almost) Anything
Project 14 - Infrared Distance Ranger Example
Project 15 - Ultrasonic Distance Ranger Example
Project 16 - Reading Received Signal Strength Using XBee Radios
Project 17 - Reading Received Signal Strength Using Bluetooth Radios
Project 18 - Reading the GPS Serial Protocol
Project 19 - Determining Heading Using a Digital Compass
Project 20 - Using an Accelerometer
9. Identification
Project 21 - Color Recognition Using a Webcam
Project 22 - 2D Barcode Recognition Using a Webcam
Project 23 - Reading RFID Tags in Processing
Project 24 - RFID Meets Home Automation
Project 25 - IP Geocoding
Project 26 - Email from RFID
A. And Another Thing
B. Where to Get Stuff
C. Program Listings

I don't think I've ever seen a book on "networking" devices be quite this much fun (as well as practical and hands-on)... Making Things Talk: Practical Methods for Connecting Physical Objects by Tom Igoe. Once you're done with this book, you'll know more about communication protocols and networking than you thought possible, and you'll know it well. And Spanky will be able to play pong, too...

Contents:
The Tools; The Simplest Network; A More Complex Network; Look Ma! No Computer; Communicating in (Near) Real Time; Wireless Communication; The Tools; How to Locate (Almost) Anything; Identification; And Another Thing; Where to Get Stuff; Program Listings; Index

Making Things Talk does an outstanding job of blending two different approaches. Books on communication and networking are common, but they are often dry as dirt and deal in how things work "virtually". How-to books, like the Make magazines from O'Reilly, show how to build really cool off-beat stuff, but there's only so much background you can get in a single article. Igoe is able to take the best of both those worlds and create a tutorial on how communications and networking protocols work, as well as how to build stuff that takes advantage of it. Through projects such as the networked CatCam, the Toxic Chemical Alarm, and my favorite, Monski Pong (a stuffed pong-playing monkey), you learn hardware, software, programming, protocols, troubleshooting, you name it. You could also make a course from this material, it's that complete.

While you'll do best with a bit of background in hardware and software design skills, he is very clear on what items are needed. Instead of just saying you need to get a certain capacitor, he tells you the part number as listed on a few different sites. Couple that with very clear pictures and detailed code listings, and your chances of success are pretty good. Surprisingly, the detail doesn't come across as handholding, either. It's just solid information, clearly written for someone who is interested in the subject, with fun outcomes along the way from serial wired communications to wireless, bluetooth, RFID, etc...

If you're looking to learn theory with hands-on reality, this is it.

This idea book and collection of projects on networking microcontrollers with sensors, infrared and radio links, as well as communicating from these sensors and controllers over the Internet, is written by one of the pioneers of physical computing, Tom Igoe. He also teaches at NYU Interactive Telecommunications Program and is a member of the Open Source Hardware--Arduino team. While these projects begin as simply as blinking an LED via the Arduino's port, they proceed through use of sophisticated sensors and actuators involving GPS, RFID, and wireless communications like the Zigbee radio modules. Because these projects involve programming environments (such as Arduino/Wiring, Processing and PHP), physical interaction and interfacing on wireless protoboards and with toys and sensors, and client-server network protocols; it is somewhat unrealistic to assume that a beginning hobbyist without any background in programming, electronics construction or networking could sucessfully implement these designs and others based on their examples without some prior experience. Fortunately, other books such Tom's Physical Computing: Sensing and Controlling the Physical World with Computers, co-authored with Dan O'Sullivan and Massimo Banzi's Getting Started with Arduino (Make: Projects) (also published by O'Reilly) amply provide that background. This book is excellent fun and full of ideas on making physical sensors and actuators talk over a variety of networks (direct cable connections), Zigbee and Bluetooth Radio, and with Ethernet/Internet Applications. The applications are as practical as reading GPS and RFID sensors in real-world applications, and as whimsical as interfacing a toy monkey and your cat's litter box. This book shows whats possible with networked microcontrollers, explains the steps in interfacing with hardware and software in clear English, but implementation of further designs based upon these examples does require some background.

--Ira Laefsky

This book is awesome. It goes with the attitude that everything with a circuit is a tiny computer, so therefore, you should be able to program it. The author then proceeds to show how you can talk various items from around your house--combined with the right circuitry--turn into entirely new creations.

