This week’s Smart World Series delivers updates on the technological innovations that harnesses the power of the sun, a hat that has the potential to replace the fitness tracker, and an initiative to help developers launch Internet of Things projects.

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For those who missed last week’s Smart World Series, here’s a chance to catch up on the exciting developments in the connected world.  Each week, SiliconANGLE rounds up the top news trends regarding smart homes and cars, smart data centers and IT, smart infrastructure and all things related to the Internet of Things.

Smart projects bring home the sun, train dogs

The sun plays a crucial role in our lives, from growing crops to helping maintain a person’s well-being. The Photon Project has come up with Photon Space, a living space that is built from glass so inhabitants can maximize the sun’s benefits. The glass can be made opaque if needed for privacy.

Also featured in this roundup is the Sunn Light light fixture that mimics the behavior of the sun and  WÜF, and a smart dog collar that allows you and your pal communicate.

Find out more about these smart and amazing innovations that can change the way we live in our Smart Living roundup.

Can this hat replace your Fitbit?

Forget about fitness tracking bracelets, necklaces or even shirts as the LifeBEAM smart hat aims to replace, or complement these devices. It tracks the wearer’s  heart rate, cadence, steps and calories burned, then sends the collected data to your smartphone or smartwatch.

Also featured in this roundup is the Kinsa, Inc. raising $9.6 million for its smart thermometer, and a partnership between Luxottica Group and Intel Corp. for the future of wearable technology.

Find out more about this new fitness tracker, partnership and funding in out Smart Health roundup.

The physical web gains support with IoT grants, new SDKs

Can an expedition speed up creation of Internet of Things solutions? That’s what Google is hoping for with its Open Web of Things initiative that offers cash grants to lucky developers and researchers.

Also featured in this roundup is Blesh’s Physical Web Beacon and App for developers to incorporate into their own IoT projects, and Broadcom Corp. adding NFC to its Wireless Internet Connectivity for Embedded Devices (WICED) software development kit (SDK).

Find out more about Google’s Open Web of Things and other initiatives to help developers in our Smart DevOps roundup.

Tune in next week for more interesting stories, discoveries and innovations in the world of smart and connected things.

Image via The Photon Project