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 Forecast of 50 Billion Devices by 2020 Is Outdated.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:
Importing IoT for maintenance brought the prize
This year, Efora won the Business Innovation Award of the Maintenance Association Promaint ry and the Finnish Fair Corporation. The company was rewarded for the consistent application of industrial internet and numerous practical solutions for digitizing and renewing the maintenance of the wood processing industry.
The Motivation Award given by the Promaint Association’s Research and Education Committee and the Board of Directors and the Finnish Trade Fair Foundation mentioned that the solution combines many distinct innovations and is in practice. The prize was awarded in connection with the Maintenance 17 fair and was handed over by Timo Jatila, a member of the Board of Promaint, and Tomi Niemi, the Finnish Fair Corporation.
- As a smart maintenance company for Stora Enso, Efore’s goal is to digitize parts and processes of maintenance, and thus enable self-management of the organization. Digital tools support practical work, ease routines, and clear up maintenance staff for added value, says Veijo Pitkäniemi.
Source: http://etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6992&via=n&datum=2017-10-12_14:49:00&mottagare=31202
Tomi Engdahl says:
From bus and protocol to another
All control systems want to get data out, but often the systems are implemented on different routes and protocols. This will be the Swedish HMS Industrial Networks. With its Anybus gateways, devices can be made to understand each other.
HMS is Sweden’s own small success story. The company has been growing profitably for a long time. In addition to Anybus, both the embedded IXXAT connectivity technology and eWon, which enables remote monitoring, have been imported through acquisitions. However, most of the revenue comes from ANybus products.
The old fieldbus is not getting rid of, the trend goes more in the other direction. Often, a solution is needed that automation companies do not necessarily make for themselves.
The solution is a simple and secure gateway. Anybus can connect with 20 industrial automation network protocols. In addition, devices often have a bluetooh or wifi connection if they want to transfer data wirelessly.
Source: http://etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6986&via=n&datum=2017-10-12_14:49:00&mottagare=31202
Tomi Engdahl says:
Hardware IoT Development as Simple as Drag and Drop
https://www.designnews.com/iot/hardware-iot-development-simple-drag-and-drop/165472481057633?ADTRK=UBM&elq_mid=1481&elq_cid=876648
Earlier this year Google held its IO 2017 conference where the latest in Android and Artificial Intelligence tools where presented through demonstrations to attending developers.
At first glance, high level coding may sway novice IoT developers because of the steep learning curve in using traditional programming languages such as XML, Javascript, and C++ used to build wireless devices. Cayenne has removed this coding roadblock by creating an online and mobile development platform where IoT applications can be built by dragging and dropping device widgets onto a dashboard.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Home> Community > Blogs > Eye on IoT
IoT: We aren’t as ready as we think
https://www.edn.com/electronics-blogs/eye-on-iot-/4458947/IoT–We-aren-t-as-ready-as-we-think
Are you really ready for the Internet of Things? While some say 95% of industrial companies will be using the IoT within the next three years and we’re ready to move to managing the data deluge, others say we still need to do work on the basics.
Some of that basic work includes security, which is still being ignored due to management pressure to get products to market. “Some managers or companies just don’t think their products will be the target of an attack,” said Jacob Beningo, founder of Beningo Embedded Group, an embedded design consultancy. “Dev says yes [to security], management says no, so it gets ignored.”
The implications of poorly implemented security are enormous, especially given the number of industrial companies about to move to IoT. In its annual Trends Watch report, National Instruments quoted numbers from Accenture that predict that 95% of industrial companies will be using IoT in some form within the next three years.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The lights are no longer worth turning off
Intelligent systems will change our way of saving energy. The automation ensures optimum room temperature and the lighting control system detects when it is in the room and turns off or dim lights when there is no movement in the rooms or streets. – Remembering the shutting down of lights is unnecessary
Savings potential lies in, among others, lighting of offices, warehouses, industry, shopping centers and parking halls and their lighting control. – In general, in areas where there are no constant areas, the control system is generally a viable investment. Well-designed, intelligent lighting gives the lighting time and energy consumption reduced to a fraction, “says Päivi Suur-Uski.
The savings in electricity bill amount to a total of 100,000 euros a year with an investment repayment time of about six years.
Source: http://etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7011&via=n&datum=2017-10-17_15:28:25&mottagare=31202
Tomi Engdahl says:
How To Build An IoT Chip
https://semiengineering.com/how-to-build-an-iot-chip-2/
Experts at the Table, part 2: Where data gets processed, how to secure devices, and questions about whether there can be economies of scale in this sector.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Sensor Expectations Get Flipped Upside Down
The benefits of LoRa technology reach a wide range of applications—even a trampoline park.
http://www.mwrf.com/systems/sensor-expectations-get-flipped-upside-down?NL=MWRF-001&Issue=MWRF-001_20171024_MWRF-001_318&sfvc4enews=42&cl=article_1_b&utm_rid=CPG05000002750211&utm_campaign=13671&utm_medium=email&elq2=a0a5b2070c97469f9740c08bf088802c
When you think about enterprise Internet of Things (IoT), what comes to mind? Industrial settings like factories, maybe? Mission-critical environments like data centers, perhaps? How about wireless sensors that measure pressure, vibration, and more on massive machinery and expensive equipment? It’s unlikely that the first thing that would come to mind is a trampoline park full of kids who are bouncing, bouncing, bouncing, and then asking their parents if they saw that amazing flip they just executed to perfection.
What about LoRa networks? What comes to mind when you think about the way that LoRa technology is being used in IoT implementations?
And yet, that is exactly what’s happening at an expectations-busting IoT implementation at a Freedome trampoline park in the U.K. This project has significant implications for enterprise IoT overall because it opens up a new world for how low-power sensor networks with LoRa can be utilized.
Freedome uses technology in ways that have never been part of trampoline parks before, creating fun, digitally-driven challenges for participants while also creating a dynamic audio and visual experience. But the technology isn’t just for visitors’ entertainment. The use of technology also extends to Freedome’s operational management. In particular, IoT sensors play a critical role in the way the company manages its day-to-day operations and supports its growth strategy.
Freedome wanted to use technology to ensure the safety of visitors while also learning as much as possible about which activities are the most fun.
Some key objectives came to the forefront:
Ensure the safety of visitors by utilizing sensors to:
Monitor that children do not accidentally go into restricted areas like underneath the trampolines, into employee-only areas, or other locations with safety concerns.
