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Even More APIs and IoT at the Small Business Tech Hackathon

Update, Oct 12: We’re excited to announce that Postman will also be joining us as a partner at the #SmallBizHack! Read below for details about Postman.


On October 22 and 23, developers from around the world will converge on the San Jose Convention Center to compete for fame and great prizes by building new solutions that save small businesses and non-profits time and money.  What will you build?

We’re excited to announce that we have some API partners joining us at the hack! These partners will offer their own challenges and prizes in addition to our main challenges. Just imagine what you can create to help small businesses and non-profits save time and money by taking advantage of all this.

Announcing the #SmallBizHack API Partners

 

Jibo – the Social Robot

jibo-logo Jibo is a social robot and platform for developers to build skills (robot applications) that leverage the power and creativity of social robotics. Jibo hears, sees, relates and interacts. No other platform has this construct of personality. Through the Jibo SDK, developers have lower level access to Jibo’s audio processing, visual processing, persona and interaction, and movement capabilities. This gives developers the tools to build a wide range of Jibo Skills (robot applications) for personal enjoyment or as a business opportunity. Check out what Jibo has for developers here.

 

Square: Credit card processing – Accept payments anywhere

square-logo Square creates tools that help sellers of all sizes start, run, and grow their businesses. Square’s point-of-sale service offers tools for every part of running a business, from accepting credit cards and tracking inventory, to real-time analytics and invoicing. Square also offers sellers financial and marketing services, including small business financing and customer engagement tools. Businesses and individuals use Square Cash, an easy way to send and receive money, as well as Caviar, a food delivery service for popular restaurants. Check out what Square has for developers here.

 

Google’s Api.ai – Conversational UX platform

api_ai_logoGoogle’s Api.ai provides developers and companies with the advanced tools they need to build conversational user interfaces for apps and hardware devices. The Api.ai platform lets developers seamlessly integrate intelligent voice command systems into their products to create consumer-friendly, voice-enabled user interfaces. Api.ai is also the platform behind Assistant, a first of its kind conversational assistant app created in 2010. With over 40 million users, it is the highest rated assistant app available. Check out what Google’s Api.ai has for developers here.

 

QuickBooks – Accounting software for small business

quickbooks-logo_horz

QuickBooks Online is the world’s leading accounting platform for small business, with more than 1.5 million subscribers worldwide. Intuit Developer Group provides APIs and SDKs to 3rd-party developers and partners, enabling them to create powerful apps that integrate with the QuickBooks platform. The rapidly growing small business market is a huge opportunity for developers as these SMBs are rapidly transitioning to the cloud. Whether you’re an app developer or an entrepreneur, Intuit counts on innovative developers to help improve the lives of business owners everywhere. Check out what Intuit has for developers here.

 

Postman – How people build and test APIs

postmanPostman is the essential toolchain for API developers to share, test, document and monitor APIs and is used by more than three million engineers and developers worldwide. Postman is an elegant, flexible tool used to build connected software via APIs—quickly, easily and accurately. Developers at industry-leading enterprises use Postman, which is headquartered in Bangalore, with offices in Austin and San Francisco. Postman is privately held, with funding from Nexus Venture Partners. Learn more at www.getpostman.com, or connect with Postman on Twitter via @postmanclient.

 

Internet of Things Lending Library

In addition to the APIs, we’ll have lots of IoT gadgets for you to check out and use in your solutions (first come, first served). Think about what you can do with these:

  • Amazon Echo: A new category of device designed around your voice. It is hands-free and always on. Customers ask Echo for information, music, news, and weather from across the room and get answers instantly.
  • Oculus Rift: Oculus is making it possible to experience anything, anywhere, through the power of virtual reality. Rift requires a hefty, suped up PC. Be sure your system meets the minimum requirements if you want to hack on this!
  • Smart Jewelry:
  • Myo armband: Wearable gesture control and motion control device that lets you take control of your phone, computer, and more, touch-free.
  • Nest Home Devices: Programmable, self-learning, sensor-driven, Wi-Fi-enabled devices for the smart, connected home.
    • Nest thermostat
    • Nest Protect smoke detector
  • Garmin smart scale
  • Ring smart doorbell
  • RFID Reader
  • Raspberry Pi 3, Arduino Kit, and Sphero

 

How do I register?

There are 2 ways to register for the hackathon:

  • Attendance at the hackathon is included when you purchase your QuickBooks Connect conference pass. When you register, choose the 2-day pass, enter promo code QBC16DEVELOPER (for $200 off the ticket price), and during the registration flow be sure to select the optional Hackathon activity. Once you’re registered, we’ll follow up with all the details re the hackathon.
  • If you aren’t sure you can commit to the full conference, you can register for just the hackathon at this Eventbrite link. Use promo code QUICKBOOKS to get in for free!

 

Official rules

Be sure to read the official rules for the hackathon here.

Looking forward to seeing you creating amazing things in San Jose on October 22 and 23!


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One response to “Even More APIs and IoT at the Small Business Tech Hackathon”

  1. David Avatar
    David

    Some quick ideas/use cases to get your creative juices flowing:

    1) Shoe salesman checks on a specific shoe size using an Amazon Echo, just by saying “Alexa, how many size 7 green converse are in stock?”, Alexa checks the inventory in QuickBooks Online and responds “4 pairs”
    2) A brewer could use a Garmin smart scale under a bucket of hops so once the scale detects a weight minimum was hit, it could kick off a purchase order in QuickBooks Online for new bags of hops.
    3) Connecting a nest Thermostat to an employee scheduling API, so that it can set the correct temperature based on which employees are scheduled to work
    4) A mechanic working under a car could use a Myo armband to start and stop a time clock or make changes to a customers invoice just by hand movements, when dirty hands or a loud work environment aren’t conducive to touch screens or voice commands.
    5) Using an Oculous Rift VR system to “virtually strangle” your overdue customers. 🙂
    6) Using Ringly as a security device to sign into a Point of Sale terminal at a restaurant.
    7) Have a Jibo Robot as your Point of Sale (tablet based POSs are so 2013)
    8) Use a Sphero as a shopping assistant at a grocery store. You walk in with your “to buy” list, a Sphero greats you, then leads you through the store to each product you have on your list.

    I could go on and on, please add some of your ideas below.

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