The Mr. Beacon Ambient IoT Podcast Building Bluetooth Made Easier: SimpleBLE & Lessons from Neuralink
Mar 18, 2025
Kevin Dewald, founder of SimpleBLE and former Neuralink embedded systems engineer, brings deep Bluetooth Low Energy and cross-platform SDK experience. He discusses why SimpleBLE simplifies BLE development. He walks through API design choices, real-world uses from medical to music gear, and how Bluetooth ideas even apply to implant telemetry.
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Uniform Cross‑Platform Bluetooth API
- SimpleBLE hides OS Bluetooth complexity behind a single, consistent API to speed development across platforms.
- Kevin designed sensible defaults so most use cases work without forcing developers to manage OS quirks.
Favor Sensible Defaults Over Maximal Options
- Do pick sensible defaults for SDKs instead of exposing every option to users.
- Defaults simplify adoption and prevent developers from facing unnecessary complexity.
Open Source Turned Sustainable Business
- SimpleBLE began as an open source project but moved to a commercial license to fund maintenance and features.
- Charging allowed Kevin to hire part-time help and deliver a thousand extra development hours.