Data or Metadata? For The IoT They’re Both Important

As the amount of machine-generated data scales, indexing it via metadata will become critical. Think about the most successful, widely scaled networks that let us function in today’s world. No I’m not talking about internet service providers, I mean the Really, Really Big Networks. The ones that without which modern civilization would be very different. The telephone…

Welcome To A World of Sensors

Sensor technology is evolving so rapidly that previously unthinkable options for capturing happenings in the physical world are becoming viable — and pervasive. Increasingly, we live in a sensor-laden world. Almost every electronic device in our lives has some kind of sensor in it, possibly many. We don’t tend to think of sensors when looking…

CES: The Car Electronics Show?

Over 100 years of dominance by the mechanics of driving is rapidly giving way to the electronics of mobility. One couldn’t escape the impression that automobiles “owned” this year’s CES. The number of auto-related exhibits was unprecedented. This is the year the line between the electronics world and mobility disappeared. That seems obvious to folks who…

Is Voice The ‘Killer App’ For Consumer IoT?

At the recent Consumer Electronics Show (CES), it became clear that our homes will be Voice Castles. Having a background in wave mechanics and tenure in the world of audio, I was fascinated by Amazon Echo when it first came out: I was one of the first buyers and haven’t looked back. Millions of happy “Alexa-ites” are out there.…

Time To Monetize The IoT

So far the conversation has been about what/whom/where/why the IoT. It’s time for how the money will be generated. We’ve all been looking at, thinking and talking about the Internet of Things (IoT) for some time now. Many of us have begun to implement IoT-based systems and solutions. The majority of these, insofar as the commercial…

The IoT: Where We Are, And Where We’re Heading

Evolution or revolution, we’re on a journey that will surely affect…everything I’m often asked, “When will the Internet of Things materially impact me or my organization?” Given the enormous amount of hype associated with the IoT, the question is reasonable. Fortunately, history offers us a guide to how this is likely to play out. Let’s…

A Feast of The Sensors

Nearly everything in our world is becoming sensor-laden. How can you benefit from the pervasiveness? Now that the term “IoT” has become widely accepted, it’s interesting to ask people about what they think it means. Responses range from wearables to factory automation tools to drones. In actuality, all are valid if you take “Internet of…

The Internet of Trees

Almost everything is becoming sensor-laden and connected, even nature. How can your organization benefit? I recently connected with the CEO of a fascinating company based in Cork, Ireland, called Treemetrics. Its mission is to eliminate waste in the logging industry by moving beyond antiquated forest survey methods and other problems caused by a lack of good…

Growing The IoT: Chaos vs. Curation

Aviation and digital entertainment: How the Internet of Things parallels the evolution of both The Internet of Things is here, and expanding at a staggering rate. Many devices, existing and new, are being fitted with sensors that provide information used in their operation, increasing accuracy, efficiency and overall usefulness. We Get It. IoT Everywhere. But what…

Are You A ‘Human Sensor Platform’?

Quietly, inevitably, we’re becoming sensor platforms. What does it mean for you, and business? It started with Web-based social media. We became enamored with sharing and connecting via Facebook, Twitter, even LinkedIn. Those platforms and others migrated as apps to our now-indispensable smartphones and tablets. This was the beginning of us becoming “sensor platforms” as…

What Autonomous Vehicles Will Really Do For Us

The conversation has thus far been about when we’ll have self-driving cars, but the real issue is how they will affect society, and you. The hype is almost deafening: Self-driving cars are coming. The debate no longer surrounds if, but when. All of the automakers, large and small, big tech players, universities and government agencies around…

Here Come The Robot Swarms

The concept of swarming is as old as life itself. Now scientists are rapidly moving swarming into the technology world, and its impact on us will be enormous At a symposium concerned with the advances and regulatory issues pertaining to the burgeoning area of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS, aka “drones”), Dr. Richard Kelley of the University of…

The Rise of Big Data Marketplaces

Pretty soon, curated data will be traded as a commodity along with goods and services Thanks to the ever-marching progression of Moore’s Law, we’re moving into the era where data itself becomes a traded commodity. Before we look at this megatrend and how it will almost certainly impact nearly everything and everyone on Earth in some…

Welcome To The Commercial Internet of Things

Consumer, industrial and commercial IoT? What each means for business All right, you’re looking at the headline and asking yourself, “What is the difference between consumer, industrial and commercial IoT?” Good question. Here’s the broad answer: Commercial IoT (resisting the temptation to acronymize it into “CIoT”) is a term being applied only to those aspects of…

Consumer Versus Commercial IoT

Usefulness and willingness to pay — herein lies the difference Without a doubt, the majority of media coverage about the Internet of Things has focused on consumer devices and future potential applications: your watch talks to your coffeepot, your fitness tracker reports on your vitals, your drone walks your dog (hey, you never know). But…

IoT: Up The Stack and Into The Business Realm

Moving aggressively from early adoption toward supporting the world We find ourselves at a seminal moment in the evolution of information technology: The stuff around us, even attached physically to us, is getting its own brain, and voice. Thanks to the ever-steady progression of Moore’s Law, as applied not only to microprocessor power but also to memory, storage and bandwidth…

AI & The IoT: The Missing Ingredient(s)

As the world enters the Age of Artificial Intelligence, metadata describing the IoT will become mission-critical, even life-saving Think about the most successful, widely scaled networks that let us function in today’s world. No I’m not talking about internet service providers, I mean the Really, Really Big Networks. The ones that without which modern civilization would be…

Cars and the IoT: The Lane Lines Are Blurring

For over 100 years, the world of automobiles has had the road to itself — now with the digitization of everything, data is starting to rule the road. We’re in the booming era of the internet of things — things are changing, and changing fast. IoT is touching almost everything in both the commercial and…

Who Owns The Data From The IoT?

With the internet of things becoming critical to many industries and consumers, questions surrounding data ownership are coming with increasing frequency. The answers aren’t obvious. Many organizations are beginning to convey their IoT data to third parties. Often this is motivated by a desire to monetize the data, sometimes for regulatory reporting reasons. These initiatives are bringing…