Compared to the previous generation, today’s generation of startups are increasingly cloud-centric. The previous generation of dotcoms had to suffer the economics and complexities of deploying, managing, and scaling their own servers, networks, and data centers.
In contrast, today’s generation grew up in the just-in-time, pay-for-what-you-need, and scale-up-on-demand world that is cloud native.  
Edge Benefits Beat Out the Cloud
But over the last two years, businesses have largely opted for edge-enabled, serverless infrastructures. This means there are no servers to manage; no locations to spin up; and most importantly, no cloud computing contracts to analyze.
With edge-enabled, serverless infrastructures, businesses can benefit from faster and more stable API performance and a decreased need in infrastructure support and annual spend.
As a software practitioner for more than two decades, I have been through more “paradigm shifts” in computing than I can count. But I can confidently say this: The future of computing for an entire generation of companies will be “edge-native,” and the traditional cloud is the platform that will lose. 
What is Edge Computing?
One of the main problems with paradigm shifts is that there are so many new technologies that emerge in the early stages. The same has been true for edge computing, with numerous companies offering “edge-compute” solutions that run on new infrastructures, telecommunications providers, and even cloud-computing companies.
When we talk about edge computing companies, we’re describing the ability to run code at the network edge—specifically the content delivery network (CDN) providers.
CDNs have been around since the beginning of the Internet. The major players (Akamai, Limelight, Cloudflare, Verizon Edgecast, and Fastly) have been helping customers ensure content is delivered quickly to customers by ensuring a large distributed global cache of servers.
In the old model, these providers simply stored data for companies, ensuring that as customers visited websites or downloaded software, the response times were fast because the server itself had the content as close to the customer as possible.
Continue reading: https://www.eweek.com/cloud/why-edge-computing-will-overtake-the-cloud/

In recent years, movements to address the lack of women in STEM occupations have gained momentum, resulting in significant improvements in some STEM-related fields — particularly in social sciences and health care. However, while these are amazing developments, there is still so much more that can be done.
As it currently stands, women only account for 27% of STEM workers despite making up almost half of the total U.S. workforce. Most notably, women are severely underrepresented in engineering and computing, accounting for about 15% and 25% respectively.
Education, accessible role models and inclusive workplace environments are key factors that influence women’s career paths into STEM. Businesses and society alike can do so much to help inspire women in STEM through concentrated efforts in these areas.
Education is the foundation of success
While many may focus on higher education, the journey to a career in STEM starts much younger. The early stages of education are crucial to a child’s development, with many complex factors that can impact a girl’s career path trajectory. For instance, Accenture found that having a lack of friends in a computing class can decrease the probability of a girl studying the subject at college by up to 33%. For this reason, the role of educational institutions is paramount in encouraging girls’ development of STEM-related skills.
Promoting engagement in technology at a younger age will allow girls’ interests to develop free of societal bias. Educational institutions and governing bodies need to create more initiatives for children to become both familiar with and gain hands-on experience with technology. This will encourage young people to take an active interest in subjects that will lay the foundation for them to study STEM disciplines at higher levels.
As businesses, we can do a lot to encourage interest in STEM careers through education. For instance, we implemented The IFS Education Program to offer scholarships, grants, IT equipment and practical knowledge through internships and mentorships for students. We work with a number of different colleges and universities and plan to expand our program to 150 institutions globally over the next three years to provide students with exposure to enterprise software.
Accessible role models are needed to lead the way
One major constraint on women entering STEM industries is the lack of visible female role models. Having access to female mentors is incredibly important for the development of young women, especially in male-dominated fields. The aforementioned Accenture study found that 73% of high school girls who had an inspirational teacher said they were interested in studying computing. This figure fell to 26% for those who did not have an inspiring role model.
Female industry voices need to be promoted so that their experiences can become more widely accessible and issues affecting women in the industry can be highlighted. One way this can be achieved is by establishing mentorship programs to show how women navigate these industries while learning from real female experiences. By promoting female leaders within STEM, women will feel that the industry is more accessible to them, as they see women like themselves succeeding in it.
Continue reading: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2022/02/11/how-to-inspire-the-future-women-of-stem-as-a-business-and-as-a-society/?sh=44622b456af7

