Mobile infrastructure must catch up with user needs and demands. Ubiquitous mobile computing is all around us. Some time in the next six months, the number of smartphones on earth will pass the number of PCs. As the power and capability of many mobile devices increases, the increased demand on networks. We watch more videos, and listen to music on our phones. Mobile Data Traffic To Grow 300% Globally By 2017 Led By Video, Web Use. Mobile network operators would have had an easier life if it wasn’t for smartphones and the flood of data traffic they initiated, and soon there will be also very many Internet of Things devices. Businesses and consumers want more bandwidth for less money.
More and more network bandwidth is being used by video: Netflix And YouTube Account For Over 50% Of Peak Fixed Network Data In North America. Netflix remains the biggest pig in the broadband python, representing 31.6% of all downstream Internet traffic in North America during primetime. In other parts of the world, YouTube is the biggest consumer of bandwidth. In Europe, YouTube represented of 28.7% of downstream traffic.
Gartner: Top 10 Strategic Technology Trends For 2014 expects that Software Defined Anything is a new mega-trend in data centers. Software-defined anything (SDx) is defined by “improved standards for infrastructure programmability and data center interoperability driven by automation inherent to cloud computing, DevOps and fast infrastructure provisioning.” Dominant vendors in a given sector of an infrastructure-type may elect not to follow standards that increase competition and lower margins, but end-customer will benefit from simplicity, cost reduction opportunities, and the possibility for consolidation. More hype around Software-Defined-Everything will keep the marketeers and the marchitecture specialists well employed for the next twelve months but don’t expect anything radical.
Software defined technologies are coming quickly to telecom operator networks with Network Functions Virtualisation (NFV). Intel and rather a lot of telcos want networks to operate like data centres. Today’s networks are mostly based around proprietary boxes designed to do very specific jobs. It used to be that way in the server business too until cheap generic x86 boxes took most of the market. The idea in NFV is that low-cost x86 servers can successfully many of those those pricey proprietary boxes currently attached to base-stations and other parts of the network. This scents a shift in the mood of the telcos themselves. This change is one that they want, and rather a lot of them are working together to make it happen. So the future mobile network will have more and more x86 and ARM based generic computing boxes running on Linux.
With the introduction of Network Functions Virtualisation base stations will have new functions built into them. For example NSN has announced a mobile edge computing platform that enables mobile base stations to host data and run apps. Think of this as an internet cloud server that’s really close to the customer.
Hybrid Cloud and IT as Service Broker are talked about. Telecom companies and cloud service providers are selling together service packages that have both connectivity and cloud storage sold as single service. Gartner suggests that bringing together personal clouds and external private cloud services is essential.
The type of device one has will be less important, as the personal or public cloud takes over some of the role. The push for more personal cloud technologies will lead to a shift toward services and away from devices, but there are also cases where where there is a great incentive to exploit the intelligence and storage of the client device. Gartner suggests that now through 2018, a variety of devices, user contexts, and interaction paradigms will make “everything everywhere” strategies unachievable, although many would like to see this working.
“Internet of Things” gets more push. The Internet is expanding into enterprise assets and consumer items such as cars and televisions. The concept of “Internet of Things” will evolve a step toward The Internet of Everything. Gartner identifies four basic usage models that are emerging: Manage, Monetize, Operate, Extend. The Internet of Things (IoT) will evolve into the Web of Things, increasing the coordination between things in the real world and their counterparts on the Web. The Industrial Internet of Things will be talked about. IoT takes advantage of mobile devices’ and sensors’ ability to observe and monitor their environments
Car of the future is M2M-ready and has Ethernet. Many manufacturers taking an additional step to develop vehicle connectivity. One such example is the European Commission’s emergency eCall system, which is on target for installation in every new car by 2015.
Smart Home Systems Are on the Rise article tells that most automated technology is found in commercial buildings that feature automated lighting that changes in intensity depending on the amount of sunlight present. Some of these buildings have WiFi incorporated into their lighting systems. There will be new and affordable technology on the market, but people today are still reluctant to bring automation to their homes.
1,803 Comments
Tomi Engdahl says:
Coca Cola slurps millions of MAC addresses
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/01/03/coca_cola_slurps_millions_of_mac_addresses/
Sharp-eyed blogger Alvaro Lopez Ortega has spotted something fascinating: Coca Cola has reserved a block of media access control (MAC) addresses.
Lots of companies register MAC addresses: the list we’ve linked to above includes Apple, HP, IBM, Samsung, Alcatel, Cisco, Intel and even Palm Inc, plus dozens of electronics companies. Their collective presence shows that if you want to build connected devices, you’ve simply got to have a pool of MAC addresses to deploy.
Which brings us back to Coca Cola, a beverage company. Why does it need MAC addresses up its sleeve?
Tomi Engdahl says:
Ninja Sphere: A one-stop intelligent Internet of Things platform for the home
http://www.gizmag.com/ninja-sphere-hub-internet-of-things/30240/
Wouldn’t it be nice to have a digital house elf that handles the operation of all your various electronic devices? That’s what the Ninja Sphere aims to be, a one stop intelligent hub designed to add your various household devices to the Internet of Things. Like other home automation systems, such as Revolv, Ninja Sphere can monitor and allow the remote control of connected devices, but offers expanded capabilities with its gesture control interface and the ability to map the location of devices in the home in real time.
Ninja Sphere was created by Sydney-based company, Ninja Blocks, which released its namesake product in 2011. Not unlike Twine, Ninja Blocks are wireless sensors that connect to a home network and allow electronic devices to be controlled remotely or triggered automatically in response to environmental factors. Ninja Sphere takes things further
Depending on the size of the house, multiple Spheramids can be placed around the home and act as gateways to the “Ninja Sphere,” a wireless network that consists of the Spheramids and all the devices connected to them.
