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.
1,803 Comments
Tomi Engdahl says:
You can find some interesting IoT related articles here:
https://community.freescale.com/people/kaivankarimi/content
Tomi Engdahl says:
The need for Internet of Things (IoT) consumer Bill of Rights
https://community.freescale.com/community/the-embedded-beat/blog/2013/12/04/the-need-for-internet-of-things-iot-consumer-bill-of-rights
First, I read that the FTC is working towards a new approach to the Internet of Things that will meet the demands coming from all sides of the IoT space.
Now what if that smart phone was the gateway being used by a variety of healthcare electronics devices that are communicating with your smart phone using Bluetooth low energy? Does it mean the well meaning advertising company that “may” collect information from the device being used (as the means to communicate to the cloud) can own that info for further processing and getting to know me better, and now advertise certain drugs to me depending on my condition, just as today based on my online habits, advertise my favorite garden center to me? Does this also mean my medical information will become a part of “world’s information” and can become “universally accessible”?
I truly believe about the premise of IoT revolutionizing the healthcare industry, and what is most disturbing to me is that this cavalier behavior and lack of meaningful laws limiting advertising company access to what I consider “private”, can turn off people from using the new devices and services coming along with them, and kill the whole thing before it even starts
Tomi Engdahl says:
I love the proposal by Limor (Lady Ada) Fried of Adafruit Industries about adopting an IoT Bill of Rights, which says:
· Open is better than closed; this ensures portability between Internet of Things devices
· Consumers, not companies, own the data collected by Internet of Things devices
· Internet of Things devices that collect public data must share that data
· Users have the right to keep their data private.
· Users can delete or back up data collected by Internet of Things devices
Source: https://community.freescale.com/community/the-embedded-beat/blog/2013/12/04/the-need-for-internet-of-things-iot-consumer-bill-of-rights
Tomi Engdahl says:
10G 60-km bi-directional single fiber transceivers streamline installation costs
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2014/03/champion-one-10g-bidi.html
At OFC 2014 in San Francisco, optical transceiver specialist Champion ONE introduced its new bi-directional (bidi), or single-fiber, 60km 10G SFP+ and XFP transceivers.
The company claims the new hot pluggable technology will enable service providers, healthcare institutions, universities and enterprises to better optimize their networks by virtually doubling their fiber plant and extending the life of their network, without the expense of running new fiber.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Internet of Things is being used to mine digital currency
Your connected devices could be making someone else money
By Chris Merriman
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2335460/the-internet-of-things-is-being-used-to-mine-digital-currency
A WORM that leverages the Internet of Things to mine cryptocurrencies has been found to have infected around 31,000 devices.
The worm named Linux.Darlloz is in active development and is designed by the author to use his network of infected machines to mine Mincoins and Dogecoins.
Symantec believes that the Internet of Things is being used because, although the devices have low computational power, they are also less likely to be adequately secured, with the username and password often left unchanged from factory settings.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Netherlands allows carrier neutral SIM cards
Internet of Things is the big winner
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2335432/the-netherlands-allows-carrier-neutral-sim-cards
THE PROGRESSIVE Dutch have become the first country in the world to legalise universal SIM cards.
Although there is a common standard, all SIM cards have previously been linked to a carrier. However, under legislation passed yesterday, devices in the Netherlands can be built with SIMs embedded, so customers will able to choose their carriers.
At the moment, the news is of limited value, but this initial legalisation of universal SIM cards in the Netherlands could spur other countries to look into the approach
The major winners might be designers of Internet of Things (IoT) products that require permanent connections to the internet. SIM cards could become updatable with new functionality or transferred a new carrier without any intervention by the user.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Agilent announces passive network probing for LTE
http://www.evaluationengineering.com/news/agilent-announces-passive-network-probing-for-lte.php
March 18, 2014. Agilent Technologies Inc. today announced a significant enhancement to its Passive Network Monitoring System for converged telecommunication networks across 2G, 2.5G, 3G, and now 4G LTE technologies.
Agilent’s Passive Network Monitoring Systems offer a highly scalable monitoring and processing portfolio that effectively processes both voice and data completely independent of the telecom network elements. These systems allow legally authorized users to identify and extract communications of interest and provide accurate location information, correlate voice and data selectors, and provide advanced filtering and selection for multiple 10GbE and legacy communications links.
