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 Forecast of 50 Billion Devices by 2020 Is Outdated.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:
Eight Views of Bluetooth World
Mesh due in July, disposables on a far horizon
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1331536
Tomi Engdahl says:
The $10 Hardware Hack That Wrecks IoT Security
https://www.wired.com/story/sd-card-hack-iot-zero-days
Most consumer tech manufacturers figure that once a hacker can physically access a device, there’s not much left that can be done to defend it. But a group of researchers known as the Exploitee.rs say that giving up too soon leaves devices susceptible to hardware attacks that can lead to bigger problems. Hardware hack techniques, like a flash memory attack they developed, can facilitate the discovery of software bugs that not only expose the one hacked device, but every other unit of that model.
The group, which includes the hackers Zenofex, 0x00string, and maximus64_, presented their flash memory hack this week at the Black Hat security conference in Las Vegas. On Saturday, they built on it at DefCon by presenting 22 zero-day (previously undisclosed) exploits in a range of consumer products—mainly home automation and Internet of Things devices—a number of which they discovered using that hack.
Tinker, Hacker, Solder, Spy
On many devices, all it takes to access everything stored on the flash memory chip is a $10 SD card reader, some wire, and some soldering experience. The researchers focus on a type of memory called eMMC flash, because they can access it cheaply and easily by connecting to just five pins (electrical connections). By soldering five wires to the chip—a command line, a clock line, a data line, a power line, and a ground—they can get read/write access that lets them exfiltrate data and start reprogramming to eventually control the whole device.
This process could theoretically work on any digital device that uses flash memory, but most types would require interfacing with more pins than eMMC does, and many necessitate specialized readers and protocols to gain access. “For the most common types of memory, most people don’t want to open things up, solder to them, do all that kind of stuff, because it’s kind of a giant mess,” Heres says. “But with eMMC you can do it with five wires. Of course, the soldering is a little difficult, but totally doable. It’s not 40 or 50 wires.”
Some data recovery services already use that method to help customers retrieve their information from broken devices, but it isn’t widely known.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Will ‘Smart Cities’ Violate Our Privacy?
https://yro.slashdot.org/story/17/07/30/0416205/will-smart-cities-violate-our-privacy
An anonymous reader quotes Computerworld’s article on the implications of New York City’s plan to blanket the city with “smart” kiosks offering ultrafast Wi-Fi.
The existence of smart-city implementations like Intersection’s LinkNYC means that New Yorkers won’t actually need mobile contracts anymore. Most who would otherwise pay for them will no doubt continue to do so for the convenience. But those who could not afford a phone contract in the past will have ubiquitous fast connectivity in the future. This strongly erodes the digital divide within smart cities. A 2015 study conducted by New York City found that more than a quarter of city households had no internet connectivity at home, and more than half a million people didn’t own their own computer…
Intersection, a Google-backed startup, has already installed 1,000 of the kiosks in New York, and is planning to install 7,000 more. The sides of the kiosk have screens which show alerts and other public information — as well as advertisements, which cover all the costs of the installations and even bring extra money into the city coffers.
How smart cities like New York City will drive enterprise change
http://www.computerworld.com/article/3211402/mobile-wireless/how-smart-cities-like-new-york-city-will-drive-enterprise-change.html
Laying high-speed fiber across an entire city and connecting sensor-based public Wi-Fi kiosks is good for the public — and very good for business.
Everybody talks about smart cities, but few are doing anything about it.
New York City is an exception. It’s in the early stages of an ambitious project to blanket the city with ultrafast Wi-Fi via smart kiosks, which will replace obsolete public telephones.
These kiosks are the work of a Google-backed startup called Intersection. The company has already installed around 1,000 kiosks, and aims to install more than 6,000 more, Intersection Chief Innovation Officer Colin O’Donnell said in an interview this week.
Each kiosk is around nine feet high and relatively flat. Each flat side houses a big-screen display that pays for the whole operation with advertising. The screens also show emergency and other public information.
A smaller user terminal on the skinny edge facing away from the street allows one user at a time to access information and make calls. The screen is a locked-down Android tablet with a custom interface offering a few apps to access various services, including one for paying parking tickets and another for voter registration.
Below the screen on the left is a big, red button for a one-press 911 emergency call. Under that is an audio jack, where non-iPhone users can insert their headphones or earbuds for privacy.
Each kiosk provides free, high-speed Wi-Fi for anyone in range. By selecting the Wi-Fi network at one kiosk, and authenticating with an email address, each user will be automatically connected to every other LinkNYC kiosk they get within range of. Eventually, anyone will be able to walk around most of the city without losing the connection to these hotspots.
Wide-angle cameras on each side of the kiosks point up and down the street and sidewalk, approximating a 360-degree view. The company claims it deletes stored videos after 7 days, unless there’s a compelling reason to keep them, according to O’Donnell.
While the built-in kiosk tablet doesn’t appear to offer a high-performance user experience, the public Wi-Fi is blistering fast — far faster than the average connection speeds offered by mobile carriers over cell networks
This is possible because LinkNYC kiosks are connected by fiber
It’s paid for by the advertising and costs nothing to taxpayers. In fact, the city is expected to earn $500 million over the 10-year Intersection contract.
London is the second Intersection city, where the project is called InLinkUK and the kiosks are called “InLinks.” The London project is more modest, with a goal of around 1,000 kiosks.
Smart cities: the immediate impact
LinkNYC is already changing New York; two million people are now using the system — twice as many as in January.
The existence of smart-city implementations like Intersection’s LinkNYC means that New Yorkers won’t actually need mobile contracts anymore. Most who would otherwise pay for them will no doubt continue to do so for the convenience. But those who could not afford a phone contract in the past will have ubiquitous fast connectivity in the future.
This strongly erodes the digital divide within smart cities.
Smart cities are built on citywide fiber networks, which can eventually (as with the case of ZenFi’s network) connect 5G wireless antennas on every street corner and every floor of every office building back to the core network. This densification of the wireless networks is the true hero of the smart cities revolution, enabling not only smart-city kiosks, but capacity for high-speed wireless applications on smartphones and tablets, widespread IoT deployments, mobile augmented reality applications, self-driving cars and more.
It’s also amazing that New York is leading the smart city charge. Because if the concept can make it there, it can make it anywhere. Dark-fiber deployments in New York typically cost far more than in just about any other city
Smart cities: the long-term impact
O’Donnell claims that smart city rollouts happen in three phases, which he says is about “building the city from the internet up.”
1. Instrumentation 2. Intelligence 3. Responsiveness.
Risks and rewards
Smart kiosks do carry risks, however. One involves privacy. O’Donnell said privacy policies aren’t set by Intersection, but are negotiated agreements between the company and the city. So if a city wants to use those cameras and sensors for surveillance, it can.
But the biggest risk revolves around hacking and the theft of data, monitoring of cameras and — a worst-case scenario — eventual control of the “Responsiveness” phase technology, where mayhem is deliberately caused.
Futurists and tech pundits often assume that if a beneficial set of technologies exists, it will be implemented and widely distributed. But this is obviously not true. Technology revolutions require drivers to realize them.
Tomi Engdahl says:
What’s the Difference Between IEEE 802.11af and 802.11ah?
http://www.mwrf.com/active-components/what-s-difference-between-ieee-80211af-and-80211ah?code=UM_Classics07217&utm_rid=CPG05000002750211&utm_campaign=12261&utm_medium=email&elq2=aceed5ee370749c1b840af54c0abd0db
Although IEEE 802.11af and 802.11ah are both sub-1-GHz standards, they are designed to fill different niches in upcoming IoT and wireless-backhaul applications.
The emerging Internet of Things (IoT) and machine-to-machine (M2M) communication markets demand wireless networking standards that operate in the sub-1 GHz spectrum, providing long-range and low-power operation. There also is a need to offload the data demands of smartphones and portable electronics from the cellular network.
The IEEE 802.11af and 802.11ah standards aim to solve these challenges by offering a Wi-Fi-like experience with reasonable data rates up to and beyond a kilometer. To do so, they occupy different parts of the 1-GHz spectrum and exhibit numerous other differences
Dynamic range has a fluid definition that depends on the method of noise-floor description.
What is IEEE 802.11ah?
Making use of the 900-MHz licensed exempt bands could enable long-range and low-power wireless sensor networks (WSNs) and other massive, multiple-node wireless networks based on stations and relays. With IEEE 802.11ah, the concept of a Wi-Fi-like wireless station can be realized. It promises range to 1 km at 1-, 2-, 4-, 8-, and 16-MHz channels with a minimum of 100-kbps throughput.
Maximum throughput for IEEE 802.11ah may reach as high as 40 Mbps.
This low-power and low-throughput mode enables short bursty data packets, which enable a very short on-time for remote or battery-powered sensors.
It is likely that IEEE 802.11ah will use a downsampled version of the IEEE 802.11a/g specifications to service the 26 channels around 900 MHz
To increase energy efficiency and power savings, the target-wake-time (TWT) function in IEEE 802.11ah permits a routine and scheduled sleep time for each access point and station.