The information and operations available will naturally depend on the devices and sensors connected to the Ninja Sphere system, which currently supports Bluetooth, BLE, Wi-Fi, Zigbee Light Link and HA, Philips Hue, Belkin WeMo, openHAB, and ODB2 connectors, just to name a few. However, the system is open source, meaning that third party developers are free to write drivers to connect a device to the system.
Tomi Engdahl says:
It’s Time to Take Mesh Networks Seriously (And Not Just for the Reasons You Think)
http://www.wired.com/opinion/2014/01/its-time-to-take-mesh-networks-seriously-and-not-just-for-the-reasons-you-think/
The internet is weak, yet we keep ignoring this fact. So we see the same thing over and over again, whether it’s because of natural disasters like hurricanes Sandy and Katrina, wars like Syria and Bosnia, deliberate attempts by the government to shut down the internet (most recently in Egypt and Iran), or NSA surveillance.
Compared to the “normal” internet — which is based on a few centralized access points or internet service providers (ISPs) — mesh networks have many benefits, from architectural to political. Yet they haven’t really taken off, even though they have been around for some time. I believe it’s time to reconsider their potential, and make mesh networking a reality. Not just because of its obvious benefits, but also because it provides an internet-native model for building community and governance.
Compared to more centralized network architectures, the only way to shut down a mesh network is to shut down every single node in the network.
That’s the vital feature, and what makes it stronger in some ways than the regular internet.
But mesh networks aren’t just for political upheavals or natural disasters. Many have been installed as part of humanitarian programs, aimed at helping poor neighborhoods and underserved areas. For people who can’t afford to pay for an internet connection, or don’t have access to a proper communications infrastructure, mesh networks provide the basic infrastructure for connectivity.
But the Real, Often Forgotten, Promise of Mesh Networks Is…
Yet beyond the benefits of costs and elasticity, little attention has been given to the real power of mesh networking: the social impact it could have on the way communities form and operate.
What’s really revolutionary about mesh networking isn’t the novel use of technology. It’s the fact that it provides a means for people to self-organize into communities and share resources amongst themselves: Mesh networks are operated by the community, for the community. Especially because the internet has become essential to our everyday life.
In recent years, different mesh network initiatives have emerged to address the above and other objectives that could be accomplished with mesh networking.
So why hasn’t mesh networking already taken off?
Well, there are technical reasons of course. The complexity to set up, manage, and maintain a mesh network is one obstacle to their widespread deployment. Getting a mesh network to work properly can be harder than it seems, especially when it comes to latency. Although the technology is there, routing protocols are currently unable to scale over a few hundred nodes and network coverage is constrained by the limited range of wireless user devices.
Another barrier is perception (and marketing). Mesh networks are generally seen as an emergency tool rather than a regular means for communication.
Finally, there are political and power struggles, of course.
mesh networks cannot be easily monitored, nor properly regulated by third parties.
The same is true of the private sector. For large ICT companies (including mobile operators and ISPs) mesh networking constitutes a new competitor in the market for internet communication, which — if it were more widely deployed — could potentially jeopardize their traditional business model based on pay-per-use and monthly subscriptions.
Robert_key says:
Thanks for the post man a very informative post. First post of epanorama for 2014 keep doing the good work and keep posting informative stuff
Tomi Engdahl says:
Samsung’s new Smart Home service outlined, wants to connect to third-party services and products
http://www.engadget.com/2014/01/04/samsung-smart-home-service-2014/
We heard whispers that Samsung was planning big for CES, and we’re not just talking TV panels. It’s now revealed Smart Home, which attempts to tie together Smart TVs, home appliances and handheld smart devices into one single platform. Perhaps more importantly, the company says it’s going to collaborate with third-party partners to extend the platform to products and services beyond only those with Samsung branding.
Tomi Engdahl says:
5G wireless a reality by 2020?
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2014/01/5g-wireless-a-reality.html
A recent white paper from Ericsson examines how the research required for 5G wireless networks is now well underway, and should be a reality by 2020. “5G will enable the long-term ‘Networked Society’ and realize the vision of unlimited access to information for anyone and anything,” predicts the company.
According to Ericsson, this vision will be achieved not by replacing existing technologies, but by combining evolved versions of today’s radio-access technologies (RATs), including LTE and HSPA, with complementary RATs for specific use cases, which will jointly fulfill the requirements of the future.
Tomi Engdahl says:
White paper:
5G radio access
research and vision
http://www.ericsson.com/res/docs/whitepapers/wp-5g.pdf
Tomi Engdahl says:
Analyst: WLAN growth stalling in 802.11ac transition
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2013/12/infonetics-wlan-growth-stalls.html
“After 15 quarters of double-digit year-over-year growth, WLAN equipment growth fell below the 10% mark in the third quarter of 2013, due to the 802.11n transition nearing completion and 802.11ac not yet having a significant effect on the market,” reveals Matthias Machowinski, directing analyst for enterprise networks and video at Infonetics Research.
