How cool would it be if your computer could talk to your sprinkler system and tell it to water your plants if the past few days have been really hot according to Weather.com? It would be friggin’ awesome! And you can actually make this happen, if you know the bits and bobs involved and have a knack for programming.

This week, we’ll be giving away 25 copies of Getting Started with the Internet of Things by Cuno Pfister from O’Reilly Media. Jump in for a quick description of the book and join the giveaway!

Quoting O’Reilly,

What is the Internet of Things? It’s billions of embedded computers, sensors, and actuators all connected online. If you have basic programming skills, you can use these powerful little devices to create a variety of useful systems—such as a device that waters plants when the soil becomes dry. This hands-on guide shows you how to start building your own fun and fascinating projects.

Learn to program embedded devices using the .NET Micro Framework and the Netduino Plus board. Then connect your devices to the Internet with Pachube, a cloud platform for sharing real-time sensor data. All you need is a Netduino Plus, a USB cable, a couple of sensors, an Ethernet connection to the Internet—and your imagination.

• Develop programs with simple outputs (actuators) and inputs (sensors)
• Learn about the Internet of Things and the Web of Things
• Build client programs that push sensor readings from a device to a web service
• Create server programs that allow you to control a device over the Web
• Get the .NET classes and methods needed to implement all of the book’s examples

Getting Started with the Internet of Things is an awesome ebook to help guide you to inventing new and clever things to automate your life. Get a copy of this ebook worth $19.99 by joining the giveaway.

How do I win a copy?

It’s simple, just follow the instructions.

Step 1: Fill in the giveaway form

Please fill in the form with your real name and email address so that we can get in touch if you are chosen as a winner. Click here if you can’t view the form.

The giveaway code required to activate the form is available from Friday’s newsletter or on our Facebook page.

Step 2: Share!

You’re almost done. Now, all that’s left to do is to share the post. There are 2 options to choose from or you can do both!

This giveaway begins now and ends Friday, July 15th at 2100hrs PDT. The winners will be selected at random and informed via email.

Spread the word to your friends and have fun!

MakeUseOf would like to thank O’Reilly for their generosity while participating in this giveaway. Interesting in sponsoring? We’d love to hear from you. Get in touch with us via email.