In the United States, up to 26 MHz of spectrum is available at 900 MHz, enabling up to 16 MHz of bandwidth for the standard.
Given these factors, IEEE 802.11ah can provide an IP-based Wi-Fi-like system for M2M applications with much longer range and better material penetrating frequencies over earlier versions of Wi-Fi.
IEEE 802.11ah is now included as part of an amendment to the 802.11REVmc standard with working group approval planned for January 2016.
The IEEE 802.11 working group has already formed standards targeting the television white space (TVWS) in the very-high-frequency (VHF) band and lower end of the ultra-high-frequency (UHF) band from 54 to 790 MHz. In February 2014, the IEEE Std 802.11af -2013 amendment was approved, enabling wireless-local-area-network (WLAN) operation in TVWS
In addition, IEEE 802.11af uses many of the recent operational enhancement techniques adopted by the most recent IEEE 802.11 standards, such as multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO), orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM), and channel bonding. Specifically, IEEE 802.11af offers the ability to bond up to four of the 6-to-8-MHz-wide channels (the channel bandwidth depends upon the regulatory domain), which can be blocked into either one or two contiguous blocks
In terms of data rates, the maximum available data rate per spatial stream for IEEE 802.11af is 35.6 Mbps at an 8-MHz channel bandwidth.
Because IEEE 802.11af channels operate over a wide frequency range, propagation characteristics differ for the various channels. IEEE 802.11af may reach up to 1 km in range at maximum power with a single stream and channel and a lower data rate.
In the United States, only 6-MHz channel bandwidths are permitted in TV channels 2, 5, 6, 14-35, and 38-51 for a maximum of 48 hours of continuous use
IEEE 802.11af vs. IEEE 802.1ah
When it comes to the MAC and physical layer (PHY) for IEEE 802.11af and 802.11ah, the most significant differences are derived from a divergence in functional intent and spectrum. IEEE 802.11ah occupies a contiguous block of spectrum in the 900-MHz licensed exempt band. In contrast, IEEE 802.11af occupies many various channels of TVWS in pre-licensed bands. Its operation is limited based on potential regional interference.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Week In Review: IoT
IoT startups cash in; Prodea buys Arrayent; smart buildings outlook
https://semiengineering.com/the-week-in-review-iot-56/
Prospera, an agricultural IoT startup, raised $15 million in Series B funding, bringing its total funding to $22 million. Qualcomm Ventures led the round, joined by Cisco Investments, ICV Partners, and existing investor Bessemer Venture Partners. The company will use the money for global expansion, adding personnel to its customer service and delivery teams, and making a strategic shift from indoor farms to outdoor farms.
Aruba Research estimates 57% of companies have deployed IoT technology and 85% are seen using IoT by 2019. Arturo Neto writes about IoT market opportunities, challenges, and investments
IBM Security this week announced that an IBM X-Force Red team is offering security testing for IoT and automotive applications. The Watson IoT Platform will be used in conjunction with those services for IoT developers. Gartner forecasts 61 million new automobiles with data connectivity will be produced in 2020.
NXP Semiconductors and Amazon Web Services agreed on NXP’s use of the Amazon Greengrass software on the chip company’s Layerscape Intelligent Gateway platform. Amazon Greengrass extends the AWS Cloud’s capabilities to local devices.
Cloudera reports Navistar International received a 2017 Best Practices Award from TDWI for its use of the Cloudera Enterprise Data Hub to gather and analyze more than 70 data feeds from connected vehicles in real time, across multiple telematics sources.
Silicon Labs introduced the EFM32GG11 Giant Gecko line of industrial-strength microcontrollers for IoT applications.
Tech Data’s Cloud Solutions Store now offers IoT software from NEXIONA as part of its SmartForce IoT offering.
Teledyne LeCroy has brought out the Bluetooth Protocol Expert System software module for development of Bluetooth-based devices to be used in the IoT.
LG Electronics introduced five IoT sensors for detecting carbon monoxide, the opening and closing of doors, movement, smoke, and water leaks. These IoT devices connect with LG’s SmarThinQ mobile application for home appliances.
Research and Markets has a new report on the building automation and controls market, which it estimates will be worth $50 billion by 2018.
Tomi Engdahl says:
IoT in Smart Buildings Market Outlook and Forecasts 2017 – 2022
https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/b4gfvm/iot_in_smart#
The Internet of Things (IoT) continues to have a profound impact on building automation and controls. Smart Buildings rely on many technologies such as broadband wireless, cloud computing, and data management. IoT is arguably at the center of efficiency improvements and creating a safer and more pleasant work environment while raising workforce productivity.
Smart Buildings allow commercial real estate owners to charge higher rents as well as the ability to offer value-added services such as Smart Workplace solutions. Integrated Workplace Management Systems are often employed to manage workplace operations on an intra-building and inter-building basis.
The IoT enabled Smart Buildings market covers many solution and service areas, many of which are dependent upon intelligent centralized control via Building Automation Systems (BAS). Building automation and controls market has seen double digit growth in past few years and is expected to become a $50B USD industry by 2018.
Smart Building solutions are not just for office buildings. One sub-sector of commercial real estate (CRE) is the industrial real estate arena.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Internet Of Things: Now There’s A Growth Story
https://seekingalpha.com/article/4089645-internet-things-now-growth-story?ifp=0&utoken=9c0dd32595ca883c3b7aa2b6dcc21be9
Summary
- We are already dependent on being connected at all times.
- The next step is for everything to be connected at all times.
- There will be both aggressive and conservative ways to invest in this theme.
Depending on who you ask, you might get a different definition of the Internet of Things (IoT). Some might even call it the Internet of Everything or the Internet of Everywhere. Whatever name might stick in the future, one thing is certain – it is going to change the way we live our lives.
For the purpose of being consistent throughout this report, I will use Kevin Ashton’s definition of The Internet of Things:
“The Internet of Things means sensors connected to the Internet and behaving in an Internet-like way by making open, ad hoc connections, sharing data freely, and allowing unexpected applications, so computers can understand the world around them and become humanity’s nervous system.”
Who is Kevin Ashton and why this definition? Kevin Ashton is a British technology pioneer who created the standardized system for RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) and other sensors. He is credited with coming up with the term “the Internet of Things” and quite frankly, his definition of the term succinctly captures the essence of the IoT, even if a much longer explanation would be required to really articulate it.
All of the definitions mention connectivity, computing, objects, devices, sensors, non-computers, and minimal human intervention – the last point being the one component I would highlight and add to Ashton’s definition.
In layman’s terms, it describes the way your iWatch is connected to your iPhone is connected to your Echo and Fitbit and Alexa and Onstar and Ring – the list goes on and on. We’ve been using this Internet of Things for quite some time, but according to a variety of reports, it’s only going to grow faster and become more ubiquitous as consumers become more dependent on it. And we are so dependent on it already.
According to Aruba Research, 57% of companies have already adopted IoT and 85% are expected to do so by 2019. It is transforming the way companies do business, and in a survey of global companies, the respondents’ average return on investment was 34% with over a quarter of respondents reporting a 40% ROI and 10% of respondents reporting 60% ROI.
Many businesses that have already started integrating IoT into their practices have reported increases in productivity and yet others have pointed out intangible benefits like improved customer experience – one way to fight against online retailers like Amazon (AMZN).
Opportunity
What is the size of the opportunity? It’s mind-boggling, actually. Cisco predicts the number of connected devices at more than 24 billion by 2019. Morgan Stanley suggests there will be more than 75 billion devices by 2020. And Huawei predicts there will be 100 billion IoT connections by 2025. If the United Nations’ prediction of the world’s population of 8.1 billion people by 2025 is accurate, there will be more than 12 Internet connected devices per person. And many of these estimates are for ‘electronic’ connections.
A quick run through my personal belongings and the potential connected devices in my home include 1. Smartphone; 2. Car; 3. Fitness or Health Monitor; 4. Personal Digital Assistant; 5. Refrigerator; 6. Television; 7. iPad; 8. Door Bell; 9. Surveillance Camera; 10. Pet ID, not to mention connections I may come across such as traffic systems, store security systems, light bulbs, motion sensors, solar panels, water pipes, electric meters, parking meters, consumer goods, fruit, vegetables, etc. Technically, everything can have a sensor capable of connecting to the Internet. Reports talk about Smart Cities with all its Big Brother characteristics, and the concept applied to humans isn’t too far-fetched.
The biggest opportunity is in the shift from active to passive interactions. We no longer have to physically send information from one device to another. Some readers may recall how we had to ‘connect’ our phones to our computers to back up the information in the event of loss or damage.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Home> Systems-design Design Center > How To Article
Wireless & IoT protocols & their security tradeoffs
http://www.edn.com/design/systems-design/4458666/Wireless—IoT-protocols—their-security-tradeoffs
Home> Systems-design Design Center > How To Article
Wireless & IoT protocols & their security tradeoffs
Lars Lydersen -July 25, 2017
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In the race for time-to-market in the Internet of Things (IoT), proper security is inconvenient because it adds development and component cost and design complexity. While many traditional industries have not been exposed to security issues, they suddenly become hacking targets when their products become smart and connected.
