Mobile infrastructure must catch up with user needs and demands. Ubiquitous mobile computing is all around us. Some time in the next six months, the number of smartphones on earth will pass the number of PCs. As the power and capability of many mobile devices increases, the increased demand on networks. We watch more videos, and listen to music on our phones. Mobile Data Traffic To Grow 300% Globally By 2017 Led By Video, Web Use. Mobile network operators would have had an easier life if it wasn’t for smartphones and the flood of data traffic they initiated, and soon there will be also very many Internet of Things devices. Businesses and consumers want more bandwidth for less money.
More and more network bandwidth is being used by video: Netflix And YouTube Account For Over 50% Of Peak Fixed Network Data In North America. Netflix remains the biggest pig in the broadband python, representing 31.6% of all downstream Internet traffic in North America during primetime. In other parts of the world, YouTube is the biggest consumer of bandwidth. In Europe, YouTube represented of 28.7% of downstream traffic.
Gartner: Top 10 Strategic Technology Trends For 2014 expects that Software Defined Anything is a new mega-trend in data centers. Software-defined anything (SDx) is defined by “improved standards for infrastructure programmability and data center interoperability driven by automation inherent to cloud computing, DevOps and fast infrastructure provisioning.” Dominant vendors in a given sector of an infrastructure-type may elect not to follow standards that increase competition and lower margins, but end-customer will benefit from simplicity, cost reduction opportunities, and the possibility for consolidation. More hype around Software-Defined-Everything will keep the marketeers and the marchitecture specialists well employed for the next twelve months but don’t expect anything radical.
Software defined technologies are coming quickly to telecom operator networks with Network Functions Virtualisation (NFV). Intel and rather a lot of telcos want networks to operate like data centres. Today’s networks are mostly based around proprietary boxes designed to do very specific jobs. It used to be that way in the server business too until cheap generic x86 boxes took most of the market. The idea in NFV is that low-cost x86 servers can successfully many of those those pricey proprietary boxes currently attached to base-stations and other parts of the network. This scents a shift in the mood of the telcos themselves. This change is one that they want, and rather a lot of them are working together to make it happen. So the future mobile network will have more and more x86 and ARM based generic computing boxes running on Linux.
With the introduction of Network Functions Virtualisation base stations will have new functions built into them. For example NSN has announced a mobile edge computing platform that enables mobile base stations to host data and run apps. Think of this as an internet cloud server that’s really close to the customer.
Hybrid Cloud and IT as Service Broker are talked about. Telecom companies and cloud service providers are selling together service packages that have both connectivity and cloud storage sold as single service. Gartner suggests that bringing together personal clouds and external private cloud services is essential.
The type of device one has will be less important, as the personal or public cloud takes over some of the role. The push for more personal cloud technologies will lead to a shift toward services and away from devices, but there are also cases where where there is a great incentive to exploit the intelligence and storage of the client device. Gartner suggests that now through 2018, a variety of devices, user contexts, and interaction paradigms will make “everything everywhere” strategies unachievable, although many would like to see this working.
“Internet of Things” gets more push. The Internet is expanding into enterprise assets and consumer items such as cars and televisions. The concept of “Internet of Things” will evolve a step toward The Internet of Everything. Gartner identifies four basic usage models that are emerging: Manage, Monetize, Operate, Extend. The Internet of Things (IoT) will evolve into the Web of Things, increasing the coordination between things in the real world and their counterparts on the Web. The Industrial Internet of Things will be talked about. IoT takes advantage of mobile devices’ and sensors’ ability to observe and monitor their environments
Car of the future is M2M-ready and has Ethernet. Many manufacturers taking an additional step to develop vehicle connectivity. One such example is the European Commission’s emergency eCall system, which is on target for installation in every new car by 2015.
Smart Home Systems Are on the Rise article tells that most automated technology is found in commercial buildings that feature automated lighting that changes in intensity depending on the amount of sunlight present. Some of these buildings have WiFi incorporated into their lighting systems. There will be new and affordable technology on the market, but people today are still reluctant to bring automation to their homes.
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Tomi Engdahl says:
VoCore: A coin-sized Linux computer with wifi
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/vocore-a-coin-sized-linux-computer-with-wifi#home
VoCore is an open hardware runs OpenWrt. It has WIFI, USB, UART, 20+ GPIOs but size is only one inch. It helps you make a smart house or study embedded system.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Microchip Buys Taiwan’s ISSC Tech
Inhouse Bluetooth expertise advances IoT strategy
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1322477&
Microchip Technology Inc. made a move to make its first major overseas acquisition with a $328.5 million deal to acquire Taiwanese fabless chip company ISSC Technologies Corp., which sells Bluetooth chips aimed at the growing IoT sector.
Microchip’s motivation behind the purchase stems from its need to add proprietary low-power Bluetooth products to its product portfolio. Microchip already has an arsenal of chip products tailored for the embedded market, including microcontrollers, analog chips, Flash-IP, as well as WiFi and Bluetooth modules. However, Microchip’s Bluetooth modules employ chips made by other companies. By gaining ISSC’s wireless expertise in providing Bluetooth solutions, Microchip believes it has leverage to be a major chip player in the IoT market.
