Brillo is Google's Operating System for the Internet of Things

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Owen Williams

Former TNW employee

Owen was a reporter for TNW based in Amsterdam, now a full-time freelance writer and consultant helping technology companies make their word (show all) Owen was a reporter for TNW based in Amsterdam, now a full-time freelance writer and consultant helping technology companies make their words friendlier. In his spare time he codes, writes newsletters and cycles around the city.

Google today announced its first operating system for the Internet of Things: Brillo.

Brillo is based on a stripped down version of Android that can run on minimal system requirements, perfect for devices like lightbulbs, and offers a protocol for synchronizing data between devices called ‘Weave.’

Weave is a cross-platform common language (based on JSON) that will be available to developers in Q4.

Android smartphones and tablets will automatically detect other IoT devices and offer to add and configure them automatically. What’s most surprising is that Brillo is compatible with devices regardless of platform.