According to Intel IoT is expected to be a multi-trillion-dollar market, with 50 billion devices creating 44 zettabytes (or 44 trillion gigabytes) of data annually by 2020. But that widely cited 50 billion IoT devices in 2020 number is clearly not correct! Forecast of 50 Billion Devices by 2020 Is Outdated. In 2017 we should be talking about about some sensible numbers. The current count is somewhere between Gartner’s estimate of 6.4 billion (which doesn’t include smartphones, tablets, and computers), International Data Corporation’s estimate of 9 billion (which also excludes those devices), and IHS’s estimate of 17.6 billion (with all such devices included). Both Ericsson and Evans have lowered their expectations from 50 billion for 2020: Evans, who is now CTO of Stringify, says he expects to see 30 billion connected devices by then, while Ericsson figures on 28 billion by 2021.
Connectivity and security will be key features for Internet of Things processors in 2017. Microcontroller (MCU) makers will continue to target their products at the Internet of Things (IoT) in 2017 by giving more focus on battery life, more connectivity of various types, and greater security. The new architectures are almost sure to spawn a multitude of IoT MCUs in 2017 from manufacturers who adopt ARM’s core designs.
ARM will be big. Last year, ARM’s partners shipped 15 billion chips based on its architectures. The trend toward IoT processors will go well beyond ARM licensees. Intel rolled out the Intel Atom E3900 Series for IoT applications. And do not forget MIPS an RISC-V.
FPGA manufacturers are pushing their products to IoT market. They promise that FPGAs solve challenges at the core of IoT implementation: making IoT devices power efficient, handling incompatible interfaces, and providing a processing growth path to handle the inevitable increase in device performance requirement.
Energy harvesting field will become interesting in 2017 as it is more broadly adopted. Energy harvesting is becoming the way forward to help supplement battery power or lose the need for it altogether. Generally researchers are eyeing energy-harvesting to power ultra-low-power devices, wearable technology, and other things that don’t need a lot of power or don’t come in a battery-friendly form factor.
Low power wide area networks (LPWA) networks (also known as NarrowBand IoT) will be hot in 2017. There is hope that f LPWA nets will act as a catalyst, changing the nature of the embedded and machine-to-machine markets as NB-IoT focuses specifically on indoor coverage, low cost, long battery life, and enabling a large number of connected devices. The markets will become a kind of do-it-yourselfers paradise of modules and services, blurring the lines between vendors, users and partners. At the same time for years to come, the market for low power wide area networks (LPWA) will be as fragmented and is already in a race to the bottom (Sigfox, said to be promising costs approaching $1 per node per year). Competing technologies include Sigfox, LoRa Alliance, LTE Cat 1, LTE Cat M1 (eMTC), LTE Cat NB1 (NB-IoT) and other sub-gigahertz options almost too numerous to enumerate.
We are starting to see a battle between different IoT technologies, and in few years to come we will see which are winners and which technologies will be lost in the fight. Sigfox and Lora are currently starting well, but telecom operators with mobile networks NB-IoT will try hit the race heavily in 2017. Vendors prep Cat M1, NB1 for 2017: The Cat M1 standard delivers up to 380 Kbits/second over a 1.4 MHz channel. NB-1 handles up to 40 Kbits/s over 200 kHz channels. Vendors hope the 7-billion-unit installed base of cellular M2M modules expands. It’s too early to tell which technologies will be mainstream and which niche. It could be that cellular NB-IOT was too late, it will fail in the short term, it can win in the long term, and the industry will struggle to make any money from it. At $2 a year, 20 billion devices will contribute around 4% of current global mobile subscription revenues.
New versions of communication standards will be taken into use in 2017. For example Bluetooth 5 that adds more speed and IoT functionality. In 2017, we will see an increase in the number of devices with the new Bluetooth 5 standard.
Industrial IoT to gain traction in 2017. Industrial applications ultimately have the greater transformative potential than consumer products, offering users real returns on investment (ROI) rather than just enhanced convenience or “cool factor”. But the industrial sector is conservative and has been slow to embrace an industrial IoT (IIoT), but is seems that they are getting interested now. During the past year there has been considerable progress in removing many of the barriers to IIoT adoption. A global wide implementation of an IIoT is many years away, of course. The issues of standards and interoperability will most likely remain unresolved for several years to come, but progress is being made. The Industrial Internet Consortium released a framework to support development of standards and best practices for IIoT security.
The IIoT market is certainly poised to grow. A Genpact research study, for instance, indicates that more than 80% of large companies believe that the IIoT will be essential to their future success. In a recent market analysis by Industry ARC, for instance, the projected value of the IIoT market will reach more than $120 billion by 2021. Research firm Markets and Markets is even more optimistic, pegging IIoT growth at a CAGR of 8% to more than $150 billion by 2020. And the benefits will follow. By GE’s estimate, the IIoT will stimulate an increase in the global GDP of $10 to $15 trillion over the next 20 years.
Systems integrators are seeking a quick way to enter the industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) market. So expect to see many plug and play IoT sensor systems unveiled. There were many releses in 2016, and expect to see more in 2017. Expect to see device, connectivity and cloud service to be marketed as one packet.
IoT analytics will be talked a lot in 2017. Many companies will promise to turn Big Data insights into bigger solutions. For industrial customers Big Data analytics is promised to drive operational efficiencies, cut costs, boosting production, and improving worker productivity. There are many IIoT analytic solution and platform suppliers already on the market and a growing number of companies are now addressing industrial analytics use.
In 2016 it was all bout getting the IoT devices connected to cloud. In 2017 we will see increased talk about fog computing. Fog computing is new IoT trend pushed by Cisco and many other companies. As the Internet of Things (IoT) evolves, decentralized, distributed-intelligence concepts such as “fog computing” are taking hold to address the need for lower latencies, improved security, lower power consumption, and higher reliability. The basic premise of fog computing is classic decentralization whereby some processing and storage functions are better performed locally instead of sending data all the way from the sensor, to the cloud, and back again to an actuator. This demands smarter sensors and new wireless sensor network architectures. Groups such as the Open Fog Consortium have formed to define how it should best be done. You might start to want to be able to run the same code in cloud and your IoT device.
The situation in IoT security in 2016 was already Hacking the IoT: As Bad As I Feared It’d Be and there is nothing that would indicate that the situation will not get any better in 2017. A veritable army of Internet-connected equipment has been circumvented of late, due to vulnerabilities in its hardware, software or both … “smart” TVs, set-top boxes and PVRs, along with IP cameras, routers, DSL, fiber and cable modems, printers and standalone print servers, NASs, cellular hot spots, and probably plenty of other gear. IoT world at the moment is full of vulnerable devices, and it will take years to get then replaces with more secure devices. Those vulnerable devices can be used to make huge DDoS attacks against Internet services. The 2016 October 21 cyberattacks on Dyn brought to light how easily many IoT devices can be compromised. I expect that kind of incidents will happen more in 2017 as DDoS botnets are pretty easy to build with tools available on-line. There’s no question that everyone in the chain – manufacturers, retailers and consumers – have to do a better job securing connected devices.When it comes to IoT, more security is needed.
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Tomi Engdahl says:
Startup Stacks IoT Chips Cheaply
Low cost interposer integrates passives
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1332102&
A startup emerged from stealth mode with a low-cost approach to building 2.5-D chip stacks that targets the Internet of Things. zGlue developed a substrate that can link more than a dozen die as an alternative to designing a more expensive and time-consuming SoC or a much larger circuit board.
“It takes too much time to customize chips today,” said Ming Zhang, founder and CEO of zGlue.
“I wanted to enable chips useful for a large IoT market, including many who may not understand things like timing closure and through silicon vias,” said Zhang, a veteran circuit design who worked on Intel Xeon and Samsung Exynos processors.
zGlue uses a trailing-edge interposer of 24 to 48 mm2 with integrated passives as well as a controller supporting power management and security. Its chip-to-chip interface can be configured in software and can accommodate most packages but is optimal for WLCSPs.
The interposer supports up to 3,000 programmable interconnect pins. SPI and GPIO interfaces can run at up to 100 MHz and UART and I2C interfaces at lower rates. It supplies power to chip-lets at 1.8V and 3.3 V by default, adjustable to 100 mA max current.
Tomi Engdahl says:
It’s Time to Think About Our Goals for the IoT
Tech journalist Stacey Higginbotham will discuss the risks and benefits of IoT technology at ARM TechCon.
https://www.designnews.com/iot/it-s-time-think-about-our-goals-iot/24926186357234?cid=nl.x.dn14.edt.aud.dn.20170804.tst004t
The Internet of Things (IoT) is at a key moment in its history, and the technical community needs to address the goals and risks of the technology, lest it be misused and abused, IoT expert Stacey Higginbotham will tell attendees at ARM TechCon in October.
Higginbotham, an IoT journalist whose work appears in Fortune, MIT Technology Review , Business Week and GigaOm, says that engineers need a better grasp on what they’re trying to achieve with the IoT, and consumers should know its inherent security and privacy risks. “We can’t just let the technology guide us,” Higginbotham told Design News . “We’re shaping the world that we’re about to live in. And we need to think about the social and business impacts as we are developing this technology.”
Higginbotham, who has turned her house into an IoT lab complete with connected appliances, lighting, and security, believes the technology has amazing potential. She sees it being used in the streets, lighting, and sewers of smart cities, as well as on the assembly lines of intelligent factories, and in the homes of billions of consumers worldwide.