Tomi Engdahl says:
IoT on Display at SolidCon
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1322460&
In the growing Internet of Things, devices that were once strictly mechanical are now blends of hardware and software — packages of microcontrollers, sensors, and networked software. The result is a connected world full of possibilities for medical, industrial, and commercial verticals
Tomi Engdahl says:
Cox will start its gigabit internet rollout in Phoenix, Las Vegas and Omaha
http://www.engadget.com/2014/05/24/cox-gigabit-cities/
Bandwidth-hungry internet users can register a few new cities as potentially acceptable places to live. Following Google Fiber and AT&T, Cox Communications is one of the first big cable companies to announce plans for internet service at gigabit speeds, and the initial areas on its list are Phoenix, Las Vegas and Omaha.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Quad Lasers Deliver Fast, Earth-Based Internet To the Moon
http://science.slashdot.org/story/14/05/25/1846220/quad-lasers-deliver-fast-earth-based-internet-to-the-moon
“A joint project involving NASA and MIT researchers had demonstrated technology last year that could supply a lunar colony with broadband via lasers (“faster Internet access than many U.S. homes get”) and has already demonstrated its worth in communications with spacecraft.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
MIT figures out how to give the moon broadband — using lasers
Researchers will give more details next month on an experimental laser link
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9248549/MIT_figures_out_how_to_give_the_moon_broadband_using_lasers
Four transmitting telescopes in the New Mexico desert, each just 6 inches in diameter, can give a satellite orbiting the moon faster Internet access than many U.S. homes get.
The telescopes form the earthbound end of an experimental laser link to demonstrate faster communication with spacecraft and possible future bases on the moon and Mars. Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology will give details about the system and its performance next month at a conference of The Optical Society.
LLCD has already proved itself, transmitting data from LADEE to Earth at 622Mbps (bits per second) and in the other direction at 19.44Mbps, according to MIT. It beat the fastest-ever radio communication to the moon by a factor of 4,800.
The hard part of reaching the moon by laser is getting through Earth’s atmosphere
One way the researchers got around that was by using the four separate telescopes. Each sends its beam through a different column of air, where the light-bending effects of the atmosphere are slightly different. That increases the chance that at least one of the beams will reach the receiver on the LADEE.
Test results have been promising, according to MIT, with the 384,633-kilometer optical link providing error-free performance in both darkness and bright sunlight, through partly transparent thin clouds, and through atmospheric turbulence that affected signal power.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Internet of Things needs a security model to protect user data
IoT security becomes a hot topic at The INQUIRER and Intel’s roundtable event
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2346239/the-internet-of-things-needs-a-security-model-to-protect-user-data
THE INTERNET OF THINGS (IoT) needs its own security model to protect user data and enable innovation, it was argued at The INQUIRER’s Internet of Things roundtable event in London on Wednesday.
The INQUIRER and Intel welcomed a number of professionals from organisations including Bosch, the London School of Economics and the West Middlesex Hospital to the roundtable at London’s Groucho Club on Wednesday, where the security concerns surrounding the Internet of Things quickly became a hot area for discussion
Intel said that the Internet of Things, which is expected to see 26 billion connected devices by 2020, needs its own security model in order to fully protect user data, and to allow that data to be shared in a secure, personalised way.
“You’re going to have to secure the device or the sensor, you need to secure the data, and you’re going to have to secure that across an open network – it really is a massive, massive change.”
“The access to personal data is probably one of the biggest changes we’ve got going forward – and it can destroy your company. It’s very important [that] we understand what that security model is going to look like, because we can’t afford to run private networks,”
“Intel doesn’t believe it’s about locking it down so it’s not accessible – it’s about deciding, and who gets to decide is really interesting,”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Do you remember the wireless @ 450 broadband? It was supposed to produce high-speed wireless broadband access throughout Finland when owned by Digita, but it failed to get is profitable. Since 2011, the network was owned by Datame , which, however, filed for bankruptcy.
Now the network infrastructure is owned by Ukko Networks Oy, which promises to autumn nationwide LTE 4G data network .
The company says in a statement Ukko – Mobile network in the world’s first nation-wide LTE network. It is designed specifically for corporate and government use, but it is suitable also for discerning consumers.
“Our focus is internet traffic exchange , ie we do not offer standard voice connections at all. This is to ensure the network users fast, reliable , and uninterrupted data communications in all situations and across the country , ” Ukko Networks Oy Antti Pellinen says on the release.
” 450 MHz operating frequency of LTE networks has so far been very limited in use. All in all, high-speed LTE network has been available primarily for limited geographical areas and urban centers. Now we will open the world’s first nationwide LTE 4G network in Finland, ”
Old Man Mobile network coverage is promised a comprehensive 99.9 percent of the country ‘s population, or virtually the whole of Finland. It promises 3-15 Mbit/s data rate.
Source: http://www.tietokone.fi/artikkeli/uutiset/kuolleeksi_ja_kuopatuksi_luultu_verkko_tuo_4g_yhteydet_koko_suomeen
Tomi Engdahl says:
Google says Netflix can use its fast lane for free
Shows Verizon how it should be done
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2346562/google-says-netflix-can-use-its-fast-lane-for-free
GOOGLE HAS RAISED a finger at ISPs that have signed paid deals with Netflix for prioritised ‘fast lane’ access to their networks.
Under such arrangements, Netflix pays the ISP for a direct connection to the ISP’s servers, thus bypassing the existing internet infrastructure of peering long-haul carriers.
Google, however, has announced that it is offering the streaming service a fast lane from its content servers over the Google Fiber service, free of charge, saying “it’s really a win-win-win situation”, with obvious advantages for Netflix and its customers, but also for Google, as it only has to transport Netflix data over the ‘last mile’.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Telstra ‘issue’ hid ADSL availability from rival carriers
Competitive Carriers’ Coalition reveals letter from Telstra Wholesale
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/05/26/telstra_issue_hid_adsl_availability_from_rival_carriers/
The Competitive Carriers Coalition (CCC) has claimed Telstra “discriminate against consumers trying to buy broadband from competitors by incorrectly claiming their telephone lines were unable to provide a service.”