“Still, we consider this a temporary slowdown”
Meanwhile, despite the slowdown in North America, the EMEA market for wireless equipment is seen doing well, despite relatively weaker economic conditions.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Technical brief breaks down fiber-to-the-HetNet
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2013/12/exfo-fiber-hetnet-paper.html
The HetNet represents the point at which wireline meets wireless, merging technologies such as DAS, RRH, RRU and small cells solutions with the macrocellular network to augment wireless broadband coverage and capacity. A new white paper from HetNet Forum member Exfo reviews the fiber-optic infrastructure requirement and best practices needed to allow all the antennas for these diverse technologies to do what they are meant to do.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Linksys Resurrects WRT54G In a New Router
http://mobile.slashdot.org/story/14/01/06/1741238/linksys-resurrects-wrt54g-in-a-new-router
“A year after purchasing the Linksys home networking division from Cisco, Belkin today brought back the design of what it called ‘the best-selling router of all time’ but with the latest wireless technology. We are talking about the classic WRT54G”
“Linksys is also providing early hardware along with SDKs and APIs to the developers of OpenWRT, with plans to have support available when the router becomes commercially available. The WRT1900AC”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Linksys resurrects classic blue router, with open source and $300 price
Now owned by Belkin rather than Cisco, Linksys joins its past to its future.
http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2014/01/linksys-resurrects-classic-blue-router-with-open-source-and-300-price/
First released in December 2002, the blue and black WRT54G is an instantly recognizable consumer product despite not being a smartphone, tablet, or laptop. Belkin’s Linksys division unveiled a new router with the same design today at the Consumer Electronics Show. It’s planned to be available in the spring for $299.99.
Updated to support the 802.11ac Wi-Fi standard, the “Linksys WRT1900AC Dual Band Wi-Fi Router is inspired by the original WRT54G iconic blue/black stackable form factor but with a modernized spin as well as more powerful hardware such as a dual-core 1.2GHz processor, four removable antennas (instead of the standard three), and eSata and USB 2.0/3.0 connectivity ports,” Linksys said.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Internet of Things Is Wildly Insecure — And Often Unpatchable
By Bruce Schneier
http://www.wired.com/opinion/2014/01/theres-no-good-way-to-patch-the-internet-of-things-and-thats-a-huge-problem/
We’re at a crisis point now with regard to the security of embedded systems, where computing is embedded into the hardware itself — as with the Internet of Things. These embedded computers are riddled with vulnerabilities, and there’s no good way to patch them.
Typically, these systems are powered by specialized computer chips made by companies such as Broadcom, Qualcomm, and Marvell. These chips are cheap, and the profit margins slim. Aside from price, the way the manufacturers differentiate themselves from each other is by features and bandwidth. They typically put a version of the Linux operating system onto the chips, as well as a bunch of other open-source and proprietary components and drivers. They do as little engineering as possible before shipping, and there’s little incentive to update their “board support package” until absolutely necessary.
The problem with this process is that no one entity has any incentive, expertise, or even ability to patch the software once it’s shipped. The chip manufacturer is busy shipping the next version of the chip, and the ODM is busy upgrading its product to work with this next chip. Maintaining the older chips and products just isn’t a priority.
To make matters worse, it’s often impossible to patch the software or upgrade the components to the latest version.
Even when a patch is possible, it’s rarely applied.
And the Internet of Things will only make this problem worse, as the Internet — as well as our homes and bodies — becomes flooded with new embedded devices that will be equally poorly maintained and unpatchable.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Flexibility will make tomorrow’s data center
The research house Gartner forecasts the data center’s physical location is losing relevance.
New, more effective networks and mobile operations emergence of cloud services are revolutionizing the data center business, executive vice president David Cappuccio says.
“Alongside this development, data center maintenance of the importance of the business to grow. New data center companies acquire a competitive advantage and are investing more and more in information security,” Gartner Research infrastructure Capuccio to predict.
“Software driven networks and related storage dominate the discussion. All of the new data centers are designed in accordance with the concepts of software.”
“Organizations are studying alternative locations where the risk can be reduced, and manage workloads more efficiently,” Cappuccio says.
It goes without saying that the shared resources effectively increase productivity, enhance the competitive advantage of IT services.
Gartner believes that data centers related to the new way of thinking also requires the transformation of organizations, IT strategies.
Source: Tietoviikko
http://www.tietoviikko.fi/cio/notkeus+tekee+huomisen+konesalin/a955327
Tomi Engdahl says:
Intel outs PC-on-SD: Tiny computer for Internet of Things and wearables
Edison is x86 giant’s latest attempt to cope with an ARM world
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/01/07/intel_demos_pconsd_tiny_computer_for_internet_of_things_and_wearables/
While Edison is based on the established SD card form-factor, Intel hasn’t confirmed the card uses the storage format’s electrical interface. We assume it does: there would be little point in adopting the SD card size and shape if developers couldn’t fit a low-cost SD card slot onto their project boards to take the Intel card.
Intel’s approach is identical to that of Anglo-American Internet of Things startup Electric Imp, which has been offering an SD card-sized device for almost a year. Unlike Edison, the ARM-based Imp, in either its slot-in SD card or solder-on form, lacks Bluetooth Smart for device-to-device connectivity. Instead, it uses Wi-Fi to connect code running on the card to web- or app-based user interfaces via the firm’s servers.
Indeed, that’s a key aspect Edison lacks: a dedicated server infrastructure developers – be they individual makers, small startups or even major OEMs – can leverage to link IoT hardware embedded in their products to apps on users’ phones, tablets or traditional computers.
To be fair, Edison is aimed more at the wearables market than IoT applications, though its form-factor makes it suitable for both. In any case, Imp is available now; Edison won’t be available, Intel said, until the summer.
Tomi Engdahl says:
http://www.cio.com/article/745393/Gartner_Global_IT_spending_will_grow_slightly_in_2014?taxonomyId=1375
Tomi Engdahl says:
Gartner: Global IT spending will grow slightly in 2014
http://www.cio.com/article/745393/Gartner_Global_IT_spending_will_grow_slightly_in_2014?taxonomyId=1375
Enterprise software spending will drive the growth in spending, while telecom spending is a drag
Worldwide spending for IT and telecom will total US$3.8 trillion, with enterprise software spending driving the growth, Gartner said Monday. Enterprise software spending will total $320 billion, growing 6.8 percent in 2014, the research firm said.
In January 2013, Gartner predicted IT spending growth of 4.2 percent for the year, but growth ended up at 0.4 percent.