At the same time, however, she sees the risks. Fitness devices can provide data on a person’s health and whereabouts. Optical sensors in municipalities can provide information on whether a driver is speeding or a pedestrian is jaywalking.
Police forces, she said, see IoT data as a potential source of evidence.
“Right now, especially for consumers, this is a privacy nightmare,” Higginbotham told us. “The only thing that’s going to stand between us and that worst-case scenario is having a government that’s willing to stand up and write regulations.”
Unfortunately, the favorable economics of the IoT will make it almost too easy for misuse and abuse. Low-cost sensors, computing, and storage give users the ability to track virtually anything without regard to whether it should be tracked.
you pick the wrong goal, you won’t succeed,” Higginbotham said. “The IoT is only as powerful as the direction you point it in.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Smart Composting System
A set of senors and actuators that make composting simple.
https://hackaday.io/project/24933-smart-composting-system
Per the EPA, food scraps & yard waste currently make up 20-30% of what we throw away, and should be composted instead. Making compost keeps these materials out of landfills, where they release methane, a potent greenhouse gas.
I am building a smart system that makes it easier to compost. The system will:
- Monitor temperature, moisture, and methane output to automatically regulate the compost (add water or air)
- Make recommendation on types of products to add to compost (more “green” or “brown” items)
- Provide alerts when the compost is ready or when additional user action is needed
The Smart Compost system is made up of three components
Satellite Sensor Station – an Arduino powered device that is connected to the compost pile and measures ambient temperature, compost temperature, soil moisture, and methane gas output. Based on the sensors, the sensor station can add water to the compost or open/close air vents. Communication to the sensor station is via LoRa radio.
Base Station – a Intel Edison or Raspberry Pi device that persists the sensor data and provides a dashboard. The Base station also uses the sensor logic to make recommendations to the user on actions needed. The base station would be connected to an small kitchen “scraps” holder (like this) with an LED indicator that gives status of the compost.
“Can I Compost” home device – an Alexa or Google Home program that (a) tells the user what can be composted and (b) what should be composted (based on the user’s compost composition)
The goal is that the system helps the user quickly create a batch of compost with minimal work. We are also looking to ensure that the compost is created using aerobic processes (with oxygen) versus anaerobic (without oxygen). Anaerobic processing (like landfills) can create higher concentrations of methane gas.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Sony introduces smart sensing IoT board (Arduino-compatible)
https://developer.sony.com/2017/08/03/sony-introduces-smart-sensing-iot-board-arduino-compatible/
Sony will be showcasing a brand new development board called Spritzer during the Maker Faire Tokyo in Japan, August 5-6. The Spritzer board is specifically designed for IoT applications and comprises a range of smart functionality such as integrated GPS and an advanced digital audio codec and amplifier. Being Arduino-compatible means that Spritzer allows any developer to easily get started with app development using the free Arduino IDE and an ordinary USB cable.
The Spritzer board features a processing chip with a unique combination of low power consumption and a rapid clock speed of 156MHz.
The Spritzer board is planned to be available for developers in early 2018.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Internet of Bees device tracks hive health
https://techcrunch.com/2017/08/04/internet-of-bees-device-tracks-hive-health/?ncid=rss&utm_source=tcfbpage&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Techcrunch+%28TechCrunch%29&utm_content=FaceBook&sr_share=facebook
As we all know, the bee population is declining at an alarming rate, and while the causes are many, the solutions are few.
A Canadian researcher is working on a monitoring system that listens to the buzz and passes on word if things are going south.
It uses microphones and temperature and humidity sensors, and will eventually include accelerometers; you mount it inside the hive and it gives you a drone’s-eye view of the colony’s activity.
Right now the device is built from off-the-shelf parts, so it’s a bit bulky and expensive, but it’s hoped that a custom-manufactured sensor package could get the cost down.
http://www.sfu.ca/university-communications/media-releases/2017/technology-tracks-bee-talk-to-help-improve-honey-bee-health-.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
A city in Germany is developing their own IoT sensors to measure air quality to help combat the smog problem.
How to build a smog sensor with a ESP8266 microcontroller
https://opensource.com/article/17/3/build-smog-sensor-ESP8266-microcontroller?sc_cid=7016000000127ECAAY
A city in Germany is developing their own IoT sensors to measure air quality to help combat the smog problem.
Stuttgart, Germany has, like many other cities, a smog problem—even if it may be less severe than in other cities. The European Union has defined a threshold of on average 50 micrograms of dust particles per cubic meter in a 24-hour window of air to be allowed for a maximum of 35 days a year. For the last few years, actual values have been much higher for more than 35 days.
The Open Knowledge Lab in Stuttgart, Germany has begun to develop their own IoT sensors that measure air quality every minute and report the data to a central server.
Note: Analyzers are capable of counting particles with 10µm in diameter as well as 2.5µm; they are called PM 10 and PM 2.5, respectively.
Building such a sensor is pretty easy and described on Luftdaten.info, the main page of the project. It consists of a handful of parts that are connected together.
The casings are actually some standard plumbing tubes. The other two main components are a Node MCU ESP8266 microcontroller that has built-in Wi-Fi and the actual analyzer. In the current revision this is an SDS 011 analyzer. A DHT22 sensor provides readings of the current temperature and humidity. All parts cost together around €30.
http://luftdaten.info
Tomi Engdahl says:
Pluvi.On Tracks Rain Intensity with the ESP8266
https://blog.hackster.io/pluvi-on-tracks-rain-intensity-with-the-esp8266-53859a21bfe9
Thanks to its small size, Wi-Fi data transmission capabilities, and low cost, the ESP8266 module is ideal for environmental tracking. The Pluvi.On is no different, tracing rainfall in a nicely laser-cut enclosure that can be visualized via the system’s API or through ThingSpeak.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Drone Data Security
https://www.suasnews.com/2017/08/drone-data-security/
Are you adhering to your clients Data Security and privacy requirements, as well as your own?
So it’s a story that’s been bubbling away for a while now and it’s finally out.
The US Army has issued a Memorandum enforcing the discontinued use of DJI Products due to cyber security concerns.
It wasn’t long ago the US Banned Chinese CCTV Cameras on critical infrastructure with UK raising concerns also.
So lets back track a bit to the good old days…
Modern day – Smart Drone systems, that are easy to fly right out of the box and DJI are ensuring they land in everyone’s hands. With the launch of the Spark, it can take off and land using just your hands.
But whats happening with the all the data
Flight Log Information
GPS Positioning
Aerial Sensor Captured Data
APP Stored Data
So going back the good old days, your data was easy to control. The imagery was contained within the camera, and the flight data was contained within the system. It wasn’t connected to the internet, and at best could be accessed locally via a laptop for updates and trouble shooting. I won’t bother mentioning the IOSD as it rarely ever worked properly
Modern day – Smart drone systems from DJI are syncing all of the above data when logged in to your DJI Go App back to the DJI Servers, and this includes some of your payload data.
But here are some things you might not know
DJI Includes in your flight log images from your flight – Remember this as well come back to it shortly
DJI Syncs your flight logs to their servers
DJI Syncs Cached Data from your APP Device when offline and re syncs when online. This includes Audio and Video / Imagery Data
DJI Go APP Screenshot from a critical infrastructure inspection I carried out. As you can see it appears in the APP, but how did it get there, I didn’t take this image. It’s a still from a video DJI Captured that’s embedded in the DJI Log, that Syncs to DJI Servers..
Can you see where the US Gov is coming from now with their recent ban now?
Did you know the DJI Go APP communicates with a whole list of servers whilst your system is logged in?
Check out what pilots are doing now, there blocking all the links associated to the DJI Go App Here. That’s a lot of comms going on there, and to where?
Within the systems as well there are hidden secondary SD Cards. They are mentioned loosely in the Manuals
Taken from the DJI Forums, where a Mavic user discovers a hidden SD Card. It has now been confirmed
So let’s look at it from the clients perspective.
Client : Thanks for doing such a great job, the images look great.
Pilot: Thanks, here is the media release form.
Client: Great, can you confirm this is the only copy of the data
Pilot: ???
How many of you who are using these products can 100% confirm that is the only single copy in existence?
This affects sensitive sites that are being inspected, feature film content that’s been recorded, imagine you just shot some awesome scenes for the new Star Wars films with a DJI system, the copyright and data security infringement issues could be huge if you’re not managing and securing that data.
So what happens next? Will the UK follow suit?
US Army calls for units to discontinue use of DJI equipment
https://www.suasnews.com/2017/08/us-army-calls-units-discontinue-use-dji-equipment/
According to a U.S. Army memo obtained by sUAS News, the U.S. Army Research Lab and U.S. Navy have concluded that there are operational risks associated with DJI equipment, a move that was run up the flag pole last month but kept under wraps.
Tomi Engdahl says:
A Global Information Gathering Network for UAS – DJI data collection
https://www.suasnews.com/2017/05/global-information-gathering-network-uas-dji-data-collection/
James Clapper said in a Guardian article :
“In the future, intelligence services might use the [internet of things] for identification, surveillance, monitoring, location tracking, and targeting for recruitment, or to gain access to networks or user credentials,”
That future he mentions has already arrived.
The method and ability to perform data gathering from a UAS is currently being leveraged every day. Just by creating a personal account with DJI, you willingly provided many details about yourself. Using a simple Google search the data mined by DJI from your provided flights (imagery, position and flight logs) and your audio can be accessed without your knowing consent.
