It’s undeniable: 2014 was the year when the electronics industry decidedly and collectively moved forward to push the Internet of Things (IoT). In year 2015 IoT markets will continue to grow. I think we’re going to see some critical mass on corralling the IoT in 2015. IoT is a young market – no one seems to be clearly leading. Communications are the key here. Over the last 10 years the world has done a remarkably good job of connecting the global wireless world. The last decade has radically changed the way we live. The smartphone and its cousin, the tablet, was the final link to ubiquitous wireless coverage, globally. The fantasy of the IoT is quite grand: everything on the planet can be smart and communicate. The idea is both powerful and impractical.
IoT is entering peak of inflated expectations: The Internet of Things is at that stage when the efforts of various companies involved in it, along with research, are proving to have a lot of promise. At this stage, the Internet of Things should not have too many difficulties attracting developers and researchers into the fold. As we turn to 2015 and beyond, however, wearables becomes an explosive hardware design opportunity. Tie the common threads of IoT and wearables together, and an unstoppable market movement emerges. There seems to be a lack of public appreciation of the extent to which the Internet of Things is going to fundamentally change how people interact with the world around them.
On the other hand, the Internet of Things is getting poised to enter the trough of disillusionment, which means that there is more room for failure now. There are issues of security, privacy, and sharing of information across vertical implementations that still need to be worked out. Until they are, the IoT will not be able to fulfill all its promises.
The Internet of Things (IoT) is beginning to grow significantly, as consumers, businesses, and governments recognize the benefit of connecting inert devices to the internet. The ‘Internet of Things’ Will Be The World’s Most Massive Device Market And Save Companies Billions Of Dollars in few years. BI Intelligence expects that the IoT will result in $1.7 trillion in value added to the global economy in 2019. This includes hardware, software, installation costs, management services, and economic value added from realized IoT efficiencies. The main benefit of growth in the IoT will be increased efficiency and lower costs: increased efficiency within the home, city, and workplace. The enterprise sector will lead the IoT, accounting for 46% of device shipments this year, but that share will decline as the government and home sectors gain momentum. I expect that home, government, and enterprise sectors use the IoT differently.
The IoT is only enabled because of two things: the ability of networks to reach countless nodes, and the availability of cost-effective embedded processors to attach to a multitude of devices. The prices for components and devices continues to decline while the skyrocketing global demand for 24/7 Internet access grows exponentially. The Internet of Things growth will benefit mostly from the autonomous machine-to-machine (M2M) connectivity that will make up the bulk of the objects of the IoT. This is the main driver for double-digit growth across verticals in the electronics, and especially the semiconductor industry well into the next decade. The IoT will connect places, such as manufacturing platforms, energy grids, health-care facilities, transportation systems, retail outlets, sports and music venues, and countless other entities to the Internet.
Internet of Things can become Engineering for Everyone. The emergence of open-source development platforms, developed and maintained by dedicated volunteers, has effectively raised the level of abstraction to a point where nonexperts can now use these platforms. The availability of open-source software and, more recently, hardware targeting embedded applications means that access to high-quality engineering resources has never been greater. This has effectively raised the level of abstraction to a point where nonexperts can now use these platforms to turn their own abstract concepts into real products. With the potential to launch a successful commercial venture off the back of tinkering with some low-cost hardware in your spare time, it’s no wonder that open-source hardware is fuelling an entirely new movement. A new generation of manufacturer is embracing the open-source ethos and actually allowing customers to modify the product post-sale.
Exact size predictions for IoT market next few years vary greatly, but all of the firms making these predictions agree on one thing—it’s going to be very big.
In year 2014 very many chip vendors and sensor algorithm companies also jumped on the IoT bandwagon, in hopes of laying the groundwork for more useful and cost-effective IoT devices. Sensors, MCUs, and wireless connectivity are three obvious building blocks for IoT end-node devices. Wireless connectivity and software (algorithms) are the two most sought-after technologies. Brimming with excitement, and with Europe already ahead of the pack, a maturing semiconductor industry looks expectantly to the Internet of Things (IoT) for yet another facelift. The IC sales generated by the connectivity and sensor subsystems to enabled this IoT will amount $57.7 billion in 2015.
Chips for IoT market to grow 36% in 2015, says Gartner as automotive V2X, LED lighting and smart domestic objects are set to drive semiconductor market growth through the year 2020, according to market analysis firm Gartner. The move to create billions of smart, autonomously communicating objects known as the Internet of Things (IoT) is driving the need for low-power sensors, processors and communications chips. By 2018, the market value of IoT subsystems in equipment and Internet-connected things is projected to reach $103.6 billion worldwide, which represents a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 21.0 percent from $39.8 billion in 2013.
BI Intelligence expects that by 2019 IoT market will be more than double the size of the smartphone, PC, tablet, connected car, and the wearable market combined. A new report by Yole Developpement pegs the market size in the $70 billion range by 2018, with the next five years presenting a golden opportunity for device makers as the IoT enters the growth stage. Device shipments will reach 6.7 billion in 2019 for a five-year CAGR of 61%.
Number of connected devices is expected to to reach 36 billion units by 2020, cautions that “all of this new market opportunity is under threat.” Other estimate according to market research firm Radiant Insights of San Francisco is that the number of Internet connections will grow from 9 billion devices in 2014 to 100 billion by 2020 (twice as many as the estimate from Cisco Systems Inc). IC Insights forecasts that web-connected things will account for 85 percent of 29.5 billion Internet connections worldwide by 2020. Currently fragmented market, the number of cellular M2M connections could rise from 478 million today to 639 million in 2020.
By 2024, the report predicts that overall market value for components will exceed of $400 billion, of which more than 10% will come from hardware alone. Revenue from hardware sales will be only $50 billion or 8% of the total revenue from IoT-specific efforts, as software makers and infrastructure companies will earn the lion’s share. As the Internet of Things grows to a projected 212 billion items by 2020, the question of regulation looms increasingly large.
The growth of the IoT will present some very interesting issues in a variety of areas. You will see some very fast activity because unless it gets resolved there will be no IoT as it is envisioned.
General consensus is that the interconnect protocol of the IoT will be IP (Internet Protocol). As it stands today, the deployment of the billions of IoT objects can’t happen, simply because there just aren’t enough IP addresses with IPv4. While there is still some discussion about how to connect the IoT, most are in agreement that the IoT protocol will be IPv6. The first step will be to convert all proprietary networks to an IP-base. Then, the implementation of IPv6 can begin. Because direct interoperability between IPv4 and iPv6 protocols is not possible, this will add some some complications to the development, resulting in a bit of obfuscation to the transition for IPv6.
Is There Any Way to Avoid Standards Wars in the Emerging Internet of Things? I don’t see that possible. IoT will be in serious protocol war in 2015. There is a wide selection of protocols, but no clear set of winners at the moment. The real IoT standardization is just starting – There are currently few standards (or regulations) for what is needed to run an IoT device. There is no single standard for connecting devices on the Internet of Thing, instead are a handful of competing standards run by different coalitions of companies: The Thread Group (Qualcomm, The Linux Foundation, Microsoft, Panasonic), The Industrial Internet Consortium (Intel, Cisco, AT&T, IBM, Microsoft), Open Interconnect Consortium (Samsung, Intel, Dell), Physical Web (Google), AllSeen Alliance (Samsung, Intel, Dell) and huge number of smaller non-standardized protocols in use. Each of the standards vary how they do things.
Anyone who tries to build a physical layer and drive a software stack based on it all the way up to the application layer is a fool. But many companies try to do it this year. Today Zigbee is the most cost effective, but tomorrow WiFi will figure it out. On networking field in every few years there’s a new management protocol – what will happen in IoT, it will keep moving, and people will need open APIs.
Currently the IoT lacks a common set of standards and technologies that would allow for compatibility and ease-of-use. The IoT needs a set of open APIs and protocols that work with a variety of physical-layer networks. The IP and network layer should have nothing to do with the media. The fundamental issue here is that at the moment the Internet of Things will not have a standard set of open APIs for consumers. IoT, it will keep moving, and people will need open APIs. I suspect that at some point, after the first wave of the Internet of Things, open APIs and root access will become a selling point.
It is not just technical protocol details that are problem: One problem with IoT is that it is a vague definition. Do we simply mean ‘connected devices? Or something else? One of the main issues, which will only get worse as the IoT evolves, is how are we going to categorize all the different objects.
Early in 2015, the Industrial Internet Consortium plans to wrap up work on a broad reference architecture for the Internet of Things, ramp up three test beds, and start identifying gaps where new standards may be needed. The group, formed by AT&T, Cisco, GE, IBM, and Intel, now has about 115 members and aims to make it easier to build commercial IoT systems. The IIC hopes to finish a first draft of its reference architecture by the end of January and have it ratified by March. It will define functional areas and the technologies and standards for them, from sensors to data analytics and business applications. The framework includes versions for vertical markets including aerospace, healthcare, manufacturing, smart cities, and transportation. A breakout section on security also is in the works. Hopefully the reference architecture could be used to help people construct industrial IoT systems quickly and easily.
With the emergence of the Internet of Things, smart cars are beginning to garner more attention. Smart cars are different than connected cars, which are simply smartphones on wheels. Even though the technology has been on the evolutionary fast track, integration has been slow. For car manufacturers, it is a little tricky to accept driverless cars because it disrupts their fundamental business model: Private resources will evolve to shared resources, centrally controlled, since autonomous vehicles can be controlled remotely.
Over the next few years, we’ll see a torrent of new devices emerge that are connected to the Internet and each other through a wide range of different wireless networking protocols. As a result, there’s a race on, not just to get those devices connected, but also to provide the network infrastructure necessary to managing all of them at scale. WiFi, Bluetooth, and cellular networks are nowadays widely used, nut new alternatives are coming to solve applications were those technologies are not most suitable. There are different plans for wide area wireless networks that use licensed or unlicensed wireless bandwidth to transmit small amounts of data from various connected device – this could create its own connection to them in a cost effective manner without relying on existing cellular or WiFi networks.
Recently we have developed a pressing need, or desire to put our refrigerators, and everything we have access to while mobile, on the net, morphing the brave new world of the Internet of Things, into the Internet of Everything (IoE). And that will make that last 100 meters—that final frontier of interconnect—a reality. Today, only about 10% of the last 100 meter devices that will make up the IoT are connected. As the IoT evolves, other small cells such as businesses, city centers, malls, theaters, stadiums, event centers, and the like, will connect much of what they have on premise (soda or popcorn machines, vending machines, restaurants, parking garages, ticket kiosks, seat assignments, and a very long list of others). And, there are a very large number of devices that are short-range in all of these various cells. What was once the last mile for connectivity is now the last 100 meters.
Plenty of people and companies in the technology world tend to come at the Internet of Things by dwelling on the “Internet.” But what if, instead, we started with the “Things?” Knowing intimately what “things” are supposed to do and how they think and behave will be the key to solving one of the IoT’s most pressing issues: application layers. Over the past 18 months, the industry has launched numerous consortia, from Qualcomm’s AllSeen and Intel’s Open Interconnect Consortium to Apple’s HomeKit and Google’s Thread. Every entity says it’s targeting the “interoperability” of things at home, but each is obviously concentrating primarily on its own interests, and making their “layer” specifications slightly different from those pursued by others.
It seems that no industry consortium is particularly interested in defining — in gory detail — the specific functions of, say, what a door lock is supposed to do. The library of commands for each function already exists, but someone, or some group, has to translate those already determined commands into an IP-friendly format. One of the standards organizations will take up the challenge in 2015. This will be the first step to “knock barriers down for IoT” in 2015.
Missing today in the IoT are reliability and robustness. Consumers expect their light switched and other gadgets to be infinitely reliable. In many today’s products we seem to be far from reliable and robust operation. Today’s routers can relay traffic between networks, but they have no idea how to translate what functions each device attached to them wants to do, and how to communicate that to other devices. The network needs to be able to discover who else is on the network. Devices connected to network need to be able to discover what resources are available and what new devices are being added. The network needs to be extensible.
Despite the oft-mocked naming scheme, the Internet of Things (IoT) has an incredibly practical goal: connecting classically “dumb” objects—toasters, doorknobs, light switches—to the Internet, thereby unlocking a world of potential. Imagine what it means to interact with your home the same way you would a website, accessing it without geographic restriction. But there is one missing piece of the smart home revolution: smart home operating system. So what will be the system that capitalizes on the smart home in the same way, the enabler of all the applications and actions we want our homes to run and do? There are no ready answers for that yet. And there might not be a singular, cohesive operating system for your home, that this stuff isn’t one-size-fits-all. It might be that the real potential for home automation lies not in local software running on a home device but in the cloud. I think that the cloud is going to be more important over time, but there will always be also need for some local functionality in case the connection to cloud is lost. Right now the Internet of Things is rather disjointed compared to Internet and computers.