The coalition says Telstra applies less stringent tests when its own retail arm seeks access. ““As a result, consumers were told they could not get broadband from a competitor, but told they could get it from Telstra,” a CCC spokesentity told The Reg.
Tomi Engdahl says:
This Startup Has A Plan To Control Everything In Your Home Over The Internet
http://www.businessinsider.com/smartthings-unveils-platform-2014-5
SmartThings, the company that lets you control household objects like lights and door locks over the internet, is making a bigger push to bring hardware companies and developers to its platform.
To get started, you need to buy the SmartThings hub, a small gadget that looks kind of like a router and talks to web-connected devices designed to work with SmartThings. You then control everything using the SmartThings app or website. Starter kits begin at $199.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Do you remember the wireless @ 450 broadband? It was supposed to, when owned by Digita, to produce high-speed wireless broadband access throughout the country. After a few sales rounds it is now managed by Ukko Networks Ltd , which promises to autumn nationwide LTE 4G data network.
Ukko Mobile network coverage is promised a comprehensive 99.9 percent of the country ‘s population, or virtually the whole of Finland. The revised network data transfer rate will be 3-15 Mbit/s.
“450 MHz operating frequency of LTE networks has so far been very limited in use”
Source: http://www.tietokone.fi/artikkeli/uutiset/kuolleeksi_ja_kuopatuksi_luultu_verkko_tuo_4g_yhteydet_koko_suomeen
Tomi Engdahl says:
Google Eyes Home Security, Dropcam
https://www.theinformation.com/Google-Eyes-Home-Security-Dropcam
Google’s Nest division is plotting a move into the home-security market and has considered acquiring connected camera-maker Dropcam to accelerate the push, according to several people close to Google.
Nest’s exploration of home security in addition to thermostats and smoke detectors comes as the war among tech companies to turn run-of-the mill household appliances into Internet-connected devices is heating up.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Wireless broadband can reach the moon, and maybe Mars
http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2014-05/23/internet-on-the-moon
Aside from air, water and fresh vegetables, what would need to survive on the moon? One thing that would likely of feature high on the list is a decent, reliable wireless internet. And thanks to a group of researches from MIT and Nasa this kind of connectivity could be within the realms of possibility.
Between them, the two organisations have demonstrated for the first time that data communication technology is capable of providing those in space with the same kind of connectivity we enjoy on Earth, and can even facilitate large data transfers and high-definition video streaming.
To do this it uses four separate telescopes based at a ground terminal in New Mexico to send the uplink signal to the moon. A laser transmitter that can send information as coded pulses of invisible infrared light feeds into each of the telescopes, which results in 40 watts of transmitter power.
The team has transmitted data across the 384,633km distance between Earth and the moon at a rate of 19.44mbps and has also managed to download data at a rate of 622mbps.
Tomi Engdahl says:
PHK: HTTP 2.0 Should Be Scrapped
http://tech.slashdot.org/story/14/05/26/2316248/phk-http-20-should-be-scrapped
Poul-Henning Kamp proposing that HTTP 2.0 (as it exists now) never be released after the plan of adopting Google’s SPDY protocol with minor changes revealed flaws that SPDY/HTTP 2.0 will not address
” Isn’t publishing HTTP/2.0 as a ‘place-holder’ is just a waste of everybody’s time, and a needless code churn, leading to increased risk of security exposures and failure for no significant gains ?”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Vodafone turns to EU, asks it to FORCE ‘fair’ fibre pricing
What’s that BT? You call it ‘pricing freedom’?
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/05/27/voda_asks_eu_to_cut_its_broadband_bill/
Vodafone needs to get high-speed handsets into the hands of consumers to effectively compete in the market. But the company also needs to worry about how to handle all that data – and it’s hoping the European Commission will help it get its hands on some cheaper fibre.
It is hoping the EU will introduce mandatory price regulation and access to fibre in countries where Voda operates – thereby forcing the hand of various national watchdogs.
Vodafone has some of its own fibre, but for the rest it’s forced to either rent space from companies with a lot of fibre capacity or use microwave links. But the growth in the demand for mobile bandwidth will soon exceed microwave’s capabilities. Today a typical cell has a capacity of a little over 100Mbits/sec. But by 2020, Voda sees this as rising to nearly 1.4Gbits/sec.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The New Normal: Multi-Everything
http://www.cablinginstall.com/whitepapers/2013/06/the-new-normal–multi-everything.html
Today’s IT discussions are filled with terms like Cloud, Virtualization, SANs, BYOD, SaaS, and SLAs. Rarely is the physical layer – Layer 1 of the 7-Layer OSI Model – part of the buzz. All network technologies lead back to that critical, foundational layer and the cabling infrastructure that supports it.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Cisco adds new Carrier Ethernet, mobile backhaul, GPON system hardware
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2014/05/cisco-gpon-hardware.html
Cisco has unveiled a new access network product initiative called Cisco Elastic Access that includes four new hardware platforms – including one that supports GPON – as well as software-defined network (SDN) friendly software platforms.
The new hardware will address service provider Carrier Ethernet and mobile backhaul applications, Cisco says.