The past several years has been an exciting with the amazing developments and availability of UAS technology. As with all things, there is always serious concerns with how a technology will be used. This applies to hobby and commercial UAS or drones.
Recently, the release of methods describing global data collection by intelligence agencies rocked the world.
I am now sharing that there is situation related to gathering of UAS-related information that has been ongoing for a length of time. It involves the use of DJI drones to collect audio, visual and telemetry data on all flights across the Globe. The details shared here are perhaps known to a limited number of the worldwide owners and users of the DJI technology. I feel that this sort of knowledge is something that every UAS pilot and every person/company/agency needs to understand related to your aerial missions.
For the millions of flights that have been flown using DJI systems across the World, many have been flown at or near highly sensitive locations. Infrastructure, stadiums, military installations, construction sites etc. Among these locations, the conversations between the pilot and client or even the background conversations can reveal an incredible amount of information about these highly sensitive locations. Possibly specific details about security or details of the structure or asset being flown that are never to be shared outside of the project. Critical infrastructure access and layouts are being captured every day.
First let’s look at the magnitude of this concern here in the USA. The FAA produced a FAA FORCAST citing that there will be millions of hobby drones flying by 2020. The commercial drone numbers show that there might be over 300,000 flying as of today. That’s just the commercial end of the drone units this year.
Second, let’s consider exactly what is collected by DJI and why I have serious concerns about the use of this data.
If a pilot is using the DJI GO 4 app and uploads a flight record to the DJI server, using the default settings on the app, there are many details provided related to your UAS mission:
Telemetry – Where the drone was flown including GPS coordinates, the altitudes, speed and other details of the aircraft’s performance.
Video – If a video was recorded, a down sampled version is also provided to DJI showing what was recorded.
Audio – When using a phone or tablet, the microphone recording of all conversations and sound are embedded with the video cache file as well. If the sensor has a microphone, it is shared it’s audio as well.
The combination of the above data produces a complete record of each and every flight EVER taken by your drone using the DJI application and drone. This information is stored on the DJI servers in the United States, China and Hong Kong.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Internet of S**t / The Verge:
Apple’s HomeKit now has far more potential with changes like software-based authentication and a streamlined review process with new testing labs
Apple has proven me wrong about HomeKit
Hope for the Internet of Shit
https://www.theverge.com/2017/8/3/16083996/internet-of-shit-wrong-about-homekit
The Internet of Shit is a column about all the shitty things we try to connect to the internet, and what can be done about it. It’s from the anonymous creator of the Internet of Shit Twitter account.
Earlier this year, I wrote that Apple’s HomeKit was a failure as a standard for the Internet of Things, but since then, Apple has turned around and proven me wrong. The company has made major changes to HomeKit that accelerate the standard’s trajectory, making it easier for manufacturers to use while offering a compelling platform for the future of connected devices in the home.
That position has changed in a big way this year. At WWDC in May, Apple quietly announced that it planned to relax some of those restrictions. The biggest change was the introduction of software-based authentication. In other words, you won’t have to replace your stuff to make it Apple-compatible going forward, and you’ll get HomeKit’s lauded security thrown in for free — provided the device maker actually goes in and implements it.
Ikea, which announced its own smart lighting system in 2016, looks to be one of the first companies to take advantage of this change: it’ll add HomeKit support, presumably via a software update, later this year. So there should be no need to pay for replacement hardware like when Philips required users to buy a HomeKit-compatible version of its Hue hub. In the future, these HomeKit-via-software updates could mean products from Nest get HomeKit compatibility, simply because the company will be able to expand its user base retrospectively. What remains to be seen is how many device makers will follow the charge.
There’s one other key feature that makes HomeKit interesting: if device makers want to use it, they’re required to integrate directly with Apple’s Home app and can’t force you to use a third-party app exclusively. That’s huge, simply because it grants you the freedom to avoid touching the device maker’s software on your phone if you don’t want it, and it allows you to interact with the smart home directly through Apple’s app without an intermediary. In theory, it means you really own your devices, and they shouldn’t just break if the company that makes them disappears since you’ll still have a direct connection with each device, thanks to HomeKit.
HomeKit still assumes everyone in your house has an iPhone in their pocket all the time, but with the announcement of the Apple HomePod smart speaker, that changes as well.
Android-loving family and friends can just use their voice to tap into your smart home, which brings it on par with Amazon and Google (albeit at a far higher price of $349) when it ships later this year.
This isn’t to say HomeKit is perfect: you still need to spend a lot of money on a HomePod or Apple TV to get full functionality, such as remote access or home automation.
There’s also still a relative lack of choice in the HomeKit accessory market
Additionally, while the rules surrounding HomeKit’s implementation have been relaxed, Apple’s review process is just as arduous: if you want to sell certified hardware, you’ll have to get it approved — and that could have taken up to five months in the past.
Despite these nitpicks, Apple’s recent changes, additions, and loosening of the hardware authentication restriction are making it easier for anyone to build, experiment with, and use HomeKit while still maintaining a high level of security. As I see it, HomeKit now has far more potential in the long run than any of its competitors.
Maybe Apple can save us from the Internet of Shit after all.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Real-time POWERLINK with Analog Devices REM Switch
The programmable REM Switch from Analog Devices enables cost effective POWERLINK designs with any host processor.
http://www.electronicdesign.com/analog/real-time-powerlink-analog-devices-rem-switch?partnerref=EDCalendar_Aug2017&utm_rid=CPG05000002750211&utm_campaign=12337&utm_medium=email&elq2=d945f899c2434960b7deb6841d3d59d3
Description:
Legacy automation systems use different field buses for I/O, motion control and safety devices thereby making integration different. POWERLINK is the only technology with open source BSD licensed Master, Slave, Safe Node stacks and network configuration tools that enables deterministic communications of all devices on Ethernet. The programmable REM Switch from Analog Devices enables cost effective POWERLINK designs with any host processor.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Saelig Introduces Sol Chip Solar Power Modules
https://www.eeweb.com/news/saelig-introduces-sol-chip-solar-power-modules
Saelig Company, Inc. has introduced the patented Sol Chip Pak™ (SCP-R2801) Power Modules which offer day/night non-stop functionality by combining state-of-the-art solar cells, a rechargeable battery, and advanced power management circuitry. These power modules include all the components that are required to harvest energy from ambient light, charge a built-in rechargeable battery, and deliver a stable voltage to a load. Sol Chip’s patented technology integrates solar energy conversion with very large scale integration (VLSI) techniques to produce unique ambient light harvesting devices that can even extract energy from office lighting to provide 24/7power. These versatile boards, based on Sol Chip’s unique Saturn cells, provide power even in office light conditions.
The output voltage of these “everlasting solar batteries” is regulated to 3.6V, but other voltages are available by request to suit alternate applications. Versions are available with 1, 2, 3, or 6 Saturn solar cells depending on the power needs. The 6-cell version provides an average output current of up to 750uA from the integrated solar cells, with up to 1.5A peak current. The capacity of the 3.6V onboard rechargeable batteries in the series is 190 – 1100mAh.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Intel Quashes Quark for IoT Nodes
Microcontroller-class x86 gives way to ARM
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1332098
Intel has apparently ended efforts to drive its x86 architecture into microcontroller-class chips and end nodes on the Internet of Things. Analysts generally applauded the move, although they noted it reflects in part on a market for wearables that has not emerged as fast as predicted.
Multiple reports said Intel has ended sales of Currie and other IoT boards using its Quark processors. However, the company did not directly respond to questions about Quark, a stripped down x86 chip CEO Brian Krzanich announced in his first keynote at the company’s annual developer conference.
As recently as last August, Intel presented a paper describing its D2000, a 32-bit x86 processor that consumed as little as 35 milliwatts in active mode. At the time the engineer describing the device at Hot Chips said Intel had plans “to scale [Quark] from MCUs to right below the Atom X1000 for Linux with lots of implementation options in cores and SoCs.”
At one time, Intel fielded as many as three Quark chips — the SE, D2000 and D1000. All were spins of the original synthesized Pentium-class core Krzanich announced in 2013 as a 32nm part, one-fifth the size and one-tenth the power of Intel’s Atom core.
Intel rolled out several IoT boards using Quark chips, including several compatible with Arduino starting in October 2013. An Intel spokesman said the company remains committed to supporting the DIY maker movement.
“IoT remains an important growth business for Intel and we are committed to IoT market segments that access, analyze and share data. These include retail, industrial, automotive and video, which will drive billions of connected devices,” the spokesman said, suggesting the company will focus on Atom-based gateways as its new low end.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Bespoke Processors Might Soon Power Your Artisanal Devices
http://hackaday.com/2017/08/04/bespoke-processors-might-soon-power-your-artisanal-devices/
Modern microprocessors are a marvel of technological progress and engineering. At less than a dollar per unit, even the cheapest microprocessors on the market are orders of magnitude more powerful than their ancestors. The first commercially available single-chip processor, the Intel 4004, cost roughly $25 (in today’s dollars) when it was introduced in 1971.
Professors [Rakesh Kumar] and [John Sartori], along with their students, are experimenting with bespoke processor designs that aim to cut out the unused portions of modern processors. They’ve found that in many applications, less than half the logic gates of the processor are actually being used. Removing these reduces the size and power consumption of the processor, and therefore the final size and power requirements of the device itself.