When everything will be connected, how about security? In the path to IoT, the issue of data and device security looms large. Security for the ‘Internet of Things’ will be talked about very much in 2015 for a good reason. As Internet of Thigs becomes more and more used, it will be more hacked. Thus security of Internet of Things will be more and more talked about. Virtually anything connected to the Internet has the potential of being hacked, no matter how unlikely. Internet of Things devices often lack systematic protections against viruses or spam. Nowadays most security breaches are software-based, when an application can be compromised. Counter-measures for such attacks range from basic antivirus scanning software, to embedded hypervisors to hardware-bound secure applications tying their execution to uniquely identifiable hardware. There is emerging customer demand for silicon authentication. But the threats extend way beyond software and some hackers will put a lot of effort into compromising a system’s security at silicon-level. Individual devices can get hacked, but all systems should have some way of self-checking and redundancy. Those IoT systems can be very complex at device and system level. The problem with complexity is that you create more attack points and make it easier for hackers to find flaws.
Experts recommend far more layers of cyberprotection than manufacturers have thought necessary. Because many of the devices will often be practically inaccessible, the “patch and pray” strategy used for many desktop software packages is unlikely to be an effective strategy for many forms of IoT devices. Right now, there are hundreds of companies churning out “Internet of Things” (IoT) devices as fast as they can, without thinking too much on the security issues they can cause in the future. The imperative is clear: Do your homework on the specific security features of any IoT device you might consider bringing into the home. What steps are IoT companies taking to keep us safe from others online, and what constitutes a truly “safe” smart appliance?
What we’re opening up is a whole new subject not just of security but of safety. That safety depends on devices to be constantly connected to the Internet the same way they’re connected to the power grid. That’s a whole new area that deserves its own consideration. Keep in mind that IoT is one field where cyber security flaws can kill in the worst case. Connecting unrelated devices in the IoT means many more pieces now affect reliability and security. More devices are now considered critical, such as a connected baby monitor or a smart smoke detector, because wrong information can injure or kill people. The Internet of Things is coming no matter what happens. The people in charge of keeping the public safe and the industry healthy need to be ready.
The European Police Office (Europol) said governments are ill-equipped to counter the menace of “injury and possible deaths” spurred by hacking attacks on critical safety equipment. There are many potential dangers are in transportation: many new cars are Internet connected and potentially vulnerable, SCADA Systems in Railways Vulnerable to Attack and Airline bosses ignore cyber security concerns at their peril. With industrial control systems becoming network-connected, security risks rise and will need a long-term solution. In light of the trend toward the Industrial Internet of Things, development teams must start thinking hard about network security and planning for its long-term viability.
You have to accept the fact that at each point in the IoT there are vulnerabilities to malicious attacks and interception of vital information. Soon, almost every network will soon have some IoT-hacking in it. IDC predicts that in two years from 90 per cent of the global IT networks have met IoT data theft. In a report, cybersecurity firm Fortinet expects greater threats from “denial of service attacks on assembly line, factory, industrial control systems, and healthcare and building management…resulting in revenue losses and reputation damages for organizations globally.” This opens new doors of risks in the areas of corporate extortion, altering of corporate business operations, and the extension of cyberattacks to include physical threats of harm to civilians.
There are lessons to be learned to keep the cyber security in control in the IoT era. There will be lessons to be learned for all the parties of the IoT ecosystem. The companies that figure out how to make security available on multi-stakeholder platforms will be the most successful ones. Figuring out a secure platform is important, but having different levels of security is still important. Different uses have different bars. Security is a self-regulating system to some extent because it is supply and demand. That is the Holy Grail for technology right now, which is how to build systems with enough security—not 100% protection right now—from a unified platform point of view for multiple applications.
The data generated by the Internet of Things has the potential to reveal far more about users than any technology in history: These devices can make our lives much easier … The Internet of Things however, can also reveal intimate details about the doings and goings of their owners through the sensors they contain. As the Internet of Things grows to a projected 212 billion items by 2020, the question of regulation looms increasingly large. There is a lot of effort is going today at the government level. They’re not thinking about whether the Internet goes down. They’re worried about what happens if the Internet gets compromised.
When we have devices on the field, there is question how to analyze the data coming from them. This is easily a “big data” problem because of the huge amount of data that comes from very large number of sensors. Being able to monitor and use the data that comes from the Internet of Things is a huge potential challenge with different providers using different architectures and approaches, and different chip and equipment vendors teaming up in a range of different ways. Many large and smaller companies are active on the field: Intel, IBM, Lantronix+Google, Microchip+Amazon, Freescale+Oracle, Xively, Jasper, Keen.io, Eurotech, and many other.
The huge increase of data is coming. Radiant predicts that wireless sensor networks will be used to monitor and control very many domestic, urban, and industrial systems. This promises to produce an explosion of data, much of which will be discarded as users are overwhelmed by the volume. As a result, analysis of the data within the wireless sensor network will become necessary so that alerts and meaningful information are generated at the leaf nodes. This year has seen the software at the very highest point in the Internet of Things stack — analytics — becoming tightly coupled with the embedded devices at the edge of the network, leading to many different approaches and providers.
Integrating data from one IoT cloud to another will have it’s challenges. Automation services make big steps by cutting corners. Sites like IFTTT, Zapier, bip.io, CloudWork, and elastic.io allow users to connect applications with links that go beyond a simple synch. Check what is happening with integration and related services like IFTTT, ItDuzzit, Amazon Lambda. For example IFTTT is quietly becoming a smart home powerhouse.
Most important sources of information for this article:
With $16M In Funding, Helium Wants To Provide The Connective Tissue For The Internet Of Things
IFTTT, other automation services make big steps by cutting corners
Internet of Things: Engineering for Everyone
IoT in Protocol War, Says Startup – Zigbee fortunes dim in building control
Analysts Predict CES Hotspots – Corralling the Internet of Things
What’s Holding Back The IoT – Device market opportunities will explode, but only after some fundamental changes
Apps Layer: ’800lb Gorilla’ in IoT Nobody Talks About
Analysts Predict CES Hotspots – IoT, robots, 4K to dominate CES
10 Reasons Why Analytics Are Vital to the Internet of Things
Tech More: Mobile Internet of Things BI Intelligence Consumer Electronics – Most Massive Device Market
Wearables make hardware the new software
Zigbee Opens Umbrella 3.0 Spec
IoT Will Give ‘Embedded’ a Shot in the Arm - Connected cities to be largest IoT market
Chips for IoT market to grow 36% in 2015, says Gartner
Apps Layer: ’800lb Gorilla’ in IoT Nobody Talks About
Short-Range, Low-Power Sensors – once the last mile for connectivity is now the last 100 meters
The one problem the Internet of Things hasn’t solved
Plan Long Term for Industrial Internet Security
To Foil Cyberattacks, Connected Cars Need Overlapping Shields
IoT cybersecurity: is EDA ready to deliver?
More Things Are Critical Systems
Silicon, Security, and the Internet of Things
The missing piece of the smart home revolution
Hackers will soon be targeting your refrigerator
10 Reasons Why Analytics Are Vital to the Internet of Things
1,316 Comments
Tomi Engdahl says:
MatrixCam™ Video Development Kit
http://www.eeweb.com/project/design_library/matrixcam-video-development-kit
MatrixCam Video Development Kit is a low power, smart 1080P video camera that streams video over Wi-Fi® and Ethernet, and is targeted towards the Internet of Things (IoT) market. MatrixCam™ VDK revolutionizes IoT by providing vision and connectivity based on an open source platform solution, and enables fast time-to-market for IoT developers
To make it an intelligent streaming device, a PIR sensor is integrated to detect movement and to wake up the system to start video streaming. The system has the additional option for wake up through Bluetooth® Low Energy (BLE). On wake up, a push notification is sent to a mobile device alerting the user. The product will have different resolution selection options for video streaming.
Design Library > MatrixCam™ Video Development Kit
http://www.eeweb.com/design-library/matrixcam-video-development-kit/
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Case for Local Intelligence in IoT-Centric Surveillance Devices
http://www.eetimes.com/author.asp?section_id=36&doc_id=1328311&
The crossover between IoT and surveillance requires that edge devices like security cameras get connected and get smart.
The network-centric security and surveillance industry enabled by the IP-based cameras has been steadily progressing over the years. Now the advent of the Internet of Things (IoT) promises to turn this segment into a mass surveillance infrastructure. However, the crossover between IoT and surveillance is also demanding the edge devices like security cameras to get connected as well as get smart.
In other words, move more imaging and video analytics to camera and process information directly inside the smart camera. So, in this facet of IoT, where surveillance machines are becoming part of the network of connected devices, it is imperative that edge devices like security cameras acquire some level of intelligence while some of the data is sent to the cloud servers.
So the camera system may simply create a notification in the form of a message or a call. Apparently, it’s hard for the cloud to respond to all the data quickly enough because data transfer isn’t always that fast. The data transfer in the cloud environment isn’t real-time either, as some people might have believed. Sometimes, even the network link to the cloud is down.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Will IoT Make Taxing the Internet Inevitable?
http://www.eetimes.com/author.asp?section_id=36&doc_id=1328310&
Following Ben Franklin’s logic, if IoT is as inevitable as death, taxes are sure to follow. Have we been living in a fool’s paradise with regard to the Internet?
Have we been living in a fool’s paradise with regard to the Internet? Do global power considerations mean that the Internet is about to become a limited resource and much more expensive, even taxed?
It looks likely that global chip sales will decline in 2015 compared with 2014 implying that average selling price erosion is exceeding unit supply increases. A decline in the value of the global chip market in the absence of an economic crash, a natural catastrophe, or at least an oversupply bubble, has been very rare.
One of the problems would seem to be that the smartphone, as killer product and market driver, has more or less run its course. Many people are hoping the next killer application will be the Internet of Things; nanoelectronics everywhere.
Think twice about that, because a nanoelectronics research compendium makes the point that — without several orders of magnitude reduction in power consumption in electronics — the projected roll outs of mobile data and the IoT could cause a global energy crisis as soon as 2020. That’s just over four years away.
It’s not just the billions of end-point “leaf nodes” that will be consuming power — probably battery power unless nanoelectronics can make the nodes autonomous — but the exabytes of data being generated and sent to and from data centers. According to Hoefflinger’s book that data processing is rising at a compound annual growth rate of 61 percent at present, and is simply not sustainable.
But if it is not sustainable, what is going to give way?
Unfortunately, one of the conclusions in the book is that the traditional evolutionary progress of electronics rarely allows radical solutions to come to market — even though radical solutions are now required to reduce power consumption.
So if the electronics industry cannot prevent the global electronics power budget from increasing rapidly then EITHER many more power stations must be built – but of what type – OR the public’s insatiable demand for the Internet must be stifled, probably by higher charges or taxation.
No One Likes Taxes
Building fossil fuel, nuclear and renewable power stations are all fraught with problems and Hoefflinger’s conclusion is that the world is unlikely, in the short term, to bring online the quantity of power stations required to meet the forecast Internet demand. So it seems that the future of the Internet is power-constrained.
But taxation and the Internet is traditionally a thorny question.
It would be hard, if not impractical, to create an equitable global taxation system for the Internet. But if we do nothing significant to reduce power consumption per node and across the network and allow data volumes to double every 18 months, by 2020 the Internet’s energy demand will rival the world’s total generation capacity, according to Hoefflinger’s book. At that point communities and governments will be forced to introduce rationing and to choose between power for essential infrastructure such as hospitals and transport, power for the lights, and power for the Internet.
Brownouts of the Internet will probably precede blackouts. They will likely manifest themselves as a gradual degradation of quality of service as ISPs are forced to make their own resource allocation decisions
At the same time businesses that are based on the Internet, such as Amazon, Facebook, Google, and just about everyone else will be saying this cannot be allowed to happen. There will be thoughts about first- and second-class access to the Internet and about top-down management of peak demand, just as there is with tariffs on electricity.
A Fool’s Paradise
Have we been living in a fool’s paradise that is about to come to an end with a sickening crunch?
Of course, any such crunch will be mediated by money in some way because as resources become scarce they go up in price. One possible outcome would be significantly higher and progressive charges from Internet Service Providers used to meet government levies to pay for investment in power generation, which is effectively a tax.
Tomi Engdahl says:
IoT Groups Merge Efforts
OIC taps UPnP, eschewing rival AllSeen
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1328326
The Open Interconnect Consortium will acquire assets of and combine its technologies with those of the Universal Plug and Play Forum, a fifteen-year old group focused on automating links between PCs and peripherals typically over Wi-Fi. By adopting the UPnP’s widely used service discovery software and likely many of its members, OIC will bolster its position as an applications-layer software stack for the Internet of Things.
All sides agree the IoT is encumbered with too many competing and overlapping platforms, networks, protocols and frameworks as the result of a land grab for what is seen as the next big thing. With the deal, OIC gets an edge over its closest rival, the AllSeen Alliance. However it’s not clear whether it gets the heft it will need to stand out against the two giants in this space – Google’s Thread/Weave and Apple’s HomeKit.
Proponents of AllSeen’s AllJoyn technology have been promoting the idea of a merger with OIC. Such a move is unlikely now that OIC is adopting UPnP’s service-discovery approach which is already widely adopted and functionally similar to the AllJoyn technology.