Track that proper safety protocols are followed for maintenance and operations of all trampolines and other equipment.
Enhance the design of the facility to deliver more of what visitors enjoy by:
Learning which activities visitors utilize the most, monitoring for novel ways that visitors are enjoying the activities, and gathering other useful information about usage patterns.
Then translating that business intelligence into actionable decisions about how to enhance the design of the facility.
Sensorstream has completed an implementation of a LoRa-based IoT network at one of Freedome’s U.K. locations as a pilot project for a potential large-scale rollout. The sensor environment collects and reports a variety of motion and access data in real time to each facility’s staff, alerting them if visitors have ventured into an unauthorized area. The alerts are delivered via smartphone to staff members, who can respond immediately and ensure that children stay where they should be and keep on bouncing.
The sensors are also used as an audit trail to ensure that staffers are conducting the safety checks and maintenance protocols that must be done on hourly, daily, weekly, or less frequent schedules. They also provide alerts concerning other real-time operational issues that may need immediate response.
By using LoRa, the sensors are able to operate reliably even in an electrically cluttered indoor environment without the need for expensive infrastructure. This is particularly important given the urban/suburban geographic location of the facilities with an abundance of competing wireless signals nearby.
The Sensorstream IoT network also provides business intelligence that is playing an important role in helping Freedome enhance visitors’ experience over time and grow the company. The sensors collect data with regard to activity usage and behavioral patterns that are easily interpreted in the form of heat maps and other graphical information. By understanding which activities visitors enjoy the most, the company is able to deliver more of what people want through insights from data analysis rather than traditional, unreliable questionnaires.
Tomi Engdahl says:
IoT Security: Technology Is Only One Part Of The Equation
A comprehensive security strategy is necessary to protect against damaging breaches.
https://semiengineering.com/iot-security-technology-is-only-one-part-of-the-equation/
Tomi Engdahl says:
New Mirai-Linked IoT Botnet Emerges
http://www.securityweek.com/new-mirai-linked-iot-botnet-emerges
A new, massive botnet is currently recruiting improperly secured Internet of Things (IoT) devices such as IP wireless cameras, Check Point warns.
Some of the technical aspects of the botnet, the security researchers say, reveal a possible connection to Mirai, which stormed the world a year ago. However, this is an entirely new threat and the campaign that is rapidly spreading worldwide is much more sophisticated.
To compromise devices, the malware attempts to exploit a large number of vulnerabilities commonly found in various IP camera models. Targeted vendors include GoAhead, D-Link, TP-Link, AVTECH, NETGEAR, MikroTik, Linksys, Synology and others.
Because the attempted attacks were coming from different sources and a variety of IoT devices, the researchers concluded that the compromised devices themselves were spreading the malware.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Hackaday Prize Entry: Thingspeak IoT Heart Rate Monitor
https://hackaday.com/2017/10/24/hackaday-prize-entry-thingspeak-iot-heart-rate-monitor/
[Naman Chauhan]’s 2017 Hackaday Prize entry consists of a heartbeat detection and monitoring system that centers around everyone’s favorite WiFi board, the ESP8266. The monitor is hooked up to the patient’s finger, keeping track of his or her vitals and publishing the data on the cloud.
Heart Rate Monitor on Thingspeak IoT platform
https://hackaday.io/project/27546-heart-rate-monitor-on-thingspeak-iot-platform
Heart Beat Detection and Monitoring System using Arduino that will detect the heart beat using the DFRobot’s Heart Rate Sensor
Tomi Engdahl says:
Google Assistant adds over 50 kids games and activities
https://www.theverge.com/2017/10/24/16527596/google-assistant-home-kids-games-activities-50-plus-added
Google is adding a bunch of new games and activities to the Google Assistant today as a way to keep kids entertained. The update, which was previewed earlier this month, includes “more than 50 new games, activities, and stories,” ranging from things like musical chairs and freeze tag to science trivia, Disney-themed games, and original kids’ tales. They’ll work on Android phones and the Google Home.
So that kids can use these games on their own (and to sign up some new Gmail users seriously early), Google is also adding in voice identification for children.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Charlie Osborne / ZDNet:
ARM unveils Platform Security Architecture, a common industry framework for enhancing the security of IoT devices built on ARM Cortex processors — Arm hopes the adoption of its new PSA system will help protect trillions of connected devices in the future.
Arm announces PSA security architecture for IoT devices
http://www.zdnet.com/article/arm-announces-security-architecture-for-iot-devices/
Arm hopes the adoption of its new PSA system will help protect trillions of connected devices in the future.
Arm has unveiled PSA, a new systems architecture designed to help secure and protect today’s connected devices.
The British semiconductor firm said on Monday ahead of TechCon 2017 that the new system, Platform Security Architecture (PSA), is intended to act as a common industry framework for developers, hardware, and silicon providers as a means to enhance the security of Internet of Things (IoT) devices built on system-on-a-chip (SoC) Arm Cortex processors.
Last year, Arm and SoftBank Chairman Masayoshi Son predicted a trillion connected devices could be in play by 2035.
These devices will require protection at not only the network but hardware level, to prevent them being used for more nefarious purposes such as in the case of the Mirai botnet.
This is where PSA comes in, according to Arm. The company, which expects to have shipped roughly 200 billion Arm-based chips by 2021, says that “security is no longer optional” for IoT
The PSA framework is a recipe which covers the basics for IoT security requirements. It includes threat models and security analysis, hardware and firmware architecture specifications, and firmware source code to implement better IoT security standards.
The architecture is OS agnostic and can be supported by Arm’s RTOS and software vendor partners, including Arm Mbed OS.
In order to encourage the rapid adoption of PSA, Arm also plans to push forward open-source reference implementation firmware called Trusted Firmware-M which supports the PSA specification.
Trusted Firmware-M will target Armv8-M systems, to begin with, before the code is released to the open-source community in 2018.
Tomi Engdahl says:
This $20 security camera is aiming for the Nest Cam’s throne
https://techcrunch.com/2017/10/24/this-20-security-camera-is-aiming-for-the-nest-cams-throne/?utm_source=tcfbpage&sr_share=facebook
When the Nest Cam — or the Dropcam, as it was known back then — was first introduced, it was something of a game changer. A security camera that just… worked.