The issue is that bad press and major security and privacy issues might slow down the adoption of IoT for improving our lives. Many end users are already skeptical to connect simple devices we rely on in our everyday lives. And security researchers are calling IoT a catastrophe waiting to happen. In fact, a number of highly publicized hacks have already occurred, so one could argue that the catastrophe is already on its way.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Red Lion RAM Industrial Connectivity Products add SDN Functionality with Distrix
Enables more secure communications to IIoT cloud platforms and remote access applications
http://www.redlion.net/about-us/press-releases/red-lion-ram-industrial-connectivity-products-add-sdn-functionality-distrix?mkt_tok=eyJpIjoiWVdZeU16bG1OMlJpWmpsaiIsInQiOiJleWxrR0RTeHNNVFwvSWd6dUxkbDVLQzFqZVwvbnFMR0I5YllVaTVzaEFxOEZPaktMaDBxME4yRUxPc0F3NWNHcHpobnhueVRaREZnMnFEbm9nSmI4NUYxOG42dEFjWUs5SWEyXC9mWkpyUWJDcmEwUXJpZHRSTlJRQlJ3MFRROWpJUiJ9
Sixnet® series RAM® industrial cellular RTUs and wired routers now offer enhanced communication security using Distrix® Networks’ software-defined networking (SDN) technology. Distrix’s SDN technology, running on RAM devices, speeds and simplifies deployment of communication networks between industrial devices and IIoT cloud platforms, and delivers unsurpassed security for remote machine access. Using this solution, organizations can quickly and easily establish secure communications regardless of whether the backhaul medium is cellular or wired.
This enhancement to Red Lion’s RAM products results in industry-leading security and redundancy, improving on traditional VPN communications that rely on point-to-point tunnels that can be difficult to manage. The addition of SDN technology brings flexibility, scalability and resiliency to legacy serial-based infrastructures as well as present-day IP-based networks.
Distrix software embeds directly on RAM devices, allowing customers to quickly deploy and manage a secure software-defined industrial network. Capabilities include highly secure end-to-end tunnel connections without common network security risks and complexity, improved network redundancy, sensor data enhancement for analytics as well as simplified machine-to-machine process automation.
http://www.redlion.net/product-spotlight-ram-industrial-cellular-rtus
Tomi Engdahl says:
U-blox – IoT evolution product wins award for exceptional innovation
http://www.electropages.com/2017/07/u-blox-iot-evolution-product-wins-award-exceptional-innovation/?utm_campaign=2017-07-28-Electropages&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_term=article&utm_content=U-blox+-+IoT+evolution+product+wins+award+for+exceptional+innovation
U‑blox’s LARA‑R3121 module has received a 2017 IoT Evolution Product of the Year Award from IoT Evolution magazine and IoT Evolution World, the magazine and web site covering IoT technologies.
The LARA‑R3121 module comprises a single mode LTE Category 1 modem and a GNSS positioning engine specifically designed for IoT and M2M devices. LTE modem, GNSS and module technology were all developed in‑house at U‑blox.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The $10 Hardware Hack That Wrecks IoT Security
https://www.wired.com/story/sd-card-hack-iot-zero-days
Most consumer tech manufacturers figure that once a hacker can physically access a device, there’s not much left that can be done to defend it. But a group of researchers known as the Exploitee.rs say that giving up too soon leaves devices susceptible to hardware attacks that can lead to bigger problems. Hardware hack techniques, like a flash memory attack they developed, can facilitate the discovery of software bugs that not only expose the one hacked device, but every other unit of that model.
The group, which includes the hackers Zenofex, 0x00string, and maximus64_, presented their flash memory hack this week at the Black Hat security conference in Las Vegas. On Saturday, they built on it at DefCon by presenting 22 zero-day (previously undisclosed) exploits in a range of consumer products—mainly home automation and Internet of Things devices—a number of which they discovered using that hack.
On many devices, all it takes to access everything stored on the flash memory chip is a $10 SD card reader, some wire, and some soldering experience. The researchers focus on a type of memory called eMMC flash, because they can access it cheaply and easily by connecting to just five pins (electrical connections). By soldering five wires to the chip—a command line, a clock line, a data line, a power line, and a ground—they can get read/write access that lets them exfiltrate data and start reprogramming to eventually control the whole device.
This process could theoretically work on any digital device that uses flash memory, but most types would require interfacing with more pins than eMMC does, and many necessitate specialized readers and protocols to gain access.
Some data recovery services already use that method to help customers retrieve their information from broken devices, but it isn’t widely known.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Quick Hack Cleans Data from Sump Pump
http://hackaday.com/2017/07/28/quick-hack-cleans-data-from-sump-pump/
Nobody likes to monitor things as much as a hacker, even mundane things like sump pumps. And hackers love clean data too, so when [Felix]’s sump pump water level data was made useless by a new pump controller, he just knew he had to hack the controller to clean up his data.
Monitoring a sump pump might seem extreme, but as a system that often protects against catastrophic damage, the responsible homeowner strives to take care of it. [Felix] goes a bit further than the average homeowner, though, with an ultrasonic sensor to continually measure the water level in the sump and alert him to pending catastrophes.
Sump Pump Watchdog hack
https://lowpowerlab.com/2017/07/17/sump-pump-watchdog-hack/
As soon as I installed this, I noticed my SonarMote measurement graph was messed up. That’s because the device would tend to empty out the well very sporadically and for a short delay, and the level would only vary by very little, not very visually helpful.
I wondered how hard can it be to hack the Watchdog to make it stay on for longer and pump more water. Unsurprisingly the circuit is based on the TI ne555 timer chip which after a little investigation is obviously running in monostable configuration.
Tomi Engdahl says:
High bandwith, low-power, and long range. If you’re doing RF, you may pick two. LoRa is the RF solution that picked low power and long range. There are quite a few companies behind it, but we really haven’t seen many products using LoRa here in the states yet (then again, products that would use LoRa shouldn’t be very visible…). Now there’s an Open Source LoRa backend server. This is somewhat significant; LoRa isn’t a completely Open protocol, and all licensing goes through Semtech and the LoRa Alliance.
Source: http://hackaday.com/2017/07/30/hackaday-links-july-30-2017/
More:
CableLabs Announces an Open Source LoRaWAN Network Solution
http://www.cablelabs.com/cablelabs-announces-open-source-lorawan-network-solution
LP-WAN networks are designed to cover large geographical areas and minimize the amount of power required for sensors to interact with the network. There are many solutions available to enable this network, including Ingenu, Sigfox, LoRaWAN, 3GPP and Weightless.
CableLabs is pleased to announce an open-source LoRaWAN solution. LoRa is a semi-proprietary solution as it is owned and licensed by Semtech, and a closed consortium (i.e. LoRa Alliance) develops the LoRaWAN specification around the Semtech solution architecture.
Once the consortium concludes a revision of this effort, they make it publicly available. Ingenu and Sigfox are examples of fully proprietary solutions with closed development and ecosystems.
LoRaWAN is a long range, low power wireless protocol that is intended for use in building IoT LP-WAN networks.
CableLabs chose to develop a LoRaWAN open-source solution because we believe it is a good compromise between proprietary and open solutions, and it provides many of our members an opportunity to compete in the low power wide area (LPWA) space.
Tomi Engdahl says:
More information on the CableLabs LoRa server, including documentation and code repository can be found here:
LoRa Server, open-source LoRaWAN network-server
https://www.loraserver.io/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Home Automation: Evolution of a Term
http://hackaday.com/2017/07/26/home-automation-evolution-of-a-term/
Home automation: for me the term recalls rich dudes in the ’80s who could turn off their garage lights with remote-control pads. The stereotype for that era was the more buttons your system had—even non-enabled ones—the more awesome it was, and by extension any luxury remote control had to be three times the size of any TV remote.
And it was a luxury–the hardware was expensive and most people couldn’t justify it. Kind of like the laser-disc player of home improvements. The technology was opaque to casual tinkering, it cost a lot to buy, and also was expensive to install.
The richie-rich stereotypes were reinforced with the technology seen in Bond movies and similar near-future flicks. Everything, even silly things, is motorized, with chrome and concrete everywhere. You, the hero, control everything in the house in the comfort of your acrylic half-dome chair. Kick the motorized blinds, dim the track lighting, and volume up the hi-fi!
This Moonraker-esque notion of home automation turned out to be something of a red herring, because home automation stopped being pretty forever ago; eventually it became available to everyone with a WiFi router in the form of Amazon Echo and Google Nest.
But the precise definition of the term home automation remains elusive. I mean, the essence of it. Let’s break it down.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Data, Privacy And The IoT
https://semiengineering.com/data-privacy-and-the-iot/
Just because there are no laws protecting the privacy of most data doesn’t mean it’s okay for someone to use it.