Bespoke Processors: A New Path to Cheap Chips
http://spectrum.ieee.org/semiconductors/design/bespoke-processors-a-new-path-to-cheap-chips
Engineers can cut size and power in half by stripping away unused logic gates from general-purpose microcontrollers
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Week In Review: IoT
IoT security bill; Samsung’s cloud tool; Wia gets seed funding.
https://semiengineering.com/the-week-in-review-iot-57/
Legislation
Four senators plan to introduce a bipartisan bill that would require federal government vendors to provide Internet-connected devices and equipment that is patchable and conforms to industry cybersecurity standards. Such products must not have unchangeable passwords or known security vulnerabilities. The bill was drafted with expert advice from the Atlantic Council and Harvard University. Similar legislation is expected to be introduced in the House of Representatives.
Tools
Samsung Electronics this week introduced the Samsung ARTIK Cloud Monetization for the Internet of Things, a cloud-based tool to help IoT device developers and service providers build revenue from their IoT data
M&A
GE Digital has acquired IQP Corporation, an Israeli-Japanese startup that offers an Industrial IoT application development environment that doesn’t require writing software code.
Startups
Coming out of stealth mode this week, zGlue is touting its approach to less expensive 2.5D chip stacking for IoT applications.
Market Research
The worldwide Industrial IoT market will be worth $783.88 billion by 2025, with a compound annual growth rate of 23.7% from now to 2025, according to Transparency Market Research. Manufacturing will account for nearly 35% of the IIoT market in that period, while health care will lead in terms of its growth rate, TMR forecasts. Key players in IIoT are ABB, Accenture, Emerson Electric, General Electric, IBM, Intel, and Schneider Electric.
Asset tracking IoT devices are in for prosperous growth in the next five years, Mobile Experts says, predicting annual shipments will increase from 22 million units in 2016 to 70 million units by 2022. Around half of those devices will transmit data through a cloud-based service, growing service revenue for cloud providers from $2.2 billion last year to $7.5 billion in 2022.
Tomi Engdahl says:
IoT Security: Where There is Smoke, There is Fire
http://www.securityweek.com/iot-security-where-there-smoke-there-fire
We have collectively heard the saying, “where there is smoke, there is fire” throughout our lives. And, sure enough, it is true far more often than it is false. I have been seeing a lot of smoke lately, so I suspect that there is an interesting fire burning.
First, the smoke
The first sign of smoke was a public service announcement (PSA) by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on July 17. The PSA, “Consumer Notice: Internet-Connected Toys Could Present Privacy and Contact Concerns for Children,” was an interesting warning about the risks associated with connected toys. The PSA concisely explains why connected toys create risks, why those risks can affect children, and how families can take steps to minimize the risks.
For those who have visited this column before, you know I have tracked the connected toy issue in other articles such as “The Connected Toy Conundrum Is Beginning to Boil.” I remain puzzled that there has not been more outcry from the consumer public on the issue. I also continue to wonder when the government will feel compelled to address the risks for children. Therefore, the FBI PSA definitely caught my attention.
The Connected Toy Conundrum Is Beginning to Boil
http://www.securityweek.com/connected-toy-conundrum-beginning-boil
Tomi Engdahl says:
Sailboat Throws Motor Overboard, Adds Sensor Array
http://hackaday.com/2017/08/07/sailboat-throws-motor-overboard-adds-sensor-array/
For those not familiar with sailing, it might seem like an obsolete way to get around on the water. This isn’t 1492 anymore, and it’s pretty easy to go out and get a boat with a motor to get where you need to go. Sailboats, however, are still one of the most efficient ways to travel. There are essentially no fuel costs, and maintenance on them is often easier than on a boat with an engine. Not to mention the fun involved in flying a hull on a catamaran. Anyway, if you’re [gwilken], you can bring your sailboat even further into modern times by building your own sensor array for it.
A wireless hardware and software IoT project that monitors multiple streams of data from a sailboat. Access realtime information on any web enabled device. Built with React, Node.js, MongoDB, and Express
https://github.com/gwilken/ariadne-io
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Internet Of Things: Now There’s A Growth Story
https://seekingalpha.com/article/4089645-internet-things-now-growth-story?ifp=0&utoken=9c0dd32595ca883c3b7aa2b6dcc21be9
Summary
We are already dependent on being connected at all times.
The next step is for everything to be connected at all times.
There will be both aggressive and conservative ways to invest in this theme.
For the purpose of being consistent throughout this report, I will use Kevin Ashton’s definition of The Internet of Things:
The Internet of Things means sensors connected to the Internet and behaving in an Internet-like way by making open, ad hoc connections, sharing data freely, and allowing unexpected applications, so computers can understand the world around them and become humanity’s nervous system.
Adoption
According to Aruba Research, 57% of companies have already adopted IoT and 85% are expected to do so by 2019. It is transforming the way companies do business, and in a survey of global companies, the respondents’ average return on investment was 34% with over a quarter of respondents reporting a 40% ROI and 10% of respondents reporting 60% ROI.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Connectivity Technologies and the Internet of Things
https://software.intel.com/en-us/articles/connectivity-technologies-and-the-internet-of-things?utm_campaign=IHI-IoT-Commercial-Q3_17&utm_medium=Syndication&utm_source=Taboola&utm_content=&utm_term=&&utm_term=aol-techcrunch&utm_content=Connectivity+Technologies+and+the+Internet+of+Things
4G / LTE*
Long-Term Evolution* (LTE*) is a high speed standard used in wireless communication that is widely deployed on mobile phones.
BACnet*
BACnet* is a communication protocol developed by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) for use in heating and cooling appliances. The standard operates over other communication standards such as ARCNET, Ethernet, ZigBee* and LonTalk*.
Bluetooth® LE
Bluetooth® Low Energy is a wireless technology for creating personal area networks. This is an offshoot of Bluetooth® technology designed to run in low power situation.
GPRS*
General Packed Radio Service* (GPRS*) is a mobile communication standard that uses GSM (global system for mobile communications) on 2G and 3G networks. It is different from other mobile technologies in that it’s a best-effort service that guarantees a minimum quality of service to the communication.
GPS
GPS, or Global Positioning System, is a global navigation network based on a network of satellites. Devices with GPS receivers are able to pinpoint their precise coordinates.
LoRaWAN*
A long range, low power platform. Data is encrypted, and available to regional, national, or global networks. This technology is intended for battery powered devices.
Modbus
Modbus is a protocol designed to communicate over serial com ports It is a tried and true technology, having being developed in 1979 for working with programmable logic controllers (PLCs). Since then, the technology has been extensively used in industrial applications.
NFC/RFID
Near field communications (NFC) is a subset of RFID technology that allows for wireless communication between very short distances of about 1.6 inches. This is generally used for transferring data from embedded chips in plastic cards, such as credit cards.
SigFox*
A low power, wide area network designed to operate on the Industrial, Scientific, and Medical ISM radio band. This is a closed standard
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi is a wireless standard that most people will be familiar with for establishing local area networks. Wi-Fi networks are standard for both home and office applications.
Z-Wave*
Z-Wave* is a wireless technology developed for use in home automation. It is designed for reliability, and low latency.
ZigBee*
ZigBee* is a wireless technology for deploying personal area networks that has been designed to be small, low power, and inexpensive. As a simple system, it’s suitable for a wider range of less complex devices, such as light switches.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Flaws in solar panels potentially threatening European power grids
http://securityaffairs.co/wordpress/61750/hacking/solar-panels-flaws.html
The Horus scenario, is a scenario describing a large scale cyber attack targeting the vital electrical infrastructure triggering flaws found in solar panels
Willem Westerhof, a Dutch security researcher at the security firm ITsec has found a serious vulnerability in a component of solar panels that could be exploited by hackers to cause widespread outages in European power grids.
The vulnerability resides in the inverters that are the components of solar panels used to convert direct current to alternating current.
The vulnerabilities affect the inverters manufactured by the German market leader SMA.
The attack scenario hypothesized by the expert is disconcerting, it sees hackers taking control of a large number of inverters and switch them off simultaneously. The attack can cause a huge power outage in large parts of Europe.
According to a research conducted by Westerhof, vulnerable solar panels manage around 17 gigawatts of power, clearly, a successful cyber attack could have a catastrophic effect.
Inverters of solar panels are just an example of the billion of IoT devices that could be targeted by hackers.
Tomi Engdahl says:
IoT Security: Where There is Smoke, There is Fire
http://www.securityweek.com/iot-security-where-there-smoke-there-fire
Based on all this, here are my takeaways:
• I believe the DOJ documents are indicators that attacks on connected devices are on the rise.
• I believe that given that manufacturers are selling devices based largely on price, not their privacy or security, the problem is not being addressed at the source. They are motivated on profit, and security eats into their margins. Ironic, given that security cameras are easily attacked.
• I believe that since the problem is not being addressed by the manufacturers, and that there is no regulatory help on the horizon, the DOJ is resorting to education to put out the fire.
• I believe that, given the observation that consumers still seem oblivious to the risks and the lack of awareness about basic security hygiene, the education push will fall short.
• I believe that the IoT manufacturers may force the government’s hand to enact legislation, and that won’t help any of the parties concerned.
• The fire will get hotter.
New Legislation Could Force Security Into IoT
http://www.securityweek.com/new-legislation-could-force-security-iot
After years of warnings from security experts and researchers, the Internet of Things (IoT) remains fundamentally insecure. Now a group of senators has introduced bipartisan legislation to force vendors to ensure basic security within their IoT devices if they wish to sell into the government market.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Engineers Must Build the RoI for IoT
http://www.eetimes.com/author.asp?section_id=36&doc_id=1332129&
Devices and engineers themselves must become more flexible and focused on return on investment to succeed in an era where a software-defined Internet of Things has become the new normal.