Nowadays, the Nest Cam stands in a more crowded arena. Logitech, Netgear, Samsung, and most of the other big names all have their own comparable offerings, all racing to bring the biggest feature set at the lowest price point.
A new challenger approaches! It’s called the Wyze Cam, and, as ridiculous as it seems, it’ll only cost $20 (before shipping, which varies a bit.)
So how the hell is the company making money on a $20 HD security camera? Put simply: they probably aren’t. Not much, at least. Wyze Labs’ Director of Marketing Jessie Zhou was pretty upfront that the margins on this product are “extremely low”; she notes, though, that this is just a first step for the company. She says that Wyze Labs wants to make a bunch of different affordable smart home device. This first product is mostly meant to help them get the ball rolling and build their customer base.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Could your coffee machine be a cyber security risk?
http://www.businesscloud.co.uk/opinion/could-your-coffee-machine-be-a-cyber-security-risk
As part of National Cyber Security Awareness Month, Secarma MD Paul Harris offers advice on how companies can better protect themselves
This month is National Cyber Security Awareness Month, which encourages companies and individuals to make better cyber security choices. With this in mind I want to emphasise the dangers of the Internet of Things.
IoT is all about sharing information across numerous connected devices, so that everything works seamlessly and in harmony. With this convenience comes vulnerability.
Using IoT devices is like opening a can of worms when it comes to cyber security. I’ve come across numerous clients who have suffered a security breach because their IoT device wasn’t set up correctly. This connected ecosystem means that if an attacker gains access to one, they can actually gain access every other device in your business. Scary right?
With so much excitement and buzz around IoT, it’s easy to want this shiny new tech and let it loose within your organisation without considering the potential drawbacks.
We are all used to scrutinising the security of websites before they are launched, and ensuring that employees are clued up on potential online security risks. But, would you consider doing the same when you are adding a new coffee machine to your office kitchen? Yup, believe it or not, your smart coffee machine or kettle could be compromised and used to spy on you.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Fitness equipment manufacturer Hur entered Asia’s growing fitness market with smart devices. 90 percent of its production is exported.
Kokkolainen retired Håkan Svartsjö, 67, puts the card at the fitness center at the Actilife gym in the center of Kokkola. The unit welcomes Håkan’s display and electrically adjusts the seat backrest and lever arms to the correct position and resistor training program.
Instead of using a card, a bracelet could also be used to identify the practitioner with one touch of the rfid code in the wristband.
“Fitness equipment is provided for every first visit. It includes balanced and isometric power measurement. This is how fitness training starts right at the right level of resistance, ”
“We do not try to compete in the traditional gym market. Our equipment is also well suited for special groups, such as the restoration of muscle relaxation for people with disabilities or cuts. For example, in the USA and China, we have sold intelligent strength training equipment for service industries and fitness chains whose services are aimed at older people, “says Lura Karjaluoto, Deputy CEO of Hurin.
“Usually our products are purchased as a set of devices. Equipping the gym with smartphones costs between 20,000 and 100,000 euros, depending on the size of the hall, “Karjaluoto says.
Source: https://www.kauppalehti.fi/uutiset/kokkolalainen-hur-vie-alykuntosaleja-aasian-ja-usan-ikaihmisille/3q9zXswb
Tomi Engdahl says:
Wireless transceiver supports dual standards
https://www.edn.com/electronics-products/other/4458959/Wireless-transceiver-supports-dual-standards
The ML7404 RF transceiver from Lapis Semiconductor boasts LPWA (low power wide area) dual-mode functionality to enable new wireless IoT applications. This LSI device supports both Sigfox (subscription-based LPWA using unlicensed sub-GHz frequency bands), which has been adopted in more than 30 countries, and the IEEE 802.15.4k long-range wireless standard, which provides robust interference from the same system and has the capacity to cover more terminals under one network
Tomi Engdahl says:
Forrester: 3 ways IoT can drive business value
Forrester report details how businesses can actually take advantage of the Internet of Things.
https://www.networkworld.com/article/3229384/internet-of-things/3-ways-iot-can-drive-business-value.html
According to a thoughtful new report from Forrester, the answer lies in three fundamental business scenarios:
Design: Transform new or existing products or environments
Operate: Enhance physical processes with better information and digital automation
Consume: Improve services, operations or products with third-party IoT customer and context data
Complexity is the enemy in IoT projects
The dizzying complexity of possible business use cases, the incredible variety of IoT devices and the myriad possible benefits and stakeholders are what make the business benefits and challenges of IoT hard to sort out, the report suggests. The three scenarios are intended to cut through that confusion
Scenario 1: Design products and experiences
This scenario covers what are often called “connected products” or “smart products.” They range from “durable goods, with IoT in the product or the dispenser for the product” (John Deere’s FarmSight, Field Connect, and HarvestLab), to “packaging with embedded sensors to monitor consumable products” (Vitality GlowCap for pill bottles) to experiential spaces in locations such as retail stores and sports stadiums (MLB Advanced Media’s MLB.com Ballpark app), all enhanced with IoT sensors and data.
Scenario 2: Operate business processes
“IoT sensors can lower costs by preventing expensive downtime and improving asset utilization,” the report claims. And “IoT can also help offer customers more product customization, faster delivery and better experiences.”
Scenario 3: Consume insights
This third scenario includes “any business that can gain insight from real-world data that helps improve its offerings,” even when that data comes from third-party IoT sources, not from operating your own IoT networks.
Examples here include monitoring the safety, wellness, and medical condition of people in a variety of contexts, as well as tracking the activity and status of property ranging from vehicles to industrial equipment and machinery. Tracking environmental information, from weather to water quality, can also be valuable.
The benefits of IoT are big, the report promises
The report even offers a handful of strategies to help companies get there:
Develop IoT design strategies in addition to operations strategies.
Plan beyond the initial optimization benefits of using IoT in operations.
Start with customer experience, then work back into internal operations.
Find “consume” IoT opportunities by learning where user journeys interact with IoT-enabled assets or environments.