“10GbE is rapidly becoming the default interface on 3G and 4G network equipment,”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Wintel Rides Again, Now to IoT
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1321555&
Microsoft is expected to announce a partnership in April to dive into the Internet of Things with its veteran PC partner, Intel. The two are expect to deliver an IoT offering that supports Intel’s Quark, a Pentium-class processor for the IoT.
It’s not clear whether the work will focus on embedded versions of Windows, Windows Phone, or another code base. Whether the work includes hosted IoT services using Microsoft’s Windows Azure cloud service also is unclear.
“Much of their deployed base in the embedded market remains interwoven,” Christopher Rommel, an analyst covering the IoT at Venture Development Corp., told us. “It only makes sense that they would look to cater to the desires and needs of their existing customer base with a joint roadmap and solution for small-footprint devices.”
Microsoft is likely to tap other microprocessor partners for the IoT. Its Windows RT and Compact 7 already support ARM, opening the door to a smorgasbord of integrated, low-power processors well suited for IoT apps.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Small Form Factor Ethernet Switch
http://www.eeweb.com/company-news/microchip/small-form-factor-ethernet-switch/
Microchip’s LAN9303/LAN9303i is a high-performance, small-footprint, full-featured 3-port managed Ethernet switch. This device is application-optimized for consumers, and embedded electronics designs which have a rapid development cycle and require low-cost switching functionality, flexibility and ease of integration.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Who Who Should Pay for Netflix?
Posted by: Jim Cicconi on March 21, 2014 at 4:08 pm
http://www.attpublicpolicy.com/consumers-2/who-should-pay-for-netflix/
I saw Reed Hasting’s blog yesterday from Netflix asserting in rather dramatic fashion (with diagrams) that ISPs should build facilities (he said provide, but those facilities have to be built) to accept all of Netflix’s content – indeed all of the content on the Internet – without charge. Failure to do so, according to Mr. Hastings, was a violation of “strong net neutrality rules” and bad public policy.
First, let’s all accept the fact that the advent of streaming video is driving bandwidth consumption by consumers to record levels. Increased bandwidth consumption and faster broadband networks
are requiring all service providers to drive more fiber into their networks to create the capacity necessary to deliver those services to consumers
Second, we should accept that companies must build additional capacity to handle this traffic.
Third, if Netflix is delivering that increased volume of traffic to, say, AT&T, we should accept the fact that AT&T must be ready to build additional ports and transport capacity to accept the new volume of capacity as a consequence of Netflix’s good business fortune.
When Netflix delivered its movies by mail, the cost of delivery was included in the price their customer paid.
Netflix may now be using an Internet connection instead of the Postal Service, but the same principle applies.
As we all know, there is no free lunch, and there’s also no cost-free delivery of streaming movies.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Wearable tech for tracking when cows are ‘in heat’? Sure, why not?
http://thenextweb.com/gadgets/2014/03/24/wearable-tech-tracking-cows-heat-sure/#!A7VCQ
2014 might be the year for wearable tech, but there’s no reason for it to stop at humans. Or dogs. Is there?
Silent Herdsman collar has various sensors that continually track a cow and trigger an alert (on a phone, tablet or computer) if there’s a change in the usual pattern of behaviour.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Smart grid communications interoperability takes a step closer
http://www.edn-europe.com/en/smart-grid-communications-interoperability-takes-a-step-closer.html?cmp_id=7&news_id=10003642&vID=44#.UzA3B4VM0ik
The Wi-SUN Alliance has signed a liaison agreement with the HomePlug Alliance to facilitate collaboration toward the goal of enabling hybrid smart grid networks supporting both wireless (RF) and powerline-wired connectivity (PLC).
Tomi Engdahl says:
Gigabit Ethernet design kit
http://www.edn-europe.com/en/gigabit-ethernet-design-kit.html?cmp_id=7&news_id=10003536&vID=44#.UzA2vIVM0ik
Lantiq and Würth Elektronik eiSos have a turnkey demo kit that shows how to add high speed connectivity to any home appliance.