A research study by The National Center for Women & Information Technology showed that “gender diversity has specific benefits in technology settings,” which could explain why tech companies have started to invest in initiatives that aim to boost the number of female applicants, recruit them in a more effective way, retain them for longer, and give them the opportunity to advance. But is it enough?
Four years ago, we launched a diversity series aimed at bringing the most inspirational and powerful women in the tech scene to your attention. Today, we’d like you to meet Helen Fu Thomas, CEO at DMAI, Inc.
Today’s Woman in Tech: Helen Fu Thomas, CEO at DMAI, Inc.
Helen Fu Thomas is the CEO of cognitive AI company DMAI, Inc. and successfully launched their first education platform, with AI-driven algorithms to deliver the right content at the right time.
Prior to DMAI, Inc., she started her high-tech career at LeapFrog (NYSE: LF). She was part of the team growing the global business exponentially and became the founding CEO of LeapFrog China after she successfully built educational businesses in Japan and South Korea.
She also helped Livescribe launch the world’s first smartpen. At the beginning, she was the only female and minority senior staff member. She also started two other companies from scratch, Bluefocus Communication Group of America and Touchjet USA, Inc., as founding CEO.
Helen earned her MBA in Marketing at the Haas Business School at UC Berkeley.
When did you become interested in technology? What first got you interested in tech?
Math was my favorite subject at school. I participated in math competitions. I also remember that my uncle used to give me math problems to solve and how thrilling it was when I got them done every time. However, my major was International Finance in college. I started my high-tech career in Silicon Valley after I got my MBA from Haas Business School at UC Berkeley.
Continue reading: https://jaxenter.com/women-in-tech-fu-thomas-176636.html

The new year is here, bringing a heap of possibilities, especially for women who are wanting to enter the tech world. With role models such as Melanie Perkins Co-founder and CEO of Canva, Angela Lam CIO of Shell Australia, and Rebecca Chenery who won CIO of the year in NZ, the future is bright.
Here at Talent, we help businesses build top tech teams, and therefore, know first-hand what top companies and leaders are doing to help attract women through their doors. Last year, we hosted a women in tech event as we wanted to delve deeper into the challenges women were facing and what needed to change. Off the back of this, we released a research report ‘Women in Tech: Are we there yet?’ which we shared with businesses that we work with globally, to encourage them to make a tangible change for women in their organisations.
So, what does 2022 have in store for the tech market, and more specifically women in the tech market? Let’s delve into it.
It’s About More Than Money
Salaries are on the rise – big time! In the last year alone, we have seen increases in both contract and permanent rates of between 20-30%. With the industry growing at an exponential rate, tech talent is hard to come by. Mix that with border closures and you have got yourself an industry where candidates are calling the shots.
Not only that, but the rewards of creating an inclusive workplace are stacking up. According to Diversity Council Australia’s Inclusive @Work Index report, workers in inclusive teams are 11 times more likely to be highly effective than those in non-inclusive teams and 4 times less likely to feel work has a negative or very negative impact on their mental health.
It’s not just about money though. Flexibility, benefits, and parental leave are among a stack of offerings businesses are using to get tech candidates through the door. With flex work now entirely normal, any pre-conceived negative biases around women requiring flexibility for families is diminished (think, school picks up and drop offs etc). The proof is in the pudding that you don’t need to be in an office working 9-5 to get the job done, and tech companies are recognising this. With the short talent pool, more organisations are embracing working mothers and with this they are needing to rethink how they engage and retain this workforce, leading to a more inclusive workplace.
Our Seat At The Table
The tech market is an exciting place to be for women who are wanting to join or are looking to go down an entrepreneurial path. Currently, only one in five of NZs high growth start-ups have one woman in their founding team.
Working to change this, are organisations such as The Ministry of Awesome, which are supporting an increase in the number of women start-ups in NZ. From our experiences in the tech sector and working with global clients, we know first-hand that it’s crucial to have diversity to innovate. Women need to have a seat at the table otherwise an organisation risks missing the mark when creating, designing and marketing their product/s. We all know that women in tech are bringing new perspectives and new ways of thinking. Plus, we are also exceptional problem solvers if we do say so ourselves!  
Continue reading: https://womenlovetech.com/why-2022-is-the-year-for-women-in-tech/