Untangle Your IoT Strategies
The Three IoT Scenarios And How They Drive Business Value
https://www.forrester.com/report/Untangle+Your+IoT+Strategies/-/E-RES121373?objectid=RES121373
Tomi Engdahl says:
Hackaday Prize Entry: Thingspeak IoT Heart Rate Monitor
https://hackaday.com/2017/10/24/hackaday-prize-entry-thingspeak-iot-heart-rate-monitor/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Amazon debuts Cloud Cam and Key to take on Nest, August and others in home security
https://techcrunch.com/2017/10/25/amazon-debuts-cloud-cam-and-key-to-take-on-nest-august-and-others-in-home-security/?ncid=rss&utm_source=tcfbpage&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Techcrunch+%28TechCrunch%29&utm_content=FaceBook&sr_share=facebook
Amazon wants to be the hub for your connected home, and today the company announced two new products that will help it fill out that ambition, specifically in the area of home security. It announced a new “intelligent” camera called the Cloud Cam, and a new smart-lock service called Key.
You control both using Alexa, the voice-based assistant that powers its line of Echo speakers and screens and connected device controllers.
Tomi Engdahl says:
ARM Boosts IoT Security
Architecture, IP target MCUs
https://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1332481&
ARM will raise the bar for security in the Internet of Things with the publication of an architecture standard and three new products to help implement it. The new IP incudes secure firmware, a programmable security core and a secure debugging channel.
ARM’s Platform Security Architecture (PSA) is a set of hardware and software specifications based on an analysis of multiple IoT use cases. It initially targets Cortex-M devices and includes implementation examples that will be released for free under open source license before April.
Separately, ARM announced a programmable security core, the CryptoIsland-300, expanding the fixed-function CryptoCell announced last year. The SDC-600 is IP to implement a secure debug channel that users can turn off or on with a cryptographic certificate. In addition, Trusted Firmware-M is ARM’s first secure firmware specifically for microcontroller-class devices.
The news comes a year after ARM released its first two Cortex-M cores implementing its TrustZone secure execution environment and associated IP for them. “We’re applying what we learned in mobile and trying to be more ambitious in the microcontroller area,” said Rob Coombs, security director of ARM’s IoT group.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Helvar protected the lighting system
Helvar protects the remote management of its lighting systems using the Oulu technology of Tosibox. Through secure remote access, items are not only safe but also easier to follow and maintain.
Helvar is able to monitor the technical data and energy consumption of the site now, the system alerts you to potential malfunctions, and then Helvar employees can check the bug report on a secure remote connection.
At the same time, the company’s employees see the need for possible maintenance and whether they can be performed remotely or on site. Helvar installs Tosibox’s connections to all of the company’s new major destinations.
“We have 552 routers and more than 90,000 luminaires at the largest destination, and now every lamp and luminaires can be safely adjusted,”
Source: https://www.uusiteknologia.fi/2017/09/26/helvar-suojasi-oululaistekniikalla-valaistusjarjestelmansa/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:
Amazon tests pricing for Alexa skills, launching paid subs and offering monetization for devs, starting with Jeopardy! skill from Sony Pictures Television — After grabbing70 percent of the voice-controlled speaker market, Amazon says it’s now opening up a way for third-party developers …
Amazon introduces paid subscriptions for Alexa skills
https://techcrunch.com/2017/10/25/amazon-introduces-subscriptions-for-alexa-skills-makes-them-free-for-prime-members/
After grabbing 70 percent of the voice-controlled speaker market, Amazon says it’s now opening up a way for third-party developers to make money from their voice apps, known as skills, on its Alexa platform. The company announced it has introduced the ability for customers to access premium subscription content within the Jeopardy! skill – the first skill maker to receive access to the new developer tools.
This is the first time third-party developers will be able to implement a direct means of monetizing their skills themselves, but it’s not the first time developers have earned money from their skills.
Amazon tells TechCrunch the developer tools are currently in preview with the Jeopardy! skill developer, Sony Pictures Television.
This skill seems to be especially popular among Echo device owners, as it has 1,438 rating on the Alexa Skills Store. That’s a lot, given that not all Echo owners even use skills, and many skills have never been installed beyond a handful of users. The skill also has a 4.2 out of 5 star rating, indicating it’s fairly well-received, too.
What’s interesting about the Alexa skills subscription model is that it’s being used to push consumers to a Prime membership.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Arm Platform Security Architecture Overview
A look at the evolution of the security technology and an accompanying open source software project.
https://semiengineering.com/arm-platform-security-architecture-overview/
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Future is Automated
https://www.eetimes.com/author.asp?section_id=36&doc_id=1332463&
As the Industrial Internet revolutionizes manufacturing, the essential difference between the automation of the past and Industry 4.0 automation is scale.
The linking of the physical and digital in the Internet of Things has enabled manufacturing’s next evolution: the Industrial Internet, or Industry 4.0. Shawn Fitzgerald, vice president of marketing at Thomas, recently shared some insights on the effects of increasing automation and sensor integration.
I asked if any particular component is key in directing Industry 4.0. Fitzgerald answered that “everything needs to work together to allow for the true potential of a fully automated facility to be unleashed” but attributed “the primary growth” to “sensor and integration technologies.”
When businesses find that their attempts at automation have merely yielded a collection of stuff that “now sits in a corner under a tarp,” Fitzgerald said, the problem usually can be traced to two primary causes:
The vendor they hired couldn’t get the automation system to work — frequently because they chose the least expensive option.
It took more time or money to work with the automation system than it did to produce the desired results manually because of the complexity of the requirement.
On the other hand, “many integrators are seeing growth right now by coming in and implementing the right system components and monitoring needed to perform those complex tasks, where [those elements] may not have existed previously,” Fitzgerald said.
What is Industry 4.0 revolutionizing, in terms of what’s possible? Fitzgerald said that in his view, “the real revolution will be in the widespread use [of automation], not in the possibilities.”
The essential difference between the automation of the past and the kind we’ll be seeing in the near future is scale, he said. “As the price drops and the capabilities of components increase to build the required automation systems, more businesses will have fully integrated manufacturing, quality, and tracking. Being able to analyze all the data and adjust the process will drive even more scalability.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Smart? Don’t ThinQ so! Hacked robo-vaccuum could spy on your home
Security researchers dismantle LG’s IoT appliance range
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/10/26/lg_iot_smart_home_hack/
LG SmartThinQ smart home devices were totally hackable prior to a recent security update, according to new research.
The so-called HomeHack vulnerabilities in LG’s SmartThinkQ mobile app and cloud application created a means for hackers to remotely log into the SmartThinQ cloud application and take over the user’s LG account, Check Point security boffins said.