The kit uses Lantiq’s Gigabit Ethernet technology
Internet/Ethernet connectivity can be realised with less than $3 additional bill-of-material (in high quantities
Tomi Engdahl says:
A tomahawk for 5G radio networks
http://www.electronics-eetimes.com/en/a-tomahawk-for-5g-radio-networks.html?cmp_id=7&news_id=222920505
At the upcoming DATE Conference , the Center for Advancing Electronics Dresden (cfaed) will introduce the second iteration of its power-optimized Tomahawk microchip.
the device is designed to interconnect heterogeneous components. Applications could be in the car-to-x context, as well as in the Internet of Things.
The Tomahawk 2 prototype aims at what the Dresden scientists call the “tactile internet”.
the technology represented by the Tomahawk chip can be implemented from 2020.
Tomi Engdahl says:
German sensor industry provides positive outlook
http://www.electronics-eetimes.com/en/german-sensor-industry-provides-positive-outlook.html?cmp_id=7&news_id=222920514&vID=209
A positive overall industry outlook for the sensor and measuring industry has been published by Berlin-based Association for Sensors and Measurements (AMA). Across the industry, R&D investment is expected to grow further. And so will the headcount.
Main growth driver for sensors is the internet of things (IoT) and its specific manifestation in the German manufacturing industry, dubbed ‘Industrie 4.0″. “Without sensors and measuring technology, Industrie 4.0 won’t be feasible”,
Tomi Engdahl says:
Anite joins test project for 4G and 5G technologies
http://www.microwave-eetimes.com/en/anite-joins-test-project-for-4g-and-5g-technologies.html?cmp_id=7&news_id=222904834
Anite is participating in a project initiated by Intel to develop “virtualised” testing environments in order to accelerate 4G and 5G technology development and testing.
VDT, based on the Propsim channel emulator, is a performance testing toolset which enables chipset and device manufacturers, as well as operators, to reduce the time and money spent on device design, integration and verification.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Passive network probe for LTE networks
http://www.microwave-eetimes.com/en/passive-network-probe-for-lte-networks.html?cmp_id=7&news_id=222904831
Agilent Technologies has announced a significant enhancement to its Passive Network Monitoring System for converged telecommunication networks across 2G, 2.5G, 3G and now 4G LTE technologies.
The Passive Network Monitoring Systems are based on a high-availability 2U industry-standard platform. A flexible API with an extremely wide range of selection triggers and filters enables integration with multiple network management, lawful intercept, geolocation and cyber defense applications.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Road ice warning from the cloud
http://www.microwave-eetimes.com/en/road-ice-warning-from-the-cloud.html?cmp_id=7&news_id=222904836
In geographies with a pronounced wither season, sheet ice can turn roads into a skating rink without drivers noticing it immediately. Swedish carmaker Volvo now tests a system that warns drivers of slippery patches. Unlike car2x, Volvo’s system taps the cloud to spread the information.
In a joint field trial with the Swedish Transport Administration and the Norwegian Public Roads Administration, Volvo collects road friction data from 50 vehicles and shares them with others in a cloud-based system. Road conditions are measured inherently by the vehicles’ Electronic Stability Control (ESP): As soon as a car hits a slippery area of the road, the ESP is activated to stabilise the car. This action is collected as the signal for hazardous road condition and passed on to the cloud through a mobile phone network.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Cisco hits hard times
http://www.cablinginstall.com/blogs/2014/02/cisco-hits-hard-times.html
As noted by IDG News Service/Network World , Cisco Systems reported another soft quarter on February 12, saying that its profits have fallen by more than half, and that its revenue has declined by nearly 8 percent.
“For its second fiscal quarter, which ended Jan. 25, Cisco reported revenue of $11.2 billion and net income of $1.4 billion, or $0.27 per share.”
Macroeconomic factors
Silver lining: For its data centers and security businesses, Cisco said it amassed more revenue and orders than for the year prior.
Tomi Engdahl says:
“Ethernet is stronger and more vibrant than ever, with no signs of an impending ‘midlife crisis’ — a remarkable achievement for a technology that just celebrated its 40th birthday,” comments John D’Ambrosia, chairman, Ethernet Alliance, and chief Ethernet technologist, Dell.