The combination of hardware and software can reduce network deployment costs by up to 56% and maintenance costs by up to 21%, Cisco asserts. The company adds that “several leading global service providers” have already deployed elements of the Elastic Access portfolio.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Wireless Ethernet link offers large-scale perimeter protection for facilities
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2014/05/comnet-wireless-perimeter-link.html
ComNet (Danbury, CT) has introduced its NetWave NW8 wireless Ethernet link, designed to support redundant ring and “drop-and-insert” functionality on a wireless network. The company positions the product as a solution for providing large-scale perimeter protection and IP surveillance for facilities such as airports, border patrol and other large facilities where a wired infrastructure is cost-prohibitive.
The NW8 models feature dual gigabit Ethernet ports that support up to two IP connections and allow for multiple IP cameras to be aggregated onto the wireless network.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Embedded modules enable multi-network industrial connectivity
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2014/05/hms-embedded-industrial-modules.html
New from HMS Industrial Networks (Sweden), the Anybus CompactCom 40-series embedded modules enable multi-network connectivity for high-performance industrial automation devices in demanding environments. The CompactCom 40-series supports all major industrial networks, contends HMS; the modules’ first release in April 2014 includes connectivity to EtherCAT, PowerLink, Ethermet/IP, Profinet and Profibus protocols.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Apple’s smart home platform may finally unite legion of isolated devices
http://appleinsider.com/articles/14/05/26/apples-smart-home-platform-may-finally-unite-legion-of-isolated-devices
Apple is reportedly on the verge of announcing a new iOS-based platform that will integrate with users’ “smart home” systems, a move that could finally tie together a sea of individual devices — and controllers — to turn the niche “Internet of things” into a mainstream market.
Tomi Engdahl says:
IoT security under scrutiny as Apple looks at smart home system
http://www.zdnet.com/iot-security-under-scrutiny-as-apple-looks-at-smart-home-system-7000029859/
Summary: Internet of Things security is under scrutiny as Apple moves to introduce its smart home system and Google works to expand its suite of web-enabled home devices.
The security issues around the emerging Internet of Things (IoT) technology are taking centre stage, as Apple reportedly prepares to introduce its ‘smart home’ system and Google is rumoured to be considering new acquisitions to round out its web-enabled home device offering.
The emergence of the IoT could lead to the biggest security threat to the IT landscape, according to Armando Dacal, Australia and New Zealand regional director for enterprise security provider, Palo Alto Networks.
According to Dacal, governments, enterprises, and standards organisations will need to work together to establish security regulations suitable for the IoT phenomenon.
“This year’s buzz is all about the IoT, which is made up of everyday devices that are IP-enabled, that can communicate over the internet and transmit what may be very important and confidential data. There are now more ‘things’ connected to the internet than there are people on Earth,”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Microsoft demos breakthrough in real-time translated conversations
http://blogs.technet.com/b/microsoft_blog/archive/2014/05/27/microsoft-demos-breakthrough-in-real-time-translated-conversations.aspx
Imagine in the very near future technology allowing humans to bridge geographic and language boundaries to connect mind to mind and heart to heart in ways never before possible.
For more than a decade, Skype has brought people together to make progress on what matters to them. Today, we have more than 300 million connected users each month, and more than 2 billion minutes of conversation a day as Skype breaks down communications barriers by delivering voice and video across a number of devices, from PCs and tablets, to smartphones and TVs. But language barriers have been a blocker to productivity and human connection; Skype Translator helps us overcome this barrier.
Skype Translator results from decades of work by the industry, years of work by our researchers, and now is being developed jointly by the Skype and Microsoft Translator teams. The demo showed near real-time audio translation from English to German and vice versa, combining Skype voice and IM technologies with Microsoft Translator, and neural network-based speech recognition.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Global in-building wireless report issued
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2014/05/in-building-wireless-report.html
“In-building wireless solutions enable ubiquitous, voice and data communication services for always-on availability. These solutions provide a foundation to ensure effective operability of communication systems,” states the technology market research firm in a statement.
The firm adds, “An increasing uptake of in-building wireless solutions across the globe is expected for efficient and effective information communication. The adoption of these solutions is proliferating, as organizations focus on improved quality of service, pervasive wireless application access, and compliance with the local safety norms. The solutions are expected to gain traction with customer’s selection criterions aligning to better data performance, coherent coverage, and seamless connectivity.”
“The owners/managers of large, medium, and small-sized buildings are strategically analyzing the in-building wireless solutions for their existing as well as new buildings to ensure pervasive coverage for occupants and create an excellent facility to deliver improved customer satisfaction,”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Preparing IT clients for an office move
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/print/volume-22/issue-5/features/design/preparing-it-clients-for-an-office-move.html?cmpid=EnlContractorMay292014
In many ways, the complexities of an infrastructure move within a commercial office parallel those of a theatrical performance.
This timeline of a typical office move shows there are two times when IT is particularly rushed. First is the brief time between when the engineer approaches IT for its criteria and the time when that criteria needs to be turned in. Second is the short amount of time between when IT rooms are available for move-in, and the actual move-in.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Contractors face convergence versus contraction
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/print/volume-22/issue-5/features/perspective/contractors-face-convergence-versus-contraction.html?cmpid=EnlContractorMay292014
The ability and willingness to learn, change and get ahead are necessary for future success.
Internet Protocol (IP) convergence of all building low-voltage systems has evolved from an early-adopter “plaything” into the standard protocol–not only in new-build projects but in retrofits as well.