Once in control of an account, any LG device or appliance associated with that account could be controlled by the attacker – including a robot vacuum cleaner, refrigerators, ovens, dishwashers, washing machines and dryers, and air conditioners. Devices could be switched on and off, settings changed and more.
IoT hackers might be able to gain control of the LG Hom-Bot vacuum cleaner’s video camera. The technology streams live video to an associated LG SmartThinQ smartphone app as part of its HomeGuard Security feature. Hacking the system therefore creates a spying risk (as demonstrated below).
HomeHack: How Hackers Could Have Taken Control of LG’s IoT Home Appliances
https://blog.checkpoint.com/2017/10/18/homehack-how-hackers-could-have-taken-control-of-lgs-iot-home-appliances/
Tomi Engdahl says:
ARM Extends Mbed to Gateways
https://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1332498&
ARM will extend its Mbed software suite to include a framework of modules for gateways on the Internet of Things. Mbed Edge marks a step deeper into IoT software and services for the company known for its processor cores.
The efforts serves ARM in three ways. It enhances the features of its underlying processors, sharpens its competitive edge against the rival x86 which is strong in gateways and it expands a nascent service business supplying secure keys.
The first Mbed Edge product is a protocol translation module that will be previewed before the end of the year. Other modules are expected to enable secure boot, over-the-air software updates and secure certificate authorization.
“The gateway needs to be managed and used to its full potential…for different workloads and data extraction,” said Dipesh Patel, president of ARM’s IoT services group, in a keynote at ARM Tech Con
Tomi Engdahl says:
5 Ways To Navigate Fog IoT
https://www.eetimes.com/author.asp?section_id=36&doc_id=1332488&
As fog computing moves toward broad deployment, I offer some tips to those designing, connecting to and using fog-based systems.
Fog envelops the Internet of Things from end nodes to edge networks. Fog computing is a “horizontal, system level architecture that distributes computing, storage, control and networking functions closer to the users along the Cloud-to-Thing continuum,” as defined by the OpenFog Consortium, the group leading the development of an open, interoperable architecture for it.
Fog computing is rapidly gaining momentum as the architecture that bridges the current gap in IoT, 5G and embedded AI systems. As the fog rolls out from its conception to a deployment phase, there is plenty of room for miscues, overlap and U-turns. So, here are five tips to help you find your way through it all.
#1 Recognize where fog techniques are needed.
Fog is about SCALE–Security, Cognition, Agility, Latency, Efficiency. When designing or building a system or app, take heed of certain warning signs which indicate sub-optimal functionality if implemented in traditional cloud-based systems.
Fog is best known for slashing latency times, but it also helps reduce network bandwidth requirements by moving computation to or near an IoT end node. It also provides additional security robustness for data transfers, and it can improve cognition, reliability and geographic focus through local processing.
#2 Span software across fog nodes North-South and East-West.
Applications can be partitioned to run on multiple fog nodes in a network. This partitioning can be North-South where different parts of an application run hierarchically, up to and including the cloud at times. It can also be East–West for load balancing or fault tolerance between peer-level fog nodes. Partitioning can be adjusted as needed on millisecond time scales.
#3 Understand the pillars of the fog.
OpenFog has identified eight pillars: Security, Scalability, Openness, Autonomy, RAS (Reliability, Availability, Serviceability), Agility, Hierarchy and Programmability. Each of these can be studied in depth in the OpenFog Reference Architecture.
#4 Make fog software modular, linked by standard APIs.
Software is the key to the performance, versatility and trustworthiness of fog implementations. Make it manageable and interoperable by carefully partitioning it into functional blocks.
#5 Make each installation very easy.
Global IoT applications will require the installation of millions of fog nodes over the next several years. Ensure the fog node hardware drops right in with simple mechanical and electrical connections for most scenarios.
Pay attention to fog node aesthetics, power requirements, cable management, and so on to minimize environmental impact. Fog node provisioning and commissioning tests should be 100% automated nearly 100% of the time. Use pilot programs to optimize design of fog equipment for installation and maintenance.
Tomi Engdahl says:
ARM CEO Sounds Security Alarm
https://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1332506
ARM Technology CEO Simon Segars called on the technology industry to come together to address security in a connected world, an issue he said threatens to undermine the impact of the Internet of Things and its potential for enhancing human capabilities.
“Cybersecurity is a mess if you ask me. Unless we do something, it’s going to get worse,” Segars said in a keynote address at the ARM TechCon here Tuesday (Oct. 25). “When everything has an IP address; when everything is connected; then everything can be hacked,” he added.
In sounding the alarm on security, Segars joins a growing list of tech heavyweights calling for new software and hardware technologies for mitigating the risks posed by hacking and other forms of cyberattacks, which in aggregate cost industry and consumers billions of dollars each year. Security threats loom increasingly larger as the IoT — which already encompasses billions of devices and is expected to expand to include tens of billions more in coming years — continues to take shape.
A number of grassroots IoT security efforts are well underway, including several from ad hoc industry groups and agencies such as agencies such as UL, the former Underwriters Laboratories. ARM itself threw more weight by these efforts this week with the release of its “Security Manifesto”
ARM Boosts IoT Security
Architecture, IP target MCUs
https://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1332481
Tomi Engdahl says:
IIoT analytics framework technical report published
https://www.controleng.com/single-article/iiot-analytics-framework-technical-report-published/c3f6f69ea510df1c556afa5a49ae481c.html
The Industrial Internet Consortium (IIC), has published the IIC Industrial IoT Analytics Framework Technical Report (IIAF), which features a complete set of instructions that IIoT system architects and business leaders can use to deploy industrial analytics
The IIAF is a blueprint designed to help system architects and designers to map analytics to the IIoT applications they are supporting, to ensure that business leaders can realize the potential of analytics to enable more-informed decision-making.
“Using analytics to provide insights is the holy grail of industrial IoT,” said Wael William Diab, IIC industrial analytics task group chair, IIC steering committee member and senior director at Huawei. “The IIC IIAF takes a holistic approach by developing the foundational principles of industrial analytics as well as looking at the complete picture from design considerations to creation of business value and functionality. This entire ecosystem approach is valuable to both business leaders as well as technologists, engineers and architects looking to deploy IIoT systems.”
INDUSTRIAL INTERNET OF THINGS ANALYTICS FRAMEWORK
http://www.iiconsortium.org/industrial-analytics.htm
Tomi Engdahl says:
How cloud computing works for industrial processes
https://www.controleng.com/single-article/how-cloud-computing-works-for-industrial-processes/40f0e7605ae1de68ab2ba6f03fd154e3.html
Cloud computing can process, filter, and analyze data using an HMI that can then be turned into actionable information for industrial facilities.
