According to reports, donations to the American Civil Liberties Union have skyrocketed in the current political climate in the United States. A developer from Amazon Web Services Inc. (AWS), has now programmed an IoT button to make the donation process easier.
We reported last month that the AWS IoT Button Enterprise Program provides physical buttons based on Amazon Dash Button, which are used for commercial purposes like reordering supplies. It allows for IoT device functionality to be added.
In a limited preview, you can use the IoT button to trigger cloud-based services. AWS stated that the programmable device can be used as an onramp to access services such as AWS Lambda and Amazon DynamoDB.
Developer Nathan Pryor had different ideas for the button.
A friend commented that he thought it was funny to ask “Why do you need instant gratification for physical goods?” Why not just push a button to do some real good? He said it in a blog post.
He created a Python script using the Mechanize library and the AWS Lambda service, which allows code to be executed in response of an event.
Pryor explained that Lambda allows you to run small programs such as this without requiring a full-time server. You pay only for the time that your script runs. The script triggers and loads the donation page. It then fills in my name, address, credit card information, and submits it. It sends me a message to let me know if it succeeds.
This task was likely more difficult than any other that the IoT button was used for. He couldn’t find an API that would automate the ACLU donation process. He had to analyze the donation form of the organization to programmatically fill it in.
The donation process was made more difficult by the associated iPhone app, which is supposed to connect and configure the button.
“After hours of frustration, I finally got the IoT button registered manually. I also linked it to the script I had written,” he stated. “Another test. Another $5 to the ACLU.”
It all works now. The button is embellished with a professional-looking graphic, which Pryor printed and attached.
He said, “The button is near my laptop now. Every press sending another $5 into fight.” “I could set up a recurring monthly donation, but that would take away the tactile thrill of the press. I wouldn’t know how to use this technology.”
Pryor posted the code he wrote on GitHub. He allows others to use it at their own risk, but he does not guarantee its security or suitability.
A video provides additional information about Pryor’s creation, in addition to the blog post.
Programmer Targets AWS IoT Buttons for ACLU Donations