Source: http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2014/03/ethernet-alliance-associate-membership.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
Report: WLAN infrastructure market grew 9% in 4Q13
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2014/03/delloro-wlan-market-grows.html
A new report by networking and telecommunications industries researcher Dell’Oro Group reveals that the Wireless LAN (WLAN) market grew nine percent in the fourth quarter 2013, versus the year-ago period. “802.11ac unit shipments approached 10% of total enterprise-class access points in the fourth quarter
“We expect that by the end of 2014, all major vendors will be shipping 802.11ac-based access points, driving further growth,”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Multiplexer connects four serial-data devices over existing T1/E1
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2014/03/tc-8610.html
The TC8610 Serial-over-T1/E1 Multiplexer
The company further describes the multiplexer as protocol-transparent; it supports RS-232, RS-422 and RS-485 (2- or 4-wire) interfaces up to 38.4 kbits/sec.
standard 100-ohm T1 for copper line lengths to 6,000 feet, and up to 2.5 kilometers for 75-ohm/120-ohm E1
Tomi Engdahl says:
LC duplex Gigabit switch connects 2 network devices
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2014/03/lc-duplex-gigabit-switch.html
This switch allows the user the capability of connecting or disconnecting two separate devices, ports IN and OUT, via an online or offline connection.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Cisco flings $1 BILLION at gov, globocorp-loving Intercloud behemoth
It’s the cloudy corporate internet of EVERYTHING
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/03/24/cisco_billion_spend_cloud/
Cisco is planning to spend $1bn over the next two years on its very own cloud computing service for corporate customers.
The networking firm wants to get into the cloud market with its very own “global Intercloud” and is going to spend the millions on building data centres to run the service.
The firm also plans to sell its version of the cloud to telcos, which can then use it in internet-based services those companies sell to others, and get companies to partner in its “Intercloud initiative”.
“And this will be a cloud truly built for the Internet of Everything, capable of scaling to billions of connections, and trillions of events, all supported by real-time analytics to help customers get the insights they need from the connections of people, processes, data and things, as they happen.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Interview: Cisco’s security supremo on the Internet of Everything
El Reg asks Chris Young how we can stop the IoT becoming a $19 TREELLLION honeypot
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/03/24/interview_ciscos_chris_young_on_internet_of_everything_security/
Chris Young is the Cisco executive charged with leading its security challenge.
securing the Internet of Everything.
Young: What’s important to know, at the end of the day, most of the behaviour that we’re seeing – most of the risks and challenges of the Internet of Everything mirrors the risks and challenges of society.
At the end of the day, what are people doing?
They’re stealing money, they’re stealing information, or they’re trying to disrupt someone’s operations. Those are all problems that we see in the physical world. It’s just magnified and scaled in a way that we can’t contemplate in our own physical world.
Young: The reality is – in security, a lot of the security problems, the criminals are going to go after where they’re going to get the most return for whatever they have in mind.
what’s important is that there’s always going to be vulnerabilities in any product that exists.
The point is that the context becomes very important in thinking about the security model.
Most of the movement in the industry right now is that we’re moving to more software-based models, more value in software. Hardware’s still important
you have to optimise your security model for the business context, and the environment in which you operate.
You can’t assume that there’s some way to outsource all security care-abouts.
Everybody’s going to have to follow secure development life cycle. Everybody’s going to need basic, foundational security. Identity is going to become important in all of this
That could be: “This is a machine, it has this image on it, it belongs to this group. Its normal behaviour looks like this, so if one day it behaves like this, then we have a problem”.
Tomi Engdahl says:
El Reg: If we look at the kinds of devices that are expected to prevail in the Internet of Things model, a lot of them are going to be small and not very smart. A lot of the stuff hasn’t been created yet.
Source: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/03/24/interview_ciscos_chris_young_on_internet_of_everything_security/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Wireless companies fight for their futures
A rare auction of valuable frequencies has sent the big four carriers on a lobbying spree that may determine who controls your cell phone
http://www.publicintegrity.org/2014/03/21/14433/wireless-companies-fight-their-futures
Mobile Future is just one thread in the massive influence web being deployed by AT&T and Verizon as they fight proposals advocated by their smaller competitors and the Justice Department to limit how much of the new wireless frequencies they’ll be allowed to bid on at the auction that’s scheduled for next year.