For those willing to move forward, two challenges must be addressed before jumping headlong into IP-compliant monitoring, security and other low-voltage systems. 1) Learning the ropes. 2) Supporting system development and deployment with impeccable, non-counterfeit products and services.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Could AT&T’s new fiber-optic phone network stymie first responders?
http://www.cablinginstall.com/blogs/2014/05/could-at-t-s-new-fiber-optic-phone-network-stymie-first-responders.html?cmpid=EnlContractorMay292014
As aptly characterized by Gizmodo , “AT&T’s plan to roll out next-gen fiber-optic cables nationwide as a replacement for its traditional copper-based telephone networks is great in most respects — save for the fact that it won’t support the government’s special telephone service for national emergencies.”
AT&T’s new fiber network reportedly won’t support a priority line, called Government Emergency Telecommunications Service (GETS), which is used during disasters or terrorist attacks when phone lines are usually clogged.
GETS has proven its value in the past
Tomi Engdahl says:
OTDR conducts bidirectional testing without moving unit from near end to far end
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2014/05/smartloop-otdr.html
The SmartLoop OTDR is a new test instrument from Fluke Networks that the company says cuts fiber-test time in half because the test crew does not have the move the OTDR from one end of the fiber to the other in order to conduct bidirectional tests. “Bidirectional testing has traditionally been a length process,”
Tomi Engdahl says:
NetProwler combines TDR, network-discovery capabilities
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2014/05/t3-netprowler.html
Network-test features include:
Active IPv4 and IPv6 network discovery
Link protocol detection
Ping testing
Regular and rogue DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) server discovery
DNS (Domain Name System) discovery
Internet connectivity
The LLDP (Link Layer Discovery Protocol) identifies Ethernet switch capabilities, while IP discovery tests and displays a network’s existing IP devices, T3 Innovation further explains.
The full-function TDR tester verifies and tracks cable integrity for shorts, opens and miswired connectors
Tomi Engdahl says:
Bill would prohibit FCC from reclassifying broadband as utility
http://www.pcworld.com/article/2303080/bill-would-prohibit-fcc-from-reclassifying-broadband-as-utility.html
A U.S. lawmaker has introduced legislation that would prohibit the Federal Communications Commission from reclassifying broadband as a common-carrier utility, a move many net neutrality advocates have called for.
Reclassifying broadband would hurt the Internet economy, Latta said in a statement.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Regulators May Stymie 60 GHz Use
http://www.eetimes.com/author.asp?section_id=36&doc_id=1322532&
Emerging 60GHz communications could be a prime example of how a market can be held back by subtle differences in government regulations. These discrepancies could impact the speed at which mobile operators are able to roll out high-bandwidth services, holding back the development of markets that depend on high-speed data.
Besides its use in WiFi networks based on the WiGig standard, 60 GHz also has use as a high data rate 4G-backhaul link, replacing expensive fibre optic cables. Engineers are developing phased-array antennas to focus line-of-sight connections using the highly directional 60 GHz signals. Such antennas let operators dynamically steer the links via software, which eases the job of deploying and upgrading connections.
Since FCC regulations for operation at 60 GHz are based on EIRP (equivalent isotropically radiated power) products, developers in the U.S. are pressing ahead with the development of phased-array based backhaul products. Unfortunately regulators in regions such as Europe may force operators to use existing high gain dish-based solutions for 60GHz backhaul, which require time-consuming manual setup and maintenance.
U.S. FCC regulation 15.255 for devices operating in the 60 GHz band specifies EIRP up to a maximum average power levels of +40dBmi. These have also been extended for outdoor use between fixed points to as much as +82dBmi
Europe’s CEPT REC(09)01, supplemented by ETSI EN 302 217, has a higher standard power level of +55dBmi but typically limits maximum conducted power to +10 dBm and the minimum antenna gain to +30dBi
In addition, WiGig devices used in small cells outdoors will violate the European standards for minimum antenna gain and maximum conducted power.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Are your streams buffering? YouTube wants to help
http://www.cnet.com/news/are-your-streams-buffering-youtube-wants-to-help/
YouTube releases the Google Video Quality Report, a tool that shows how your video-streaming quality compares to your neighbor’s.
The Google Video Quality Report is available to people in the US and Canada, where it launched in January. It compares your streaming video quality to three standard
Google says it will expand the report’s range to more countries in the coming months, although perhaps the real solution to buffering problems will be the expansion of gigabit Internet access in the coming years.
Tomi Engdahl says:
How MIT and Caltech’s coding breakthrough could accelerate mobile network speeds
http://www.networkworld.com/community/node/85496
Stateless data transmission using Random Linear Network Coding promises higher speeds with an elegant mathematical approach to data error correction and redundancy.
Last week, according to data released by Code On, RLNC performed 13% to 465% faster than the industry standard Reed-Solomon encoding in Storage Area Network (SAN) erasure application testing.
Other testing by Code On shows that RLNC applied to other types of data transmission such as Wi-Fi and LTE can improve performance. Earlier this month, Code On released to industry analysts test data showing improved performance of mobile video over Wi-Fi. The effect of a 3% error rate when streaming a four-minute video over native Wi-Fi was compared to an identical transmission of video packets encoded and decoded using RLNC. The RLNC-encoded transmission improved video quality because packet loss in the RLNC case did not require the retransmission of lost packets. The RLNC-encoded video was downloaded five times faster than the native video stream time, and the RLNC-encoded video streamed fast enough to be rendered without interruption. By comparison, the native video took five minutes to download and had 13 spinning wheel interruptions.
An RLNC transmission can recover from errors with neither sender nor receiver retaining and updating transmission-state information and requesting lost packets to be retransmitted. This is because RLNC can recreate any packet lost on the receiving side from a later sequenced packet.