Telecom services will grow just 1.2 percent during the year, to $1.7 trillion, Gartner predicted. While telecom services will see the lowest growth of five categories measured by Gartner, it will still improve compared to 2013, when it dropped 0.5 percent, Gartner said. A year ago, the firm had predicted growth of 2.4 percent in that category.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Data caps be damned, AT&T says providers can pay for mobile broadband
Carrier acknowledges data caps hurt internet business
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/01/06/att_to_let_providers_pay_for_broadband/
AT&T has unveiled a scheme which will allow web service providers to pay for the data bandwidth customers use.
The company said that its Sponsored Data service will bill content providers, rather than customers, for the broadband data consumed by a service. Any content accessed via the service will not be counted towards a user’s wireless data cap.
AT&T believes that the plan will help to expand the use of web services on its 4G wireless broadband network by removing the worry customers have of using up their plan’s allocated wireless data quota.
“Customers love mobile content. Whether it’s shopping, banking, entertainment or personal wellness, mobile content is increasingly available for customers almost anywhere and anytime,” said AT&T Mobility CEO and president Ralph de la Vega.
Tomi Engdahl says:
AT&T takes aim at T-Mobile with $450 cashback lure
Begun the Phone War has
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/01/04/att_takes_aim_at_rival_tmobile_with_450_cashback_offer/
US mobile phone users could have a very happy 2014 after AT&T effectively declared war on T-Mobile in an effort to stop the upstart carrier from winning over its customers.
T-Mobile has seen stellar growth since it stopped trying to sell itself off and decided to shake up the market instead. The company was the first major US carrier to do away with two-year contracts, and started offering unlimited data and no international data-roaming charges as well last year.
As a result, T-Mobile is growing strongly.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Wolfram’s Connected Devices Project starts to catalog all electronics for the Internet of Things
http://www.theverge.com/2014/1/7/5283356/wolfram-connected-devices-project-catalogs-all-devices
Stephen Wolfram recently described his programming language — called, understandably, Wolfram Language — as his “most important project.” The easy-to-use language, Wolfram says in his blog, allows users to “describe and compute about things in the world.” But that’s not enough for the British scientist: he says we also need a way to “measure and interface” with those things.
That’s why he’s introduced the Wolfram Connected Devices Project. The project is a repository of device information, a database that keeps track of the size, price, and specifications of electronic products as varied as heart monitors and GPS trackers.
Tomi Engdahl says:
How the NSA Almost Killed the Internet
http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2014/01/how-the-us-almost-killed-the-internet/all/
Google, Facebook, Microsoft, and the other tech titans have had to fight for their lives against their own government. An exclusive look inside their year from hell—and why the Internet will never be the same.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Oracle swallows Corente, hopes to kick rivals in software networking bits
Larry Ellison’s firm joins the SDN crowd
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/01/08/oracle_buys_corente/
Oracle is buying software defined networking specialist Corente, upping the stakes in telecoms and cloud.
Corente makes software to manage and provision applications and services regardless of IP network, transport type, access, security or provider over a wide area.
Oracle promised it will deliver “a complete portfolio” for cloud deployments using Corente.
The idea is to combine Oracle’s systems with Corente’s SDN to virtualise the enterprise data centre and local- and wide-area networks, to speed up deployment and improve management and security for clouds.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Industry Insider December 2013
http://rtcmagazine.com/articles/view/103429
ARM-Based Telecom to Attack the Cloud—Virtualized Everything and Software Defined Everything
With the advent of 64-bit versions of the ARM architecture, the idea that seems to connect ARM to smaller, mobile and embedded devices is being revised as it is attracting serious attention in the server space. Dell, for example, has demonstrated design aimed at precisely that arena, and the newer processors are moving into areas of the Cloud by virtue of their power to performance ratio. Now MontaVista has announced support for the game-changing ARMv8 architecture. Carrier Grade Edition (CGE) 7 Linux now also includes advanced virtualization features to enable seamless hardware acceleration for the performance-sensitive Software Defined Network (SDN) and Network Function Virtualization (NFV) market. MontaVista software solutions are deployed by leading Telecom Equipment Manufacturers (TEMs) that are building next generation routers, switches, security and application gateways, and 3G, 4G/LTE equipment for service providers and enterprise.
The exponential rise of connected devices is adding tremendous demands on network infrastructure. Service providers are looking to TEMs to provide dynamic and scalable systems that will address the changing demands of the market. Advanced system-on-chip (SoC) virtualization with seamless application layer support of network acceleration hardware is key for the performance-based SDN architecture and NFV-enabled systems of tomorrow.
“Deterministic and scalable CGE Linux is a critical component to virtualizing the converged compute, network and storage solutions. Highly optimized clouds for the telecom market will require advanced virtualization support across multiple architectures with transparent support for hardware-based network acceleration. Only MontaVista offers seamless, tightly coupled hardware abstraction with advanced virtualization across multiple processor platforms,” said Sanjay Raina, president of MontaVista Software.
Tomi Engdahl says:
WiGig Connects with Wi-Fi to Shape the Wireless World
http://rtcmagazine.com/articles/view/103416
The promise of no wires underfoot—and many other connectivity advantages—is moving closer to reality with the continuing advancement of 60 GHz WiGig, now part of the Wi-Fi Alliance, and the growing involvement of peripheral protocols.
Tomi Engdahl says:
T-Mobile will now pay $350 for you to leave AT&T, Sprint, or Verizon
http://www.theverge.com/2014/1/8/5289044/t-mobile-will-pay-you-up-to-350-to-leave-your-existing-carrier
Just as predicted, T-Mobile’s latest hyped-up plan to change the cellular industry is this: the company will pay your early termination fee if you agree to switch. Starting tomorrow, the company will pay you up to $350 per line to cover early termination fees and release you from a contract with AT&T, Sprint, or Verizon.
