Amazon Just Made a Remote Control for the Internet

The AWS IoT button is already out of stock. Will it be back?

May 16, 2016 9:00 am

Want to order a pizza, summon an Uber or check in at an Airbnb with a single click?

There’s a button for that … but it’s already sold out.

Based on the same hardware that was used to create the Dash button, Amazon unveiled a button that can be programmed to act as a remote control for actions you make on the Internet of Things, from counting items to initiating calls to switching on lights/security systems to ordering a pizza.

Developers snapped up the $20 AWS IoT button — which is designed to integrate with Amazon’s coding platform but can also be integrated with third-party APIs like Twitter, Facebook, Twilio and Slack — in droves. It was out of stock almost instantly.

While the prospect of hacking the device to create a magic button that can do anything has some excited, others are already lamenting that the AWS IoT is only good for about 1,000 clicks before it shorts out.

So is the juice worth the click? You still might be able to find out for yourself.

According to Amazon CTO Werner Vogels, the company was “humbled” by the “amazing enthusiasm” the release generated and there are plans to get more buttons in stock ASAP.

No word on whether you can use a Dash button to get ‘em.

Image via Amazon

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