The spectrum that’s up for sale is highly coveted because it allows transmissions to travel long distances and penetrate buildings. Good spectrum is crucial for wireless companies to attract customers by delivering an ever-increasing amount of information to smartphones and computer tablets.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Bill Clinton: If the U.S. gives up Internet oversight, Internet freedom will suffer
http://venturebeat.com/2014/03/23/bill-clinton-if-the-u-s-gives-up-internet-oversight-internet-freedom-will-suffer/
Obama’s plan to relinquish control of the Internet will enable foreign governments to crack down and limit Internet freedom, according to former U.S. president Bill Clinton.
Clinton joins a lengthy list of critics of the U.S. decision to give up oversight of ICANN, the non-profit organization responsible for managing Web domains and IP standards, Re/code reports.
Tomi Engdahl says:
GSMA: EU net neutrality reforms are the enemy of business
They’ll hinder innovation, productivity, claims mobe body
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/03/25/gsma_against_net_neutrality_reforms_in_eu/
Proposed reforms designed to ensure net neutrality across the European Union will hinder innovation to the detriment of businesses and consumers, according to a leading global mobile operators’ association.
The GSMA, which represents almost 800 mobile operators worldwide, said that EU proposals to prevent internet service providers (ISPs) from blocking or slowing down services offered by their competitors would limit the development of new services which would have the potential to benefit the productivity of business customers.
“In my opinion, this reform tends to challenge the role of ISPs at a broader scale,” said Mullenex.
The European Commission says that the proposed telecoms reforms will benefit businesses and consumers and increase competition across the EU trading bloc.
“We have built in further safeguards for internet openness, by ensuring that users can run and provide applications and services of their choice as well as strengthening the internet as a key driver of competitiveness, economic growth, social development and innovation.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Electronic devices consume power even when not in use. Electronic devices in standby mode consume from 5 to 10 per cent of the total electricity consumption in the West.
IEC (62301/4.5) defines zero power consumption of the device, which power consumption is less than five milliwatts.
- One-milliwatt power in standby mode is more than enough to drive a digital watch, to observe the enviroment, receive wireless signals and to activate the infrared link, Ong says.
The development has been made possible especially with mobile phones low power sensors and processors in development.
Source: Elektroniikkalehti
http://www.elektroniikkalehti.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1108:valmiustilan-tehonkulutus-nollaan&catid=13&Itemid=101
Tomi Engdahl says:
Report: 40G Ethernet switch ports to pass $1 billion in 2014
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2014/03/infonetics-40g-ethernet-switch-report.html
According to the report, worldwide Ethernet switch revenue continued to grow in 4Q13, up 3% from 3Q13, to $5.4 billion
buyers are shifting their purchases toward switches with advanced capabilities such as management features, Power over Ethernet, and higher speeds
“2013 was a bumpy year for the Ethernet switch market, but in the end, revenue set another record and passed the $20 billion mark,”
100G ports shipments once again doubled quarter-over-quarter, and Infonetics expects the 100G market to gain critical mass in 2015.
Tomi Engdahl says:
OFS improves single-mode fiber for 100G, 400G systems
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2014/03/ofs-terrawave-400g.html
OFS has launched its TeraWave fiber, an improved ITU-T G.654B large area single-mode fiber designed for 100 Gb/s and 400 Gb/s coherent transport in terrestrial long haul systems. Introduced at the recent OFC 2014, the company says its TeraWave fiber “enables higher transmission speeds over longer distances with more wavelengths, reducing the need for expensive signal regeneration.”
With 50% the effective area of conventional G.652.D fiber types, OFS claims that the TeraWave fiber greatly reduces nonlinear impairments for coherent transmission, enabling the launch of higher signal power for the increased Optical Signal Noise Ratio (OSNR) needed for increasingly advanced modulation formats and longer reach.