Since the RLNC encoding sender doesn’t need to listen for acknowledgements of successful transmission and perhaps retransmit, the sender can continuously transmit at near-wire speed optimized for latency and network throughput. More importantly, RLNC encoding can ride on top of the TCP-IP protocol, so implementation does not require the replacement of communications equipment. But it does require software incorporating RLNC-licensed technology to execute on both ends.
There are other interesting use cases for RLNC. It can be used to encode 4G LTE and Wi-Fi data streams in channel bonding applications, utilizing both channels simultaneously
Tomi Engdahl says:
Scientists Report Finding Reliable Way to Teleport Data
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/30/science/scientists-report-finding-reliable-way-to-teleport-data.html?_r=0
Scientists in the Netherlands have moved a step closer to overriding one of Albert Einstein’s most famous objections to the implications of quantum mechanics, which he described as “spooky action at a distance.”
In a paper published on Thursday in the journal Science, physicists at the Kavli Institute of Nanoscience at the Delft University of Technology reported that they were able to reliably teleport information between two quantum bits separated by three meters, or about 10 feet.
Tomi Engdahl says:
HAL is Duct Tape for Home Automation
http://hackaday.com/2014/05/31/hal-is-duct-tape-for-home-automation/
When it comes to home automation, there are a lot of different products out there that all do different things. Many of them are made by different companies, and they don’t often play very well together. This frustration ultimately led [Daniel] to develop his own Python based middleware solution to get these various components to work as a single cohesive system.
For the brain of the system, [Daniel] chose to use a Raspberry Pi. The Pi runs a web server with a Flask based back-end system. Flask allows him to code the website in Python, which meant he could easily write a website that can interact with the various automation components. The Pi can directly communicate with all of the off-the-shelf components using the various Python libraries.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Build internet-connected hardware.
Spark gives you the tools to connect everyday electronics to the internet over Wi-Fi.
https://www.spark.io/
A tiny Wi-Fi development board that makes it easy to create internet-connected hardware. The Core is all you need to get started; power it over USB and in minutes you’ll be controlling LEDs, switches and motors and collecting data from sensors over the internet!
Wireless programming
Arduino compatible
Familiar with Arduino? The Core uses Wiring, the same programming language that Arduino uses.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Why Gadgets in the Internet of Things Must Be Programmed to Die
http://www.wired.com/2014/05/iot-death/
Everyone’s talking about the internet of things. They talk about smart lightbulbs programmed to glow purple when it rains, and smoke detectors that do email alerts, and routers that network our houses. But there’s one thing they’re not talking about, and that could be a problem. No one is asking whether these devices should also be programmed to die when they get old.
It’s a question posed by Dan Geer, a well-respected security researcher who also serves as chief security officer at the Central Intelligence Agency’s venture firm, In-Q-Tel. Geer sees an emerging danger in the growing number of internet-connected devices whose software hasn’t been updated in a while, making them vulnerable to hackers. “They have sentient opponents,” he says. “Given that, an internet of things that is immortal will eventually be taken over.”
This problem will only get worse as the internet of things grows. So many devices that were once unremarkable will morph into mini-computers that hackers will view as targets, things that can be misused for evil purposes.
The world got a taste of this problem earlier this year when malicious software called the Moon Worm started infecting Linksys routers around the world. Linksys issued patches for the moon worm, but vendors don’t support their products forever.
Researchers have studied the way that security vulnerabilities are discovered, and what they’ve found is that security bugs will keep cropping up, long after most software is released.
Geer believes that when a product hits its end-of-life, the company that made it should release it as open-source software, so that there’s at least a chance that it can be patched and updated.
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Google Invests in Satellites to Spread Internet Access
Company Projects Spending More Than $1 Billion to Connect Unwired Reaches of the Globe
http://online.wsj.com/news/article_email/google-invests-in-satellites-to-spread-internet-access-1401666287-lMyQjAxMTA0MDAwMTEwNDEyWj
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Comcast-Time Warner deal may hinge on anemic low-cost Internet plan
http://www.publicintegrity.org/2014/05/28/14808/comcast-time-warner-deal-may-hinge-anemic-low-cost-internet-plan
As Comcast Corp. tries to convince the federal government to permit it to buy Time Warner Cable Inc. for $45 billion, opponents of the deal will inevitably bring up people like Ed.
Ed wouldn’t have to rely on the goodwill of friends and make the daily 30-mile round trip if Comcast, the only fast, wired broadband provider in the Scranton area, offered its low-priced Internet service to people like him. But the $9.95-a-month program, called Internet Essentials, is available only to low-income families with school-age children.
Now the cable and broadband giant, wants to buy Time Warner Cable, and again in an attempt to show regulators the deal is in the public interest, is offering to extend the program indefinitely and offer it to all Time Warner’s customers too. The deal, if approved, will give Comcast control of about 40 percent of U.S. Internet users.
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Apple’s IoT ‘Good Housekeeping’ Label: MFi
Apple to unveil IoT strategy for home at WWDC
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1322557&
Expect Apple to beat Google to the punch by unveiling its Internet of Things (IoT) strategy on its home front at Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference next week in San Francisco.
Apple will lay out a plan to connect a plethora of IoT devices — light bulbs, thermostats, door locks, washing machines, refrigerators — with iPhone. Apple’s iPhone will serve as a screen to set up each of these IoT devices (since some of them are physically too small to have a screen of their own) and automatically connect them to the home network, after which the iPhone becomes the smart home’s all-purpose remote control.