Cloud computing is just one of the components for Big Data implementations in industrial process and facilities. While it can be particularly effective for remote monitoring applications, the data must first be collected and pushed to the cloud, then stored and analyzed to create usable information.
This usually involves several steps, starting at the edge device and ending with information delivery to end users. Modern human-machine interfaces (HMIs) play a crucial role, making connections to smart edge devices and controllers, and filtering the data before pushing it to the cloud.
While analytics, historian, enterprise resource planning (ERP), and other systems may be hosted in the cloud, these applications need plant floor data. This data starts at the edge, supplied by either a sensor, or a smart edge device such as a smart instrument, a power meter, a variable-frequency drive, etc. These components are connected to a controller, to a PC-based HMI, or other HMI. A new trend is embedding HMI functionality in the smart edge device, allowing data to be processed at the source.
Wherever the HMI is based, it can filter data before pushing it to the cloud or other storage area. It is not necessary to collect all the data every second, or even every minute, for some applications. The data may need to be saved only when it exceeds certain values or moves outside a defined range. Some modern HMIs can be configured, using faceplates, to filter and consolidate the data before pushing it to the cloud
A modern HMI can be hosted on many platforms. It can be installed on a desktop PC, a flat-panel industrial PC, a thin client, an embedded computer running Linux or some other operating system, or a smart edge device. This portability from one platform to the next is vital because it allows the HMI to be deployed on the best platform for the application.
Cloud applications
The cloud provides reliable and secure storage of data and can be used to provide SaaS in the form of data analytics and other applications. For example, an online historian can be used to provide data analytics. Once analyzed, the data becomes information that can be accessed by web-enabled HMI software, and then displayed to users.
Cloud computing analytics and an HMI help to not only visualize data, but provide a more cognitive view. These advanced data analytics systems have built-in agents to analyze and find patterns in the data. When the data is no longer following those patterns, the system can automatically indicate the result or finding to a user through an HMI and other methods.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Ben Fox Rubin / CNET:
Amazon Key bundle launched with security camera and smart door lock that lets couriers unlock your door; price starts at $250, preorder today, available Nov. 8
Amazon Key takes deliveries to new level: Inside your home
https://www.cnet.com/news/amazon-key-takes-deliveries-to-a-new-level-inside-your-home/
The new in-home service will roll out to 37 US metro areas next month and eventually allow you to let in a dog walker or house cleaner.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Amazon Key is a new service that lets couriers unlock your front door
https://www.theverge.com/2017/10/25/16538834/amazon-key-in-home-delivery-unlock-door-prime-cloud-cam-smart-lock?lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_feed%3B4xVj9Mi%2BQgm9lTftrr2LsQ%3D%3D
You’ll need a smart lock and Amazon’s new Cloud Cam
Tomi Engdahl says:
HomeHack: How Hackers Could Have Taken Control of LG’s IoT Home Appliances
https://blog.checkpoint.com/2017/10/26/homehack-how-hackers-could-have-taken-control-of-lgs-iot-home-appliances/
The second season of award-winning TV thriller Mr. Robot premiered with a scene that sent shivers down the cybersecurity world’s spine. In uncomfortably realistic detail, hackers virtually broke into a smart home, turning the home-based IoT technology against its inhabitants. The TV and stereo started switching on and off randomly, the water temperature in the shower went from boiling to freezing with little warning, and the air conditioning brutally forced the characters to leave their homes by reaching arctic temperatures. The most unsettling part of the whole sequence isn’t that this type of cyberattack might happen.
It’s unsettling because it’s already happening.
Recently, Check Point discovered vulnerability, dubbed HomeHack, in LG’s smart home infrastructure exposing it to critical user account takeover. If attackers would have exploited this vulnerability, , they would have been able to log into LG users’ SmartThinQ® home appliances accounts and take remote control of the devices connected to the account.
The HomeHack vulnerability gave attackers the potential to spy on users’ home activities via the Hom-Bot robot vacuum cleaner video camera, which sends live video to the associated LG SmartThinQ app as part of its HomeGuard Security feature. Depending on the LG appliances in the owner’s home, attackers could also switch dishwashers or washing machines on or off.
LG HomeHack – Secure Your IoT
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnAHfZWPaCs
Tomi Engdahl says:
Security Flaw Could Have Let Hackers Turn on Smart Ovens
http://www.securityweek.com/security-flaw-could-have-let-hackers-turn-smart-ovens
A security flaw in LG’s smart home devices gave hackers a way to control the household appliances of millions of customers, including the ability to turn on ovens, a computer security firm revealed on Thursday.
Check Point Software Technologies said the vulnerability, called “HomeHack”, in the LG SmartThinkQ mobile app and cloud application allowed their research team to take over a user’s account and control connected appliances such as their oven, refrigerator, dishwasher, washing machine, air conditioner and more.
The HomeHack vulnerability also “gave attackers the potential to spy on users’ home activities via the Hom-Bot robot vacuum cleaner video camera,” Check Point said in a statement.
LG’s internet-connected ovens can be remotely set to pre-heat, meaning malicious hackers could create a potential safety risk.
LG sold 80 million smart home devices across the world in 2016, all of which were potentially affected by the flaw.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Minimizing Costs When Transmitting Data Over Cellular Networks
https://www.acromag.com/page/application-note-save-money-when-using-i2o-over-cellular-networks?_cldee=dG9taS5lbmdkYWhsQG5ldGNvbnRyb2wuZmk%3d&recipientid=lead-00635ccb6863e41195006c3be5a88248-aa8d0f2148d847dda2bcac3ee97d4def&utm_source=ClickDimensions&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=eNL%20-%20Process&esid=341f306d-52ba-e711-811c-e0071b66aea1
There are 3 important features in the XT’s that allow i2o to be utilized over cellular networks to reduce costs.
1. Update Time – it can be any setting from 5 to 65535 seconds. This is a periodic transmission to update the output status based on the input to output scaling.
2. Keep Target Sockets Open – if this box is not checked, then during the i2o messaging, a socket will be opened, data is exchanged, then the socket closes.