Unfortunately, there are quite a few catches.
Unsurprisingly, T-Mobile is trumpeting the idea as a bold new idea.
Tomi Engdahl says:
T-Mobile CEO: “This industry blows,” biggest carriers offer “horsesh**”
T-Mobile will pay early termination fees for AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon customers.
http://arstechnica.com/business/2014/01/t-mobile-ceo-this-industry-blows-biggest-carriers-offer-horsesh/
Family plans are “total horseshit… nothing more than a contract on super steroids with staggered dates—a complete life sentence,” Legere said.
“This industry blows. It’s just broken. It needs change,” Legere said.
His speech today wasn’t all bluster, though. T-Mobile said it would pay off early termination fees (ETF) for customers who switch from AT&T, Sprint, or Verizon. “With an eligible phone trade-in, the total value of the offer to switch to T-Mobile could be as high as $650 per line,” the company’s announcement said. “ETFs can cost as much as $350 per line. Multiply that two, three, or four times for a family, and switching becomes an extremely expensive proposition.”
T-Mobile argued that family plans lock people into their carriers for much longer than two years because “with staggered expiration dates and early termination fees, they’re really locking you in forever.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
First look: iOS-connected smart watches, health trackers, home automation from Archos
http://appleinsider.com/articles/14/01/08/first-look-ios-connected-smart-watches-health-trackers-home-automation-from-archos
Archos is hitting the wearable devices market hard in 2014, with a new range of products showcased at the Consumer Electronics Show capable of connecting to Apple’s iOS mobile platform via Bluetooth Low Energy.
The company also has an iPhone-compatible pedometer, a blood pressure monitor, and a connected scale all coming this year.
Finally, Archos is looking to bring the whole package together with system of connected/automated home devices that interface with both iOS and the company’s proprietary Android-based Smart Home Tablet.
The setup is structured around connected sensors, like a motion sensor, indoor/outdoor camera, weather monitor and even a tracking tag that attaches to pets. The motion sensors, for example, can detect when a window or door is opened, or keep tabs on activities within the house.
Tomi Engdahl says:
T-Mobile US: AT&T’s contract buyout deal is so ‘desperate’, we’ll do it too
Network shocked by rival’s cell plan offer – shocked they were beaten to it
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/01/09/tmobile_us_contract_buyout_offer/
Tomi Engdahl says:
10 Top IoT Stories of 2013
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1320583&
We posted as many as 130 stories and blogs on the Internet of Things in 2013, about one every other work day. Fifty of those stories got more than 2,000 views each, the top 20 got at least 5,000, and the top 10 were each viewed 10,000 times or more.
The most viewed IoT story of the year revealed readers’ curiosity is closely allied with a sense of insecurity. Mohit Arora, a security architect at Freescale, wrote an analysis with the provocative title How Secure Is AES Against Brute Force Attacks? that got 29,589 views.
Tomi Engdahl says:
IoT
Slideshow
10 Tiny Development Boards That Are Up to the Task
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1319070
Not so long ago, the typical development board was big, bulky, and often handmade. Recently a flood of Lilliputian-size development boards has been released — one for just about any need.
We’ve assembled a collection of 10 boards so small you might lose them in the cushions of your couch.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Cisco, Dell, HP, IBM and EMC have most to lose in China post NSA-gate: Report
http://gigaom.com/2014/01/09/cisco-hp-ibm-and-emc-have-most-to-lose-in-china-post-nsa-gate-report/
Summary:
A new Sanford Bernstein research note susses out the potential damage to U.S. tech companies — especially in China — in the wake of Edward Snowden’s disclosures.
Tomi Engdahl says:
New FCC headman brandishes net neutrality carrot and stick
Tom Wheeler: Freedom fosters innovation… but don’t ‘SCREW UP the internet’
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/01/09/fcc_chirman_tom_wheeler_promises_light_but_watchful_regulation/
“We’re strong supporters, as I’ve said before, of the open internet,”
“The open internet order was drafted in a way that encouraged innovation,” he said. “It recognized the difference between wireless and wireline, and also said, ‘But! You won’t screw up the operation of the internet. You won’t act in uncompetitive, anti-competitive ways. And you won’t act in preferential ways’.”
From Wheeler’s point of view, the FCC’s role is not to set up comprehensive guidelines about how networks should be created, managed, and monetized, but rather to allow the market to do its thing while at the same time keeping a sharp eye on the players in that market and slap them back into shape when they get out of line.
This approach is a different one that the FCC took just a few decades ago, he said.
“Change is happening so fast that even the wisest and best-intentioned people can’t sit around and be proscriptive,” he said. “But what we can do is say that we want to have an environment that encourages innovation and holds true to a set of values, and maintains authority to deal with the protection of those values.”
As an example of the new regulatory attitude, Wheeler said that the reason that the US is the world leader in rolling out LTE is because the government didn’t lay out a comprehensive LTE plan and then require the private sector to adhere to it.
When his FCC sees anticompetitive activities, he said, “Make no mistake. We’re ready, willing, and have the capacity and the legal jurisdiction to intervene.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Future 5g mobile networks consist of large macro cells in addition to a large number of smaller femto-and pico-cells. These access points should be connected to high-speed network link. 60 GHz wireless link is one potential option.
5g networks, research began in earnest in December, when the European Commission was set up under the leadership of 5GPPP Community to organize future 5g networks research.
5g standardization is started, for example, Nokia’s Networks & Solutions by the end of 2015. Prepare to become a 2018-2019 time.
It looks like the standardization would be made organization 3GPP working groups (like 3G and 4G networks were did).