Currently, AllSeen has a lead in the market with more than 185 members and shipping products using its specifications. OIC, which has about 100 members, expects first products using its recently ratified spec to appear at CES in January. Both OIC and AllSeen are hosted by the Linux Foundation.
The UPnP deal promises to double OIC’s list of 100 members. UPnP has more than 1,000 members, but about 840 of them are at a basic level that pays no dues, something OIC does not support.
Perhaps even more importantly, UPnP gives OIC a base of software already used in “billions of devices” ranging from smartphones to TVs, said Richmond. AllJoyn is supported in Windows 10 but so is UPnP, which was originally formed by Microsoft and Intel to automate the process of connecting PCs and peripherals. “Almost every device with AllJoyn also has UPnP,” said Lofgren.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Silicon Labs Buys Zigbee Module Vendor Telegesis
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1328332&
Silicon Laboratories Inc. said Monday (Nov. 23) it acquired privately-held Telegesis ltd., a U.K.-based supplier of wireless mesh networking modules, for roughly $20 million.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Qualcomm to the Internet of Things
Qualcomm and other mobile phone manufacturers circuits praise the new modem increasing the data rate. However, 3GPP also defines the data rates required for IoT engageable devices. This area is also interested in Qualcomm – presented two modem circuits supporting the LTE terminal class 1 speeds. This so-called. Cat 1 brings 10 Mbps data rate from the terminal to the network, and five megabits per second direction.
Ten megabits per feels pretty ylimitoiteltulta many devices, which only transmits the sensor data to the network. This strategy will be to keep the modem most of the time closed, and enter the data collected rapid burst remains to be analyzed.
Cat 1 category modems have so far presented Sequans and Altail. Qualcomm’s MDM9206 modem comes directly from the competitor.
Another novelty is the MDM9207-1 Qualcomm’s modem, which the company says is already supporting the Future NB-IoT standards. This is to be completed next year 3GPP Release 13 of the extension, which defines the radio technology LTE networks utilizing IoT links.
Source: http://etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3641:qualcomm-mukaan-esineiden-internetiin&catid=13&Itemid=101
Tomi Engdahl says:
Industrial Gigabit Ethernet PHYs
http://www.eeweb.com/news/industrial-gigabit-ethernet-phys
Texas Instruments (TI) announced the release of industry’s lowest latency and highest electrostatic discharge (ESD) industrial Gigabit Ethernet physical layers (PHYs). The new family of six devices enables engineers to bring real-time industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) capabilities to rugged factory automation systems, motor drives, and test and measurement equipment. The new DP83867 family meets stringent electromagnetic interference (EMI) and electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) standards, reduces power consumption, and offers designers flexibility with multiple temperature, media access control (MAC) interface and packaging options.
Tools and support to speed design
Evaluation modules (EVMs) available today from the TI store and authorized distributors enable designers to quickly and easily evaluate the new devices. The DP83867IRPAP-EVM supports the gigabit media independent interface (GMII) and reduced GMII (RGMII) and is priced at US$199, and the DP83867ERGZ-R-EVM supports RGMII and is priced at $199.
The DP83867 industrial Gigabit Ethernet PHY family is available today with prices starting at US$4.40 in 1,000-unit quantities.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Tips to get funding for your IoT product idea
http://www.edn.com/electronics-blogs/now-hear-this/4440828/Tips-to-get-funding-for-your-IoT-product-idea?_mc=NL_EDN_EDT_EDN_weekly_20151119&cid=NL_EDN_EDT_EDN_weekly_20151119&elq=5fcbb209ce23439586d6007163c23f3d&elqCampaignId=25813&elqaid=29411&elqat=1&elqTrackId=f5ddd7a64fcc4b3da269b1d0b452c13f
Klein closed his talk with a list of what VCs look for in the projects they fund:
Team, team, team: smart passionate folks who believe in the idea so much it is contagious
Understanding of the target market value chain: what part of the dollar are you going to get
Proven ability to create a physical product and complex systems: what have you made
Plan to get to profitable unit economics: have a clear path to opportunity
Tomi Engdahl says:
Telemedicine: The State of Telepresence In Healthcare
http://science.slashdot.org/story/15/11/23/0015230/telemedicine-the-state-of-telepresence-in-healthcare
Telemedicine can let doctors and nurses check in on patients who might be recovering at home, or monitor people in remote locations where it’s hard to access physician services. This article gives an overview of the different systems that are out there, what are some of the legal obstacles, and how various countries are investing in the technology. From the article: “The Japanese government has allocated about $23M USD to the core technology market in an effort to develop products for its aging population.
South Korea is estimated to be allocating nearly $6B USD to their own robotics research.
The state of telepresence: Healthcare and telemedicine
http://robohub.org/the-state-of-telepresence-healthcare-and-telemedicine/
As the number of humans age 65+ grows throughout the world, many will look to stay at home, rather than in assisted living or nursing homes, and telepresence robots could be an important ingredient in helping them to achieve that independence. While the telepresence market is relatively small right now (less than $200M USD), it does provide a means of entry for companies that are looking to get into the assisted care market, estimated to be nearly $4B USD.
The Japanese government has allocated about $23M USD to the core technology market in an effort to develop products for its aging population. Toyota, for example, is focusing on home living assistance robots that will allow those with limited mobility the opportunity to live at home. While Japan might have the largest market in the world of 65+ citizens (over 30 million as of 2014), South Korea is estimated to be allocating nearly $6B USD to their own robotics research. The Koreans are taking a different approach, using robots for mundane tasks of delivering food, allowing humans to provide care.
It will be up to our social and legal systems to keep the pace if we are to allow the technology a chance to provide the solution.
Tomi Engdahl says:
More control: Amazon Echo gains advanced trigger commands with IFTTT
http://www.zdnet.com/article/more-control-amazon-echo-gains-advanced-trigger-commands-with-ifttt/
It’s easier than ever to create custom voice actions with an Amazon Echo and If This Then That: See how using the new trigger command puts Alexa to work for you.
I call IFTTT an “API for Dummies” implementation because it ties apps and cloud services together in a way that anyone can use. You create what are called recipes to connect apps, data or actions between two different things. Previously, IFTTT that relied heavily on the Echo’s To-Do and Shopping lists, which isn’t ideal.
The latest Amazon Echo support – which IFTTT actually calls Amazon Alexa – expands your recipes to work with more third-party devices and services.
Some examples that IFTTT notes, and some I found on my own via its site, include:
Alexa, trigger find my phone
Alexa, trigger Next to 72 degrees
Alexa, trigger lights to blue
Alexa, trigger unsilence my phone
Alexa, trigger Smarthings to lock my front door
You get the idea.
With IFTTT’s widespread (and growing) support for various objects and cloud functions, your Alexa voice commands are only limited to what works with the service.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Hackaday Links: November 22, 2015
http://hackaday.com/2015/11/22/hackaday-links-november-22-2015/
Despite being a WiFi device, the ESP8266 is surprisingly great at being an Internet of Thing. The only problem is the range. No worries; you can use the ESP as a WiFi repeater that will get you about 0.5km further for each additional repeater node. Power is of course required, but you can stuff everything inside a cell phone charger.
Enlarge the range of ESP8266 without limits for just 2,5$ / kilometer
http://iotests.blogspot.fr/2015/11/extend-range-of-esp8266-as-wide-as-you.html
In this case, what you need is one (or several) repeaters, which get the connection from your ESP (typically, hitting a PHP link that sends a tweet or an email), and “forwards it” (ie, hitting the same page) to your wifi access point (or another repeater, which forwards it to the access point). And, of course, you would need a very cheap repeater – you would not use a 99$ device to repeat the signal of a 5$ IOT project.
This is exactly what the following project offers.
Each of these repeaters offers a range up to 0,5 kilometers, which means that it can ‘extend’ the reach of your first ESP by 1 kilometer (0,5 km from your ESP to the repeater + 0,5 km from the repeater to your access point), for less than 2,5 $. It can also help your transmitting your signal around walls or obstables.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Low-power wake-up module
An IoT end node device, even in standby mode, could consume enough power to require battery replacement every few months. That wouldn’t be convenient for uses like buried soil sensors scattered over a wide area, said a representative at the NEC booth.
NEC developed a new wake-up module that stays awake at 1mW, ready to detect and receive wireless LAN signals on 2.4GHz. (To put this in context, a wireless LAN module consumes 1W, Zigbee at 60mW and Bluetooth at 72mW, according to NEC’s own research.)
Once it receives wireless LAN signals, the miniature module, measuring 29mm(w) x 20mm(d) and 3.5mm(h), sends out signals to other end-node devices in the network so that it can turn them on.
The wake-up module is useful for on-demand wireless networks, according to NEC.
Source: http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1328314&page_number=2
Tomi Engdahl says:
Lapis Semiconductor demonstrated a single-chip “soil environment sensor,” designed to measure pH (acidity/alkalinity), electrical conductivity and temperature.
The compact chip, with a 5mm x 5mm dimension, consists of three separate sensors.
Applications for the soil environment sensor include not only agriculture but also environmental and social infrastructure monitoring
Separately, Lapis has rolled out a series of modules called “Lazurite” by leveraging the company’s home-grown microcontroller ML60Q504. The series includes a Lazurite Basic and Lazurite Sub-GHz module, which can obtain sensor values and wirelessly transmit data over 920MHz (IEEE802.15 .4e/g). The Lazurite Pi Gateway, based on Raspberry Pi module, collects 920MHz data and transmits that data to a server.
Lapis Semiconductor offers ready-to-use prototyping kits. “You can immediately start IoT development, simply by connecting our kit to a PC,” Lapis said.
Source: http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1328314&page_number=4
Tomi Engdahl says:
“Hello Barbie” Under the Knife
http://hackaday.com/2015/11/24/hello-barbie-records-your-children/
In February, Google and Mattel introduced their Hello Barbie Internet-connected toy. This Barbie has an internal microphone, a WiFi connection to Google’s voice recognition services, and a speaker to carry on a “conversation” with the targeted child.
Like the folks at Somerset Recon, we’d say that this is an Internet of Things (IoT) device that’s just begging for a teardown, and we’re totally looking forward to their next installment when they pore through the firmware.
On the hardware front, Barbie looks exactly like what you’d expect on the inside. A Marvell 88MW300 WiFi SoC talks to a 24-bit (!) audio codec chip, and runs code from a 16Mbit flash ROM. There’s some battery management, and what totally looks like a JTAG port. There’s not much else, because all the brains are “in the cloud” as you kids say these days.
Hello Barbie Security: Part 1 – Teardown
http://www.somersetrecon.com/blog/2015/11/20/hello-barbie-security-part-1-teardown
Tomi Engdahl says:
Top 5 Home Automation Modules
http://www.ebay.com/gds/Top-5-Home-Automation-Modules-/10000000177678205/g.html
A Brief History of Home Automation
While the technology for remote control devices has existed since the late 1800s, the technology required to turn a house into a “smart home” is still emerging. The X10 technology was introduced in the 1970s and uses the power lines themselves to transmit automation signals. A computer interface for the X10 modules was developed during the 1980s, and while it is not the most sophisticated home automation technology on the market, it is still in use today.
There are several newer technologies that are also on the market, some of which provide better control and less signal loss. Individuals considering adding home automation to their home should take the time to determine which of these technologies best suits their needs.
5 Notable Home Automation Modules
The term module as it applies to home automation refers to a device that is used to control one item in the home. For example, there is a module that users insert between their normal electrical outlet and their lamp plugs that allows them to turn the lights on or off remotely as well as dim them when possible. When considering which models to add to a home, prospective buyers should consider those that experts consider the top five modules, as well as any other modules that may meet any special requirements they may have.
1 Thermostat Control Modules
Thermostat control modules are another popular option for home automation. Thermostat control modules allow users to control their air conditioning and heating from virtually anywhere. The thermostat control module consists of a digital thermostat display and control unit that is wired to connect with certain types of home automation software or other controllers.
2 Lighting Control Modules
Many websites on home automation list lighting control modules as a popular option among homeowners. Lighting control modules allow users to control lights in every room in the home from one convenient control panel. This control panel could be a computerized remote control, control panel built into the wall in a specific room of the home, or an app or software installed on a smartphone, tablet, or computer.
There are three types of lighting control modules on the market. The first type screws into the lamp’s socket. Users screw the lightbulb into the module. The second type plugs into the electrical outlet and the user plugs the lamp into the module rather than the outlet itself. The third type replaces the existing electrical outlet with a lighting control module. While this method hides the module from sight, it also requires some electrical rewiring.
3 Security System Control Modules
The security system control modules are also popular home automation modules, according to many of the websites regarding home automation. These modules allow users to arm and disarm their home security systems on the go, as well as view security camera feeds and adjust security settings. Security control modules also notify users of fire and intruders, which can help homeowners resolve the problem as quickly as possible.
4 Appliance Control Modules
Small appliances that only have two-pronged plugs can be plugged into the same modules as lamps and other lights. Those who opt for lamp modules that screw into the light socket do need to purchase plug-in socket control modules for any appliances they wish to control. Even larger appliances, such as refrigerators, ovens, and dishwashers, can be controlled using home automation; however, these items require the use of a three-pin appliance control module..