The keynotes at this year’s Design Automation Conference concentrated on the Internet of Things (IoT). All of the speakers came from a hardware background, and thus all saw the benefits of being close to the system that is generating the data, providing the analytics, and producing some kind of action that provides the economic benefit.
The alternative view comes from the top — providers of the cloud, the infrastructure and the companies driving a lot of the largest neural network development programs. These companies are hungry for data. Lots of data. Without data they will not be able to successfully train their networks, and the infrastructure companies love providing huge amounts of processing power and backbone to move all of the data around. They believe the money is to be made at the top.
But as with many things, the two extremes are not the most likely outcome. The problem is that no system can rely on a connection to the Internet in order to function properly. This is particularly true if the services provided are anything more than pure entertainment (and even that may be debatable). In the event of an emergency, the local system has to be able to provide a minimum level of services.
Over time, that minimum level of services becomes a greater challenge. One of the arguments made for smart lighting is that it means less wiring has to be put in buildings. Now you only have to run power and not bother about switch boxes. When regulation catches up, it probably will mandate that every person must have the ability to control lighting, which opens up a bunch of security issues.
At the heart of the economic model for the IoT is data. It was made quite clear that for industrial applications, such as smart offices, heavy equipment and the like, that the data will be closely held by the companies providing the local platforms. This is their bread and butter and the way in which they monetize the value of the system over time. Give away the data and they have given away the keys to the kingdom.
But the consumer market is very different. Users appear to be very happy to give away all kinds of data in order to get the services they desire. They hardly ever stop to think about the implications of what they are giving away, or what may be done with that data
Data is the key to the future, and there are little to no regulations in place to control what companies can and cannot do with that data. Europe is ahead of the U.S. in this area, but they are having difficulties defining what is a reasonable expectation of privacy. Even the right to forget does not go far enough. If data has been used to train a neural network, how do you back that out?
Tomi Engdahl says:
Smart Intercom
This intercom uses Face Recognition and RFID to control human access
https://hackaday.io/project/25716-smart-intercom
The principle of operation:
* Person approaches to the intercom
* Looks at the camera
* The system compare his face with authorized people
* If it finds it, then the door opens and a person can enter
* There is also another way to pass;
* The person with the pass card place it to the Rfid location and the door opens if it finds the code of this card in its database
Tomi Engdahl says:
Listen To Your Fermentation To Monitor Its Progress
http://hackaday.com/2017/07/31/listen-to-your-fermentation-to-monitor-its-progress/
If you are a wine, beer, or cider maker, you’ll know the ritual of checking for fermentation. As the yeast does its work of turning sugar into alcohol, carbon dioxide bubbles froth on the surface of your developing brew, and if your fermentation container has an airlock, large bubbles pass through the water within it on a regular basis. Your ears become attuned to the regular “Plop… plop… plop” sound they make, and from their interval you can tell what stage you have reached.
[Chris] automated this listening for fermentation bubbles, placing a microphone next to his airlock and detecting amplitude spikes through two techniques: one using an FFT algorithm and the other a bandpass filter. Both techniques yielded similar graphs for fermentation activity over time.
Bubbleometer
https://www.anfractuosity.com/projects/bubbleometer/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Low-Cost Rain Gauge Looks for Floods
http://hackaday.com/2017/07/31/low-cost-rain-gauge-looks-for-floods/
We’ve seen a lot of uses for the now-ubiquitous ESP chip, including a numerous wilderness-monitoring devices.
Pluvi.on stands out with some attractive solutions and a simple design.
A lot of outdoor projects involve some sort of stock weather-resistance enclosure, but this project has a custom-designed acrylic box. About 4 inches across, the gauge uses a seesaw-like bucket to measure rain—a funnel, built into the enclosure, sends water into the gauge which records each time the bucket mechanism tilts, thereby recording the intensity of the rain. A NodeMCU packing an ESP8266 WiFi SoC sends the data to the cloud, helping predict the possibility of a flood in the area.
https://www.pluvion.com.br/welcome
Tomi Engdahl says:
Top 5 RF Technologies for 5G in the IoT
http://www.mwrf.com/systems/top-5-rf-technologies-5g-iot?NL=MWRF-001&Issue=MWRF-001_20170801_MWRF-001_65&sfvc4enews=42&cl=article_1_b&utm_rid=CPG05000002750211&utm_campaign=12282&utm_medium=email&elq2=822500e406f74ba1974b72ae489047ae
This next wave of connectivity technology (including 5G) consists of a seemingly endless variety of use cases and applications, from wearable devices to smart homes.
Many pundits have pointed out that the IOT is less about “things” and more about new service businesses. Services are the key driver for the IoT, and RF connectivity is enabling these services. Both wireless and cellular networks will be an integral part of the connectivity equation.
“In terms of cellular IOT standards, Cat M1/NB1 is opening vast new markets for cellular operators,” explained Glen Riley, GM, Filter Solutions BU, Qorvo at a recent Semi Pacific NW Forum (Fig. 2). LTE Cat M1 and NB1 are both versions of LTE developed by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). Cat M1/Cat NB1 are targeted at long range, low power, and data rates applications like smart meters and asset tracking.
Summary
In summary, the IoT is really about services as much as things. These services require connectivity to work. The latest cellular technology for the IoT is 5G, which will enable much faster data, low latency for time critical services (like autonomous cars), and high capacity and bandwidth (for 4K video and cloud storage).
Semiconductor and electronics companies must appreciate that key user case applications, services, and standards are the main drivers behind the IoT and 5G technologies.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Test Solutions Clear the Way to Consumer-Ready IoT Devices
Manufacturers of IoT devices must implement the proper approach when it comes to testing their products.
http://www.mwrf.com/test-measurement/test-solutions-clear-way-consumer-ready-iot-devices
Universal IoT Test Solutions
The IoT can mean different things to different people due to its broad appeal. “If you ask 10 people what IoT means, you’re likely to get 10 different answers that range from big data to the connected car,” says Brian Davis, field applications engineer, Wireless Products, Anritsu. “One common denominator in all IoT applications is that products must be connected via wired and/or wireless technologies.
“Most IoT solutions are projected to be relatively close range and will likely use non-cellular technologies, such as Bluetooth low energy (BLE), ZigBee, or possibly point-to-point connections envisioned in the future for 5G,” adds Davis. “Longer-range connections can be provided by cellular or low-power wide-area network (LPWAN) technologies, such as LoRa, Narrowband-IoT (NB-IoT), or 6LoWPAN.”
In terms of IoT performance requirements, several are particularly critical, such as range. Proper testing is needed to ensure that these requirements are met. “In addition to range, one key consideration when selecting the appropriate technology is the reliability requirement of the end application,” says Davis. “For example, a connected car using multiple sensors and a high data rate will require extremely reliable real-time connections. Extensive testing and quality assurance in the manufacturing phase is required in these designs.”
By utilizing a single test platform that is customizable to a user’s specific needs, Anritsu believes that IoT-based testing can be simplified.
Tomi Engdahl says:
A Hacker Turned an Amazon Echo Into a ‘Wiretap’
https://www.wired.com/story/amazon-echo-wiretap-hack
Every good paranoiac sees an always-listening device like an Amazon Echo as a potential spy sitting in plain sight. Now one security researcher has shown exactly how fine the line is between countertop computer and surveillance tool. With just a few minutes of hands-on time, a hacker could turn an Echo into his or her personal eavesdropping microphone without leaving any physical trace.
On Tuesday, British security researcher Mark Barnes detailed a technique anyone can use to install malware on an Amazon Echo, along with his own proof-of-concept code that would silently stream audio from the hacked device to his own faraway server. The technique requires gaining physical access to the target Echo, and it only works on devices sold before 2017. But there’s no software fix for older devices, Barnes warns, and the attack can be performed without leaving any sign of hardware intrusion.
“We present a technique for rooting an Amazon Echo and then turning it into a ‘wiretap’,”
The method takes advantage of a physical security vulnerability Amazon left in its pre-2017 Echo units: Remove the rubber base of the device, and underneath hides a small grid of tiny metal pads that act as connections into its internal hardware, likely used for testing and fixing bugs in the devices before they were sold.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Bloomberg:
Sources: Facebook is working on a video chat device with wide angle lens and large touchscreen, which could be announced at F8, and a standalone smart speaker
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-08-01/facebook-is-said-to-work-on-video-chat-device-in-hardware-push
Tomi Engdahl says:
Brian Krebs / Krebs on Security:
Senators debut a bill requiring IoT devices sold to government are patchable and conform to basic security best practices, like avoiding hard-coded passwords
New Bill Seeks Basic IoT Security Standards
http://krebsonsecurity.com/2017/08/new-bill-seeks-basic-iot-security-standards/
Lawmakers in the U.S. Senate today introduced a bill that would set baseline security standards for the government’s purchase and use of a broad range of Internet-connected devices, including computers, routers and security cameras. The legislation, which also seeks to remedy some widely-perceived shortcomings in existing cybercrime law, was developed in direct response to a series of massive cyber attacks in 2016 that were fueled for the most part by poorly-secured “Internet of Things” (IoT) devices.