Security seems to be the only thing on anybody’s mind when it comes to the IoT from hacked baby monitors to the Mirai botnet. But there are other even more pressing issues at hand, according to new research conducted by our team this year.
Fifty-three percent of the more than 360 IoT professionals we surveyed cited business considerations, such as quantifying return-on-investment from IoT projects, as their primary challenge. It’s time that electronics engineers refocused their efforts to not only show the technical benefits of their IoT devices but also the potential returns that businesses can see by using them.
It’s all too easy to get wrapped up in the development of physical devices. As it stands, 55% of IoT professionals see their long-term profits coming from the sale of hardware.
While there is still significant money to be made in hardware, as the cost of single board computers such as the Raspberry Pi or even lower cost Orange Pi continues to decrease, engineers are taking a more cost-sensitive approach by abandoning custom IoT microcontrollers. This approach has been made possible by the increasing availability and functionality of single-board computers with a fully functioning IoT OS that helps improve overall margins for the finished product.
Rather than focusing solely on the development of a standalone piece of IoT hardware, today’s engineers must instead start seeing their hardware designs as a base upon which increasingly complex software-defined functions can be managed and run. As IoT devices grow ever more software-defined, engineers must also develop devices that are futureproof.
In preparation for this shift, engineers must start to develop their designs with a far greater degree of flexibility in mind. While demand for hardware designers remains stable, 71% of IoT professionals identify software development as one of the most needed skills in the IoT age, and a third are still struggling to hire employees with programming skills.
Tomi Engdahl says:
It’s Time to Think About Our Goals for the IoT
https://www.designnews.com/iot/it-s-time-think-about-our-goals-iot/24926186357234?cid=nl.x.dn14.edt.aud.dn.20170808.tst004t
Tech journalist Stacey Higginbotham will discuss the risks and benefits of IoT technology at ARM TechCon.
The Internet of Things (IoT) is at a key moment in its history, and the technical community needs to address the goals and risks of the technology, lest it be misused and abused, IoT expert Stacey Higginbotham will tell attendees at ARM TechCon in October.
Higginbotham, an IoT journalist whose work appears in Fortune, MIT Technology Review , Business Week and GigaOm, says that engineers need a better grasp on what they’re trying to achieve with the IoT, and consumers should know its inherent security and privacy risks. “We can’t just let the technology guide us,” Higginbotham told Design News . “We’re shaping the world that we’re about to live in. And we need to think about the social and business impacts as we are developing this technology.”
Higginbotham, who has turned her house into an IoT lab complete with connected appliances, lighting, and security, believes the technology has amazing potential. She sees it being used in the streets, lighting, and sewers of smart cities, as well as on the assembly lines of intelligent factories, and in the homes of billions of consumers worldwide.
At the same time, however, she sees the risks. Fitness devices can provide data on a person’s health and whereabouts. Optical sensors in municipalities can provide information on whether a driver is speeding or a pedestrian is jaywalking. She cites a recent news story about an Ohio man whose heart pacemaker information was used in an arson case. Police forces, she said, see IoT data as a potential source of evidence.
“Right now, especially for consumers, this is a privacy nightmare,” Higginbotham told us. “The only thing that’s going to stand between us and that worst-case scenario is having a government that’s willing to stand up and write regulations.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
7 Tips for Securing an Embedded System
With more and more systems starting to connect to the Internet, there are more than a dozen best practices developers should follow to start securing their systems.
https://www.designnews.com/content/7-tips-securing-embedded-system/86771223257220?cid=nl.x.dn14.edt.aud.dn.20170808.tst004t
Tomi Engdahl says:
Shed Light on IoT Matters
This white paper provides a general explanation of the Internet of Things (IoT) along with answers to common questions.
http://www.mwrf.com/systems/shed-light-iot-matters?NL=MWRF-001&Issue=MWRF-001_20170808_MWRF-001_333&sfvc4enews=42&cl=article_2_b&utm_rid=CPG05000002750211&utm_campaign=12368&utm_medium=email&elq2=feb33a2baf1d41a8ba0c70bb0df9459b
While the Internet of Things (IoT) is expected to have a profound impact on society in general, many questions are also associated with it. For instance, one grey area surrounding the IoT has to do with its actual definition. Additional questions concern how it will be used, along with the extent of its impact. These topics and more are discussed in a new white paper from Qorvo titled “The Impact of the IoT Demystified.”
The white paper begins by describing the IoT as an application or service that collects information from sensors, analyzes the data, and then does something with that data.
http://www.qorvo.com/resources/d/the-impact-of-the-iot-demystified
Tomi Engdahl says:
Managing Identities and Data Security Vital for Industrial IoT
https://www.designnews.com/automation-motion-control/managing-identities-and-data-security-vital-industrial-iot/138902791657241?cid=nl.x.dn14.edt.aud.dn.20170808.tst004t
New security solutions are supporting digital business by providing trusted interactions between people, systems and devices along with faster, more secure access to IoT data.
Cybersecurity risks for industrial control systems are continuing to increase from threats via industrial espionage, to actual physical damage and financial loss due to downtime. A key trend moving ahead is new technology addressing critical areas including asset and material tracking, enhanced HMI authentication and stronger VPN credentials.
A focus on secure flow of data from sensors to cloud data hubs creates an ecosystem where devices, applications and employees can receive updates on system stability and device lifespan more quickly. But overall, there is a focus on two areas: managing identities and new levels of technology-enabled secure communications.
Supporting New Levels of Enterprise Connectedness
Today, digital businesses are striving to create business models that turn stand-alone products into highly interactive and connected services, but are faced with a variety of challenges ranging from complicated integrations and extended deployment timelines to mitigating safety and privacy concerns.
Entrust Datacard, a provider of trusted identity and secure transaction technology solutions, recently announced its new ioTrust security solution. The idea is to deliver a secure and trusted digital infrastructure that safeguards data between devices, sensors, and backend platforms connected within an Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystem. By applying digital identities managed using definable policies, the new platform allows companies to create the trusted products and experiences that new production environments demand.
To create industrial control system IoT ecosystems, there is a need to support a wide range of data and communication protocols, using edge and service gateways along with agents to manage identities and created secure data paths. A trust-based model for IoT security leverages validation services (OCSP/CRL), end point agents, hardware security modules and effective software tools and management consoles to manage what becomes a complex system for protecting key assets.
Encryption, Authentication and Authorization
Enterprise-grade encryption technologies and expertise in establishing identity-based, trusted infrastructures includes capabilities such as identity, authentication and authorization, credential lifecycle management, and secure communications.
A trusted Internet of Things ecosystem includes the following:
• A secure ecosystem of people, applications and devices throughout the IoT value chain
• Greater security visibility, spanning from device manufacturer to the final product
• Reducing time-to-market and total cost of ownership using solutions based on heterogeneous device categories and profiles
• An ability to leverage existing infrastructures and devices, while supporting new products and services without the need to “rip and replace”
• Secure and timely delivery of data and outcomes
“Unlike existing solutions that have been simply repurposed from IT environments, Entrust Datacard has spent several years working with customers and ecosystem partners to design a solution that recognizes the unique needs of IoT environments and incorporates sound security practices,” Josh Jabs, vice president of PKI and IoT for Entrust Datacard wrote in a recent press release.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The IoT Actually Predates the Internet!
When considered from this perspective – as a service that gathers, analyzes and transmits data – the IoT has been in existence for years or even decades. For example, in the early days of wireless telephones (long before the term IoT started floating around), vending machines “called” a dispatch center when running out of a product, transmitting full inventory information at the same moment. The dispatcher then sent a refill order for that machine. Entirely more efficient than some guy in a truck just driving around to every hotel or office building and manually checking each vending machine.
Another “old” IoT application would be the ordinary home or building security system, with a set of motion sensors, wired to a patch panel, and from there connected to a phone line and an alarm service center. If the house is armed and a sensor is triggered, the alarm service center calls the house, the neighbors or the police. Note that this pure IoT application (in the sense of Internet of Services) is also fully wired. The IoT does not need to be wireless. This particular IoT application existed before the Internet, making ADT Security Services one of the older IoT companies existing today.
Source: http://www.eenewseurope.com/Learning-center/qorvo-impact-iot-demystified
Tomi Engdahl says:
Air Quality License Plate Holder
https://www.hackster.io/air-defender/air-quality-license-plate-holder-cdb8a8
Air Quality License Plate Holder uses air quality sensor attaching to the vehicle to monitor the air quality through out the city.
We believe that using our own cars would have much better results through both public transportation and crowd sourcing, and we want to build it in a way where no one needs to constantly maintain the device.
Air Quality License Plate Holder allows both city vehicles and normal travelers to install an IoT device (Smart License Plate) onto the car to crowd source the air quality data via BLE then upload it to the cloud with GPS coordinate through the phone unit.
How we built it
We’ve used Intel Arduino 101 with Air Quality Sensor to detect the air quality, in order to mount it onto the car, we’ve decided to 3D print a Smart License Plate Holder that holds the solar panel with batteries on one side and sensors with Arduino 101 on the other.
A separate Android app is installed with a layer on top to both display, this allows user to monitor their surrounding in real time with other applications. The air quality information is also sending the data to the cloud along with the GPS coordinate from the Android phone so we can map out the air quality of the city.