Source: Elektroniikkalehti
http://etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=818:60-gigahertsia-yhdistaa-pientukiasemat&catid=13&Itemid=101
Tomi Engdahl says:
ppliances: Smart home:
Best smart home devices
http://reviews.cnet.com/best-smart-home-devices/
From smart locks to smart lights, we’ve reviewed all kinds of connected home products this year. This category is growing rapidly, but here are our favorites so far.
Tomi Engdahl says:
CES 2014 Trends: Wireless Networks Need to Learn to Cooperate
http://spectrum.ieee.org/podcast/telecom/wireless/ces-2014-trends-wireless-networks-need-to-learn-to-cooperate
As the demand for bandwidth increases, wireless engineers are trying to figure out how to efficiently use all available networks, without sacrificing privacy and security
The big trends this year were an increased focus on cooperation and hand-offs between networks, an increased focus on privacy and security, and questions about how to make money from it all.
Stephen Cass: The big trend is everybody having to get their wireless technologies working together. I think, in the past, you had one device and it might have one or maybe two wireless technologies. If you had a cellular phone, it might have just had a 3G or 4G connection and Bluetooth; if you had a laptop it had Wi-Fi. And I think now we’re moving to a world where every device will be expected to negotiate multiple wireless systems, so you can move very seamlessly from place to place. The reason why everybody—from device manufacturers to the cellphone carriers—are interested in this, is being able to deal with huge amounts of traffic. The idea is the ability to offload traffic. Most traffic occurs in buildings, so if you’re on a cellphone and you’re doing a streaming video call, there’s not really a need to send that traffic to a cellphone tower down the block. Instead, why not pick it up inside the building, where all the other people who are trying to do video calls are. So it’s really about how to very seamlessly hand off between these different technologies. Of course, a big challenge with that is the interference; now you’re combining multiple radios into one board or one chip, and with five or six radios you’re talking about interference within the device. And then you’ve got to deal with huge amounts of interference between users on the scale of city block. So that’s kind of the big technical challenge, but there does seem to be huge momentum to overcome this.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Smart TVs, smart fridges, smart washing machines? Disaster waiting to happen
Op-ed: Hardware companies are generally bad at writing software—and bad at updating it.
http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2014/01/smart-tvs-smart-fridges-smart-washing-machines-disaster-waiting-to-happen/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Setting Rules for the Internet of Things
http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2014/01/09/setting-rules-for-the-internet-of-things/
Doors that unlock via smartphone. Household appliances that can be operated remotely. Baby clothes with sensors that notify parents when their child rolls over.
The so-called Internet of Things – highlight of the Consumer Electronics Show — promises untold wonders. But it also will require rules, federal officials say.
At a panel discussion Wednesday, officials expressed concerns about issues like freeing enough airwaves to ensure the devices can communicate without interference. Regulators say they’re wary of imposing rules that would stifle innovation, but want to protect public security and privacy.
“I think regulators need to be very careful and allow markets to develop, not try to guess where it’s going to go because they’re probably going to be wrong,” McDowell said.
“Technology is moving faster than regulation,” Pepper said. “You can have a very serious negative impact if you regulate prematurely or in the wrong ways.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Intel Surfs Millimeter Waves to 5G
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1320619&
After leading a successful charge to bring 60 GHz to wireless LANs, an Intel executive is driving research to define a proposal for using millimeter wave wireless in next-generation cellular systems.
Sadri led the WiGig effort that defined a specification for 60 GHz as a local-area network. The spec became the basis for today’s IEEE 802.11ad standard, and the WiGig group was folded into the WiFi Alliance last year.
Sadri’s team is now working on a tech demo of 60 GHz as a backhaul link for so-called small cell base stations that could be shown at the Mobile World Congress in February. The team is also researching 28 GHz and 39 GHz as access links to mobile devices, targeting a throughput of 1 Gbit/s or more at distances of at least 200 meters.
Intel is among the growing ranks of companies that say 5G cellular systems will need to use millimeter wave links
The higher frequencies promise more spectrum and faster data throughput, though at shorter ranges.
Tomi Engdahl says:
FCC’s Wheeler Stresses ‘Values’ in CES Debut
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1320620&
Tomi Engdahl says:
One of the mobile revolution is the front lines of the last building automation. It consists of heating, air conditioning and cooling, and lighting, security and fire alarms. In building is now focused on energy conservation. One of the key components of this trend is a programmable thermostat.
Source: Elektroniikkalehti
http://www.elektroniikkalehti.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=827:uusi-artikkeli-aly-valtaa-kodin&catid=13:news&Itemid=101
Tomi Engdahl says:
Internet of Things: The “Basket of Remotes” Problem
http://www.mondaynote.com/2014/01/12/internet-of-things-the-basket-of-remotes-problem/
We count on WiFi and Bluetooth in our homes, but we don’t have appliances that provide self-description or reliable two-way communication. As a result, the Internet of Things for consumers is, in practice, a Basket of Remotes.
A little bit of background before we rummage through the basket.
In practice, there are two Internets of Things: One version for Industry, and another for Consumers.
The Industrial IoT is alive and well. A gas refinery is a good example: Wired and wireless sensors monitor the environment, data is transmitted to control centers, actuators direct the flow of energy and other activities. And the entire system is managed by IT pros who have the skill, training, and culture — not to mention the staff — to oversee the (literal) myriad unseen devices that control complicated and dangerous processes.
The management of any large corporation’s energy, environment, and safety requires IT professionals whose raison d’être is the mastery of technology. (In my fantasy, I’d eavesdrop on Google’s hypergalactic control center, the corporate Internet of Things that manage the company’s 10 million servers…)
Things aren’t so rosy in the consumer realm.
For consumers, technology should get out of the way — it’s a means, not an end. Consumers don’t have the mindset or training of IT techies, they don’t have the time or focus to build a mental representation of a network of devices, their interactions and failure modes
For an answer, or lack thereof, we now come back to the Basket of Remotes.
