aster ," ▁a ▁to aster ▁which ▁could ▁be ▁controlled ▁from ▁the ▁Internet . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 1 , ▁Robin ▁South gate ▁from ▁Brun el ▁University ▁in ▁England ▁created ▁a ▁to aster ▁that ▁could ▁to ast ▁a ▁graph ic ▁of ▁the ▁weather ▁prediction ▁( limited ▁to ▁sun ny ▁or ▁cloud y ) ▁onto ▁a ▁piece ▁of ▁bread . ▁The ▁to aster ▁d ial s ▁a ▁pre - coded ▁phone ▁number ▁to ▁get ▁the ▁weather ▁forec ast . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 5 , ▁Techn olog ic ▁Systems , ▁a ▁vendor ▁of ▁embedded ▁systems ▁hardware , ▁designed ▁a ▁to aster ▁running ▁the ▁Net B SD ▁Unix - like ▁operating ▁system ▁as ▁a ▁sales ▁demonstr ation ▁system . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 2 , ▁Bas he er ▁T ome , ▁a ▁student ▁at ▁Georgia ▁Te ch , ▁designed ▁a ▁to aster ▁using ▁color ▁sens ors ▁to ▁to ast ▁bread ▁to ▁the ▁exact ▁sh ade ▁of ▁brown ▁specified ▁by ▁a ▁user . ▁ ▁A ▁to aster ▁which ▁used ▁Twitter ▁was ▁c ited ▁as ▁an ▁early ▁example ▁of ▁an ▁application ▁of ▁the ▁Internet ▁of ▁Things . ▁To aster s ▁have ▁been ▁used ▁as ▁advert ising ▁devices ▁for ▁online ▁market ing . ▁ ▁With ▁permanent ▁modifications , ▁a ▁to aster ▁o ven ▁can ▁be ▁used ▁as ▁a ▁re flow ▁o ven ▁for ▁the ▁purpose ▁of ▁sol der ing ▁electronic ▁components ▁to ▁circuit ▁bo ards . ▁ ▁A ▁hot ▁dog ▁to aster ▁is ▁a ▁variation ▁on ▁the ▁to aster ▁design ; ▁it ▁will ▁cook ▁hot