The IoT Cybersecurity Improvement Act of 2017 seeks to use the government’s buying power to signal the basic level of security that IoT devices sold to Uncle Sam will need to have. For example, the bill would require vendors of Internet-connected devices purchased by the federal government make sure the devices can be patched when security updates are available; that the devices do not use hard-coded (unchangeable) passwords; and that vendors ensure the devices are free from known vulnerabilities when sold.
The bill’s provisions would seem to apply to virtually any device that has an Internet connection and can transmit data. Under the proposal, an IoT device has a fairly broad definition, being described as “a physical object that is capable of connecting to and is in regular connection with the Internet;” and one that “has computer processing capabilities that can collect, send or receive data.”
Specifically, the bill would “exempt cybersecurity researchers engaging in good-faith research from liability under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act and the Digital Millennium Copyright Act when in engaged in research pursuant to adopted coordinated vulnerability disclosure guidelines,” according to a statement released by Sen. Warner (link added).
The measure also directs the Department of Homeland Security to issue guidelines regarding cybersecurity coordinated vulnerability disclosure policies to be required by contractors providing connected devices to the U.S. government.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Ryne Hager / Android Police:
Android’s Nearby Connections 2.0 API, which enables offline, P2P communication between devices over Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, is now available to developers
http://www.androidpolice.com/2017/07/31/google-announces-nearby-connections-api-v2-0-full-offline-functionality-bandwidth-less-latency/
Some of you might remember the Contextual App Experiences talk at I/O this year. The seemingly convoluted name actually held some pretty big news, as it was during that talk that Google revealed its plans to refresh the Nearby Connections API. That set of APIs is used to provide communication between your phone and other things in physical proximity to you, further expanding your ability to share info and data locally. Well, as of today version 2.0 that API is now available, bringing new features for developers.
Nearby Connections isn’t a new thing. Google announced the original API back in 2015, and last year the company expanded on it. Nearby Connections is a part of the overall “Nearby” package, which includes the Nearby Notifications and Nearby Messages APIs. Things can get a tiny bit confusing between the various “Nearby” names Google has for different things, but Nearby Connections is primarily peer to peer, as opposed to the beacon-based system used in Nearby Notifications, though functionality in Nearby Messages does seem to slightly overlap. This latest release of Nearby Connections, version 2.0, brings with it support for higher-bandwidth operations, lower latency, encrypted connections, and full offline support.
It might not seem like a big deal, but the potential applications of local communication from the Nearby package are quite extensive. There’s a reason we’ve called it “the genius feature no one is using.” From home automation to content consumption, and even when it comes to censorship and security, there are a ton of ways the under-utilized API can be harnessed for consumers, especially now that it is able to work entirely offline.
Announcing Nearby Connections 2.0: fully offline, high bandwidth peer to peer device communication
https://android-developers.googleblog.com/2017/07/announcing-nearby-connections-20-fully.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
Intel Quashes Quark for IoT Nodes
Microcontroller-class x86 gives way to ARM
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1332098
Intel has apparently ended efforts to drive its x86 architecture into microcontroller-class chips and end nodes on the Internet of Things. Analysts generally applauded the move, although they noted it reflects in part on a market for wearables that has not emerged as fast as predicted.
Multiple reports said Intel has ended sales of Currie and other IoT boards using its Quark processors. However, the company did not directly respond to questions about Quark, a stripped down x86 chip CEO Brian Krzanich announced in his first keynote at the company’s annual developer conference.
As recently as last August, Intel presented a paper describing its D2000, a 32-bit x86 processor that consumed as little as 35 milliwatts in active mode. At the time the engineer describing the device at Hot Chips said Intel had plans “to scale [Quark] from MCUs to right below the Atom X1000 for Linux with lots of implementation options in cores and SoCs.”
At one time, Intel fielded as many as three Quark chips — the SE, D2000 and D1000. All were spins of the original synthesized Pentium-class core Krzanich announced in 2013 as a 32nm part, one-fifth the size and one-tenth the power of Intel’s Atom core.
Intel rolled out several IoT boards using Quark chips, including several compatible with Arduino starting in October 2013.
“IoT remains an important growth business for Intel and we are committed to IoT market segments that access, analyze and share data. These include retail, industrial, automotive and video, which will drive billions of connected devices,” the spokesman said, suggesting the company will focus on Atom-based gateways as its new low end.
“Intel tried to take the x86 everywhere but the MCU business is not amenable to Intel’s business model of high margins and volumes and they had no second sources for the modules,”
Krewell and others said Quark may continue as a block in future SoCs, but it is not likely to appear as a standalone chip. Lack of influence over the software stack in IoT end nodes shouldn’t have a big impact for Intel, said Linley Gwennap, principal of market watcher The Linley Group.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Synaptics Calls for Voice Standards
CEO says emerging market lacks ease of use
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1332084
Emerging voice services need standards, said the chief executive of Synaptics as he works to integrate Conexant and a unit of Marvell. Meanwhile, the company expects to be among the first to use a 40nm flash process for its display drivers.
With the Conexant acquisition, Synaptics will have an instant presence in silicon for voice services from Amazon’s Alexa, Baidu’s DuerOS as well as carrier services in Korea. The company positions the services as a natural extension of its work in touch interface and display chips.
“Voice will be more important in PCs, printers — in any system that you can think of touch or voice or displays will have a role,” said Rick Bergman, chief executive of Synaptics.
He called for greater ease of use in the underlying natural-language processing technology in an interview with EE Times.
“You don’t want 15 flavors of home assistants communicating in different ways. We need standards such as standard commands. You don’t want to learn different digital languages,” Bergman said. “It’s a little early, but maybe the ultimate vision is that AI gets so good it’s smart enough to figure commands out independent of device types,” he added.
“Voice interfaces help, but natural-language processing is a misnomer. There is nothing natural about talking to today’s devices,” said Mike Demler, a senior analyst with the Linley Group.
“There are so many potential applications — car speakers, lighting, thermostats, TVs, set tops…the nice part is we can participate in various ecosystems” such as services from Amazon, Baidu, Samsung and SK Telecom, Bergman said.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Cooking on a Hot Stove
Posted Jul 26, 2017 at 2:09 am
Turn your existing electric stove into a smart appliance with Wallflower in 5 minutes or less (no tools required).
https://www.eeweb.com/blog/max_maxfield/cooking-on-a-hot-stove
The idea is that you unplug your stove top from the wall, plug the Wallflower into the socket on the wall, then plug the cable from your stove top into the Wallflower. Next, you download a free app onto your smartphone and you’re ready to rock and roll.
Now, by means of your Wallflower app, you can be informed whenever the stove is turned on or if you forget to turn it off. Why would you want to know if the stove has been turned on? Well, suppose you are in the house with a young kid. If your Wallflower app says “Hey, the stove just turned on,” and you didn’t do it, then you have a pretty good idea who did.
The Wallflower also allows you to set timers.
So why do the folks at Wallflower Labs say this turns your stove into a smart appliance? Well, it boasts smart algorithms that learn your cooking behavior and can spot when the stove has been on for longer than you usually cook.
All of the above it of interest to me, but the real “icing on the cake” is that the system uses GPS geo-fencing to send app notifications to warn you if you leave your home having forgotten to turn your stove off. Oooh — this is my sort of app!
http://wallflower.com/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Small Bluetooth module fits portable designs
https://www.rs-online.com/designspark/small-bluetooth-module-fits-portable-designs
Antenna issues
Antenna design innovation and size is evolving but not at the exponential integration rate of the semiconductor transistor count and mixed-signal RF integration. Analog RF antenna matching becomes more difficult in constrained space designs. The antenna designer must take size and RF efficiency into account. Antenna detuning issues exists across designs that have different enclosures but the same antenna architecture. IoT Designers must resolve the antenna questions, such as:
How much space should it take?
What kind of antenna should be used?
Can a module with an integrated antenna fit?
PCB Trace Antennas. Most IoT designs use PCB trace antenna. The most common PCB antenna is the inverted-F, shown in Figure 2, due to the low bill of material (BoM) costs. The low cost trade-offs are space and tuning. These printed PCB antennas take up significant PCB footprint space, typically 25mm to 50mm. PCB antennas are also sensitive to detuning related to housing effects, which will require RF tuning design expertise.
Chip Antennas. The antenna manufactures offer “chip antennas” which offer the benefits of small footprint size and reduced design complexity. There are two types of “chip” antennas
Antennas not coupled to the GND plane and will require a relatively large clearance area
Antennas that are coupled to the GND plane and require either a relatively small clearance area beneath the antenna or don’t require clearance area at all.
Small IoT designs the size of a coin-cell battery will have antenna efficiency trade-offs the compromise RF performance and range. Devices smaller than 10mm x 10mm operating in the 2.4GHz band, provide Bluetooth users connectivity of approximately 10 meters line-of-sight range with a mobile phone. With larger the dimensions are 20mm x 10mm, the RF efficiency increases practical range 2X/4X to 20–40 meters with a mobile phone depending on the conditions. An IoT design at 40mm x 40mm will allow maximum Bluetooth 4.2 range around 60 up to 400 meters in line of sight distance.