3. Percentage Change – this is the difference in input span between the present input measurement and its last measurement when an i2o message was sent. If the input changes by the percentage change threshold or greater, an i2o message will be sent immediately.
Tomi Engdahl says:
$1,000 tea infuser startup Teforia shuts down
https://techcrunch.com/2017/10/27/1000-tea-infuser-startup-teforia-shuts-down/?ncid=rss&utm_source=tcfbpage&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Techcrunch+%28TechCrunch%29&utm_content=FaceBook&sr_share=facebook
In what the company is calling “a very difficult time for hardware companies in the smart kitchen space,” Tea infusion device startup Teforia is saying it is ceasing operations today, according to its website.
The above note about it being hard for hardware companies in the smart kitchen is likely a reference to devices like the now-defunct Juicero (which raised more than $100 million in venture financing). Teforia’s main product was an internet-connected tea infuser that could brew the pre-packaged teas from the startup
The price tag was very high, much like some of these other Silicon Valley solutions that look to hit people with more spending power.
“However, the reality of our business is that it would take a lot more financing and time to educate the market and we simply couldn’t raise the funds required in what is a very difficult time for hardware companies in the smart kitchen space,” the company said on its website.
The tea industry is a massive one
Comments:from page:
They might have been successful if their product couln’t be replaced with a $0.99 thrift store kettle.
last release of App is certified to work on iOS version 11 and Android Oreo. In this last release we have removed all dependency on Teforia Cloud services, so it will operates until major OS update on iOS and/or Android
Tomi Engdahl says:
Why Snapchat Spectacles failed
https://techcrunch.com/2017/10/23/spectacles-post-mortem/
only 0.08% of Snapchat’s users bought its camera sunglasses? Hundreds of thousands of pairs of Spectacles sit rotting in warehouses after the company bungled the launch
What was the problem? Snap generated huge hype for Spectacles, but then waited 5 months to openly sell them. Once people actually tried Spectacles, few kept wearing them, and word of mouth about their disuse spread. Snap never got visionary video markers onboard. And as Snapchat’s popularity waned in the face of competitors, the fact that Spectacles only interfaced with its app rather than a phone’s camera roll became a burden.
Snap did somethings right with Spectacles
But once people put them on their face, the excitement died off.
Here’s a breakdown of the major flaws that emerged with Spectacles in the year since their debut
Tomi Engdahl says:
Ry Crist / CNET:
Amazon Echo Plus review: falls short as a Zigbee smart home hub, and Alexa app’s smart home controls need more refinement and features
Amazon Echo Plus review:
The Amazon Echo Plus doesn’t quite add up
https://www.cnet.com/products/amazon-echo-plus/review/
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Week in Review: IoT
Automile gets $34M; Arm’s PSA; IoT platform test lab.
https://semiengineering.com/the-week-in-review-iot-69/
Forrester Research reports that 55% of telecommunications decision makers it surveyed say they are using or plan to use IoT applications, while 40% say they are interested in IoT apps.
Almost 20 billion connected devices will be deployed around the world by the end of this year, according to Strategy Analytics, with smart home systems driving the total to 50 billion devices in the next decade. Smart home devices will overtake smartphones by 2021 in the global share of the deployed connected/IoT devices, the market research firm predicts, with IoT growing by 17% this year, but only 9% per year by 2021.
Arm this week debuted its Platform Security Architecture at Arm TechCon 2017, providing a common industry framework to promote increased cybersecurity for IoT device developers and hardware manufacturers. The PSA will be released during the first quarter of 2018. Amazon, Cisco Systems, and Google have pledged to adopt the Arm architecture.
For the third quarter ended September 30, National Instruments reported net income of $33.4 million on revenue of $320.9 million
Steve Brumer, a partner at 151 Advisors, had this to say about the Industrial IoT deal between Apple and General Electric. “This is a major announcement for GE Predix. They did not have a way for people who had Apple iOS products to access their software and system. As more Apple iPhones and Macs are used by people in the field within the industrial space, access to a highly successful and largely deployed Predix system is critical and now possible.
Additionally, Microsoft and GE recently announced a joint effort focused initially on oil-and-gas and mining companies (which are drivers of IoT adoption and positive ROI use cases).
Russia’s MTS selected Ericsson to supply the Ericsson Radio System and core network infrastructure over the next three years to prepare for 5G wireless communications and the IoT.
MachNation estimates IoT platform revenue will hit $65 billion by 2026. To help companies compare the capabilities of IoT platforms, the company is offering the MachNation IoT Test Environment, a test lab for IoT platforms. MachNation has tested Amazon’s AWS IoT, the Bosch IoT Suite, GE Predix, IBM’s Watson IoT Platform, and Microsoft IoT. Its test-lab data is currently available for $395.
Green Hills Software brought out version 2017.5 of its Optimizing C and C++ compilers for 32-bit and 64-bit embedded processor architectures, including Arm, Intel, and Power Architecture.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Speaking of bets, this week Amazon introduced the most idiotic thing ever invented. It’s called Amazon Key. It’s an electronic lock (dumb), connected to the Internet (dumber), so you let strangers into your house to deliver packages (dumbest). CCC is in a few months, so I don’t know if Amazon Key will be hacked by then, but I’m pretty confident this will be broken by March.
Source: https://hackaday.com/2017/10/29/hackaday-links-%f0%9f%91%bb-%f0%9f%8e%83-spooky-edition-2017/
More:
Amazon Key In-Home Kit includes: Amazon Cloud Cam (Key Edition) indoor security camera and compatible smart lock
https://www.amazon.com/Amazon-Key-Home-Kit-compatible/dp/B00KCYQGXE
Tomi Engdahl says:
Is the fidget spinner fad over? Oh, we hope not. A technology is only perfected after it has been made obsolete. Case in point? We can play phonographs with lasers. The internal combustion engine will be obsolete in automobiles in twenty years, but track times will continue going down for forty. Fidget spinners may be dead, but now you can program them with JavaScript. What a time to be alive!
Spinduino
IoT Fidget Spinner with Bluetooth Low Energy and POV LED Display
https://hackaday.io/project/27220-spinduino
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Reaper IoT Botnet Has Already Infected a Million Networks
https://www.wired.com/story/reaper-iot-botnet-infected-million-networks/
The Mirai botnet, a collection of hijacked gadgets whose cyberattack made much of the internet inaccessible in parts of the US and beyond a year ago, previewed a dreary future of zombie connected-device armies run amuck. But in some ways, Mirai was relatively simple—especially compared to a new botnet that’s brewing.