5 Deadbolt Control Modules
Another popular home automation option is the ability to lock and unlock doors remotely. Deadbolt control modules allow users to ensure that they did indeed lock all of their doors when they left for work, and can even unlock the doors if a family member forgets his or her keys
Home Automation Technologies
There are several different types of home automation technologies available on the market, including X10, UPB, and Z-Wave.
Shopping for Home Automation Modules
Prospective buyers who do not have any home automation in their home may want to consider purchasing a home automation kit to get started. Most of the different home automation companies offer a variety of kits that can automate one room or an entire home
Conclusion
A home automation system is an inexpensive way for prospective buyers to monitor their home security as well as monitor their energy usage remotely. While some home automation systems are so sophisticated they require professional installation, others can be installed by the homeowner, which makes them even more affordable.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Volvo’s fresh application allows shoppers ordering directly from a car parked in Ny Teknik says. – The supplier has the code to unlock the car can be opened once. When the door closes again, the code does not work anymore, Volvo Cars Sales and Marketing Manager Björn Annwall says.
It goes without saying that the service requires to function well as a car that connect the supplier system to the application. Basic engineering for the service, such as remote lock opening, is already in place.
Particularly convenient is that the car owner does not need to know in advance exactly where the car is parked in the delivery of supplies at the time. Suppliers will be able to look for the positioning fairly isoltakin limited area, such as the Gothenburg region, where the service is the first to be tried.
Source: http://www.tivi.fi/Uutiset/volvo-keksi-kikan-kaupassakayntiin-tilaa-sovelluksella-ruoka-suoraan-takakonttiin-6091594
Tomi Engdahl says:
The IoT Revolution Promises New Challenges for IT
http://www.cio.com/article/2922897/cloud-computing/the-iot-revolution-promises-new-challenges-for-it.html
Another disruptive trend, another set of headaches for IT.
The Internet of Things (IoT), spurred by the arrival of inexpensive storage and better chipsets for connectivity, promises a future where Internet smarts extend far beyond the familiar realm of smartphones and computers.
Familiar devices and things never before associated with having Internet intelligence – items like homes, railways, buildings and bridges – are now able to monitor, communicate and respond when their environment changes. And with more machines talking to each other through IoT connections, companies have a trove of new information at their disposal to analyze.
The potential is huge: The McKinsey Global Institute predicts that IoT may add between $2.7 trillion and $6.2 trillion to the world economy annually by 2025.
The success of this emerging IoT ecosystem will depend upon a robust cloud infrastructure managing all these new sensors, devices and data. As more companies seek to connect existing infrastructures to IoT-enabled devices, they will turn to public and hybrid clouds to help manage and scale their systems. The right cloud offering will let companies store and process the IoT data they collect and attach rules and structure to that information for later consumption.
However, IoT’s speed of adoption also presents myriad new security and platform issues that IT will need to navigate as more businesses make the transition to the cloud.
Indeed, the sheer scale of IoT is creating an “attack surface” of unprecedented size given the proliferation of connected assets and devices – a change that presents new potential headaches for IT because of the variety of platforms and protocols now involved.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Internet of Things connections to quadruple by 2020
http://www.cio.com/article/2899643/data-analytics/internet-of-things-connections-to-quadruple-by-2020.html
A new report by Verizon predicts that the Internet of Things is poised to transform virtually every major market sector, growing to more than 5.4 billion connections by 2020.
Here in 2015, the Internet of Things (IoT) is already having a massive effect on business, according to a recent report by Verizon, and by 2025 it predicts best-in-class organizations that use IoT extensively will be up to 10 percent more profitable than they are today.
“We see the Internet of Things as an extension of our machine-to-machine business, as does everyone else in the marketplace today,” says Mark Bartolomeo, vice president of IoT Connected Solutions at Verizon. “When you think about machine-to-machine, what you’re really looking at is connecting devices and collecting data from those devices. The next big leap for IoT is really about the use case. IoT is about interconnecting these devices for specific use cases and deriving value from the data.”
On the road with IoT
For instance, transportation companies are using data to reduce fuel consumption, while local governments are turning to smart LED street lighting that doesn’t need regular maintenance but automatically reports when it needs repairs. Utilities are deploying smart meters that provide more granular data on energy usage while minimizing or eliminating the need for home visits.
One highly recognizable example of IoT in action is the way automotive insurers have begun setting premiums for commercial and fleet customers though usage-based insurance (UBI).
Verizon says that for a solution to be considered part of the Internet of Things, it must demonstrate what Verizon calls the “Three As”:
It must be Aware. A connected asset must be able to sense something about its surroundings. It might sense location, proximity, altitude, temperature, vibration, humidity, light levels, motion or something else. Without the capability to sense, it’s not IoT.
It must be Autonomous. The data processed from a connected asset must be transferred to a central location or processing application automatically — either at a set time, or when a condition is met or threshold crossed. Without connectivity, it’s not IoT.
It must be Actionable. Verizon notes that IoT isn’t just about gathering data; it’s about using data to make better decisions. Whether the output is manual or highly automated, analysis of the data must be integrated into business processes. If the data is not actionable by your or a third party, it’s not IoT.
“We’re going to see more turnkey solutions and packaged solutions,” he says. “We can expect higher value, less complexity and more accelerated deployment. We think the adopters of IoT absolutely will experience many of the same benefits: improved customer experiences, improved profitability and operational efficiency.”
IoT can be a life-saver
IoT technologies are also being used to improve safety and reduce risk. Train and car manufacturers are outfitting their vehicles with systems that can predict and prevent accidents. Wearable devices can sense environmental factors to identify when a worker is in imminent danger or has had an accident. Connected alarms, door locks, motion sensors and tracking devices can even help staff detect threats remotely.
Machine-to-machine connections Verizon manages saw growth in 2014 in the following sectors:
Manufacturing: 204 percent
Finance and insurance: 128 percent
Media and entertainment: 120 percent
Home monitoring: 89 percent
Retail and hospitality: 88 percent
Transportation and distribution: 83 percent
Energy and utilities: 49 percent
Public sector/smart cities: 46 percent
Healthcare and pharmaceutical: 40 percent
Bartolomeo is quick to note that a number of the sectors with relatively slower growth were actually early adopters of IoT-enabled technologies — like energy and utilities, which has been deploying smart grids and smart meters for some time.
Looking ahead, the automotive sector will play a big role in the coming growth: 14 car manufacturers account for 80 percent of the worldwide automotive market and each one of them has a connected-car strategy involving telematics. Additionally, ABI Research found that more than 13 million health and fitness tracking devices will enter the workplace by 2018. Moreover, by 2025, Verizon predicts smart city capabilities will be a critical consideration for companies when they decide where to invest and open facilities.
Bright lights, smart cities
“When it comes to smart cities, we look today and cities are deploying smart parking and smart street lighting. They are investing in video as a service to improve public safety. They are adapting their signaling, water management and pipeline management.”
In a smart city, Bartolomeo says, if there is a water main break, city systems will be able to automatically reroute traffic patterns, shut down parking meters in the area and coordinate repair teams.
“It’s all about analytics,”
Tomi Engdahl says:
3 reasons to be wary of the Internet of Things
http://www.cio.com/article/2895398/internet/3-reasons-to-be-wary-of-the-internet-of-things.html
Credit: Thinkstock
IT and security experts discuss why companies and consumers alike should be careful about deploying ‘smart’ appliances and devices that connect to the Internet and offer steps to protect against security and privacy threats.
Concern No. 1: Unlawful surveillance/invasion of privacy
“The Internet-connected modules installed on various devices (e.g., cars, toys, home appliances, etc.) can be used for unlawful surveillance,” says Daniel Dimov, security researcher, InfoSec Institute. “For example, an Internet-connected door lock can be used to monitor when a person enters or leaves their home,” he says. And smart TVs and child monitors can watch you.
Concern No. 2: Threat to enterprise data and network security
“Businesses should be wary of IoT in terms of connected devices and the security of their networks,” says Reggie Best, chief product officer, Lumeta. “Any device with built-in network connectivity creates a risk, a so-called backdoor connection that could be exploited for data exfiltration,” or a DDoS attack.
Concern No. 3: No good, comprehensive way to manage all of these IoT devices
“When looking at the current state of the Internet of Things, the industry lacks one glaring success factor: a set of standards for application program interfaces (APIs), which are credited as being the building blocks of the IoT – and are essential for managing all of these disparate devices,” explains Lee Odess, general manager, Brivo Labs.
“In order for IoT devices to efficiently and securely communicate, and be properly managed, APIs need to essentially speak the same language. So creating a standardized API will make a world of difference,” he says.
“IoT is creating a surge in the number of mobile devices, with the number of M2M devices expected to surpass 40 billion by 2020,” says Frank Yue, senior technical marketing manager, F5 Networks. “That’s five times more M2M devices than consumer wireless devices.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Internet of Minecraft Things is Born
http://hackaday.com/2015/11/25/the-internet-of-minecraft-things-is-born/
Minecraft has come a long way since [Notch] first thought up the idea that would eventually make him a billionaire. The game can be enjoyed on so many levels and become so engaging that grown adults who should know better spend far more time playing it than working on, say, their backlog of Hackaday posts. As if that weren’t bad enough, now Minecraft threatens to break out of screen with the ability to control a WiFi light bulb from within the game.
Breaking the fourth wall with Minecraft
http://hashbang.gr/breaking-the-4th-wall-with-minecraft/
Recently I started playing Minecraft, again. I find vanilla Minecraft somewhat boring, so I always look out for modpacks. After searching for new modpacks, I stumpled upon FTB Horizons: Daybreaker. Looking at the included mods list, OpenComputers caught my eye.
As the name suggests, OpenComputers adds computers to Minecraft. Real computers! They are highly modular too. You can add peripherals, from monitors to keyboards and expansion cards that add capabilities such as graphics and network. They can also be programmed in Lua, in-game. Another type of card also exists, the Internet card which, as you can imagine, can communicate with the real-life Internet. Awesome.
So what can we do in ~1 hour of spare time? I have a couple of WiFi-enabled bulbs near me, wouldn’t it be nice to be able to control them using Minecraft? My WiFi bulbs are some unknown, eBay sourced devices that use a crappy mobile app for control. My friend Thomas had reverse-engineered the protocol and I am able to control their color and state though TCP on port 5577. I have everything that I need, so what now?
The protocol used by the bulbs is quite simple, one header byte, three additional bytes to define the RGB color, a byte to define the white brightness (the bulb is RGBW), one byte to set the mode between RGB and white and a footer byte. Simple enough!
First of all, I fired up Minecraft. Next, I created a new Minecraft world and entered the game. I set myself to creative mode, meaning that I could spawn into the game whatever I want and then built an OpenComputers computer.
Vanilla Minecraft has redstone, the equivalent of electricity in our world.
People have created really complicated contraptions using redstone, such as a real CPU. OpenComputer works with redstone, so we can easily read the binary state of a Minecraft lever, either ON or OFF and toggle the WHITE byte to turn on or off the WiFi bulb.
So, we have the computer, a way to control the computer and input signals. We also have a way and protocol to talk to the bulb. The last part of the puzzle is the program that runs on the computer and brings everything to life. First of all, I spawned a disk in Minecraft. By putting it inside a disk drive, OpenComputers creates a folder with a unique ID in the game’s files. This way I can add, edit and delete files from my computer to the computer in Minecraft.
The Lua program binds to two events on execution, key_up and redstone_changed. The first one fires when a key is pressed while the program runs while the latter runs when a redstone event is triggered on the computer. Now that I have my main event loop, I was able to implement the simple logic.
When a redstone event occurs, the program maps the lever’s value to either 0×00 or 0xFF, which maps to on and off for the WiFi lamp. The packet is sent down the pipe and lamp reacts accordingly! Lastly, the TCP connection is opened when the program starts. Simple, clean and it works!
Tomi Engdahl says:
Minecraft computercraft + Arduino | virtual and real world connected
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTtvv0g1Ibs
Tomi Engdahl says:
Sub-$20 brilliant bulb includes sensors, BLE, and Wi-Fi
http://www.edn.com/electronics-blogs/led-zone/4440867/Sub-20-brilliant-bulb-includes-sensors–BLE–and-Wi-Fi?_mc=NL_EDN_EDT_EDN_today_20151125&cid=NL_EDN_EDT_EDN_today_20151125&elq=2456c4f61c90450d809e05fc1ae4b472&elqCampaignId=25889&elqaid=29505&elqat=1&elqTrackId=fd696f54b41a490387657e0993c15a87
At first glance it’s tough to see the Qube smart bulb as much more than one more variant of the many other LED-based smart bulbs on the market. At second glance, the Qube’s unique feature set and low price set it apart from most of its competition. But the questions still remain as to whether a) Qube is offering the right mix of features, b) the intelligence in a smart lighting system should reside in the bulb itself and c) if consumers really have any interest in smart lghting at any price. I’m still pondering these questions myself so I’ll just report the facts here and let you draw your own conclusions.