I once visited the home of an engineer who managed software development at an illustrious Silicon Valley company. I was shocked, shocked to see a basket of remotes next to the couch in front of his TV. ‘What? You don’t use a programmable remote to subsume this mess into one elegant device and three of four functions, TV, DVR, VoD, MP3 music?’
‘No, it’s too complicated, too unreliable. Each remote does its separate job well, with an easy mental representation. These dumb devices don’t talk back, there’s no way for a unified remote to ask what state they’re in. So I gave up — I have enough mental puzzles at the office!’
Indeed, so-called “smart” TVs are unable to provide a machine-readable description of the commands they understand (an XML file, also readable by a human, would do). We can’t stand in front of a TV with a “fresh” universal remote – or a smartphone app – touch the Learn button and have the TV wirelessly ship the list of commands it understands…and so on to the next appliance, security system or, if you insist, fridge and toaster.
If an appliance would yield its control and reporting data, an app developer could build a “control center” that would summarize and manage your networked devices. But in the Consumer IoT world, we’re still very far from this desirable state of affairs.
Why don’t Consumer Electronics manufacturers provide machine self-description and two-way communication? One possible answer is that they’re engaged in a cost-cutting race to the bottom and thus have no incentive to build more intelligence into their devices. If so, why build unbearably dumb apps in their Smart TVs?
Tomi Engdahl says:
When Google closes the Nest deal, privacy issues for the internet of things will hit the big time
http://gigaom.com/2014/01/13/when-google-closes-the-nest-deal-privacy-issues-for-the-internet-of-things-will-hit-the-big-time/
Google intends to buy a connected thermostat that knows when you’re home and where you are within it. Given Google’s quest to index all the world’s information, this deal should jumpstart the conversation about privacy and the internet of things.
More information:
http://gigaom.com/2014/01/13/when-google-closes-the-nest-deal-privacy-issues-for-the-internet-of-things-will-hit-the-big-time/
http://gigaom.com/2014/01/13/the-winners-and-losers-in-googles-acquisition-of-nest/
http://investor.google.com/releases/2014/0113.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
Court strikes down FCC’s net neutrality rules, agency may appeal
http://gigaom.com/2014/01/14/breaking-court-strikes-down-fccs-net-neutrality-rules/
Summary:
In a ruling that has significant implications for the future of the internet, an appeals court has ruled that the FCC cannot impose so-called “net neutrality rules.”
An appeals court in Washington on Tuesday ruled that the FCC’s “net neutrality” rules, which prevent companies like Verizon from favoring some types of internet traffic over others, are invalid.
The court’s ruling is a game-changer because it upsets the FCC’s current practice of requiring broadband internet providers to act akin to “common carriers.” In plain English, this means that they have had to behave in a similar way to phone companies and not give special preference to one type of call (or traffic) over another.
Going into the case the FCC’s ability to regulate broadband providers was not clear cut
The ruling did, however, preserve the FCC’s current power to require Verizon and other broadband obligations to disclose their activities — in other words, to reveal how they are managing traffic
Tomi Engdahl says:
Report investigates data center Ethernet switch market challenges
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2014/01/ethernet-switch-market-challenges.html
TechNavio’s analysts forecast the global data center Ethernet switch market to grow at a CAGR of 16.27 percent over the period from 2013-2018. According to the report, among the numerous growth drivers of the market, the transition to 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10-GbE) switching ports is the major growth driver. The demand for 10-GbE ports is increasing at a much higher rate than the demand for Gigabit Ethernet switching ports, finds the data.
The report finds that high demand for 10 GbE switches is not only due to the reduction in the price of these switches, but is also primarily due to the high speed provided by the switches.
Further, the report states that one of the main challenges to the overall market is the decline in equipment prices.
The analyst finds that the growth rate for Ethernet switches is still far behind the increasing shipment of the networking ports.
The report also investigates how the global data center Ethernet switch market has been witnessing the transition to software-defined networking (SDN) technology. “SDN is a network architecture where the software interacts directly and dynamically with the network infrastructure. The software includes functions such as applications, content, and services that are stored or executed in data centers,” comments an analyst for TechNavio.
The analyst adds, “SDN is unique because applications and services do not normally interact with network infrastructure directly; neither are they visible to the network. Enterprises can partition their networks for private use through the adoption of SDN technologies. This can help organizations such as banks share confidential data more securely. Moreover, security firewalls can be added as application software in the network, making the network economical and manageable. Through SDN deployment, IT can become agile by organizing network services and monitoring the network through high-level policies instead of low-level network device configurations.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nanosecond optical switches solve for low latency data centers, SDN, quantum photonics
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2013/12/nanosecond-optical-switches.html
Japanese optical components developer EpiPhotonics Corp. has developed 8×8 PLZT optical switch and PLZT arrayed variable optical attenuator (VOA) products with a 20-ns switching speed. EpiPhotonics has also introduced new versions of the PLZT nanosecond-speed optical switches featuring integrated tapered waveguides for lower loss.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Mellanox 10/40-GbE adapters land in Dell’s mainstream server, networking products
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2013/12/mellanox-dell-integrate.html
The companies say the Dell systems with the Mellanox dual-port 10/40GbE NICs are positioned to help data center customers increase mobility and scalability at the highest throughput with lower CPU overhead and cloud application costs.