Android app that opens up a bubble
SeeedStudio Grove Air Quality Sensor
Tomi Engdahl says:
STM32L4 Sensor Tile
Small, connected device for smelling and hearing in any environment.
https://hackaday.io/project/19649-stm32l4-sensor-tile
This is a 20 mm x 20 mm four-layer pcb tile full of interesting sensors (ICS43434 I2S Digital Microphone, MPU6500 acclerometer/gyro, BME280 pressure/temperature/humidity, and CCS811 air quality) with a Rigado BMD-350 UART BLE bridge for sending data to a smart phone all managed by a STM32L432 host MCU.
The STM32L432 is programmed using the Arduino IDE via the USB connector and serial data can be displayed on the serial monitor to verify performance and proper function, etc. But it is intended to be powered by a small 150 mAH LiPo battery for wireless sensing applications. The STM32L4 is a very low power MCU and with proper sensor and radio management it is possible to get the average power usage down to the ~100uA level, meaning a 150 mAH LiPo battery can run the device for two months on a charge.
Tomi Engdahl says:
More than 100km range with CC1120
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgqtEu5PfAw
This video showcase more than 100 km range using TI CC1120 and CC1190 with Long Range Narrowband settings! At this distance, the range is starting to get limited by the curvature of the earth…
CC1120 (ACTIVE)
High Performance RF Transceiver for Narrowband Systems
http://www.ti.com/product/CC1120
Features
High-Performance, Single-Chip Transceiver
Adjacent Channel Selectivity:
64 dB at 12.5-kHz Offset
Blocking Performance: 91 dB at 10 MHz
Excellent Receiver Sensitivity:
–123 dBm at 1.2 kbps
–110 dBm at 50 kbps
–127 dBm Using Built-in Coding Gain
Very Low Phase Noise:
–111 dBc/Hz at 10-kHz Offset
Suitable for Systems Targeting ETSI Category 1
Compliance in 169-MHz and 433-MHz Bands
High Spectral Efficiency (9.6 kbps in 12.5-kHz
Channel in Compliance With FCC Narrowbanding
Mandate)
Separate 128-Byte RX and TX FIFOs
Support for Seamless Integration With the CC1190
Device for Increased Range Giving up to 3-dB
Improvement in Sensitivity and up to +27-dBm
Output Power
Tomi Engdahl says:
Is this the End of Typing? The Internet’s Next Billion Users Want Video and Voice
https://tech.slashdot.org/story/17/08/08/1722255/is-this-the-end-of-typing-the-internets-next-billion-users-want-video-and-voice
The internet’s global expansion is entering a new phase, and it looks decidedly unlike the last one. Instead of typing searches and emails, a wave of newcomers — “the next billion,” the tech industry calls them — is avoiding text, using voice activation and communicating with images. They are a swath of the world’s less-educated, online for the first time thanks to low-end smartphones, cheap data plans and intuitive apps that let them navigate despite poor literacy. Incumbent tech companies are finding they must rethink their products for these newcomers and face local competitors that have been quicker to figure them out. “We are seeing a new kind of internet user,”
Is this the end of typing? The internet’s next billion users want video and voice
http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2017/08/07/is-this-end-typing-internets-next-billion-users-want-video-and-voice.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
IoT Security Requirements Ramping
Government and industry groups begin ramping up efforts to limit breaches.
https://semiengineering.com/iot-security-requirements-ramping/
The security issues associated with the Internet of Things are already well known. Whether it’s bots infecting home networks, the destruction of industrial systems, or the ability to take remote control of automobiles, the horror stories are starting to mount like bodies in a bad movie.
While legislating for security is never easy, and typically has proven imperfect, there is a clear need for leadership in the marketplace. The worst offenders need to be bound by a set of minimum requirements and then prosecuted where dangerous goods are put out into the market. This leadership has, to date, been missing in the IoT domain outside of industry groups such as the IoT Security Foundation, and government has been noticeable through their absence. However, this is finally changing with the Internet of Things Cybersecurity Improvement Act of 2017, which is being introduced into the U.S. Senate by Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and Cory Gardner (R-CO), co-chairs of the Senate Cybersecurity Caucus, along with Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Steve Daines (R-MT)
The next question, of course, is how we achieve these capabilities in short timelines and with minimal additional expense to the end user. The answer is to build on secure foundations, especially robust secure-boot frameworks and programming solutions where Secure FOTA (Firmware Over The Air) is fused into the DNA of microcontrollers, and where secure provisioning of passwords, keys and certificates are injected as birth certificates during pre-production.
Tomi Engdahl says:
IC performs lumen maintenance
http://www.edn.com/electronics-products/other/4458478/IC-performs-lumen-maintenance
The AS7220 Smart Lighting Manager from ams uses closed-loop sensing to maintain accurate CCT (correlated color temperature) and lumen output of LED lamps and luminaires. Combining a calibrated-for-life XYZ color sensor and an intelligent cognitive lighting engine, the AS7220 can lower bill of materials costs for industrial, commercial, and high-end residential lighting applications.
AS7220 Smart Daylighting Manager
Calibrated CCT and Lumen Maintenance Smart Lighting Manager
http://ams.com/eng/Products/Smart-Light-Management/Smart-Lighting/AS7220
The AS7220 Calibrated CCT and Lumen Maintenance Smart Lighting Manager is equipped with an advanced Cognitive Lighting Engine (CLE) to optimize CCT and lumen and color maintenance via a combination of PWM and/or 0-10V controls with dimming ballasts.
Tomi Engdahl says:
10 teams were selected for Elisa’s IoT competition
The Elisa Innovation Challenge 2017 telecoms operator has advanced to the semifinals with 10 teams. Proposals from 19 countries for competition for successful articles on the Internet were received and for the first time more than half of the proposals came from abroad.
The third time Elisa Innovation Challenge Innovation Competition has progressed to the semi-finals, with 10 teams being admitted. The goal of this year’s competition is to develop new intelligent products or services to solve the everyday problems of home, business and industry.
Source: https://www.uusiteknologia.fi/2017/08/09/elisan-iot-kisaan-valittiin-10-tiimia/
Tomi Engdahl says:
The city of the future could help you find parking, detect potholes and keep you healthier. Sicily’s showing the world it can be done on a shoestring budget.
(via CNET)
Tomi Engdahl says:
IFTTT-Enabled Sensors with Particle Photon
https://www.hackster.io/hacksterhsv/ifttt-enabled-sensors-with-particle-photon-9422d8?ref=explore&ref_id=recent___&offset=0
Connect any sensor to Particle Photon and use it to trigger an IFTTT action with just a few lines of code.
Connect any sensor (motion sensor, light sensor, water sensor, or something else) to Particle Photon and use it to trigger any IFTTT action you specify (send a text message, turn on your lights, log data to a spreadsheet, etc.). Follow this guide to create a single program that reads from your sensor and connects it to a custom IFTTT applet.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Ry Crist / CNET:
Anker unveils the $35 Eufy Genie, a small Alexa-enabled speaker that is $15 cheaper than the $50 Echo Dot; Bluetooth version coming soon for $40 — The Genie is an Alexa-enabled smart speaker that’ll sell for just $35. It’s the newest gadget in Anker’s Eufy range of smart home products …
Anker’s new Alexa smart speaker is a dirt-cheap Echo Dot
https://www.cnet.com/products/eufy-genie/preview/
The Genie is an Alexa-enabled smart speaker that’ll sell for just $35. It’s the newest gadget in Anker’s Eufy range of smart home products, which Anker — previously best known for making USB chargers — kicked off last year.
In a nutshell, the Genie is just a cheaper version of the Amazon Echo Dot. You’ll plug it in, sync it up with your home network, then tell it to stream some music, play a podcast, turn your lights off, set a timer, or anything else you might think to ask.
It includes the same far-field microphones that can hear you from across the room whenever you say the wake word “Alexa.” It works with the same services and smart home products. It features the same access to more than 10,000 free Alexa skills, each of which teaches Alexa to do something new. It’s everything people like about Amazon’s voice assistant in a slightly more affordable package.
The real idea is that the Genie will serve as the centerpiece to a new suite of Eufy smart home gadgets. First up are Wi-Fi-enabled Eufy Lumos smart bulbs coming at the end of August, available in standard white for $20 each or tunable white for $30.
All of that makes Eufy something of an Alexa budget brand. It’s hard not to call the Genie a pure Echo Dot knockoff, and with the same, voice-activated Alexa smarts as the Dot, the two might as well be functionally identical. The only real difference: The $35 Genie doesn’t include support for wireless Bluetooth connections with external speakers. For that, you’ll have to wait for a $40 version of the Genie with Bluetooth that’s still listed as “coming soon.” Hm.
Don’t expect Amazon to complain about the copycat design, though. Shortly after the initial success of the original Amazon Echo smart speaker, the online retail giant made the software that powers Alexa available to outside developers for use in their own products. With a few lines of code, any gadget with a microphone, a speaker, and an internet connection can be an Alexa gadget. That means more competition for the Echo and Echo Dot, but it also helps Amazon build the overall Alexa user base.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Fuzzing Tests Show ICS Protocols Least Mature
http://www.securityweek.com/fuzzing-tests-show-ics-protocols-least-mature
Fuzzing tests conducted last year by customers of Synopsys, a company that provides tools and services for designing chips and electronic systems, revealed that protocols used in industrial control systems (ICS) are the least mature.
Fuzzing is a testing technique designed for finding software vulnerabilities by sending malformed input to the targeted application. If the software crashes or behaves unexpectedly, it could indicate the presence of a security flaw and further investigation is warranted. If the number of crashes is high and the time to first failure (TTFF) is short, the likelihood of exploitable vulnerabilities increases.