Scheduled to launch on Indiegogo on November 19th, Qube’s stated goal is to “make the transition to smart home lighting both easy to use and affordable for everyone.” Like most color-capable smart bulbs, the Qube has a wireless control interface and can be programmed to glow in any one of 16 million colors. Its Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) interface allows it to be programmed from nearly any device running iOS, Watch OS, or Android operating system. And, like the Philips Hue, it can be set to create any type of ambience you require on a scheduled routine or a one-time basis. But the similarities pretty much stop there.
Sponsor video, mouseover for sound
One of the most unique features of the Qube is its ability to track people or items within the home or office. Unlike other smart bulbs such as LIFX or Philips Hue, which rely on Geo-Fencing technology, Qube works with nearby smart BLE wearables to determine the wearer’s relative position at home with room-level accuracy. This makes it possible for Qube to do things like recognize you when you enter the room and automatically switch on the lights to your preferred setting.
In addition, Qube’s integrated Wi-Fi interface allows it to connect to your home router on a 24/7 basis. Besides letting you control your lights from anywhere in the world, it gives Qube the ability to connect your smart home to your mobile devices and Bluetooth-emitting wearables (all without a hub).
Can Smart Home deliver on their $19 target price without sacrificing quality or reliability?
Even though Smart Home’s direct-to-consumer marketing strategy gives them much better margins on their BOM, it still remains to be seen whether they can hit such an aggressive price point without resorting to buying lower-quality components or LEDs that could hurt Qube’s performance or longevity.
Qube – Most Affordable Multi-Coloured WIFI-Enabled Smart Bulb
http://www.qube-smarthome.com/
Tomi Engdahl says:
IoT Meets 40,000 Streetlights
San Jose lays out ROI challenge
http://www.eetimes.com/author.asp?section_id=36&doc_id=1328339&
What would you build if you could get access to 40,000 streetlights?
The City of San Jose is about to find out. Initial proposals are due November 30 for upgrading with LEDs streetlights in this northern California city of 1.1 million residents.
It sounds like a dream project for the Internet of Things, especially given its location in the heart of Silicon Valley. Indeed on August 26, 40 representatives of lighting, telecommunications, technology, energy and other companies attended an initial conference on the city’s request for proposals issued August 3.
But there’s a catch: You have to create your own return-on-investment for the project.
San Jose upgraded to LEDs about a third of its streetlights — some 23,000 units — over the last several years, using grants and demonstration projects. But it lacks the estimated $32 million it could cost to upgrade the remaining 40,000 lights, so it’s looking for creative partners.
The winning partners could get almost anything within reason from access to lease or develop a piece of city land to their name on a city playground or community center. Tech companies could mount IoT products on the poles as long as they comply with electric requirements of the local utility.
Given a streetlight has access to power and commands a safe position “10 meters above ground on average…it’s an incredibly powerful piece of real estate,”
“I picture streetlight poles with so many things strapped on to them they are leaning over,” joked Vijay Sammeta, chief information officer of the City of San Jose in a recent phone interview.
For example, even if the San Jose project is successful bidders have until the end of 2018 to get the LEDs installed. They may need that time because what they install has to interoperate with the city’s existing LED streetlights.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Do you really want a job? Become an expert in the IoT
If you want to be absolutely sure to employment in the future, will be given training expert in the growing Internet of Things market. Consultant According to the survey IoT professionals are needed as early as next year, more than double the amount compared to the present.
IoT Knowhow now and in the future report carried out an online questionnaire in November 2015. It corresponded to 36 different sizes, interested in the issues the Internet benefits of the organization, which employ a total of more than 12 000 people. It was carried out Saranen Consulting in co-operation with Microsoft and Finnish Industrial Internet Forum.
IoT experts have in the future a field day in the labor market, since the need for professionals in the sector is growing rapidly. However, finding the right kinds of employees is not easy.
- A significant increase in recruitment needs, is expected phenomenon. The industry is still new and growing, and enables new kinds of business, so it also invested, says Business Development Manager Anu Ukonlinna Saranen Consulting. In many areas of IoT investments are only at the beginning,
- Only 24 per cent of Finnish companies sees things the Internet is important to your business as an influence and is prepared to invest in it, Seppälä says Etlan based on a recent survey.
Survey respondents companies need IoT experts, particularly in sales, software development and data processing pair. New employees are expected, particularly the ability to identify business opportunities and know-how IoT architectures, analytics, and cloud technologies.
Recruitment decisions most affect job seekers motivation and attitude: up to 92 per cent of respondents considered them to be among the companies most important factors that influence the selection decisions. However, a job interview may be difficult to get to without a job appropriate professional experience or industry knowledge.
Source: http://etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3658:haluatko-varmasti-toita-ryhdy-iot-osaajaksi&catid=13&Itemid=101
Tomi Engdahl says:
Conductive Circuit Board Tattoos: Tech Tats
http://hackaday.com/2015/11/25/conductive-circuit-board-tattoos-tech-tats/
While hardcore body-hackers are starting to freak us out with embedded circuit boards under their skin, a new more realistic option is becoming available — temporary tech tattoos. They’re basically wearable circuit boards.
Produced by [Chaotic Moon], the team is excited to explore the future of skin-mounted components — connected with conductive ink in the form of a temporary tattoo. And if you’re still thinking why, consider this. If these tattoos can be used as temporary health sensors, packed with different biometric readings, the “tech tat” can be applied when it is needed, in order to monitor specific things.
In one of their test cases, they mount an ATiny85 connected to temperature sensors and an ambient light sensor on the skin. A simple device like this could be used to monitor someone’s vitals after surgery, or could even be used as a fitness tracker. Add a BLE chip, and you’ve got wireless data transfer to your phone or tablet for further data processing.
Tech Tats: Vice Geeks Out Over Chaotic Moon’s Coolest Biowearables
http://www.chaoticmoon.com/chaos-theory/tech-tats/
Tomi Engdahl says:
How to use an Amazon Dash button to find your phone
http://thenextweb.com/gadgets/2015/09/18/how-to-use-an-amazon-dash-button-to-find-your-phone/
When Amazon launched its inexpensive Dash buttons to let customers order household necessities with one touch, the company unwittingly created one of the coolest DIY electronics components that hobbyist hackers have ever had the pleasure of toying with.
UCLA student Daniel Leybzon has found a way to rejig a Dash button installed in his kitchen to ring his phone when he can’t spot it at home.
To recreate the project, all you’ll need is a Dash button, a cheap Raspberry Pi computer and an internet connection.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Internet of Reflow Ovens
http://hackaday.com/2015/11/28/the-internet-of-reflow-ovens/
Using a toaster oven to reflow solder isn’t a new idea. But [Sukasa] wanted something that had more features and improved appearace. So he married a Netduino, a toaster oven, and some solid state relays to made a clean-looking reflow oven. His goal was to have nothing look like an overt modification to a casual observer. Inside, however, the oven now has a network connection for system status via a Web browser or JSON.
Reflow Oven
A Netduino-based solder reflow oven built from an old toaster oven
https://hackaday.io/project/8543-reflow-oven
Tomi Engdahl says:
AWS Lambda Makes Serverless Applications A Reality
http://techcrunch.com/2015/11/24/aws-lamda-makes-serverless-applications-a-reality/?ncid=rss&cps=gravity_1462_2880799555608892#.ojwuxm:bZ6K
Most companies today develop applications and deploy them on servers — whether on-premises or in the cloud. That means figuring out how much server, storage and database power they need ahead of time, and deploying all of the hardware and software it takes to run the application. Suppose you didn’t want to deal with all of that and were looking for a new model that handled all of the underlying infrastructure deployment for you?
Amazon Web Services’ Lambda Service offers a way to do just that today. With Lambda, instead of deploying these massively large applications, you deploy an application with some single-action triggers and you only pay for the compute power you use, priced in 100 millisecond increments of usage. You can have as many triggers as you like running in tandem or separately. When the conditions are met, it triggers the programmed actions.
Welcome to the world of the serverless app.
Over the years, the rate of deployment speed and how long these deployments live has gone down dramatically — and Lambda reduces that to milliseconds.
We are in the midst of an evolutionary shift where Lambda encapsulates shifting developer priorities and requirements. As I wrote last year when Lambda launched at AWS re:invent:
As AWS’s CTO Werner Vogels pointed out, this will enable programmers to reduce their overall development effort. You simply write the code and define the event triggers, and it will run for you automatically when the conditions are met.
Triggers could be actions like a user uploading a file from a smart phone or clicking the Buy button on a website, or they could be machine-to-machine actions without humans involved. The idea is that they are flexible so just about anything can be a trigger. What’s more, developers can use familiar programming tools to create the triggers, and Amazon provides a list of prewritten common ones.
Those conditions could be met every fraction of a second as with an Internet of Things scenario with sensors constantly feeding an application a stream of data or it could be weekly.
Brave New World
Technically no application can be serverless of course. There has to be some sort of hardware underpinning the application, but what Amazon has done with Lambda is enabled developers to automate programming to the point AWS takes care of all of the complexity related to the server deployments, storage and the database, Matt Wood general manager of product strategy at AWS explained.
“Most people were baffled by Lambda, but lots of people [have been] thinking about serverless architecture. You’re not scaling machines up and down. It lets the machines be invisible and is a very cost-effective architecture,” he said.
When Lambda Comes Into Play
Lambda works best in two types of scenarios, AWS’s Wood says. On one end of the spectrum, you might have a situation where actions happen rather infrequently and it makes little sense to pay for servers you’re not using most of the time such as the weekly drone photos scenario.
On the other end, you might be building something big and complex that needs to scale quickly and trying to deploy the infrastructure would be challenging. Suppose you have a network of weather sensors feeding you information and once that information is collected a number of things have to happen. You could trigger an event each time the sensor sends data, and program the series of required actions, keeping mind that this is likely is quite often, measured in fractions of seconds.
One client using this technology is Major League Baseball. The trigger is the action of the pitch being thrown, the ball being hit, the runner taking off and so forth. They can then track this data in real time and Lambda deals with all of the infrastructure for them, providing as much firepower as needed at the time to capture the information and run the data. And for the six months of the year where there isn’t any baseball, MLB isn’t paying for infrastructure it doesn’t need.
While this approach to programming isn’t a magic bullet by any means, it’s a new tool for developers who might not need a more traditional server set up, and it gives them options when they are designing the program and deciding how to deploy it.
“Lambda lets [developers] focus on developing applications without worrying about the heavy lifting of all the behind the scenes stuff of building the application,” Wood said. And it’s ushered in a world of serverless app deployment.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Bluetooth smartens up our ever-connected, IoT-powered lives
Version 4.2 will bring better mesh integration, faster connectivity and longer range
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/feature/2436575/bluetooth-smartens-up-our-ever-connected-iot-powered-lives
THERE ARE THREE BILLION Bluetooth enabled devices in the world today, and 10 million enabled every day, making it one of the most ubiquitous communications technologies out there.
Bluetooth has remained one of the industry’s key players, despite the increasing choice of connectivity options in the past decade, and is the default standard when it comes to connecting one device to another in some way, shape or form, without the need for pesky wires.
And in a world where the Internet of Things (IoT) is becoming more important in our ever-smarter lives, so is the need for Bluetooth and its ability to pair devices, for example, turning on the connected light bulbs in your house using the app on your smartphone.
4.2 and IoT
We are aware how relevant Bluetooth has become in an increasingly connected world, and it is evolving to support the growing IoT ecosystem.
Bluetooth developers realised in 2010 that the IoT wasn’t just a fad and introduced Bluetooth Low Energy (LE), also called Bluetooth Smart or Version 4.0+ of the specification. This is the power- and application-friendly version of Bluetooth built specifically for the IoT as the low amount of energy needed to do the same job makes it perfect for energy-harvesting devices or those that run for long periods on power sources such as coin cell batteries.
But the IoT is a fast-paced industry, and Bluetooth needs constantly to evolve to keep up.
Bluetooth LE Smart 4.2, one of the biggest updates to the technology for some time and focused on increasing its IoT functionality.
The key updates will include a host of Bluetooth advances coming in 2016, including a longer range, higher speed and mesh networking. The Bluetooth SIG claims that this will further energise fast-growing industries such as smart home devices, industrial automation, location-based services and smart infrastructure.
“There is significant demand from our members and the industry at large to enhance Bluetooth with the new capabilities we’re announcing,” said Bluetooth SIG chairman Toby Nixon.
“Current projections put the market potential for IoT between $2tn and $11tn by 2025. The technical updates planned for Bluetooth technology in 2016 will help make these expectations a reality and accelerate growth in IoT. The updates will provide a variety of benefits for the growing number of IoT applications.”
“There are myths about Bluetooth and its range. It is a common misconception that it’s about 10 metres.”
Woolley claimed that Bluetooth Smart solutions have a range of 500 metres, which is “better than people appreciated”.
“In the next release we are making some changes in Bluetooth devices so it is four times what it is currently,” he added. “And we are talking about kilometres.”
Bluetooth 4.2 will also get a 100 percent boost in speed, without increasing energy consumption.
Bluetooth Smart’s current upper limit is about 1Mbps throughput range. This will go to 2Mbps in 4.2.