“Our collaboration with Mellanox helps us provide our customers with high performance and bandwidth, at increased capacity, lower power and reduced operating costs.” Mellanox notes that its 10/40-GbE NICs and ConnectX-3 based adapters support RDMA over Converged Ethernet (RoCE). Remote Direct Memory Access (RDMA) technology offloads the data transport to free up the CPU for virtualized networks, data intensive cloud applications and data analytics.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Hyper-fast Wi-Fi chip guru Wilocity: Cisco dalliance is our ticket to enterprise
Own stock in a desktop-cable company? Sell it
By Rik Myslewski, 15th January 2014
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/01/15/hyperfast_wifi_chipmaker_wilocity_unveils_its_plans_for_enterprise_conquest/
WiGig pioneer Wilocity, developer of 5Gbps 802.11ad Wi-Fi chippery, has shipped more than a million of its chipsets, but it has bigger plans for the future of its tri-band 60GHz, 5GHz, and 2.4GHz chipsets – including using them to turn desktop phones made by its new partner, Cisco, into wireless desktop hubs.
Currently, Wilocity’s 802.11ad tech appears in multiple Dell Ultrabooks and workstations, plus that company’s Wireless Dock, where it pipes audio, video, USB 3.0, gigabit Ethernet, and other connectivity to its connected client over high-speed wireless signals.
“That’s kind of yesterday,”
The middle of this year, Tamir told us, will see an upgraded, smarter dock that the company dubs “Stingray”
Stingray expands on the existing docks’ wireless connectivity by adding the ability to run a thin client – a small Linux system, for example – on the dock even when notebooks, tablets, or whatever are undocked. “You still have a useful kind of a desktop experience that you can work with,” Tamir said, giving the example of a Netflix client running on Stingray’s Marvell system-on-chip.
Tamir showed us Stingray boxes connected to Cisco’s Prime for IT management system, which gives an admin visibility into and control over Stingray’s connectivity services, and provides the ability to manage the levels of services provided to devices connected via Stingray. “I can do anything that Prime can do,” he said, demoing the setup. “That makes [Stingray] an enterprise-grade box.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
SCCN, AJC embiggen undersea pipes
Capacity upgrades abound
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/01/14/sccn_ajc_embiggen_undersea_pipes/
With multiple trans-Pacific cable proposals in the offing, Southern Cross Cable Network has deployed its tried-and-tested response to looming competition and announced a major capacity upgrade.
By July this year, the Ciena WaveLogic 3 deployment will add 500 Gbps to SCCN’s two trans-Pacific cables, taking the total lit capacity on its network to 3.6 Tbps.
SCCN isn’t the only ex-Australia cable operator to plan embiggening its pipes this yea
Tomi Engdahl says:
When Google closes the Nest deal, privacy issues for the internet of things will hit the big time
http://gigaom.com/2014/01/13/when-google-closes-the-nest-deal-privacy-issues-for-the-internet-of-things-will-hit-the-big-time/
Summary:
Google intends to buy a connected thermostat that knows when you’re home and where you are within it. Given Google’s quest to index all the world’s information, this deal should jumpstart the conversation about privacy and the internet of things.
Google rocked the smart home market Monday with its intention to purchase connected home thermostat maker Nest for $3.2 billion, which will force a much-needed conversation about data privacy and security for the internet of things.
It’s a conversation that has seemingly stalled as advocates for the connected home expound upon the benefits in convenience, energy efficiency and even the health of people who are collecting and connecting their data and devices together through a variety of gadgets and services. On the other side are hackers and security researchers who warn how easy some of the devices are to exploit — gaining control of data or even video streams about what’s going on in the home.
But when a company like Google — which has had numerous run-ins over privacy in the U.S. and abroad — plans to buy a company that makes products equipped with motion detectors that track what’s happening inside the home, it’s time that conversation about privacy and the internet of things takes a step forward.
More information:
http://gigaom.com/2014/01/13/when-google-closes-the-nest-deal-privacy-issues-for-the-internet-of-things-will-hit-the-big-time/
http://gigaom.com/2014/01/13/the-winners-and-losers-in-googles-acquisition-of-nest/
http://investor.google.com/releases/2014/0113.html
http://gigaom.com/2014/01/13/breaking-google-acquires-digital-device-maker-nest-for-3-2b/
http://tech.slashdot.org/story/14/01/13/2256228/google-buys-home-automation-company-nest
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/01/13/google_buys_smart_home_device_builder_nest_for_32_beeelion_in_cash/
http://www.tietokone.fi/artikkeli/uutiset/googlen_suuri_yritysosto_nest_kalliimpi_kuin_youtube
http://www.tietoviikko.fi/kaikki_uutiset/google+alkaa+nuuskia+koteja+uusilla+vempeleillaan/a959351
http://techcrunch.com/2014/01/13/nest-says-customer-data-from-devices-will-only-be-used-for-nest-products-and-services/
https://nest.com/blog/2014/01/13/welcome-home/
http://recode.net/2014/01/13/google-acquires-nest-for-3-2b/
http://daringfireball.net/2014/01/googles_acquisition_of_nest
http://www.wired.com/business/2014/01/google-nest-buy/
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2322719/google-spends-usd32bn-feathering-its-nest
http://www.elektroniikkalehti.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=833:google-panostaa-kotiautomaatioon&catid=13&Itemid=101
http://techcrunch.com/2014/01/13/nest-investors-strike-it-rich/?source=gravity
http://www.tietokone.fi/artikkeli/uutiset/googlen_suuri_yritysosto_nest_kalliimpi_kuin_youtube
http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_24834727/palo-altos-nest-labs-reportedly-raising-at-least
http://www.tietoviikko.fi/kaikki_uutiset/google+alkaa+nuuskia+koteja+uusilla+vempeleillaan/a959351
Tomi Engdahl says:
CES Unveiled: Toys, Fitness, Surveillance & IoT
Serious toys go beyond ‘gadget’
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1320567&
Tomi Engdahl says:
Advancing the IoT Through a Tech Alliance Super Club
http://www.designnews.com/author.asp?section_id=1386&doc_id=270915&cid=nl.dn14
bRight Switch Invents Android-Powered Homes
http://www.designnews.com/document.asp?doc_id=270914&cid=nl.dn14