“Today, only one in three science and engineering researchers in the world is a woman”, stated Secretary-General António Guterres, explaining that “structural and societal barriers” are preventing women and girls from “entering and advancing in science”.
A world denied
A significant gender gap has persisted at all levels of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines around the world.
Even though women have made tremendous progress towards increasing their participation in higher education, they are still under-represented in these fields.
And from school closures to a rise in violence and greater homecare burdens, the COVID-19 pandemic has simply increased gender inequalities.
“This inequality is depriving our world of enormous untapped talent and innovation”, he continued, underscoring the need for women’s perspectives “to make sure that science and technology work for everyone”.
Action needed
Science and gender equality are both vital to reach the sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
And yet, despite past decades of efforts to inspire and engage women and girls in science, women and girls continue to be excluded from participating fully.
“We can – and must – take action”, said the UN chief. 
He called for policies that “fill classrooms” with girls studying technology, physics, engineering, and maths; and targeted measures to ensure that women are afforded opportunities to “grow and lead at laboratories, research institutions and universities”.
Mr. Guterres also stressed that determination was needed to end discrimination and stereotypes about women in science along with more rigorous efforts to expand prospects for minority women.
Continue reading: https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/02/1111732

• There is a significant gender gap in STEM disciplines around the world, particularly in technology.
• Cutting-edge technology skills needed in the Fourth Industrial Revolution will increasingly be in demand.
• Apprenticeships are proving a successful alternative for women keen to work in tech.

“While I may be the first woman in this office, I will not be the last.” When Kamala Harris spoke these words as US Vice-President elect, she continued a very welcome trend that has seen an explosion in phenomenal female role models in every walk of life. Women like Kamala are breaking glass ceilings across industries and inspiring young girls to ignore the limitations that many of us over the age of 40 would have repeatedly had reinforced throughout our childhoods.
But worryingly, STEM – particularly technology – continues to lag behind many industries when it comes to female representation. Just 17% of UK tech jobs are held by women and 19% of computer sciences and technology graduates are female. According to the UN, in cutting-edge fields such as artificial intelligence, only one in five professionals globally (22%) is a woman.

 
Continue reading: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/02/women-tech-science-apprenticeships-stem/

Internet of Things devices are making their way into more and more areas of our lives. But while they offer many benefits they also present businesses with a problem when it comes to managing and securing them.
An ever widening range of devices now have connectivity that may be off the radar of company IT and cybersecurity teams. We spoke to Roy Dagan, CEO of SecuriThings, to discuss the issue and how enterprises can tackle it.
BN: What are the major challenges companies face with managing and securing IoT devices?
RD: Managing the stack of IoT devices in a large organization is a huge challenge today. From access control systems to cameras to building management systems, organizations often have a multitude of connected devices -- thousands, sometimes tens of thousands -- running on various networks with no way to ensure they are operational and secure.
To add to the complexity, the devices often come from different vendors with different firmware versions, and integrate with a number of third-party systems. This puts a lot of pressure on operations teams to ensure that each individual device is running properly, secure, and up to date with the latest firmware/software. And most of this work is done manually today, which can't scale for large organizations and therefore is a strain on resources.
This ends up putting organizations and their operations at risk, and drives up maintenance costs.
Continue reading: https://betanews.com/2022/02/11/the-challenge-of-managing-and-securing-iot-devices-in-the-enterprise-qa/