Perhaps one of the more significant updates coming to Bluetooth 4.2 is the mesh networking capabilities, a technology that could have a dramatic effect on the IoT industry.
The possibilities offered by meshing are further increased with the launch of Bluetooth 4.2, which will for the first time offer direct IPv6 internet connections by node, without the need for a controller.
“Mesh networking is a fascinating thing as it means everything is connected to everything. Like lots of dots on a page, each one being a device and one line drawn to another and then another is what the mesh network looks like,” explained Woolley.
“The range between specific devices has limits but as long as the range from one device can reach another in the mesh, it’ll work.”
Woolley described the mesh network as a ‘spectrum of smartness’. “On one end, I can couple a device and control it from my phone, and while this is nice and convenient, it’s not particularly smart,” he said.
The Bluetooth SIG’s idea is to create a single standard for meshing and, just as with other aspects of Bluetooth, allow use-based profiles to be applied to it, rather than keep reinventing it. Over 80 member organisations, including car manufacturers and chip designers, are already on board with the mesh project, working on ideas from smart offices to retail revenue protection. The specification is expected to be ready for prototyping later in the year, and profiles are likely to be adopted officially next year.
Bluetooth and its integration of mesh is set to grow with this latest update, offering manufacturers, businesses and consumers new and vital capabilities as the demand for support in IoT technologies swells. But it still faces competition from a host of other networking options on offer to developers looking to do a similar job. These include WiFi, ZigBee, Thread as an alternative for home automation applications, and Whitespace TV technologies being implemented in major cities for wider area IoT-based use cases.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Listen Up: iPhone Hack Diagnoses HVAC
http://hackaday.com/2015/11/30/listen-up-iphone-hack-diagnoses-hvac/
We all know that guy (or, in some cases, we are that guy) that can listen to a car running and say something like, “Yep. Needs a lifter adjustment.” A startup company named Augury aims to replace that skill with an iPhone app.
Aimed at commercial installations, a technician places a magnetic sensor to the body of the machine in question. The sensor connects to a custom box called an Auguscope that collects vibration and ultrasonic data and forwards it via the iPhone to a back end server for analysis. Moving the sensor can even allow the back end to determine the location of the fault in some cases. The comparison data the back end uses includes reference data on similar machines as well as historical data about the machine in question.
This Gadget Can Tell What’s Wrong with Your Air Conditioner by Listening to It
http://www.technologyreview.com/news/543786/this-gadget-can-tell-whats-wrong-with-your-air-conditioner-by-listening-to-it/
Augury’s gadget and iPhone app pay attention to ultrasonic sounds and vibrations to figure out what’s wrong with air conditioners and other big machines.
If you’ve ever tried to diagnose a car problem just by listening to it run, you’ve got a sense of what a startup called Augury is doing. Only instead of having human ears pay attention, it’s analyzing vibrations and ultrasonic sounds to figure out what’s ailing bulky machines.
The company, based in New York and Haifa, Israel, uses an iPhone app, gadget, and sensor to record motors and pumps, and then compares the data to existing machine recordings to determine whether or not the one being analyzed is working properly, or what the issue is if it’s not.
For now, Augury is concentrating on diagnoses for commercial buildings’ heating, ventilation, and cooling systems; CEO and cofounder Saar Yoskovitz says Augury can point out issues like a bearing that’s ripe for replacement or a need for lubrication or realignment simply by listening in.
The company believes that its technology can help technicians and also cut down on building owners’ maintenance costs over time. And since most malfunctions don’t happen overnight, Augury says it can also let you know before an existing issue becomes an expensive thing to fix.
“We can predict when it’s going to be critical, and when you’ll need to start thinking of repairing it,” says Yoskovitz.
To diagnose a problem with Augury, a technician attaches a magnetic sensor to the body of a machine—a pump, fan, or central air-conditioning unit for now, since that’s what Augury is attuned to. The sensor is physically connected to a tool Augury calls the Auguscope, which collects vibration and ultrasonic sensor data and sends that information to a connected iPhone; an Augury app on the phone punts the data to the cloud, where it’s analyzed on Augury’s servers and compared with other recordings made in the past of that machine and other similar machines. Then the app can give the technician a diagnosis of the issue.
About the closest thing we found in the archives was a hybrid magnetic/audio system to plot motor balance. We’d love to see some more work in this area over on Hackaday.io.
http://hackaday.com/2015/03/07/dirt-cheap-motor-balancing-and-vibration-analysis/
Tomi Engdahl says:
SubPos – Positioning System
A “dataless” Wi-Fi positioning system that can be used anywhere GPS can’t.
https://hackaday.io/project/4872-subpos-positioning-system
Tomi Engdahl says:
IoT Automatic Light Fixture
Trying to design an Internet powered light switch using Photon
https://hackaday.io/project/8613-iot-automatic-light-fixture
Starling: A modular internet connected LED display
Hackable wifi enabled modular LED display to showcase messages that matter to makers, hobbyists and everyone else!
https://hackaday.io/project/8502-starling-a-modular-internet-connected-led-display
Tomi Engdahl says:
Advanced IoT network
Secure world wide network of interconnected devices
https://hackaday.io/project/7342-advanced-iot-network
Network of sensors and other interconnected devices using MQTT protocol. Project offers open source and secure solution for smart homes, data logging or automation.
Goal is to build IoT network of very cheap devices (based on Arduino hardware) which can collect data or can be controlled for some actions. This requires secured network to prevent data leak or allow some unauthorized person to control endpoint devices.
Open source – I believe, you can only trust to open source solution. You can never be sure that any proprietary solution for smart home isn’t backdoored, has’t some critical vulnerability or creepy snooping feature.
Scalable – MQTT based infrastructure allows you to very easily create new kind of endpoint device or data processing software and deploy it into existing network.
MQTT implement client authentication based on username/password, but credentials are sent in plaintext only. This is reasonable because small devices, like Arduino, doesn’t have enough resources to implement SSL encryption. For that reason, endpoint devices establish a connection with local broker with no encryption and must be placed in secure perimeter.
Local broker is more powerful device, capable of encrypted connection to central broker. Central broker is used to allow data exchange between multiple local brokers and for collecting and analyzing data.
There are two ways how to establish encrypted bridge connection between local and central broker:
Configure broker to use SSL connection
Use VPN
I decided for VPN, because it allows me to run some other services accessible through VPN only, for example central monitoring system based on web application.
Local broker can be based on any computer. But because is assumed that network is distributed on many places, it would be great to run a broker on some cheap and power efficient device.
List of currently supported low-cost devices:
Raspberry Pi
A5-V11 Router (OpenWRT)
Tomi Engdahl says:
IMPLICATIONS OF INDUSTRIAL IOT ON RACKMOUNT DESIGN
DOWNLOAD THE WHITEPAPER
http://www.kontron.com/wp-kiss-iot-rackdesign
THERE IS THE NEED FOR A NEW CLASS OF COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY, CAPABLE OF PROCESSING AND STORING THE VAST VOLUME OF DATA THAT WILL BE GENERATED BY THE WIDESPREAD CONNECTIVITY OF ‘SMART’ INDUSTRIAL SYSTEMS, EQUIPMENT AND DEVICES.
Industrial computing is undergoing a revolution. This is known as and is being driven by the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). By leveraging data from IoT connected sensors, devices and assets (“things”), it offers all kinds of
industrial sectors the ability to gain access to highly accurate and actionable information about their operations in real time. This can add value and competitive edge by
enabling all manner of things to be done smarter, faster, more safely and efficiently, while also reducing costs and time to market.
The scale of this 21st Century industrial revolution is vast. In January 2015 Accenture released a report which con-
cluded an industrial version of the Internet of Things
could add $14.2 trillion to the world economy over the
next 15 years. IMS Research figures show the global
market for industrial automation is already generating $200 billion in 2015 while Frost & Sullivan have forecast the market for industrial networks and communications technology will grow from €854 million in revenue in 2010 to €1.6 billion this year.
As the Industrial IoT makes data acquisition viable and
accessible to industrial organisations on a massive scale, one of the key implications is the need for a new class of computer technology, capable of processing and storing the vast volume of data that will be generated by the
widespread connectivity of ‘smart’ industrial systems, equipment and devices.
This whitepaper discusses embedded rackmount compu-
ter design requirements for the new IoT age. Some OEMs and designers are already striving to meet the new demands of traditional manufacturing customers as well as those operating massively connected data acquisition
systems in extreme or semi-permanent production environments. As part of this it discusses emerging Industrial IoT application areas and presents the advantages of
using Kontron’s rackmount computing platform to OEMs and designers requiring industrial grade performance,
connectivity, low noise, reliability and simplified development.
NECESSITY LEADS TO INNOVATION
While many manufacturing companies have been using sensors to monitor the condition of plant and machinery on the factory floor for some years, the Industrial IoT
dramatically expands on this approach by enabling a much broader set of measurement parameters to include firms in oil and gas exploration and production, power generation, mining and excavation. It will also extend to specialised control room applications in such areas as buildings automation and broadcasting.
At the same time many more industrial organisations will expect to take full advantage of the IoT by converging their operational (OT) and enterprise (IT) systems end to end, thereby allowing holistic, real-time data acquisition to provide more accurate and actionable management reporting. This has called for new thinking in rackmount computer design which delivers not only durability but also a high degree of connectivity together with unprecedented performance, reliability and low cost of ownership.
Industrial IoT rackmount computer design requirements from industrial systems designers
Low noise design
Long lifetime support
Minimised downtime
Latest generation processor architectures
Shock, corrosion and dust proof design
Excellent thermal design
Hot swap chassis fans
Easy maintainability
SUMMARY
The Industrial IoT is bringing a wealth of new possibilities to the field of industrial automation. It is now possible to create and interconnect smart assets everywhere and seamlessly converge enterprise and operational systems in order to enable real-time data acquisition and analysis
on an unprecedented scale.
At the same time this industrial revolution has presented new embedded computing challenges including the
need for more powerful computing platforms capable of offering connectivity, greater reliability and the ability to withstand increasingly demanding and physically harsh environments.
Kontron is addressing this particular challenge with an extensive range of rackmount server platforms based on industry standard components for enabling ease of configuration and maintainability while offering the flexibility for customisation. This design approach is fast making Kontron’s KISS platform the technology of choice to OEMs and system designers working in the new IIoT connected industrial age.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Microsoft working hard to unify its code base, all the way down to the IoT
Things are getting more interesting, long-time dev tells Reg hack
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/11/18/microsoft_working_hard_to_unify_its_code_base_all_the_way_down_to_the_iot/
MS Ignite AU Windows CE might seem like a bad dream from this distance, but a IoT developer speaking at Microsoft’s Ignite gabfest in Australia have told The Register it represents a starting point that now positions Redmond well to respond to the Internet of Things.
Mitch Denny, CTO of Readify and a .NET developer for several years, is speaking to Ignite about where Microsoft now fits in the IoT space, and took some time out to speak with The Register.
Even as someone who loves fooling around with gadgets and devices, he said, it’s the ability to gather telemetry in the back end for analysis that provides business value, and gives a company like Readify a reason to exist.
However, as a developer, it’s also important to get as consistent a code base as possible, all the way from the Raspberry Pi up to the server in the cloud. That, he explained, is the pitch Microsoft is using to woo the IoT developer.
For example, Readify developers might write the software on an endpoint that collects telemetry; if the code and drivers are consistent, then that software can become part of the mobile app a field technician uses to configure a fleet of devices; and upwards, the same code and drivers will find a home in the service that collects telemetry.
Microsoft has put work into making the libraries in the .NET ecosystem much more portable, Denny explained: code on a fully-fledged Windows desktop, code for a phone, and code for Windows runtime environments are getting much closer to each other.
Instrumentation in the industrial setting may be a cliché in IoT discussions, but there’s lots of business value to be had there.
So how does this play out in the mundane business of day-to-day development?
“You might have a bunch of sensors connecting to an Arduino-compatible microcontroller: all you want there is real-time machine code,” he explained.
“With a device like that you can install the Firmata protocol firmware – an open source project that will let the device talk over Bluetooth, USB or Ethernet.
“Because Microsoft provide the libraries to talk to that, your software can tap into very low-level sensors.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
It’s Getting Harder To Reside Anonymously In a Modern City
http://yro.slashdot.org/story/15/11/30/1412223/its-getting-harder-to-reside-anonymously-in-a-modern-city
In a panel on ‘Privacy in the Smart City’ during this month’s Smart City World Congress, Dr. Carmela Troncoso, a researcher from Spain, argued that data anonymization itself is almost impossible without using advanced cryptography. Our every transaction leaves a digital marker that can be mined by anyone with the right tools or enough determination.
Most modern cities today are full of sensors and connected devices. Some are considering giving away free WiFi in exchange of personal data.
It’s Not YOUR Data, Didn’t You know?
http://www.citiesofthefuture.eu/its-not-your-data-didnt-you-know/
Identity. In the digital age, this is widely characterised by our data. Internet browsing data, consumer data, digitised public service records and biometrics.