Tomi Engdahl says:
30-Gb/s, 10-km silicon photonics optical link for data centers revealed at OFC
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2014/03/aurrion-ibm-ofc.html
The purported highest serial data-rate for a full silicon photonics optical link is being reported by IBM, in collaboration with Aurrion Inc. (Goleta, CA), demonstrating the reach, power consumption, and cost needed for next-generation data centers. The work is being presented on March 13 as part of the post deadline session at the Optical Fiber Communications Conference (OFC 2014) in San Francisco, California.
“A low-power, silicon photonic, WDM transceiver with 25 Gb/s channels would address key data center network needs particularly as it provides a path to meet future bandwidth requirements using existing fiber infrastructures,”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Cisco transceiver sends 40G over duplex multimode fiber cabling
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2014/03/cisco-qsfp-bidi.html
Cisco announced that with the introduction of its QSFP 40G BiDi (bidirectional) transceiver, it “allows zero-cost fiber migration by reusing the current 10-Gbit/sec cabling for 40-Gbit/sec device connectivity.” The company says it does so via the fact that the QSFP 40G BiDi, with duplex LC ports, enables 100 meters of 40G transmission over OM3, 125 meters over OM4 fiber, and 150 meters over certain “OM4+” fibers.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Why it’s time to wrap brains around software-defined networking
Gartner says under 500 orgs use SDN in production, but it’s condensing in the cloud
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/03/26/its_time_to_begin_preparing_to_contemplate_sdn/
Software-defined networking has generated lots of noise in recent months, thanks in no small part to the fact that VMware and Cisco
That pair, and plenty of others, are talking up software-defined networking (SDN) as a must-have technology for anyone so much as contemplating anything cloudy.
The reality, says a piece of Gartner research released last week and titled “Mainstream Organizations Should Prepare for SDN Now” is that outside cloud-scale operators SDN is not a must-have, although smaller outfits need to start thinking about it.
“To date, there has been extremely limited mainstream adoption of SDN,” the analyst house’s Andrew Lerner, Ronni J. Colville write. “As of January 2014, Gartner estimates there are less than 500 global production implementations worldwide. Thus, production SDN expertise is extremely limited outside of very large network operators, and there are few well-known best practices.”
Gartner feels those large operators have proved that SDN is worth doing
It’s therefore time to begin preparing to contemplate how and when you’ll adopt SDN.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Gartner praises now how IoT will revolutionize all supply chains. Five years ago, the network had 900 million connected device. Although the number is high, IoT-era figures are a completely different category: Gartner now believes that there are 26 billion network connected devices in 2020.
These devices are produced vast amounts of information such as temperature, humidity and location. They also make it possible to monitor very carefully how different things move around the world.
When you have a lot of information on offer, such as in marketing move to a fully digital. After that comes digital design and production. When all the information is digital and available anywhere, the product can be, for example manufactured with 3D printing at the final stage of the supply chain.
This would be a huge change (disaster for some companies?), because the products could be made only for actual demand.
When all products are connected to the network, it will produce a completely different way to generate value to digital business.
Source: Elektroniikkalehti
http://www.elektroniikkalehti.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1110:iot-muuttaa-toimitusketjun&catid=13&Itemid=101
Tomi Engdahl says:
Wireless self-contained pacemaker passes safety study
http://www.microwave-eetimes.com/en/wireless-self-contained-pacemaker-passes-safety-study.html?cmp_id=7&news_id=222904842
Wireless is a promising addition to medicine that is starting to have an impact in areas such as hearing aids, monitoring and now pacemakers.
a small, wireless self-contained pacemaker made by Nanostim Inc., appears safe and feasible for use in patients,
At 6 millimeters in diameter and about 42 millimeters long, the wireless device is smaller than a triple-A battery.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Cisco’s Cloud Plan for IoT
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1321627&
Cisco Systems on Monday announced a $1 billion investment in what it calls its Intercloud, a linked chain of datacenters providing services designed to capitalize on the Internet of Things. Cisco has no intention of competing with Amazon Web Services, Google, or Rackspace in supplying general-purpose infrastructure as a set of cloud services. Instead, it has assembled a set of partners to offer a global chain of datacenters linked by a Cisco network to serve as a backbone for the Internet of Things.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Porno troll told to go back under bridge
Copyright case ruling means IP address isn’t a person
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2336436/porno-troll-told-to-go-back-under-bridge
A UNITED STATES JUDGE has ruled that an IP address cannot be tied to a person, despite the best efforts of copyright trolls.