Wireless modules provide on-board antennas. Some may offer U.Fl connectors for external antenna use. Module vendors see a high majority that deploy with the on-board antenna. The external antenna others benefit in IoT devices with metal case enclosure.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Field Logic Controllers:
The Next Generation of Control
http://turck.us/static/media/downloads/WP_Field_Logic_Controllers.pdf
In recent years, engineers have started asking why they
need to invest in a PLC. The devices can be expensive,
require dedicated software and often mean additional
panel and wiring expenses. Is a PLC and its cost really
the best option for an application that may only need
to control dozens rather than hundreds of I/O points?
With the advent of the field logic controller (FLC), the
answer is increasingly no.
FLC is a new category of control that brings logic programming
to the device level. It is to PLCs what cell phones were to landlines
FLC empowers engineers,
OEMs and system designers to add simple logic to
applications via Ethernet I/O blocks with built-in FLC
technology.
Turck developed the first FLCs as advances in microprocessor technology enabled a better control and programming solution for end-user challenges.
To make this control possible, today’s FLC technology
uses a flow chart system to custom program local Ethernet I/O
blocks via an HTML5-compatible web browser,
such as Chrome and Mozilla Firefox. Through a series of
drop-down menus, engineers can set up multiple conditions, operations and actions on one block
Engineers can choose to access different capabilities of FLC technology based on the application. These capabilities include toggle buttons to signal on/off, arithmetic functions, timers and counters, monitoring via HMI, and defining variables to communicate with PLCs
Partner for PLC processing:
FLC can also be used in
tandem with the PLC, as distributed control in larg
-
er automation environments. The FLC-capable I/O
block can locally monitor and control an application
and compile data, and send that data via defined
variables to the PLC to lighten its data input and
output load. This is helpful in high speed applications,
such as conveyor belts, where sending data
in real time (network latency) can be problematic.
IO-link is a point-to-point serial communication protocol
used to communicate with sensors and actuators.
It enables companies to add I/O points to lower-cost
PLCs without the need to invest in or upgrade to a
more expensive PLC.
“FLC will transform how the automation industry thinks
about control and control systems,”
Tomi Engdahl says:
New Legislation Could Force Security Into IoT
http://www.securityweek.com/new-legislation-could-force-security-iot
After years of warnings from security experts and researchers, the Internet of Things (IoT) remains fundamentally insecure. Now a group of senators has introduced bipartisan legislation to force vendors to ensure basic security within their IoT devices if they wish to sell into the government market.
Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA) and Cory Gardner (R-CO), co-chairs of the Senate Cybersecurity Caucus, along with Sens. Ron Wyden (D-WA) and Steve Daines (R-MT) today introduced bipartisan legislation: Internet of Things (IoT) Cybersecurity Improvement Act of 2017. Its purpose is to require that all devices bought by the government meet defined minimum security requirements. Its effect will be that without compliance, vendors will lose their largest single market. Compliance, they hope, will then filter down from the public to private sectors, and on to consumers.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Threat Modeling the Internet of Things: Part 3 – A Real World Example
http://www.securityweek.com/threat-modeling-internet-things-part-3-real-world-example
One of the most bizarre beginnings in movie history involved a young Paul Newman decapitating a streetful of Duncan Model 50 parking meters in the existential-hero classic, “Cool Hand Luke.” Those old Duncan Model 50 parking meters were coin-operated and were the American standard for decades, but they had some drawbacks.
First, many modern economies are moving toward a cashless model, and hunting for coins in your car after finding a parking spot is no one’s idea of a good time. Users want the convenience of credit cards.
Smart parking meters (some powered by solar panels) overcome some of those old limitations; most today allow motorists to pay with credit cards. Some recapture unused credits by resetting when the space is empty.
Step 1: Identify the assets in play.
For the deployment of smart parking meter, the list of assets is relatively short and well-defined.
· Credit card payment info
· Money (coins)
· The parking meter
· The parking space
A manufacturer of the meter may have a different threat model involving the physical aspects of the device itself: device memory, firmware interface, ecosystem communications. Part 2 of the series catalogues these, but let’s focus on the deployment assets.
Step 2: Catalog the threats using STRIDE.
Recall that STRIDE is a threat classification model to help you identify threats to a system by considering these aspects of the asset: (S)poofing of user identity, (T)ampering, (R)epudiation, (I)nformation Disclosure, (D)enial of Service, and (E)scalation of Privilege.
Step 3: Score the threats using DREAD.
The old DREAD system can help us quantify these threats. Assume maximal values for Reproducibility and Discoverability, and just score the Damage, Exploitability, and Affected Users categories.
Prioritizing Mitigations
The point of threat modeling is to create a table similar to the above; to enumerate and prioritize threats. The mitigation of each should be a natural follow-on. Prioritization helps decision makers in a world of sparse development resources; not everything needs be fixed at once. And sometimes documentation or merely risk acceptance is the appropriate tactic to take.
While this threat model focused mostly on traditional InfoSec threats, the operator was also doing risk analysis from a legal perspective, as well. The company has other projects under review for a smart city; it has decided that risks associated with sensors for systems such as waste treatment, sewer flow, and traffic reporting are okay. But it is not comfortable with traffic-changing systems or other systems that might involve risk of life.
Threat Modeling the Internet of Things
Those points get back one of the larger problems hinted at in Part 2; that a proper threat model for the Internet of Things includes the entire demesne of existing infrastructure; web applications, web services, cloud, transport security and, finally, people.
Tomi Engdahl says:
You will soon be able to control your £15 IKEA lights using just your voice
http://www.wired.co.uk/article/ikea-smart-lighting-alexa-google
Improved functionality is coming to the affordable TRÅDFRI range – making it compatible with Amazon’s Alexa and Google Assistant
When it comes to smart home accessories, simplicity is key. From remotely adjusting thermostats to digital door locks, technology in the home is designed to make our lives easier but, as of yet, these technologies haven’t been particularly affordable. IKEA is coming to our rescue.
The retail giant has announced that its current HomeSmart products will soon be compatible with a wide range of devices including Apple HomeKit and Amazon’s Alexa.
IKEA’s TRÅDFRI lighting range currently allows users to dim and adjust the colour temperature of home lighting, or create pre-set moods and timers from a mobile or tablet. Yet this system has lacked the functionality to work with smart assistants or other compatible devices.
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IKEA has now announced an update to the range, coming in summer 2017, allowing the lighting system to work with Amazon’s Alexa, Apple’s HomeKit and Google Assistant – effectively giving users the power to control their affordable lights with their voice.
This improved connectivity would make the IKEA smart lighting systems some of the cheapest and most adaptable on the market, with the smart bulbs expecting to be priced at around £15 each. The Philips Hue, a favourite in the world of smart lighting, can adjust the colour and intensity of lights directly from a phone, but at £59.00 for a starter kit of two white bulbs, the price is steeper than IKEA’s upcoming models.
The current TRÅDFRI gateway uses an app to control each light source individually and starts at £25.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Embrace the digital plant to build a bridge to the future
http://www.controleng.com/single-article/embrace-the-digital-plant-to-build-a-bridge-to-the-future/647f2c55a70e297688e770c039b4084a.html
Siemens officials call digital manufacturing ‘do or die’ in pushing for faster adoption at their automation summit in Florida.
Digital manufacturing has moved beyond the hype to become essential to production’s future.
“Companies now understand they have to embrace digitalization. It’s a do-or-die thing,” said Raj Batra, president of the Siemens digital factory division at the opening ceremony of the 2017 Siemens Automation Summit in Boca Raton, Fla., on June 27. “What this means for us is taking billions of intelligent devices and creating a bridge between digital and real world to increase value.”
Despite the established potential to improve operational efficiency and to lower production costs, Batra said the adoption of digital manufacturing hasn’t yet caught up to the potential.
Tomi Engdahl says:
IIoT and the rise of the cobots
Though traditional robots remain relevant, collaborative robots are starting to emerge more in the industry, as they should with their small size, low cost, and adaptability to offer.
http://www.controleng.com/single-article/iiot-and-the-rise-of-the-cobots/75cfc9bf6232cb1d1d4025e4b3d4da95.html
The differences between collaborative robots (or sometimes, “cobots”) and their predecessors couldn’t be more clear. Traditional industrial robots are bulky, expensive, and potentially dangerous beasts. In the manufacturing plants of large industrial companies, these valuable workhorses are generally kept caged, to keep human workers safe and out of harm’s way.
These older machines are not that smart, either: they’re built to faithfully carry out specific actions repeatedly, without variation and to a high degree of accuracy, determined by programmatic routines that specify the direction, velocity and distance of coordinated movements.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Industrie 4.0 reducing downtime in automotive industry
http://www.controleng.com/single-article/industrie-40-reducing-downtime-in-automotive-industry/28e70cf419e9b1c7cd94e001a825702e.html
Companies in the automotive industry are using Industrie 4.0 to develop data platforms that are designed to reduce downtime in an industry where every minute counts.