EE Times has learned that the key to its execution is a wireless chip — WiFi, Bluetooth, or Zigbee — and an MCU, combined with a piece of software that allows each IoT device to be certified as an MFi (Made For iPhone/iPad/iPod) device.
The beauty of the scheme is twofold.
First, it’s simple. Consumers no longer need to worry about setting up from scratch a home network of their own.
Second, it’s inclusive. There’s no need for Apple to build its own refrigerator or thermostat to realize Apple’s smart home dream.
The simple connectivity function and MFi certification embedded in each IoT device will do the job of setting up the smart home to be controlled by an iOS device.
In contrast, sure, Google already owns Nest thermostats, but Google’s Android OS isn’t anywhere close to pulling off a similar smart home network scheme by using an Android phone. Android has no equivalent to MFi. Without it, the Android ecosystem, for now, is running the risk of building a fragmented smart home. Samsung does one thing, while LG does another — that sort of thing.
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DIY IoT computer smaller than a square inch
Hits crowdfund target, ready to ship
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/06/02/diy_iot_computer_smaller_than_a_square_inch/
A Chinese crowd-funded effort has produced what could be – for now, at least – the smallest Linux computer-on-module so far, and with its research effort oversubscribed, says it will be shipping its “VoCore” devices by October 2014.
The 25 x 25mm embedded system isn’t designed for fat compute loads, but at a list price of $US20 for a basic WiFi-only system (if you need wired connections, a self-assembled dock is available for $US20, pre-assembled for $US25), the target is home automation and Internet of Things applications.
Running OpenWrt on Linux, the square-inch (roughly) computer has 32 MB of SDRAM, 8 MB of FPI Flash, and a 360 MHz RT5350 MIPS processor (vendor Ralink describes the device as a router-on-a-chip).
As LinuxGizmos.com notes, the 200-220mA power consumption will be a drawcard
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Sluggish Cisco damping Ethernet market, say kit-counters
IDC, Dell’Oro downbeat about Q1
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/06/02/sluggish_cisco_damping_ethernet_market_say_kitcounters/
The bread-and-butter enterprise networking market, Ethernet switches and routers, had a dreadful first quarter in 2014, but just how bad depends on which analyst you listen to.
IDC says the Q1 value was $US5.2 billion, while Dell’Oro Group was a little more pessimistic, putting it at $US5 billion. The two companies estimates of the loss compared to the previous quarter also differed: IDC said the market lost 12.3 per cent from Q4 2013 – down around $US730 million – while Dell’Oro said the market lost a billion compared to the previous quarter.
The two outfits agreed on the reason for the limp Layer 2 / 3 Ethernet decline, however: pesky enterprises shifting their spend to WiFi, as it gets faster and more capable.
Dell’Oro looks to the data centre, and the uncertain Chinese market, as offering hopeful signals or the future, while IDC keeps its eyes firmly on the data centre space.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Freescale: Cloudy dumb sensors? Nope, not OUR smart Internet of Things
Vehicle-to-X is next big digital gold rush – plus security and privacy, of course
http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2014/05/07/freescale_internet_of_things/
Wearable devices are great examples of accessible stuff within the Internet of Things, but on the whole they’re pretty dumb sensors.
Typically, they use Bluetooth to crank out information to a mobile or similar gadget, which relays the data for processing in the cloud and then back to a web interface. Wearables are clever, but soon act dumb when the supporting connectivity disappears.
At the Future World Symposium in London last week, high on the agenda was the notion of Connected Intelligence, which goes beyond simply sensing, connecting and reporting. The general consensus at the event was that for Internet of Things (IoT) to really make an impression on the way we live, these devices need to be able to process data independently and be more than a remote sensor, but an Intelligent Node.
“So if the Internet of Things is the conceptual model, the connected intelligence is really the model that enables it, hopefully, seamlessly and scalably. The other thing you get into with these three blocks of sensing, connectivity and embedded processing is really this opportunity to develop the Intelligent Node.”
Although Wainwright recognises that Big Data has an important part to play in the Internet of Things, his focus is on the device itself. As an Intelligent Node it should be capable of managing the processing and working out whether or not to transmit that data anywhere else. To localise the processing has a number of advantages, one of which is perhaps all too easily taken for granted – the networking itself.
So while connectivity is important, considerations for limiting what goes out to the network is going to have increased significance as each year passes. Also the intelligent node’s capacity to process incoming network instructions, to enable two-way traffic, as well as functioning autonomously are critical to advancing the usefulness of devices precipitating the Internet of Things.
The method of connectivity is another matter which Wainwright describes as a bit like alphabet spaghetti.
“You’ve got every possible portfolio known to Man; everybody competing for what’s the protocol going to be. The answer, from our point of view, is you have to be able to handle everything that’s thrown at you. You always find applications that have got different requirements, whether it be Sub-Gig, Bluetooth Low Energy and really, this is one of the big complexities that we have.”
Wainwright predicts a re-engineering of data centres with different breeds of processors emerging to accommodate the flow of information from the Internet of Things.
“One of the things that’s interesting about the Internet of Things is: does anybody really care any more about which processor architecture is out there? Does anybody care if it’s MIPS, ARM or x86? ”
Back in the Freescale heartland of automative chips, Wainwright talked of V2Cloud (vehicle to cloud), V2V (vehicle to vehicle), V2I (vehicle to infrastructure) as examples of IoT in transport. Multimedia V2Cloud services are already in place, with audio and video streamed into cars. Services such as traffic management, under the umbrella of the Intelligent Transportation System (ITS), also form part of the vehicle-to-cloud experience, with some tasks relying on Big Data to manage navigation, traffic news and control.