Synopsys’ State of Fuzzing 2017 report is based on 4.8 billion results obtained in 2016 from tests targeting 250 protocols used in industrial, Internet of Things (IoT), automotive, financial services, government, healthcare and other sectors.
In the case of ICS, Synopsys customers tested protocols such as IEC-61850 MMS, IEC-104 Server, Modbus PLC, OPC UA, DNP3 and MQTT. There are also some protocols used for both ICS and IoT, including CIP and CoAP Server.
Many of these protocols had the TTFF within five minutes. Modbus, for instance, had 37 failures after 1.5 million tests and an average test runtime of 16 minutes. The OPC UA protocol had over 16,000 failures with a testing runtime of 4.5 hours.
In comparison, the Address Resolution Protocol (ARP), which is used to convert an IP address into a physical address and is the most mature protocol, had zero failures after over 340,000 tests with an average runtime of 30 hours.
Four of the five least mature protocols, based on average TTFF, are ICS protocols, including IEC-61850 MMS, Modbus PLC, DNP3 and MQTT.
“The protocols typically associated with ICS showed the most immaturity,”
“Many demonstrated rapid time to first failures, with IEC-61850 MMS measured in a matter of seconds. This has bearing on IoT, as many of the protocols used in ICS are also used in IoT. Clearly, more testing is needed for the protocols within ICS and IoT, as the potential for discovering more vulnerabilities is greater in these industry verticals than in others.”
State of Fuzzing 2017
https://www.synopsys.com/content/dam/synopsys/sig-assets/reports/state-of-fuzzing-2017.pdf
Fuzzing is a proven technology used to find vulnerabilities in software by sending malformed input to a
target and observing the result. If the target behaves unexpectedly or crashes, then further investigation
is required. That investigation may expose a vulnerability that may be exploited for malicious purposes.
Fuzzing is equally valuable to those who develop software and those who consume it. It plays a role in
the implementation, verification, and release phases of the software development life cycle (SDLC) and
can be a vital indicator of undetected vulnerabilities (zero days) that may affect the integrity of systems
already in use. The real goal of fuzzing is not merely to crash a program but to hijack it
Tomi Engdahl says:
Data breaches through wearables put target squarely on IoT in 2017
http://www.cio.com/article/3154147/internet-of-things/data-breaches-through-wearables-put-target-squarely-on-iot-in-2017.html
Security needs to be baked into IoT devices for there to be any chance of halting a DDoS attack, according to security experts.
Forrester predicts that more than 500,000 internet of things (IoT) devices will suffer a compromise in 2017, dwarfing Heartbleed. Drop the mic — enough said.
With the sheer velocity of how the distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks spread through common household items such as DVR players, makes this sector scary from a security standpoint.
“Today, firms are developing IoT firmware with open source components in a rush to market. Unfortunately, many are delivering these IoT solutions without good plans for updates, leaving them open to not only vulnerabilities but vulnerabilities security teams cannot remediate quickly,” write Forrester analysts.
The analyst firm adds that when smart thermostats alone exceed over 1 million devices, it’s not hard to imagine a vulnerability that easily exceeds the scale of Heartbleed. Security as an afterthought for IoT devices is not an option, especially when you can’t patch IoT firmware because the vendor didn’t plan for over-the-air patching.
Alex Vaystikh, co-founder/CTO of advanced threat detection software provider SecBI, says small-to-midsize businesses and enterprises alike will suffer breaches originating from an insecure IoT device connected to the network.
The internet of insecure things: Thousands of internet-connected devices are a security disaster in the making
http://www.cio.com/article/3130468/internet-of-things/the-internet-of-insecure-things-thousands-of-internet-connected-devices-are-a-security-disaster-in-.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
Rise of the IoT machines
How can enterprises protect themselves from DDoS attacks by IoT devices?
http://www.cio.com/article/3135091/internet-of-things/rise-of-the-iot-machines.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
IoT Myth Busting
https://semiengineering.com/iot-myth-busting/
How cost-sensitive are IoT edge devices, what are the real drivers for this industry, and what is the impact on EDA and IP?
The Internet of Things (IoT) means many things to a large number of people, but one thing is clear—every discussion involving the IoT invariably includes some rather dramatic growth predictions for how many connected devices will be sold and who will be the primary beneficiaries.
Several fallacies persist:
• Edge devices will be so cost-sensitive that it will be difficult for anyone but systems companies to profit from their development;
• All chips used in the IoT, and particularly for edge nodes, will be similar and do roughly the same thing;
• Much of the profit will be derived from cloud and services providers, which will reap the lion’s share of applications and services revenue.
What’s becoming clear is that as more devices are connected across a variety of sometimes related, sometimes unrelated markets, none of these assumptions is completely correct—and often they are completely wrong.
Standard platforms or custom silicon?
While there is an emphasis on cost-cutting for edge-node devices, this is true for any semiconductor-based device in any market. Should edge devices be built from standard platforms or custom silicon? Arguments can be made that both solutions reduce cost, but there is almost universal agreement on this—and history to guide us.
“Microcontroller companies have been threading this needle for years,” explained Drew Wingard, CTO at Sonics. “They work hard to reduce the cost of design so they can deliver a wide range of products. They are not always different chip designs. Sometimes it is the same chip in different packages or with features disabled. They work to ensure a high degree of compatibility across the product line. That has been shown to enable the usage of a common set of software so you don’t have to start from scratch when you pick up a different part. For IoT edge devices, we should be looking at how to enhance microcontroller design methods to attack the cost issues. And we do have a need to run networking software stacks, which does imply a larger amount of software than was traditionally provided by the MCU vendor.”
The mobile industry took a different path. “In the early days of the mobile phone industry, TI had OMAP, and they believed that if you used that then everything would be simple,” said Anush Mohandass, vice president of business development for NetSpeed Systems.
Cost has both an NRE and a production component, which can achieve economies of scale. The optimization of this balance is no different than for any other device. An advantage they do have is that volumes are likely to be large.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Rising Value Of Data
https://semiengineering.com/the-rising-value-of-data/
Race begins to figure out what else can be done with data. But not all data is useful, and some of it is faulty.
The volume of data being generated by a spectrum of devices continues to skyrocket. Now the question is what can be done with that data.
By Cisco’s estimates, traffic on the Internet will be 3.3 zetabytes per year by 2021, up from 1.2 zetabytes in 2016. And if that isn’t enough, the flow of data isn’t consistent. Traffic on the busiest 60-minute period in a day increased 51% in 2016, compared with a 32% growth in overall traffic.
That’s only part of the picture, too. No one really knows how much data is really being generated because not all of it ends up on the Internet.
But the real issue isn’t the amount of data. It’s how much of that data is useful or valuable, and so far there are no clear answers. It requires sifting through huge quantities of both digital and analog data and enough context to understand the true value. This is like panning for gold across millions of riverbeds that have been mostly picked dry. But with enough compute horsepower and massively parallel tools for sifting through that data—as well as a better perspective for how to apply that data—it still can create some very lucrative business models.
“A lot of industries have figured out that their business, product, and business models could be impacted by a different utilization of the data that is somehow attached to their devices or their business models,” said Aart de Geus, chairman and co-CEO of Synopsys. “If you can harness that in a way that finds shortcuts and efficiencies, or just completely different ways of going about business, that is high impact.”
“Those who own the data, the analytics, and the ability to process the data make all the money,” said Wally Rhines, president and CEO of Mentor, a Siemens Business.
It’s uncertain if it’s a winner-take-all game, but there are certainly some big companies vying for leadership in this space—Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Facebook and IBM, to name a handful.
“With IoT data, you collect a lot about performance, behavior and use of a device,” said Christophe Begue, IBM‘s sales leader for the Americas. “What we do next is give it to Watson to do analytics with the data. But that data really only makes sense in the context of larger amounts of data that you’re not collecting with these devices. So from trucks you can determine traffic patterns, and you can use those to understand people behavior and social behavior.”
Smarter manufacturing
Still, not all data needs to come from external sources to be useful. Data that is internally generated is particularly valuable for an industrial operation. In fact, the whole concept of smart manufacturing—alternately known in Germany as Industry 4.0, or elsewhere as industrial IoT (IIoT)—is built on better utilization of internal data.
“IIoT is all about improving the factory,” said David Park, vice president of marketing at Optimal+. “Right now these companies have process analytics and just-in-time manufacturing, but what they need is predictive analytics. That has benefits for the factory, but the main beneficiary there is the brand owner. The brand owner and the factory are not necessarily the same thing.”
The problem is that not all data is good, and decisions based upon bad data can lead to unexpected problems.
“If the data is good, you can improve yield by 2% to 3%, which is significant,” said Park. “You also can collect data from every part that is tested in the supply chain and for any time period you want. So if you have scratched wafers, you can trace back where those scratched wafers came from. You also can see how devices age in the field. If there is preventive maintenance for a fleet of vehicles, you can see how that performs one or two years down the road. This even works in finance, where you get hundreds of thousands of invoices and you can’t correlate that every invoice is correct.”
This kind of data analysis is particularly important in a complex supply chain. While semiconductor manufacturing itself is quite sophisticated in its use of data, that’s not the case across the rest of the supply chain.