Industrie 4.0, or the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) in the U.S., refers to industrial manufacturing processes where all equipment, devices and computers are connected. This creates an environment rich for big data analysis and self-correcting procedures, among many other possibilities.
This may seem like a far off future for manufacturers, but the truth is there are concrete examples of Industrie 4.0 happening today. The capabilities of IIoT may be closer than people realize.
Industrie 4.0: The zero down time solution (ZDT)
General Motors (GM), like most of the automotive industry, is an innovator in automating production. Alongside Fanuc and Cisco, they developed the zero down time solution (ZDT)—a cloud-based software platform to analyze data collected from robots across GM’s factories.
The program was launched in 2014 and was initially built to eliminate downtime, but as more and more data was collected, the system’s capabilities grew. As a result, the system is providing some remarkable returns.
The compounding benefits of ZDT
GM’s ZDT program has provided a strong return on investment (ROI) and have avoided over 100 significant unscheduled downtimes since the program was launched. This is a significant savings in the automotive industry, where downtime can cost over $20,000 per minute.
Tomi Engdahl says:
PC-based controls: Expanding plant-floor architectures from the edge to IIoT
http://www.controleng.com/single-article/pc-based-controls-expanding-plant-floor-architectures-from-the-edge-to-iiot/910c216c96e94af201e7b65265a6a0b1.html
Edge devices facilitate data processing at the plant level, increasing security and using Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) standards.
Cloud computing is a hot topic in factory automation circles, and while Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) technologies can offer many benefits, not every company is fully onboard with moving operations to the cloud. This could be due to security concerns, corporate policies for data access, resource availability, among other reasons. Edge computing, conversely, takes the data processing concept enabled by cloud service providers and moves it back down to the plant level, closer to the devices that create the data. This can alleviate some of the security concerns, as the data never leaves the facility, but also can serve as a stepping stone into a future cloud solution as business needs grow and change.
Smart edge devices for data processing
“Smart” edge devices facilitate data processing at the plant level. Several tasks must be accomplished before a device can be considered a smart edge device. The first task centers on data collection from the industrial process. Once data has been acquired and stored, the edge device then accomplishes its primary task—data analysis based on preset goals or parameters. These tasks are carried out directly on the device, with the option to move the data vertically to the cloud or to other company databases for filling dashboards used by business and facilities managers.
Data can be transmitted at the edge and/or to the cloud using recognized IoT and IIoT standards, such as object linking and embedding for process control unified architecture (OPC UA), message queuing telemetry transport (MQTT), and advanced message queuing protocol (AMQP). This creates a seamless migration path for future upgrades, and PC-based control systems are best-suited for these kinds of applications because of inherent openness to IT standards for hardware, software, and networking.
Another important point to consider with PC-based control is scalability in hardware. Controls engineers can start with small processors for very basic commands and protocol translation, then migrate to powerful multi-core industrial PCs and embedded PCs for advanced data processing and analytics at the edge. The more powerful industrial PCs also can pull double duty as complete machine or line controllers.
PC-based control technology makes it possible to implement plant floor-to-cloud communication architectures that do not need expensive managed switches from a third-party IT vend
Security for smart edge devices
The combination of a high-performance industrial Ethernet system such as EtherCAT and a vertical communication protocol such as OPC UA provides a variety of built-in security measures that do not require programming to implement. At the plant floor and machine to machine level, EtherCAT has integrated security features that block unwanted intrusion from outside sources, and it does not require the use of IP addresses. By default, EtherCAT slave devices “destroy” non-EtherCAT frames. This includes injected malware or viruses, since they are not part of the control process.
These unexpected “bad” frames of data are not forwarded by EtherCAT, so they are immediately stopped without losing important process data. EtherCAT also preserves data tunneled through standard TCP/IP devices that are connected as part of the system architecture. Since EtherCAT does not require the use of switches, there is little danger of outside frames being inserted into the control system in the first place, but if so, those frames would be destroyed automatically.
For vertical integration, OPC UA provides built-in session encryption, message signing, sequenced packets (to block replay attacks), authentication, and more. MQTT and AMQP offer similar security and encryption measures for cloud communication.
IPCs can integrate industrial Ethernet protocols such as EtherCAT and cloud communication standards such as OPC UA and MQTT with ease. With the appropriate PC-based control software, the IPC hardware becomes whatever it is programmed to be. Advanced IoT and Industrie 4.0 concepts are changing by the minute, and it is this kind of flexibility and adaptability in hardware and software that will help machine builders and end-users stay ahead in the industry.
Tomi Engdahl says:
IIoT technical report updated
http://www.controleng.com/single-article/iiot-technical-report-updated/6978ae78e9612b259f432516085725b8.html
The Industrial Internet Consortium’s (IIC’s) Industrial Internet Vocabulary Technical Report version 2.0 aligns interdependent terms, eliminates unnecessary terms, and adds new relevant terms.
The Industrial Internet Consortium’s (IIC’s) version 2.0 of the Industrial Internet Vocabulary Technical Report. The report provides Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) vocabulary terms and definitions that enable all stakeholders in the IIoT ecosystem, from system architects to information technology (IT) managers to plant managers to business decision makers, to communicate with each other effectively.
The report provides Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) vocabulary, and the new version aligns interdependent terms, eliminates unnecessary terms, and adds new relevant terms. The IIC Vocabulary Technical Report v2.0 is the foundation for the collective body of work from the IIC, ensuring that consistent terminology is used throughout all IIC publications. This includes the Industrial Reference Architecture (IRA), Industrial Internet Security Framework (IISF), Industrial Internet Connectivity Framework (IICF) and the Business Strategy and Innovation Framework (BSIF) that collectively comprise the IIC IIoT suite.
“The industrial internet comprises a diverse set of industries and people with various skill sets and expertise. Often, concepts and terminology in one field will have different meanings in another, leading to confusion,”
THE INDUSTRIAL INTERNET VOCABULARY TECHNICAL REPORT V 2.0
http://www.iiconsortium.org/vocab/index.htm
Tomi Engdahl says:
Looking behind the automation protocols
http://www.iebmedia.com/index.php?id=4582&parentid=63&themeid=255&showdetail=true
Tomi Engdahl says:
Philips launches wireless smart office lighting rather than PoE to reach the masses (UPDATED)
http://www.ledsmagazine.com/articles/2017/04/philips-launches-wireless-smart-office-lighting-rather-than-poe-to-reach-the-masses.html
With wired Ethernet opportunities limited, the lighting giant is now embedding ZigBee in lights and luminaires, and selling it as a service.
Philips Lighting today launched a wireless lighting-as-a-service initiative for commercial offices, hoping to convince building managers to implement smart Internet-connected lighting schemes that Philips has addressed to date with more expensive wired offerings based on Power over Ethernet (PoE) that appeals to a narrower audience.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Philips Lighting Lights Up Smart Cities with LEDs
http://www.ledinside.com/news/2017/2/philips_lighting_lights_up_smart_cities_with_leds
Philips Lighting, with sales of EUR 7.1 billion in 2016 and 34,000 employees worldwide, has been focusing on developing new smart lighting solutions to cater to smart city trends around the world.
The company’s smart lighting solutions target four main areas: streets, interior spaces, sports venues, and public landscapes. Philips Lighting’s connected smart lighting system has reached 530 implementations across 33 countries, which can serve as a reference for other companies.
Philips Lighting’s smarting lighting solutions are connected to the Internet and other applications, which provide improved lighting to streets, interior spaces, sports venues and public landscapes. For instance, by centrally monitoring and controlling an intelligent network, smart street lighting system allows local authorities to monitor cities in real time. This can help improve public safety and traffic conditions as well as reduce energy consumption. As a result, governments can provide better services to citizens with lower costs.
With Philips Lighting’s solution, some cities can reduce energy consumption by up to 75%, and this platform is essential to the sustainable development of cities.
CityTouch: Connected Street Lighting System
CityTouch is a connected street lighting management system that integrates software and connected devices. The result is an advanced platform that makes handling public lighting infrastructure relatively easy. With automatic detection and repair of faults, a user-friendly operating interface as well as remote control, CityTouch provides an intelligent, open and secured solution for local governments, citizens and street light maintenance personnel.
Philips Lighting also provides a POE-based lighting solution for interior use. The system connects lighting fixtures to the building’s IT network. By integrating IoT technology with lighting fixtures, this system marks a new generation of smart lighting.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Internet success has overwhelmed some innovators so that there are products that do not make sense anymore.
This series is represented by a moderately strong smalt locker.
Of course, you can store the salt you want to get the amount you want by either the mobile app, the Amazon Echo, or by pressing the button directly from the device. There are different possibilities for salt casting, such as double-fingered display or shaking the phone.
In addition to salt-related features, the same package is surrounded by a bluetooth loudspeaker and led light for creating mood lighting.
Specifically, there is no salt brine feature in the device.