With the explosion of the Internet of Things, consumers have access to everything from smartphones to smart fridges. These interconnected devices may make life more convenient—but they may also leave users more vulnerable to security issues.
As new smart technologies enable data to move more freely across networks and devices, users must be equally smart about how they defend their data against hackers. Below, 11 Forbes Technology Council members share their top IoT cybersecurity tips for everyday consumers. Follow their advice to ensure you are keeping your devices—and yourself—as protected as possible.
1. Research Before Buying
Ask yourself: Do you need a connected fridge, dishwasher or toothbrush? Review the product before you buy in terms of what security controls it has. Lots of IoT products are cheap and don’t include robust security. Insecure IoT devices can lead to malware or criminals breaching your home Wi-Fi, and it’s not uncommon for domestic Wi-Fi routers to have security issues, exposing insecure IoT devices to malicious actors. - Eoin Keary, Edgescan
2. Customize Security Settings
Unencrypted IoT device traffic and limited data control increase the risk of exposing personally identifiable information, giving threat actors access to unencrypted network data that can be sold and used in future attacks. Customize security settings, update your devices regularly, encrypt your personal wireless network and use strong, unique passwords with multifactor authentication. - Alejandro Romero, Constella Intelligence
3. Update Firmware
Your security is only as strong as your weakest link. Many hacks occur through smart locks and printers, so always make sure to update your firmware. You may also want to consider setting up one network for smart devices and a separate network for PCs, tablets and phones. - Carl Hung, Season Group
4. Set Up A Separate Wi-Fi Network
Many of these systems have simple or no built-in security considerations. Information sharing with the devices should be on an as-needed basis; avoid putting any sensitive personal information on them. If possible, set up a separate Wi-Fi network for IoT devices so if they’re compromised, it doesn’t put other systems at risk. Added security can be achieved by turning this into a security zone. - Tim Liu, Hillstone Networks
Continue reading: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2022/02/10/11-iot-cybersecurity-tips-to-help-consumers-protect-themselves-from-hackers/?sh=5b02dd6a6a94

Over half of Internet of Things (IoT) devices in hospital settings were found to contain critical cybersecurity vulnerabilities, according to the 2022 State of Healthcare IoT Device Security report from Cynerio.
Security vulnerabilities in healthcare settings can pose risks not only to hospital data, but also to patients and those dependent upon IoT devices. According to the security report, one-third of bedside IoT healthcare devices contain a critical cyber risk. What's more, 79% of hospital IoT devices are used at least monthly, which narrows the amount of time available to patch the vulnerability.
The report outlines top cyber vulnerabilities facing hospital IoT devices, as well as the devices that face the highest level of security risk, as measured by a framework based upon the NIST Cybersecurity Framework.
Continue reading: https://www.securitymagazine.com/articles/97065-53-of-hospital-iot-devices-have-security-vulnerabilities

In this blockchain development course, you will learn how to query on the blockchain and build open APIs. This course will teach you how to build your own distributed applications using The Graph. It's like Lego blocks for composing your own protocols. You'll learn how to build your own APIs that query Ethereum, IPFS, and other data sources.
✏️ Ania Kubów created this course. Check out her channel: https://www.youtube.com/aniakubow
See more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQx6ig3mp1U

How Blockchain works
Blockchain is a mechanism for creating a distributed ledger that by design is impossible to hack or change. This distributed database allows multiple parties to participate, view and audit the data contained inside each block. The data on a blockchain can't be modified, which makes this system so valuable. All kinds of information can be put in these blocks, and powerful cryptography protects them from any leak.
A bit of History
As years went by, Blockchain development underwent important stages. In Stage 1 (around 2009), Blockchain was used by Satoshi Nakamoto for his Bitcoin network. It allowed to set up the basic premise of a shared ledger that maintains a cryptocurrency network. Each transaction is approved in a verification process throughout multiple computer members of the network, and then a block with this information is added to the chain. This groundbreaking innovation meant a strong transaction network without the need for a central authority.
Time went on, and the second stage of Blockchain began thanks to Ethereum which introduced the concept of Smart Contracts. It allowed developers to write and run programs inside a block, and thanks to that, all kinds of trust agreements are self-managed, with no need for outside entities. The programs inside a block can monitor every aspect of an agreement, from its beginning to its execution. With this technology, Blockchain can be used for identity management, supply chain, real estate, and so on.
More than Cryptocurrencies
Nowadays, a world of possibilities has opened with Smart Contracts, and we currently can create secure and decentralized applications. More and more companies are already working with different MVPs or initial developments based on blockchain. Here are five examples:
1. Initial coin offerings
ICO is a digital crowdsource funding model that uses Smart Contracts and cryptocurrency. It became a popular method to raise funds for products and services. The $5.3 billion boom in ICOs in 2017 challenged traditional venture capital. Now many businesses are using this model to raise capital for their projects.
2. Insurance
The insurance industry spends tens of millions of dollars each year on processing claims. Not only that, but it also actually loses millions of dollars to fraudulent claims. Smart contracts could also help improve the process of claim processing in many ways.
3. Voting
Blockchain can be used to validate a voter‘s identity and record their vote. This information could then be used to initiate an action after all voting had ceased. Since the blocks within a blockchain are impossible to alter once they have been recorded, manipulation of this record would not be possible.
4. Transport and logistics
The transport and logistics sector is becoming increasingly digitized as supply chain management and visibility remain as important as ever, and both are key areas that can be improved by blockchain. Retail companies like Walmart are already leveraging this technology for food traceability.
Continue reading: https://intive.com/insights/why-blockchain-is-much-bigger-than-cryptocurrency