Machine learning
That is the basis for machine learning, which seeks to cull critical data and to have machines extrapolate from that data within a set of pre-defined parameters. This approach already is being used in the automotive market, where systems are being created to assist and ultimately take over the driving in real-world conditions. Those decisions need to be put into context based upon multiple possible outcomes.
Machine learning is being used in semiconductor design and manufacturing, as well, as a way of improving quality, reliability and yield.
Conclusion
The semiconductor industry sits squarely in the middle of big data analysis. On one hand, it generates and increasingly analyzes large quantities of data for improving the performance, efficiency and reliability of chips. At the same time, it also develops the technology that makes crunching of all of this data possible.
Tomi Engdahl says:
FlexPIFA™ and mFlexPIFA™ Antennas
https://www.lsr.com/embedded-wireless-modules/antennas#flexpifa
The FlexPIFA™ (patented) is an industry-first flexible Planar Inverted-F Antenna (PIFA). The 2.4 GHz FlexPIFA™ is ideally suited for use with 2.4 GHz applications such as, Wi-Fi® 802.11 b/g/n and Bluetooth. The dual-band FlexPIFA™ is ideal for Wi-Fi applications across both bands, such as 802.11 ‘a’. Both the 2.4 GHz and dual-band 2.4/5.5 GHz FlexPIFA™ deliver strong performance in challenging environments, providing you unmatched flexibility to solve your real-world antenna design challenges. The PIFA design provides consistent performance across a broad array of environments & enclosures – plastic, metal, or even body-worn applications. With the ability to be flexed in either concave or convex directions, without sacrificing antenna performance, the small size and adhesive backing give further mounting flexibility within your product design.
The mFlexPIFA™ is the industry-first flexible PIFA (patented) antenna specifically designed for installation on metal surfaces. The 2.4 GHz and dual-band 2.4/5.5 GHz mFlexPIFA antennas can be placed directly on curved or straight metal surfaces and provides the best possible antenna gain and performance. Its small size and adhesive-backing give further mounting flexibility within your product design.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Anaren IoT Group Launches Atmosphere 2.1 and BeagleBone Black Support
https://www.eeweb.com/blog/eeweb/anaren-iot-group-launches-atmosphere-2.1-and-beaglebone-black-support
Anaren IoT Group announced the release of version 2.1 of its innovative Anaren Atmosphere online development platform. Atmosphere affords embedded, mobile, and cloud developers a quick way to create IoT applications with an easy-to-use IoT development environment. The latest version of Atmosphere 2.1 now offers support for the BeagleBone Black Embedded Linux Development Kit, and a new cloud-only project type that allows users to build libraries for C#/.Net, C/C++, and Python to enable connections to their own embedded solutions in Atmosphere Cloud.
“Since the initial launch of Atmosphere late last year, we now have over 3,500 unique registered users creating and deploying a wide variety of IoT solutions into the market,” said Jeff Liebl, president of Anaren IoT Group. “The BeagleBone Black support should be of special interest to the large embedded Linux community of developers.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Ikea smart lightbulbs get HomeKit, Alexa and Google Home support
https://techcrunch.com/2017/08/10/ikea-smart-lightbulbs-get-homekit-alexa-and-google-home-support/?utm_source=tcfbpage&sr_share=facebook
MenuTechCrunch
Ikea smart lightbulbs get HomeKit, Alexa and Google Home support
Posted 2 hours ago by Darrell Etherington (@etherington)
Ikea’s smart lighting system has received an update that makes its wireless hub compatible with Apple’s HomeKit, as well as with Amazon Alexa, and Google Home. This means if you have the hub and bulbs, you should be able to control them with your voice using any of those devices, as well as control them in Apple’s iOS Home app.
The update also makes it possible to discover and add Ikea’s bulbs to Philips Hue’s HomeKit-compatible hub
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://android-developers.googleblog.com/2017/08/android-things-developer-preview-5.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
IoT: The Interference of Things
http://www.edn.com/electronics-blogs/the-emc-blog/4458714/IoT–The-Interference-of-Things?utm_content=bufferae2f7&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer
I hereby declare that IoT stands for “Interference of Things.” Anything else you may have heard is just marketing hype.
While a relatively few connected gadgets will use wireline communications, the bulk of these devices—ranging in applications from farming to medical to toasters to pets— will connect wirelessly over Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or cellular. Some will be designed to limit EMI emissions to the proper channels and reject out-of-band power, but many won’t.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Teaching Smart Devices to Lie
Smart Hardware is not just “Software Wrapped in Plastic”
https://medium.com/@aallan/teaching-smart-devices-to-lie-89f1ef59714d
Recently I’ve been thinking a lot about architectures for the Internet of Things. About how those architectures affect the security of our devices, but also how we think about security—and about data—and I’ve come to the conclusion that we’re doing it wrong.
In fact I think the very idea that hardware is just “software wrapped in plastic” has done real harm to the way we have built smart devices.
For the most part the wide scale security compromises we’ve seen with the Internet of Things have been, unsubtle. Mirai
Infected devices continued to function perfectly normally, except for occasional sluggishness, and an increased use of bandwidth. So their owners generally didn’t notice anything is wrong.
More recently there has been Wannacry and not-Petya. Not specifically targeted at the Internet of Things both shut factories, railways, even wind turbines. But these are only leading indicators.
in April the tornado sirens in the greater Dallas Fort Worth area started to sound. All 156 of them.
They sounded for an hour and a half
It was a remote radio hack, and it wasn’t even the first one Dallas had suffered. Last year someone hacked their electronic road signs to display the claim that, “Donald Trump is a shape shifting lizard.”
However attacks are becoming more subtle, the concepts of maldata and data spam aren’t in wide circulation yet, but they will be.
One leading indicator for this sort of attack is the recent spate of ‘fabricated data leaks.’ These are, purportedly, data sets of accounts and personal information originating with websites or cloud services, except that they’re almost entirely fabricated from thin air.
There was a case recently where a neighbouring vineyard started feeding false data to their neighbors’ soil sensors. The low moisture readings from the sensors triggered sprinklers, and led them to overwater the vines. They ended up paying fines for excess water usage.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Roger Fingas / AppleInsider:
Toyota, Intel, Ericsson, NTT DOCOMO, others form the Automotive Edge Computing Consortium for network and computing infrastructure of auto big data
Intel, Toyota & others create ‘big data’ consortium for self-driving cars
http://appleinsider.com/articles/17/08/10/intel-toyota-others-create-big-data-consortium-for-self-driving-cars
Several major tech and automotive companies —including Intel, Toyota, and Ericsson —on Thursday announced a consortium that will build a “big data” ecosystem for use with self-driving cars, as well as related technologies like driver assist and mapping using real-time data.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Q&A: How Can Artificial Intelligence Impact Smart Cities?
Technologies>Embedded Revolution
Q&A: How Can Artificial Intelligence Impact Smart Cities?
http://www.electronicdesign.com/embedded/qa-how-can-artificial-intelligence-impact-smart-cities?code=UM_NN7SC1&utm_rid=CPG05000002750211&utm_campaign=12395&utm_medium=email&elq2=0a77e1cc74f249fe97bc825d320adefc
Industry analyst Susan Etlinger shares her views on where AI technology is now, what needs to change for it to evolve, and its future as a utility.
How is Big Data being handled?
Right now, it is a bit different from country to country. For example, in Germany, it is highly regulated. In the U.S., it is less regulated. Then, there is the General Data Protection Regulation [GDPR, a European Union initiative], so the whole world is dealing with this in different ways.
I think the most important thing for organizations is to be able to think about what questions they want to be able to answer and what services they will be able to provide, and then use data related to that (as opposed to collecting data and then later figuring out what to do with it). I think part of the problem now is that there is so much data but not that much information. Just because a sensor collects data does not necessarily mean that there is a good use for the data. There might be things that can be interesting but not valuable.
I think one of the things we need to think about is the context in which we collect data, in addition to the potential uses that we want to put the data. Then also do what is called “scenario planning” to try to determine what the best thing is that could happen, and the worst thing that could happen.
How can artificial intelligence be used in smart cities?
The massive amount of data makes AI different now than before. In addition, the algorithms are getting better and computers are able to handle Big Data more quickly. AI becomes interesting for smart cities when AI developers create systems that can learn from past experiences. For example, in a system where energy spikes tend to happen, AI can learn where they usually occur and under which circumstances. You can then make better use of your power grid. Other examples could be systems that, by learning, can provide services to disabled people or elderly people who might not have the opportunity to go grocery shopping, for example.
I think the uses for AI are almost infinite. It is just a question of what are the right things to do, and being conscious of commercial potential and the potential downsides. The advantage is the ability to fix problems as they are beginning to happen instead of long after they have happened.
How will AI systems be deployed?
It is very complicated. Part of the challenge we have now is that a lot of AI’s resources and power have been gathered by very few companies. So there is sort of an AI monopoly that has started to happen. Google, Microsoft, and Facebook have all started AI ecosystems. In the future, we need to think about AI as a service and a utility itself. For now, at least, it seems that it might be good to start with the idea of having a service where you can be paid for volume of data, or paid per hour or per project to have access to that technology and apply it for particular use.
Right now, not enough people know how to code and build intelligent systems at that level; the universities aren’t putting them out fast enough. That will probably change over time and we’ll have a better workforce and artificial-intelligence systems.
Will everybody get access to artificial intelligence?
I think in the future, AI is going to be a utility. It is going to be as normal as cloud computing today. It has taken 10 years for cloud computing to become something that companies accept, and some companies still don’t accept it. But I think it is going to take at least 10 years before we really have broad access to AI.