A key thread linking many a Smart City talk today is the optimisation of public services through data technology. This encompasses everything from delivering healthcare to underserved populations to more efficient tax collection to crowdsourcing community solutions through digital engagement platforms. All this is just one facet that adds to our daily accumulation of Big Data, defined by IBM as the information that is “generated by everything around us at all times”.
On one hand, these records provide the opportunity to analyse human and environmental activity to a degree never before imagined. On the other, this relentless identifiable torrent of individualised information has close to eradicated any hope of anonymity for those in any way connected to the grid.
As so aptly put by Pakistani Minister (of Information, Technology and Telecommunication), Anusha Rahman Ahmad Khan at the Smart City Congress in Barcelona this month, “the greater our dependence on digital infrastructure, the greater our vulnerability” (as is the case with India’s Aadhaar mass digital identification programme) and the likelihood that this information can be used against us.
For those with limited access to such swift connections, it’s a trade-off between privacy and entry to the digital Garden of Eden.
According to a survey recently conducted by UK-based Digital Catapult, 76 percent of British people feel they have “no control over how data is shared or who it is shared with.” This is a figure that deserves some serious attention in the Smart Cities sphere, as we move in leaps and bounds towards total liberation of our personal data, and hand over the keys (knowingly or otherwise) to the analytical nerve centres of corporations plugging these products.
Troncoso pointed out that, thanks to Big Data, it is now next to impossible to reside anonymously in a modern city. Why? Because data anonymization itself is almost impossible without using advanced cryptography. Our every transaction leaves a digital marker that can be mined by anyone with the right tools or enough determination.
It is the duty of world leaders to safeguard their citizens’ privacy, just as corporations are answerable to leaks and hacks.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Patent litigation in Europe will look very different in 5 years’ time – expert
And what if the UK exits the EU?
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/11/30/expert_expects_patent_litigation_in_europe_to_look_very_different_five_years_from_now/
Patent litigation in Europe in five years will look very different from now owing to major reforms to the patent framework and a new wave of technology relevant to wearables and the “internet of things”.
It is likely that more companies will choose to settle patent disputes through arbitration.
Future patent wars
Many of the prevailing intellectual property disputes of the past decade have been in relation to patented technology relevant to smartphones. Only in recent months, after years of litigations in jurisdictions around the world, has there been a slowdown in the number of court battles taking place. Many technology companies have called a truce and looked to solutions, such as collaboration and cross-licensing agreements, instead.
The next round of patent wars between technology companies is likely to centre on developments in so-called wearables.
The internet of things, standards and patent licensing disputes
The increasing connectivity of devices, commonly referred to as the internet of things (IoT), is also likely to develop further in the next five years, and have implications for patent litigation.
The IoT age is already well in progress, with examples including smart metering systems in the energy market, to the development of connected cars. The IoT offers the opportunity to make everyday items into devices capable of transmitting and receiving data, and to change the way that businesses operate. In the new industrial age referred to as “Industrie 4.0″, the supply chain in advanced manufacturing is increasingly characterised by connectivity, whether between machines and devices or between parties in the supply chain. However, to harness the potential this connectivity offers, technical standards are vital to achieve interoperability so that different systems and devices can “talk” to one another.
The development of technological standards for the IoT will lead to the generation of a new wave of standard-essential patents (SEPs). Companies that develop SEPs are generally bound by the standard-setting body they have engaged with to licence the patented technology for use by others on fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND) terms.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Connected lighting reference designs ensure interoperability
http://www.edn.com/electronics-blogs/led-zone/4440858/Connected-lighting-reference-designs-ensure-interoperability?_mc=NL_EDN_EDT_EDN_productsandtools_20151130&cid=NL_EDN_EDT_EDN_productsandtools_20151130&elq=4072ffe490124c44843d2e15f3b17184&elqCampaignId=25931&elqaid=29553&elqat=1&elqTrackId=7f386071603943169c83fb140fe5d9eb
Silicon Labs’ recently-released collection of ZigBee-based reference designs will help manufacturers reduce their time to market by simplifying the development of ZigBee-based home automation, connected lighting, and smart gateway products. Equally important, Silicon Labs’ attention to standards should help solve many of the subtle but irritating interoperability problems that have plagued some earlier ZigBee-based products.
The company says that the reference designs for the ZigBee-based connected lighting, dimmable switch, contact sensor, and smart gateway are the first in a series of turnkey IoT solutions, which will continue to expand over the next year. Each of the new reference designs includes the hardware, firmware, and software tools that developers need to create interoperable, scalable, feature-rich connected home products based on Silicon Labs’ robust ZigBee “Golden Unit” Home Automation (HA 1.2) software stack and ZigBee system-on-chip (SoC) mesh networking technology.
Silicon Labs’ ZigBee connected lighting reference designs feature wireless lighting boards as well as a plug-in demo board suitable for quick demonstrations and testing.
Silicon Labs’ ZigBee-based home automation reference designs include a capacitive-sense dimmable light switch and a small-form-factor door/window contact sensor.
Silicon Labs’ Wi-Fi/Ethernet gateway reference design is available as a virtual machine that runs on nearly any Windows, OS X, or Linux platform, or as the plug-and-play hardware module shown above. Image courtesy of Silicon Labs.
The connected lighting and home automation reference designs support the following features:
Silicon Labs’ industry-leading EM358x mesh networking SoCs, combining an ARM Cortex-M3 processor core with a low-power 2.4 GHz 802.15.4 transceiver
Low-power designs enabling very long battery life: up to three years for dimmable light switches and up to five years for contact sensors on a CR2032 coin-cell battery
Silicon Labs’ Golden-Unit ZigBee PRO-certified software stack and ZigBee HA 1.2-certified applications, enabling interoperability with other HA 1.2-certified devices
Over-the-air ZigBee updates and future-proof upgrades to Silicon Labs’ Thread software
Mesh networking capability scaling from tens to hundreds of nodes with individual selectivity, without costly rewiring of existing systems
Best-in-class wireless development kit with configuration and debugging tools to simplify design, as well as packet trace port on EM358x SoCs for network signal debugging
FCC/CE pre-certified hardware for easy system configuration and fast time to market
Complete schematics, layout, and bill of materials (BOM)
Silicon Labs’ connected lighting, home automation, and smart gateway reference designs are available today. The RD-0020-0601 and RD-0035-0601 connected lighting reference designs are priced at $49, the RD-0030-0201 contact sensor reference design is priced at $39, and the RD-0039-0201 capacitive-sense dimmable light switch reference design is priced at $29. The USB virtual gateway is priced at $49, and the out-of-the-box Wi-Fi/Ethernet gateway reference design is priced at $149 (All prices USD MSRP). To order the references designs and for additional information, please visit Silicon Labs.
ZigBee® Connected Home Reference Designs
http://www.silabs.com/iot/Pages/zigbee-connected-home-reference-designs.aspx
Reduce the complexity of a ZigBee connected mesh network design and minimize power consumption with Silicon Labs’ complete, optimized and easy-to-use reference designs for ZigBee Home Automation and Lighting applications based on ZigBee HA 1.2 profiles.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Fitz Tepper / TechCrunch:
Smart Driving App Dash Expands Into The Trucking And Analytics Business
http://techcrunch.com/2015/11/30/smart-driving-app-dash-expands-into-the-trucking-and-analytics-business/
Dash, a driving app we’ve previously described as a “Fitbit for cars”, has announced it is expanding beyond consumer-facing products with Dash XL and Dash IQ, two new products designed for enterprise customers.
As a refresher, the company is a combination of a hardware dongle and software app that provides drivers with real-time analytics on your driving habits, car health, and vehicle diagnostics.
The first new offering, Dash XL, is a product the company built to target truckers and fleet managers. Like its consumer product, Dash XL will consist of a small OBD hardware device that plugs into each truck, recording and sending data back to the fleet managers.
The company says that they will first target smaller fleets of ten or fewer trucks (most of which are owner operated), who have historically been unable to afford traditional fleet management solutions. Dash XL will be ELD (electronic logging device) compliant, which will soon be a new requirement for all commercial truckers in the U.S.A. These devices monitor distance and driving conditions to help avoid accidents with fatigued drivers.
Dash IQ is announcing a new program from the Department of Transportation and AllState, which lets NY drivers save 30 percent on insurance by installing Dash and demonstrating safe driving habits.
Both new features come at a period of fast growth for the company. Jamyn Edis, cofounder and CEO of Dash, said that the company is approaching 300,000 drivers on the platform in 100 countries, which is “more than the top five competitors combined”.
https://dash.by/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Internet of things will be ruined without risk
The actual potential of the industrial Internet remains untapped, if it is used only to existing business opportunities. It is expected to be the case, that an external service provider will package the company, when the company gets enhanced the existing business.
In Finland, we have already become accustomed to collect data, but the industrial on the internet is not a mere everything possible of sensors. Data becomes meaningful and valuable only to the analysis. The difficulty and the fun lies in the fact that, before the data collection is difficult to say what the ultimate outcome will be.
Currently it is precisely this restricts the industrial development of the Internet. The most economically difficult time, companies are reluctant to invest in, and each euro spent must produce a profit.
When you begin to analyze the data, it should be regarded with an open mind. While it is important to step up their own business and make it data using the most productive, but the main innovations are usually the result of business opportunities that open up completely new markets and services. Grossing lottery winnings are ideas that can not be seen or predicting before the data analysis.
What is certain is that if opportunities are not to be researched, a new innovation remains not be born. The American major companies have a lot more money to find new golden eggs than Finnish medium-sized companies, so focus on analyzing the data have a lower risk.
Industrial Internet business in a productive and robust recovery is not an easy task, and many recognize the need for external support. Needed to bridge the business and IT.
Source: http://www.tivi.fi/Kumppaniblogit/sas/teollinen-internet-valuu-hukkaan-ilman-riskinottoa-6092592
Tomi Engdahl says:
Through the sewer to industrial Internet tip
Even in the sewer of a new radio technology testing is a Finnish company Espotel business director Jaakko Lower Paavola scope of research. He pulls IOT units in the company, which is ponkaissut industrial forefront of the Internet globally.
Lower Paavola employer Espotel adopted in November Lora a new radio technology, the world’s first test facilities, together with the German company. Early in the year the company joined the first in Finland, according to the global ARM’s mbed community, which includes 41 companies.
Each technology is closely linked to the industrial Internet.
Paavola is close to this as he pulls Espotel which started in the autumn of IoT business units and include Industrial Internet Tekes strategic steering group of the program.
“Finland is IoT deployments in good standing, have a lot of start-up companies and visibility, but a small concern I have here. Does the Nokia way, so that competitors will go over when too much focus on the technology, “he asks.
Despite the concern to Jaakko Lower Paavola likes to talk about technology – as long as it serves the real needs. The current issue is Lora-radio technology.
“Espotel is now the official Lora certification body and the world’s first, is capable of initiating the date of testing service in one since,” he says.
“Lora is responsible for many of the UNCHR’s needs. It allows to create a network that covers the industrial plant or logistics center. ”
Espotel is going to a number of new technologies that utilize customer projects. The company has already committed Lora technology to the rest of Europe.
“Low power mode was achieved by long-range and was reached through the structures. It was an important result, ”
Espotel technology leader Jaakko Lower Paavola emphasizes the digitalisation industry perspective on business transformation. Hard technological expertise alone is not enough, but it processes new business and customer-oriented services.
“Tekes industrial internet program, one question is how the data to create added value. I believe that this side does not progress in Finland as well as it should. ”
As a public reference Lower Paavola to raise the reputation of the world’s bestselling another Finnish company Enevon management solution. In the waste container placed in the sensor indicates when the tank starts to be filled.
“We developed waste bins measuring equipment, and Enevo sell waste collection optimization service,” Ala-Paavola says.
Source: http://www.tivi.fi/Kaikki_uutiset/viemarin-kautta-teollisen-internetin-karkeen-6092936
Tomi Engdahl says:
Amazon Dash Button Pwn3d
http://hackaday.com/2015/12/02/amazon-dash-button-pwn3d/
Amazon dash button is a small wireless device that lets your lazy ass order more laundry soap by pushing the “dash button” which should be affixed to something near your washing machine. The pushing of the button will set in motion the gut wrenching process that we used to know as “buying things we ran out of” but thanks to Amazon we can now just cover our entire lives with an assortment of buttons that take zero credentials to physically push. We can’t see that being a problem whatsoever.
Needless to say we as a community set out to find an actual use for these fantastic little devices. [maximus64] has done quite a nice job at enabling this hardware in a most usable way. Most of the hacks we have seen for the dash button remove the physical push button and add a sensor of some kind. Replacing the button with a sensor still uses the WiFi connection to send data from the button to the cloud. Instead of the button ordering more <> from Amazon, a sensor might trigger the dash to increment a counter on your website letting you know that your dog went through the doggy door +1 more times.