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/smalt-the-world-s-first-interactive-centerpiece-health#/
Tomi Engdahl says:
New Legislation Could Force Security Into IoT
http://www.securityweek.com/new-legislation-could-force-security-iot
After years of warnings from security experts and researchers, the Internet of Things (IoT) remains fundamentally insecure. Now a group of senators has introduced bipartisan legislation to force vendors to ensure basic security within their IoT devices if they wish to sell into the government market.
Tomi Engdahl says:
‘Dumbo’ Tool Helps CIA Agents Disable Security Cameras
http://www.securityweek.com/dumbo-tool-helps-cia-agents-disable-security-cameras
The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has developed a tool that disables security cameras and corrupts recordings in an effort to prevent its agents from getting compromised, according to documents published on Thursday by WikiLeaks.
The tool, dubbed “Dumbo,” is executed directly from a USB thumb drive by an operative who has physical access to the targeted device. Once executed, the program can mute microphones, disable network adapters, and suspend processes associated with video recording devices.
Dumbo also informs its user of where those video recording processes store footage so that the files can be corrupted or deleted.
The user guides made available by WikiLeaks — the latest version is dated June 2015 — show that the tool was developed in response to the need for a capability to disrupt webcams and corrupt recordings in an effort to prevent a PAG (Physical Access Group) deployment from getting compromised.
PAG is a special branch within the CIA’s Center for Cyber Intelligence (CCI) and its role is to gain physical access to computers and exploit this access, WikiLeaks said.
The tool, designed for Windows XP and newer versions of the Microsoft operating system, needs SYSTEM privileges to function correctly.
“[The tool] identifies installed devices like webcams and microphones, either locally or connected by wireless (Bluetooth, WiFi) or wired networks. All processes related to the detected devices (usually recording, monitoring or detection of video/audio/network streams) are also identified and can be stopped by the operator,” WikiLeaks said. “By deleting or manipulating recordings the operator is aided in creating fake or destroying actual evidence of the intrusion operation.”
Dumbo developers pointed out that home security products (e.g. Kaspersky antivirus) may block some of the tool’s functions, and advised users to disable any protections before installation.
https://wikileaks.org/vault7/#Dumbo
Tomi Engdahl says:
Two New SAM Microcontroller Families with Extensive CIO
https://www.eeweb.com/news/two-new-sam-microcontroller-families-with-extensive-cio
The SAM D5x and SAM E5x microcontroller (MCU) families are now available from Microchip Technology Inc. These new 32-bit MCU families offer extensive connectivity interfaces, powerful performance and robust hardware-based security for a wide variety of applications.
The SAM D5/E5 microcontrollers combine the performance of an ARM® Cortex®-M4 processor with a Floating Point Unit (FPU). This combination offloads the Central Processing Unit (CPU), increasing system efficiency and enabling process-intensive applications on a low-power platform. Running at up to 120 MHz, the D5x and E5x MCUs feature up to 1 MB of dual-panel Flash with Error Correction Code (ECC), easily enabling live updates with no interruption to the running system. Additionally, these families are available with up to 256 KB of SRAM with ECC, vital to mission-critical applications such as medical devices or server systems.
Additionally, the SAM E5 family includes two CAN-FD ports and a 10/100 Mbps Ethernet Media Access Controller (MAC) with IEEE 1588 support, making it well-suited for industrial automation, connected home and other Internet of Things (IoT) applications.
Both the SAM D5x and E5x families contain comprehensive cryptographic hardware and software support, enabling developers to incorporate security measures at a design’s inception. Hardware-based security features include a Public Key Cryptographic Controller (PUKCC) supporting Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC) and RSA schemes as well as an Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) cipher and Secure Hash Algorithms (SHA).
Tomi Engdahl says:
NXP and Amazon Web Services Launch Cooperation in IoT
https://www.eeweb.com/news/nxp-and-amazon-web-services-launch-cooperation-in-iot
NXP Semiconductors N.V. announced it is working with Amazon Web Services (AWS), to successfully complete the integration of Amazon Greengrass on its Layerscape Intelligent Gateway platform. Amazon Greengrass is a software that extends AWS Cloud capabilities to local devices, making it possible for them to collect and analyze data closer to the source of information, while also securely communicating with each other on local networks. This integration provides efficient security support for edge computing and Internet-of-Things (IoT) cloud interactions, enabling agile business delivery and world-class secure IoT access for homes, companies and other business environments. In the future, the two companies will explore further areas of cooperation in edge computing and cloud platforms, ranging from product R&D, business development and market promotion, all aiming to ensure IoT data security through collaborative innovation.
The NXP Intelligent Gateway Platform uses the company’s QorIQ Layerscape processor architecture. In addition to advanced edge computing power and security performance, the processor family can seamlessly extend AWS Cloud capabilities to the device side, processing data collected by Internet users in local real-time, enabling it to be simultaneously managed, analyzed and stored permanently in the cloud. Layerscape series processors use industry-leading small size, low power consumption and high performance 64-bit ARMv8 architecture. The product line includes single-core, dual-core, quad-core, and eight-core System-on-a-Chips (SoCs). This series of processors also integrates a powerful network, security, storage and TSN hardware acceleration engine and programmable application interface. With its superior combination of high-performance and low-power usage, Layerscape processors have become the preferred platform for SDN/NFV edge computing nodes, as well as enterprise, industrial and home-grade intelligent gateway devices.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Flexible Devices Drive New IoT Apps
Flexible technology becomes a critical component of new markets.
https://semiengineering.com/flexible-devices-drive-new-iot-apps/
Printed and flexible electronics are becoming almost synonymous with many emerging applications in the IoT, and as the technologies progress so do the markets that rely on those technologies.
Flexible sensors factor into a number of IoT use cases such as agriculture, health care, and structural health monitoring. Other types of flexible devices are essential to the IoT, especially in wearable gadgets, such as fitness bands and smartwatches.
BeBop Sensors of Berkeley, Calif., is a case in point. The company supplies smart fabrics to develop flexible pressure sensors for OEMs. BeBop’s sensors go into bicycle helmets, car seats, data gloves, shoes, Spandex clothing, and steering wheels, among other products. The smart fabric sensors were originally developed for musical instruments by BeBop founder Keith McMillen for his older company, Keith McMillen Instruments, tying instruments to computers and software.
IDTechEx forecasts the world market for printed, flexible, and organic electronics will increase from $29.28 billion this year to $73.43 billion in 2027. Most of that revenue comes from organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) going into displays, lighting, and televisions, along with conductive inks. Emerging applications are stretchable electronics, logic and memory devices, and thin-film sensors, according to the market research firm.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Wireless & IoT protocols & their security tradeoffs
http://www.edn.com/design/systems-design/4458666/Wireless—IoT-protocols—their-security-tradeoffs
In the race for time-to-market in the Internet of Things (IoT), proper security is inconvenient because it adds development and component cost and design complexity. While many traditional industries have not been exposed to security issues, they suddenly become hacking targets when their products become smart and connected.
The issue is that bad press and major security and privacy issues might slow down the adoption of IoT for improving our lives.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Skyrobot’s headworn portable display uses longwave-infrared camera by FLIR Systems
http://www.laserfocusworld.com/articles/2017/07/skyrobot-s-headworn-portable-display-uses-longwave-infrared-camera-by-flir-systems.html?cmpid=enl_lfw_lfw_detectors_and_imaging_newsletter_2017-08-03
Skyrobot (Kurami, Japan) has unveiled a lightweight goggle-type Internet of Things (IoT)-capable headworn infrared-camera-equipped display. Called the “Sky Scouter IR,” the headset produces video at 720p (1280 x 720 pixels) resolution through a monocular display for the left eye.
The Sky Scouter IR uses a lightweight (7.5 g) ultracompact (4.9 cm3) longwave-infrared (LWIR) camera called the Boson, which is produced by FLIR Systems (Wilsonville, OR). The camera can shoot images at 9 to 60 frames per second. The camera is mounted on the right side of the headset.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Amazon Echo As A Listening Device
http://hackaday.com/2017/08/03/the-amazon-echo-as-a-listening-device/
It is an inevitability that following swiftly on the heels of the release of a new device there will be an announcement of its rooting, reverse engineering, or other revealing of its hackability. Now the device in question is the Amazon Echo, as MWR Labs announce their work in persuading an Echo to yield the live audio from the microphone and turn the voice assistant device into a covert listening device.
The work hinges on a previous discovery and reverse engineering (PDF) of Amazon’s debug connector on the base of the Echo, which exposes both an SD card interface and a serial terminal.
Alexa, are you listening?
https://labs.mwrinfosecurity.com/blog/alexa-are-you-listening
The Amazon Echo is vulnerable to a physical attack that allows an attacker to gain a root shell on the underlying Linux operating system and install malware without leaving physical evidence of tampering. Such malware could grant an attacker persistent remote access to the device, steal customer authentication tokens, and the ability to stream live microphone audio to remote services without altering the functionality of the device.
This vulnerability is due to two hardware design choices:
Exposed debug pads on the base of the device
Hardware configuration setting which allows the device to boot from an external SD Card
Here we present a technique for rooting an Amazon Echo and then turning it into a ‘wiretap’.