The book begins with the tools of the trade--soldering irons, breadboards, and lots and lots of circuit parts. The author then shows how these simple items can be used to create fun and useful items you can use around the house.

In one of the first projects, the authors show how to create a replacement mouse using one of your favorite stuffed animals. Once you get the basics down, they show how to do the same thing over Bluetooth. Other projects include a network interface so your cat can send email, a wireless RSS component that you can hook up to your TV, a cymbal monkey toxic chemical sensor, and a lot of fun stuff with RFID tags.

The projects in this book are fun to read, easy to follow, fun to build, and a great all around introduction to circuitry and circuit programming. The programs in this book will be easy for anyone with a familiarity with Java or a C-based language.

Finally, the book shows where to get all the stuff you'll need to build these projects. The book lists addresses of hardware manufactures, listing of the software used in the book, and full listings of all the programs used.

This is a great book, and a lot of fun for people who like to get their hands dirty with technology. It's well written, fun to read, and the final projects will impress your family and friends.

I bought this book with one of the Arduino kits online thinking it would be a really great way to get my feet wet with microcontroller programming. While the book does give some very basic starting points, as stated in the preface, it is not a first book in microcontrollers, as some of the marketing might suggest. For me it just took getting up to some speed using the Arduino online tutorials, so if it is your first foray into microcontrollers you will definitely need some supplemental materials. Also the point about making things talk is not about sound but rather about networking, i.e. talking to your computer or a web server.

With that said the book is really well laid out and the projects are applied enough to be useful and fun enough to keep going. The projects have a good ordering to them. You learn about serial and slowly move up to network modules finally getting to wireless and RFID components. You have fun creating things that play games, clap when triggered by events, or automate the home. While some may call the project not very useful, they are really the building blocks for your imagination with the basic to complex, a very nice addition to the simple tutorials you find online.

One note while the book has some neat projects the price tags can really start to add up. Flex sensor here for $25, XBee module there for another $30 and so forth. I have been able to do a lot with switching out some of the more expensive parts but if you are someone thinking about a course or summer study with this book make sure you get it in advance and do some pricing of the projects.

I give it 5 stars for a great combination of items even though the book requires supplemental knowledge. The simple networking tutorials are great though, a subject that is normally a complete bore.

I bought this book in the hopes that I can learn some new and cool projects from the folks who bring us MAKE magazine (which is awesome!). I read the editorial review, and this line - "This book is perfect for people with little technical training but a lot of interest." is what made me purchase the book.
I think that's a very misleading statement. This book is not for beginners. As early as page 25 it starts to get into programing code. Things like PHP, HTML, command line, serial communications, etc... ALL of the projects in the book require working knowledge of micro-controllers.
I'm keeping the book in the hopes that someday I'll learn this stuff, but I'm disappointed that 90% of the book is above my skill level.

This book isn't as good as "Physical Computing: sensing and controlling the physical world with computers" by the same author.
Making Things Talk isn't as informative and complete. The bluetooth section isn't worth the buy, I regret buying this after the Physical Computing book.

This is a great book for anyone who is interested in creating his or her own networked physical computing projects. It covers software, hardware and protocols for local/wireless networks and the Internet. The content is clearly laid out with useful code samples.

Some minor issues: The images included are not informative but rather window-dressing-esque. What's more, the proprietary technologies lock-in, such as Arduino, Wiring and Processing, makes the book less universal. Lastly, this book is definitely not for the beginner. For that purpose you may be better served by "Physical Computing" - also authored by Tom Igoe.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and have read it cover-2-cover.
Granted - some of the projects are a little hokey. Perhaps that is why I kept finding alternate uses for the circuitry.

Negative? The author covered a lot of ground and was forced to limit his depth. That makes it an excellent "Intro" book - but makes me wish for more.

although it's only four years old, this 2007 edition is now obsolete. the types of arduinos discussed aren't up to date, and some of the programs given here don't load correctly in the new environment. also, there are numerous errors in this edition (which have been corrected in the errata pages for this book on the publisher's website -- and one hopes, in the new edition). so for practical purposes, this old version is useless. wish i'd known about this and bought the new edition of this book.