[maximus64] has the dash button working in the reverse manner by porting the Broadcom IoT WICED SDK to the button. He is using the dash button as a receiver and when [maximus64] sends the “all good” signal from his laptop to the dash button his garage door opens
Broadcom WICED SDK Port for Amazon Dash Button
https://github.com/maximus64/amazon-dash-wiced
Unlock the true potential of the Amazon Dash Button.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Amazon Dash: Hack It to Run Your Own Code
http://hackaday.com/2015/08/12/amazon-dash-hack-it-to-run-your-own-code/
The Amazon Dash is a $5 push-to-buy-cat-litter button which has excellent potential for repurposing, but you need to know what is going on inside first. [Tony Dicola] has the details in this excellent bare metal guide to the Dash. In this, he covers how to get inside the Dash and reprogram it to do something more interesting than buying cat litter.
Dash Hacking: Bare-Metal STM32 Programming
How to disassemble an Amazon Dash button and reprogram its STM32 processor!
https://learn.adafruit.com/dash-hacking-bare-metal-stm32-programming/connections
Tomi Engdahl says:
The world’s first intelligent microphone
English Knowles says the release of its world’s first intelligent microphone. In practice, VoiIQ microphone is a device that continuously listens to its environment and adapts dynamically respective acoustic landscape.
According to the company in the market have a great need for microphones that are “always on”. The need will be, for example, speech, by responding to the digital helpers and the new hands-free devices.
These functions, however, take up a lot of power with conventional microphones implemented, says Knowles. Hence the need for an intelligent microphone that is constantly tuned for low power consumption.
When the algorithm is embedded directly into the microphone, the device detects when the audio system needs to wake up operation and when it can remain in standby or sleep state. This adaptive process to reduce substantially the power consumption of the microphone.
VoiceIQ circuit has a size of 3.50 x 2.65 x 0.98 millimeters. The power consumption is “always on” mode to 0.4 milliwatt.
Source: http://etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3685:maailman-ensimmainen-alykas-mikrofoni&catid=13&Itemid=101
Tomi Engdahl says:
Hackaday Dictionary: Bluetooth Low Energy
http://hackaday.com/2015/12/02/hackaday-dictionary-bluetooth-low-energy/
Bluetooth is one of the mainstays of the mobile gadget world, allowing mobile devices to communicate easily over short distances. It’s how your wireless headset talks to your cell phone without the complexity and power requirements of WIFi. In particular, the Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) component is interesting for those who build portable gadgets, because it requires a very small amount of power.
What Is Bluetooth LE?
Bluetooth LE, also known as Bluetooth Smart, is part of the fourth version of the Bluetooth standard. Finalized in 2010, Bluetooth 4.0 has been updated several times since, and the current version is 4.2, released in July of 2015. This version creates three different classes of device: Bluetooth, Bluetooth Smart Ready and Bluetooth Smart. The basic idea is that Bluetooth Smart indicates a device such as a pedometer or heart monitor that can only send and receive Bluetooth LE signals, while a Smart Ready device can handle LE and standard Bluetooth signals. A standard Bluetooth 4.2 device (such as a cell phone or USB dongle) can also send and receive Bluetooth LE signals.
At least, that’s the theory. Because Bluetooth has evolved over the years, actual compatibility is often difficult to determine.
The purpose of Bluetooth LE is to open the standard up to a new class of devices: those that send small amounts of data infrequently, and run off of small batteries. Bluetooth LE runs on the same frequency band as standard Bluetooth: the 2.4GHz ISM (industrial, scientific and medical) band that does not require a licence to use. The ISM band is divided into 40 channels, and LE devices hop between these channels to avoid interference. To keep the power requirements down, Bluetooth LE has lower transmission power (between 0.01 and 10mW) than standard Bluetooth
Bluetooth classifies devices by their purpose, creating a number of profiles for things like headsets, headphones and human interface devices such as mice and keyboards. Bluetooth LE adds a new set of these profiles, called Generic Attribute (GATT) profiles.
The easiest way to start working with Bluetooth LE is to get a development kit. These are widely available from the companies that make Bluetooth chips, such as Nordic Semiconductor, Texas Instruments and CSR.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Not Your Dad’s Factory: How Technology Is Transforming Manufacturing
https://webinar.informationweek.com/1071?keycode=IKWE02
From predictive maintenance that reduces equipment downtime to workers using mobile devices on the factory floor, manufacturing is undergoing dramatic change. The Internet of Things (IoT) is enabling increased automation on the factory floor and throughout the supply chain, 3D printing is changing how we think about making components, and the cloud and big data are enabling new applications that provide an end-to-end view from the factory floor to the retail store.
Tomi Engdahl says:
IoT can save billions: The power of one percent
http://www.edn.com/electronics-blogs/catching-waves/4440940/IoT-can-save-billions–The-power-of-one-percent?_mc=NL_EDN_EDT_EDN_today_20151202&cid=NL_EDN_EDT_EDN_today_20151202&elq=76ab8988323e4195b208bd67da097271&elqCampaignId=25977&elqaid=29623&elqat=1&elqTrackId=ac5e2daf307544a795ad8468928e9a1f
The Internet of Things (IoT) represents a lofty vision that will be realized by fusing the conventional Internet with the cellular network and adding a third layer of billions of wirelessly-connected “things.” These things will comprise the objects we use everyday––washing machines, fridges, coffee machines and even more humble products like pens and spectacles––but instead of today’s dumb products, that operate in glorious isolation, these things will be connected and “smart.”
How will this make life easier? Imagine, for example, an umbrella equipped with a Bluetooth Smart chip connected through the household router to a Cloud server. That umbrella will be constantly fed information about the local weather. The owner looks outside and sees blue skies but the umbrella knows differently. As the umbrella’s wireless chip detects the proximity of its owner’s smartphone it sends a text message reading “take me, otherwise you’re going to get wet!”
Examples of the IoT’s promise such as this make fun reading but miss the bigger picture; the real power of the IoT will be realized in industrial applications. When he coined the phrase “the Internet of Things” back in 1999, Kevin Ashton got it exactly right when he said that if computers knew everything using data gathered automatically it would greatly reduce waste, loss, and cost.
Sponsor video, mouseover for sound
But what Ashton perhaps didn’t realize was precisely by how much.
Huge amount of data from embedded wireless sensors would be sent across the Internet to powerful Cloud servers that use sophisticated algorithms to determine, for example, how to tune the machine to enhance performance, and what the machine’s state of wear is in order to intelligently decide when to perform maintenance and replace parts. Evans and Annunziata estimated the economic significance of connected machines by calculating the savings gained from just a one percent efficiency improvement. For example, if wireless sensors were fitted to the three main rotating parts of each of the world’s 43,000 commercial jet engines the efficiency gains in engine maintenance, fuel consumption, crew allocation, and scheduling would be huge. A one percent cut in fuel consumption across the global commercial aircraft fleet would slash costs by $30 billion over a 15-year period.
Likewise, a one percent efficiency improvement in the global gas-fired power plant capacity could yield a $66 billion savings in fuel consumption over 15 years. The global health care industry could also benefit from the industrial IoT, through a reduction in process inefficiencies: a one percent gain globally could yield more than $63 billion in savings. Freight moved across the world rail networks, if improved by one percent could yield another gain of $27 billion in fuel savings. Finally, noted Evans and Annunziata, a one percent improvement in capital utilization for oil & gas exploration and development could total $90 billion in avoided or deferred capital expenditures.
The technical innovations of the industrial IoT could find direct application in sectors accounting for more than $32.3 trillion in economic activity, say Evans and Annunziata.
Tomi Engdahl says:
$10 DIY Wifi Smoke Alarm Notifier (Roost & Nest Alternative) (Full Tutorial)
http://www.simpleiothings.com/10-diy-wifi-smoke-alarm-notifier-roost-nest-alternative-full-tutorial/
This tutorial will teach you how to build a Wifi Smoke Alarm Notifier for about $10 dollars. You won’t have to code anything, and you won’t have to solder or buy expensive electronics equipment. Any services you are asked to use will be 100% free. Its that easy. Lets get started!
Tomi Engdahl says:
Consumers want a Smart Home Butler that provides services – not a bunch of connected things
http://www.greenpeak.com/Press/PressKit/2015GreenPeakWhitePaperSmartHomeButler.pdf
Almost every technology media outlet – consumer, trade and engineering – has been writing about the
ongoing avalanche of technology for the home. It is the next big thing. Incredible predictions are being
tossed out by the analyst community and industry players.
Deloitte predicts
“
in 2015 one billion wireless Internet of Things (IoT)
devices will be shipped, up 60%
from 2014, a
nd leading to an installed base of 2.8 billion devices.
”
Gartner says “4.9 billion connected things will be in use in 2015 (up 30% from 2014), 25 billion by
2020.”
IDC says
“
In 2015, 4,800 connected end points are added every minute. This number will
grow to 7,900
by 2020. The installed base of the IoT devices will grow from 10.3 billion devices in 2014 to 29.5 billion
in 2020.”
“
By 2020, more than 5 billion people will be connected, not to mention 50 billion things
”, according to
World Economic Forum
.
Cisco says “
The IoT is a world where up to 50 billion things (or devices) will be connected to the Internet
by 2020; or, the equivalent of 6 devices for every person on the planet.”
These are big numbers and amazing forecasts for the future growth of the IoT market. Sounds wonderful – no need to worry ,right?
However, these cheerful predictions might not come to pass as there is a growing undercurrent of
industry grumbling and complaining that the IoT and Smart Home revolution seems to be taking a lot
longer than it should.
There are several reasons but a key issue has been the infighting among the CE industry behemoths
about whose protocols and platforms will be the base of this new technology. How do we make all these things talk to each other? There are many players all battling – and new ones are popping up all the time. This is creating an atmosphere of uncertainty and mistrust. As a result, the device makers and the solution providers are confused and don’t know which way to turn.
Whose technology protocols should these manufacturers incorporate into their gear? Should they adopt ZigBee, Apple’s HomeKit, Allseen Alliance/AllJoyn, or Intel’s Open Interconnect Consortium? Other 802.15.4 technologies? There are too many competing choices.
Instead, to protect against future technology changes, maybe the device makers
should design in wireless connectivity chips and software that will work with a variety of protocols? That’s complicated and expensive.
Do Consumers Really Want an IoT
Anot her reason why the Smart Home revolution seems to be taking much longer is the fact that the
terms themselves – Smart Home and IoT – are ill conceived and not really very appropriate.
Too many people – industry leaders, media, analysts, and end users – have confused the concept of
“smart” with “connected”.
Most devices – labeled “IoT” or “smart” – are simply connected devices. Just connecting a device to the internet so that it can be monitored and controlled by someone over the web using a smart phone is not smart. Yes, it may be convenient and time saving, but it is not “smart”.
Smart means intelligence. Smart means the device and solution can analyze the incoming data and then make a decision to control or activate a device within the home or facility – without having a human be ing required to press the on/off button. Most current so – called smart devices are little more than internet – enabled remote controls.
What about the so -called wearables? Many people are currently strapping “smart” bands on their arms
that monitor their health and condition. However, these are not smart.
Sell Services – Not Connected Things
Imagine the concept of a butler. The reason rich people hire someone like a butl
er is that service professionals are trained to recognize what is happening in the home and to provide the appropriate services. They don’t need to be programmed to open the door or turn on the lights.
In a similar way, the industry should market the IoT as an Internet of Services instead of an Internet of Things
Right now, the emerging Smart Home industry expects the resident to research the various technologies, select the right option, negotiate the best price, take them home, and install the system.
Once installed the system has to be programmed, managed and monitored. Most people would prefer paying a small monthly fee so that they would not have to handle that level of complexity.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Home> Community > Blogs > Now Hear This!
IoT Security Spartans wanted
http://www.edn.com/electronics-blogs/now-hear-this/4440964/IoT-Security-Spartans-wanted?_mc=NL_EDN_EDT_EDN_today_20151203&cid=NL_EDN_EDT_EDN_today_20151203&elq=4b697e8f81414fa18216f5c1321baca5&elqCampaignId=25993&elqaid=29639&elqat=1&elqTrackId=1244e3af312c418b97de6010513a1b13
There’s a long-running joke in the IT community that white hat hacker Jay Radcliffe shared during his DoT (Designers of Things) keynote Wednesday morning:
The most secure computer is one that has been unplugged and destroyed.
Every joke has some truth to it. Security has been an issue since the days of the first electronic devices. Now, as we move into a world of ever-connected devices through IoT, security has become even more necessary.
Radcliffe told the keynote audience about IoT-enabled Bluetooth toothbrushes that need security patches as an example of how quickly IoT has moved into our daily lives without proper security development, opening itself up to malicious hacking.
“This [IoT] is exceptionally scary. We are going too fast,” said Radcliffe. “Are we opening ourselves up to something we don’t know enough about? Are we doing enough to secure these devices?”
Radcliffe himself uses his hacking skills for good, he noted, “because with great power comes great responsibility,”
He called for security specialists at every step of electronic design, especially as more IoT devices connect.
“All too often security gets pigeonholed as an iron fist,” Radcliffe said, describing an IT manager who dictates on what users can and cannot do. Instead, he’s looking for security to partner with design and for the long-term, addressing security issues that will inevitably come up over the life of a device.
“You want someone who will go to battle with you. We need Spartans,” he said.
This becomes especially important when connected medical devices come into play,
“We are entrusting a computer device to do what medical can’t do,”
“There’s no such thing as a perfectly secure system.”