“Plaintiff has shown that the geolocation software can provide a location for an infringing IP address; however, Plaintiff has not shown how this geolocation software can establish the identity of the Defendant,” Ungaro wrote in her ruling.
“There is nothing that links the IP address location to the identity of the person actually downloading and viewing”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Delegated Strings
http://newgtlds.icann.org/en/program-status/delegated-strings
The expansion of generic Top-Level Domains (e.g. .COM, .ORG, .NET) in the Domain Name System is underway. Over 1,300 new names or “strings” could become available in the next few years.
After completing the New gTLD Program, a new gTLD becomes part of the Internet when it is delegated. This means it is introduced into the Internet’s authoritative database, known as the Root Zone.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Top EU Court Backs Internet Bootlegging Ruling
Decision Could Raise Costs for Internet Service Providers
http://online.wsj.com/news/article_email/SB10001424052702304418404579464841073662978-lMyQjAxMTA0MDIwNzEyNDcyWj
The European Union’s highest court said on Thursday that Internet service providers may have to block access to websites that infringe copyrights.
The ruling, which confirms an opinion last year from the European Court of Justice’s advocate general, could raise costs for Internet service providers in the 28-country EU, but leaves leeway for national courts to decide on the best course of action to fight copyright violations.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Announcing the Connectivity Lab at Facebook
http://internet.org/press/announcing-the-connectivity-lab-at-facebook
Today, Mark Zuckerberg announced a team at Facebook that has been working on new technologies to improve and extend internet access. Begun by the same engineering talent behind Facebook’s infrastructure team and the Open Compute Project, the Connectivity Lab team has been working on developing new platforms for connectivity on the ground, in the air and in orbit.
To make these platforms a reality we’ve recently added some of the world’s top experts on aerospace technology including the team from Ascenta, a UK-based company with a deep expertise in designing and building high-altitude long-endurance (HALE) aircraft.
The team’s approach is based on the principle that different sized communities need different solutions and they are already working on new delivery platforms—including planes and satellites—to provide connectivity for communities with different population densities.
For suburban areas in limited geographical regions, we’ve been working on solar-powered high altitude, long endurance aircraft that can stay aloft for months, be quickly deployed and deliver reliable internet connections.
For lower density areas, low-Earth orbit and geosynchronous satellites can beam internet access to the ground.
For all of these systems, the team is looking at Free-space optical communication, or FSO
Tomi Engdahl says:
Zuck: Web drones, not balloons (cough, cough Google) are way forward
Facebook’s boywonder dismisses rival’s Loon balloons as loony baloney
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/03/28/zuckerberg_connectivity_lab/
Facebook’s chief Mark Zuckerberg thinks his plan to carpet a portion of the world with internet-dispensing drones is a better approach than Google’s Loon balloons.
“With the efficiency and endurance of high altitude drones, it’s even possible that aircraft could remain aloft for months or years. This means drones have more endurance than balloons, while also being able to have their location precisely controlled.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Bluetooth Smart’s Rise From Obscurity to Mainstream
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1321690&
Beyond mobile phones, Bluetooth Smart is really empowering designers and architects of the Internet of Things. At TechInsights’ Teardown.com, we tear down nearly 400 devices a year. Over the past three years, we have seen Bluetooth Smart go from obscurity to mainstream in mobile devices and become a standard in wearable and wellness technology research.
Bluetooth LE to Bluetooth Smart
In 2011, we began seeing BLE being more commonly referred to as Bluetooth Smart.
In early 2011, the application of Bluetooth Smart was captured in approximately 10% of the devices we analyzed. This increased 12 months later to 56% of devices.
Drawing conclusions from this data, we expect to see full or nearly full adoption in 2014 and beyond as wellness and wearable use continues to expand.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Zuckerberg works on WiFi drones for remote areas
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2336963/zuckerberg-works-on-wifi-drones-for-remote-areas
Under the auspices of his non-profit internet.org organisation, Zuckerberg revealed that he has partnered with the NASA Ames Research Centre and UK drone company Ascenta to pioneer solar powered unmanned aircraft to beam WiFi from the skies.
