Securing the Internet of Things

I wrote recently about the consumer-IoT’s “basket of remotes” problem, the realization that the growing divergence of a “hodge-podge of ad hoc solutions managed through fragmented systems” risks needlessly complicating consumer’s already busy lives. Fortunately, industrial and commercial sources such as Advantech are already well ahead of their consumer counterparts in delivering comprehensive integrated IoT…

MI/O Extension SBCs: Off-the-Shelf Solutions to Custom I/O Challenges

You reported to work this morning and discovered that among the day’s challenges is configuring an embedded-computing solution that integrates two Gigabit Ethernet ports plus at least two RS-232 serial ports. Designing and building custom boards is expensive and time consuming, but what other option do you have? Where are you going to find an…

Solving the IoT “Basket of Remotes” Problem

My neighbor called from work recently to ask, first, if I was home and, if so, would I check to see if she’d left her curling iron plugged in. She’s a nurse who works a night shift, and the “would you check my …” call has become such a recurring theme that she long ago…

The Cure: A Patient Portal to the World

I visit a bed-ridden family member in an extended-care facility regularly. For furniture, the patient’s room is equipped with a traditional adjustable hospital bed, a narrow over-bed table, a small bed-side table, and several chairs for visitors. A desktop, corded telephone is on the bed-side table, together with assorted toiletries and other sundries. The over-bed…

On Choosing a Network Topology

I know of no better route to understanding a topic than starting with the big picture before narrowing in on its micro details, and history is generally the best introduction to that big-picture overview. I was reminded of this while recently studying Advantech’s white paper, Understanding Device Level Connection Topologies, an excellent resource that covers…

Order 1000, the Smart Grid and Smart Substations

  There is no U.S. power grid as such, at least not in the sense of a consolidated system of nation-wide distribution of electricity. Instead, more than 3200 local and regional electrical utilities produce the more than $400 billion of electricity consumed annually in this country, all pursuant to a long-standing model dominated by local…

The Internet of Things, Cloud Computing, and Carwashes

Searching Google for “Internet of Things” produces 2,090,000,000 results. The Internet is a very big place, but 2.09-billion results is a lot, even from a pool as large as the Internet. By comparison, “Justin Bieber” yields only 793-million results and “Cloud Computing” just 567-million. Yet for many among us, IoT remains a frustratingly vague concept…

HHD, SSHD, or SSD?

I’m building a new desktop PC for home use, and, now that I’ve gotten used to the amazing boot speeds of my SSD-equipped laptop, I want that technology for my personal PC, as well. But, no more than I’ll actually be using it, I’m having a hard time justifying the cost of both an SSD…