Security risks
There are other considerations which Wainwright laid out in his summary of Connected Intelligence entry requirements. Top of his list of four areas is Secure Data. He compared IoT security to the standard of UK restaurants, namely, rather hit and miss if you don’t know where to look.
“We have got some applications that are super-secure and very well engineered,” Wainwright said. “However, the average level of security in IoT applications leaves a lot to be desired. I don’t think there’s anybody who wants to have a system and doesn’t really care about how secure their data is.”
Energy efficiency and robustness are the next two entry requirements, which are fairly self explanatory.
In closing, Wainwright remarked that although he believed there were enormous opportunities, he could also recognise similarities with the dot-com boom in the early 2000s and today’s hype behind the Internet of Things.
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Google to plonk tentacles on ‘unwired’ world with $1bn launch of 180-satellite fleet
Rushes past Facebook to get at juicy emerging markets
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/06/02/google_space_project/
Google has embarked on an ambitious $1bn plan to launch 180 satellites to provide internet access to remote parts of the world, according to the Wall Street Journal.
It seems the race is on to be the provider of choice for the enormous (and un-invoiced) emerging market, though who will advertise to it is yet to be revealed.
It raises the stakes in the fight for internet supremacy in emerging markets with Facebook, which is pushing its internet.org initiative with similar ambitions.
Like Iridium, the Google network will use Low Earth Orbit satellites – as distinct from the Inmarsat network which uses geostationary satellites.
The venture joins prior Google projects Titian Aerospace drones and Google Loon high altitude balloon initiative as ways to reach consumers that otherwise could not get access to cat videos.
The Titian project uses drones which are expected to stay aloft for months at a time while Loon now relies on deals over radio spectrum with Google’s good friends at the mobile phone networks.
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Video: How to cable new construction
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2014/05/cabling-new-construction-video.html?cmpid=EnlCIMJune22014
Tomi Engdahl says:
Tutorial: How to punch down a 66 block
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2014/05/66-block-punchdown-tutorial.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
100G Effort Eyes One Optical Lane
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1322563&
Engineers will gather here at a two-day workshop starting June 12 in search of a low-cost way for data centers to send 100 Gbit/s over a single optical channel. Their work could spark proposals for high-bandwidth links, specifically a low-cost approach for the 400G Ethernet standards group officially kicked off in May.
Today’s communications use bundles of serial copper and optical interconnects, each one delivering data typically at 10 Gbit/s and 25 Gbit/s. Paving a path to 100G over a single optical wavelength or lambda would open the door to much faster individual links and lower-cost links that use parallel bundles.
For example, today’s 100G links use ten 10G channels. Engineers expect the first 400GE products to use sixteen 25G channels, but that’s not very cost effective.
“Each channel adds another point of cost with more lasers and detectors”
Tomi Engdahl says:
IoT Gateway Based on Intel® Quark™ SoC
http://www.eeweb.com/news/iot-gateway-based-on-intel-quark-soc
AAEON announces their collaboration project along with Intel and ASUS Cloud for Internet of Things (IoT) solution based on AAEON AIOT-X1000 in a live demo at Computex 2014. The AAEON AIOT-X1000 is a gateway platform supporting the Intel® Quark™ SoC X1000 series.
“AAEON’s AIOT-X1000 is based on the Intel® Gateway Solutions for IoT which is a family of platforms enabling companies to seamlessly interconnect industrial devices into an IoT-ready system over cross-platforms. Designed to connect edge devices to the cloud, the AIOT-X1000 gateway is ideal for manufacturing, transportation and energy applications,”
Tomi Engdahl says:
John Oliver: Stop Calling It Net Neutrality; It’s ‘Preventing Cable Company F**kery’
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20140602/05510527434/john-oliver-stop-calling-it-net-neutrality-its-preventing-cable-company-fkery.shtml
In last night’s John Oliver show (technically “Last Week Tonight”), his “top story” was all about net neutrality. This is both surprising (because the issue has received little mainstream attention) and awesome, because it needs much more mainstream attention.
Not surprisingly, it’s both insightful and hilariously funny. He mocks how the FCC has made the issue sound incredibly boring. He mocks telco industry lawyers claiming it’s “not about fast lanes and slow lanes” but “fast lanes and hyperspeed lines.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Is Anybody HomeKit? Apple Wants To Make Your House Smarter
http://www.fastcompany.com/3031388/most-innovative-companies/is-anybody-homekit-apple-wants-to-make-your-house-smarter
With a new framework for controlling connected devices, Apple announced that it would like to visit your smart home sometime in the future.
Apple unveiled a platform for controlling everything from your garage door to your thermostat today at its World Wide Developers Conference. But it was hardly the centerpiece of today’s keynote.
“With Siri integration, you could say something like, ‘Get ready for bed,’ and be assured your garage door is closed, your door is locked, the thermostat is lowered, and your lights are dimmed,” Federighi said.
By opening up Siri to control third-party peripherals, the smart home experience will become infinitely more seamless. Up until now, controlling a smart device has meant unlocking a mobile device, launching an app, and then making adjustments–a bit too much friction for lowering the volume of the TV or dimming the lights.
According to IDG, the Internet of Things will grow into an $8.9 trillion market by 2020. Despite their adoption, connected home devices have for the most part operated independently–though some companies have tried to unify such products with their own solutions.