The idea has parallels with internet search giant Google’s plans to deliver internet access via balloons under the dubious title “Project Loon”.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Why Zuckerberg prefers drones to Google’s balloons
The Facebook chief explains some of his thinking behind Internet access delivered via drone and satellite
http://www.itworld.com/412066/why-zuckerberg-prefers-drones-googles-balloons
Different parts of the world require different technologies for Internet access, based on factors like population density and the size of the area to be covered.
Some 10 percent to 20 percent of the world’s population lives outside the range of 2G and 3G wireless networks, and many of those people are in remote areas where building physical networks on the ground is “uneconomical as well as impractical,” he explained.
One option Facebook is considering is “free space optical communication,” or FSO
Its speed is on par with fiber-optic networks, Facebook says. But the narrow optical beams must be pointed very precisely.
They also require “line of sight” visibility, meaning they won’t work well in bad weather.”
Drones, on the other hand, are one of the major areas where Facebook is focused. Flying at 65,000 feet and powered by solar panels, drones can broadcast a powerful communications signal that covers an area the size of a city with a medium population density.
In large areas with low population densities — think deserts — Facebook may launch satellites as a cheaper alternative to drones.
For densely populated urban areas, mesh networks can be simple to deploy and cost effective, Zuckerberg said.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Netflix’s Net-Neutrality Plea Gets Rejected by the FCC
But the agency might still regulate negotiations between websites and Internet providers.
http://www.nationaljournal.com/tech/netflix-s-net-neutrality-plea-gets-rejected-by-the-fcc-20140401
The Federal Communications Commission has no plans to expand its net-neutrality rules to ensure that services like Netflix can connect to Internet providers’ networks for free.
But the agency is eyeing other avenues to regulate special deals between websites and Internet providers—an area of concern for consumer groups after Netflix paid Comcast for better access to its customers.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Datacenters Drive 100G Race
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1321724&
About 20 companies led by Arista Networks and Intel proposed a standard for 100 Gbit/s links for datacenter switches — the third such proposal in as many weeks. The efforts indicate an accelerating race to ship 100G systems this year, responding to a rising data tsunami in datacenters.
The CRL4 100G Alliance aims to specify a 100G coarse wavelength division multiplexing (CWDM) transceiver in a QSFP package that measures 8.5 x 18 x 72 mm. It will dissipate 3.5 W max and support distances up to 2 km using two singlemode optical fibers.
The proposal comes one day after companies including Avago, Finisar, JDSU, and Oclaro proposed a similar spec called CWDM4. At the OFC event in March, Mellanox announced with partners its Open Optics specification based on dense WDM technology.
The three specs all aim to serve datacenter switches hungry for bandwidth, filling a gap between short- and long-range 100G specs today. Separately, Cisco and Avago have developed a proprietary 40G link some expect to scale to 100G.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Hardwired crypto certificate FAIL bricks Juniper router kit
Is this the final nail in the dusty gear’s coffin, wonder sysadmins
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/03/31/cert_fail_bricks_old_juniper_kit/
Sysadmins with older Juniper Networks kit have been left scrambling to keep their networks running after a security certificate expiration bricked their boxen.
Users of EOL kit like J2300 and J4300 routers discovered that Juniper Networks used a hard-coded X.509 cryptographic certificate in the systems – and that cert, which is used to securely connect to Juniper to check the customer’s software licence for the router is up to date, has now expired.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Microsoft eyes Intel with ‘Windows on Devices’ Internet of Things plans
Website appears ahead of Build, then promptly disappears
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2337661/microsoft-eyes-intel-with-windows-on-devices-internet-of-things-plans
FOLLOWING HOT ON THE HEELS of the recently announced Android Wear SDK, a website announcing the arrival of Microsoft for Devices has appeared, and promptly disappeared.
The website presented smart coffee mugs, robots, bears and even an internet connected piano that it revealed to be demonstrated over the coming days.
It said “the next big thing is small” and referenced a software development kit (SDK) that will be ready sometime this spring.