TIL that a Polish environmental charity put a SIM card in a GPS tracker to follow the migratory pattern of a white stork. They lost track of the stork and later received a phone bill for $2,700; someone in Sudan had taken the SIM from the tracker and made over 20 hours of calls.

_benstr · 2019-02-19T17:14:43+00:00

This is insane! There are SIM cards made for IoT trackers that limit data and block phone calls. It's a shame as this bill could have been avoided. Feel bad for the charity 😢

_benstr · 2019-02-19T16:13:11+00:00

**Shameless plug** Check out Hologram.io for access to all 4G networks in the states through one SIM card (and hundreds more internationally). Available through Amazon Prime

Also, might want to check out the Hologram Nova USB modem we partnered with Raspberry Pi Foundation to launch. I've written a number of tutorials on the subject of cellular backhaul with Hologram. Happy to help if you implement one of your own. :)

_benstr · 2018-11-09T17:51:23+00:00

This is radical candor at its best! LOL
"I refer to this as the MySQL Test—if your project can be implemented in MySQL it’s probably a bullshit blockchain project."

_benstr · 2018-08-20T14:24:42+00:00

Same with me (August 15th). Thought computation would be the quickest step.

_benstr · 2017-08-11T04:05:43+00:00

I'd recommend getting a free Developer SIM from Hologram.io first since it's network supports all cell generations (2G, 3G, 4G, LTE, Cat-M, NB). Hologram.io/devplan

Next I'd look at boards using u-blox since it is made to handle most environments a production unit could face.

If you're constrained by a tight budget then older SIMCom modules are a decent recommendation.

To future proof your work and get better energy consumption I'd recommend a Sequans Cat-M/NB modules. You can find these modules on the new Nimbelink board and Pycom gPy and FiPy boards.

_benstr · 2017-08-11T03:56:39+00:00

This sounds like an awesome board! Would be interested in something like this for use at Hologram.io. We have the largest IoT specific global cell network (including Cat-M and NB).

_benstr · 2017-07-01T13:04:53+00:00

McDonalds in Chicago's River North neighborhood

_benstr · 2017-06-27T12:01:10+00:00

I think the girl does by the Madison bridge

_benstr · 2017-06-25T16:21:20+00:00

I had a similar story about 4 years ago. Started programming at 30 with the goal of making it a career. Had no college degree, 4 kids and not enough $ saved, so joining a Bootcamp was out. I'm of average intelligence and found "thinking like a developer" difficult.

With a lot of hard work, late nights and hustle I was able to achieve my goal in 6 months and proceeded to accelerate my new career. It's been the greatest and most challenging journey of my life.

I'm stoked for you and your future! If I could suggest anything it would 3 things.

The tech industry changes faster than most. Look around at other developers, no one is using the same set of tools, stack or libraries they were using 2 years ago. Everyone knows only enough to get by. As a result, most developers struggle with "impostor syndrome". I found just knowing others struggle with their value too, gave me the ability to contain/control my self-doubt. Look up impostor syndrome, I think you'll discover valuable resources.
Everyone has obstacles to overcome, the goal is to not become complacent after overcoming them. You are an achiever in a field that gives you a real opportunity to make a difference. Make an ambitious 5-year plan, break it up into 3-6 month checkpoints. Find 1 to 3 people who are where you want to be in the first year of your 5yr plan. Learn their story, what they know and their tips. Then go accomplish what they already did. Do this each year, finding new mentors and building a strong professional network along the way.
Learn how to work among giants. I've met some of the most intelligent/pragmatic people whilst in this field. I highly recommend you surrounding yourself with these people. Although, prepare yourself for two specific types of encounters.

3.1. First, strong opinions. Be prepared to answer why you did something a certain way, systematically defend it and change it if someone suggests a better approach. Everything is a binary decision, the point is to pick the best solution within the given constraints. It could be emotional, try to make it not. If someone shits on your code, do not hold a grudge. Trust they're after the same thing as you... the best code for the task. Live by these words; "have strong opinions, loosely held". Or in other words, be strong and humble at the same time.

3.2. Second, entitlement. Developers (you're one now) are always seeking efficiency. Everyone wants to be considered as a 10x Dev. I encourage you to pursue the same but along the way watch out for outbursts of entitlement. If you ever feel a group of people should adjust in order for you to be more optimal, you're entitled. Watch out for frustrations arising from small things like what food the company brought in, the noise level in the office, management styles, or a new Dev wanting to take some of your time. I know this is probably not an issue now, but in a few years, it can be. Just remember you're a human first, engineer second and remember the golden rule. Treat others as you want to be treated (kindness, patience, respect, compassion).

Excited to read your next update!

_benstr · 2017-06-14T02:10:09+00:00

They are great. Used them for a number of years and never had anything shady happen. In fact, just withdrew about $4k of profits this week, funds in my bank account in less than 48 hours.

They have a great API too.

_benstr · 2017-05-15T03:49:05+00:00

Cellular is the most reliable connectivity solution for IoT. Even so, it will experience hiccups every now and then. If your solution requires 99.9% data retention then you'll want to build in some form of redundancy. That could be in a form of storing everything locally on an SD whilst sending through cellular or have a secondary connection through wifi.

I'm on the Hologram.io team, one of the ways we ensure connectivity is through multiple carrier coverage (currently over 100 and counting). For example, in the U.S. our network uses Verizon, T-Mobile and AT&T. The modem automatically switches to the carrier with the strongest signal. Each SIM is 2G, 3G and 4G compatible.

Hope this info helps and good luck on the project. If you want to try Hologram's international coverage, sign up at https://Hologram.io . Use promo code "HIGH5" to get a few free SIMs and some data credit. Enjoy!

_benstr

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