While Mirai caused widespread outages, it impacted IP cameras and internet routers by simply exploiting their weak or default passwords. The latest botnet threat, known as alternately as IoT Troop or Reaper, has evolved that strategy, using actual software-hacking techniques to break into devices instead. It’s the difference between checking for open doors and actively picking locks—and it’s already enveloped devices on a million networks and counting.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Pavegen’s floor tiles could power future cities with footsteps
https://www.dezeen.com/2017/10/27/movie-mini-living-pavegen-flooring-system-power-future-smart-cities-video/
The latest movie in our ongoing Dezeen x MINI Living series features floor tiles developed by London-based startup Pavegen to produce kinetic energy when stepped on.
The company’s smart flooring solution relies on pedestrians to generate reusable energy strong enough to power public lightning.
When stepped on, the tiles cause electromagnetic induction generators to move – setting off a rotary motion that in turn generates power. According to the company, one footstep is enough to generate the amount of off-grid energy needed to light an LED lightbulb for approximately 20 seconds.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The tiles also have a wireless API sensor, which transmits data about movement behaviour in areas where Pavegen is installed. This can help to create an idea of peak times for foot traffic in an area, predict consumer trends, and create heat maps of popular urban spaces.
Source: https://www.dezeen.com/2017/10/27/movie-mini-living-pavegen-flooring-system-power-future-smart-cities-video/
Tomi Engdahl says:
InfluxData
http://www.linuxjournal.com/content/influxdata?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+linuxjournalcom+%28Linux+Journal+-+The+Original+Magazine+of+the+Linux+Community%29
What is ephemeral data, you ask? InfluxData can supply the answer, because handling it is the business of the company’s InfluxData open-source platform that is custom-built for metrics and events. Ephemeral data is transitory, existing only briefly, and is becoming vital for modern applications built where containers, microservices and sensors can come and go and are intermittently connected. The updated InfluxData 1.3 Platform can handle a billion (yes, with a “b”!) unique time series, making it easier to handle ephemeral data coming from containers or adding and removing sensors in IoT-tracking systems. InfluxData addresses the explosion of data points and sources, monitoring and controls requiring nanosecond precision coming from sensors and microservices.
The InfluxData platform provides a comprehensive set of tools and services to accumulate metrics and events data, analyze the data and act on the data via powerful visualizations and notifications.
https://www.influxdata.com/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Iot offers collision and competition for industrial cascades and it’s gorillas
An industrial internet sets production cascades and it’s gorillas into competitive conditions, but also offers opportunities for co-operation. GE Digital, which favors edge counting, feels it is much more efficient to process and analyze data as little as measuring points than to send huge pulses back and forth between the hosts and the cloud.
Industrial giants General Electric strengthens its own industrial Internet Predix platform with machine learning and edge counting. The latter means that the data is processed and analyzed close to the measurement point, whereby the results of the proactive analysis are revealed by fewer and more backward data transmissions and in real time.
The goal of edge computing is to analyze data in real time, optimize network traffic and generate cost savings. The edge in the development of computation and machine learning has reached the furthest industrial giant software side of the subsidiary GE Digital, Network World writes.
And as it is suitable for industrial companies, the GE Predix contour computing focuses on the needs of equipment maintenance and anticipates machine break times.
GE’s last year, the Predix Edge steel platform, combines ot- and it-systems to gather data collected from different locations, such as orders, production, and warehouses, into cloud-based erp and distribution chain systems.
Source: http://www.tivi.fi/CIO/iot-tarjoaa-kimppaa-ja-kilpailua-teollisuuden-kaskeloteille-ja-it-n-gorilloille-6684708
More:
GE adds edge analytics, AI capabilities to its industrial IoT suite
GE is making a bid to influence industrial IoT by adding new features to its Predix platform-as-a-service offering.
https://www.networkworld.com/article/3234641/internet-of-things/ge-adds-edge-analytics-ai-to-predix-industrial-iot-suite.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
Report Scores Cities to See if Technology Makes Them Safer
https://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/computing/networks/report-scores-cities-to-figure-out-if-investing-in-technology-makes-them-safer
More and more people are migrating to cities. By 2030, 60 percent of the world’s population will live in an urban setting, according to the United Nations. How can these growing cities reduce conflicts, crime, violence, and terrorism?
In a word: technology. Cameras, command centers, social media alerts, predictive algorithms, and other digital and mobile technologies are already improving public safety in some capital cities, says a new report from the Brookings Institution. It finds that some of the safest cities in the world have made it a priority to invest in digital infrastructure and to support communities and law enforcement with tech-based initiatives. The results of these actions not only save lives, but improve the city’s productivity and national competitiveness.
Tomi Engdahl says:
IAR Systems And Secure Thingz Collaborate For Easier IoT Security Implementation
https://www.eeweb.com/profile/eeweb/news/iar-systems-and-secure-thingz-collaborate-for-easier-iot-security-implementation
IAR Systems® and Secure Thingz announced the next step in their collaboration to provide new technology in order to simplify the development of secure, connected devices.
In April 2017, IAR Systems announced that it was taking an initial 10 percent equity stake in Secure Thingz. The investment was made because IAR Systems has a strong belief that Secure Thingz’ solutions can create the necessary security in a world of connected devices and products.
Tomi Engdahl says:
IoT Gets Wake Up Call from Reaper
https://www.eetimes.com/author.asp?section_id=36&doc_id=1332521&
Vendors waiting to add effective security measures to their IoT devices may be too late–the Reaper is coming.
Also known as IoT Troop, the Reaper IoT botnet is already two million devices strong and growing, built using software that targets and exploits known IoT device security flaws. IoT botnets use the collected bandwidth of a vast number of compromised IoT devices is utilized by hackers for nefarious purposes that often include distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks. They represent significant threats to the stability and safety of both the burgeoning IoT industry, even the Internet as we know it. We’ve already seen what IoT botnets are capable of, and Reaper has now become the largest of its kind.
The code at the heart of Reaper is a descendent of what was used by the Mirai IoT botnet, which amassed an army of compromised devices commandeering as many as 10 million IP addresses. Mirai wreaked havoc during two massive DDoS attacks last year.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Teardowns Explore Bluetooth, Cellular IoT
Three Bluetooth SoCs compared
https://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1332439&