The 'Internet of Things' phrase, or IoT, is thrown around a lot, but most people only have a vague understanding of what it means. With increasing automation, the scope of IoT has been growing by leaps and bounds over the past several years. With so many 'Internet of Things' devices already in use around the world, it is all the more important to understand what the term actually means.
There are literally billions of devices that are connected to the internet, including computers, smartphones, smart televisions, smart refrigerators, smart cameras, baby monitors, and more. However, not every one of those devices technically qualify as an IoT device. As a general rule of thumb, and an easy way to understand the major difference, devices that typically require user intervention are not specifically thought of as IoT devices.
The Internet of Things (IoT) is a broad term used to describe the growing number of electronic devices that are connected to the internet to send data, receive instructions or both. According to Wikipedia, many different types of devices can be classified as IoT, including 'smart' versions of traditional household appliances, such as light bulbs, refrigerators, thermostats, baby monitors, and so on. Devices like smart speakers with digital assistants and smart cameras connected to the internet can also be categorized as part of the Internet of Things. Other examples of IoT devices include sensors and connected devices in factories, healthcare, transportation, and farms. In an interview with ZDNet back in 2015, Kevin Ashton, the man credited with coining the 'Internet of Things' phrase, described IoT as a network that "integrates the interconnectedness of human culture - our 'things' - with the interconnectedness of our digital information system - 'the internet'."
The IoT Encompasses Consumers And Enterprises

The IoT includes smart, connected devices that leverage the power of the internet to bring data processing and analytics to the real world of physical objects. This allows consumer-grade devices to send and receive data globally without using dedicated input devices, such as keyboards and mice. On the enterprise side of things, IoT can refer to the billions of embedded sensors that provide big data about the safety and efficacy of devices in industrial, agricultural, and medical setups. Overall, the IoT enables companies, organizations, and governments to collect data from 'smart' versions of everyday objects with minimal human intervention.
Continue reading: https://screenrant.com/what-does-iot-mean-internet-of-things-explained/

The Internet of Things (IoT) refers to the growing number and type of devices that are connected to the internet. IoT devices range from Amazon Alexa and Google Home to bluetooth coffee makers and toothbrushes. Unlike cell phones and computers, these IoT devices may not have robust security. Hackers can infiltrate a network through a weaker device to access private information on devices with better security.
Creating security for IoT devices is challenging because they must be physically small (to fit in the device) and require relatively low power (to avoid draining the device). Usually, these devices are also not capable of performing complex computations. Carnegie Mellon University researchers at the Energy-Efficient Circuits and Systems (EECS) Lab from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering are inventing new ways to meet these challenges. In two recently published papers, Assistant Professor Vanessa Chen and her Ph.D. students Yuyi Shen and Jiachen Xu explored using variations from the manufacturing process for more robust security.
Within a network, the devices—also called nodes—already trust one another; that is, they openly communicate by sending and receiving signals. If a foreign device tried to interact with a node, the network would ignore it. One way that hackers gain access to networks is by impersonating a trusted node. Thus creating security measures must involve a robust process for verifying the identity of any device attempting to communicate.
"The typical approach for implementing a wireless security system is through some kind of cryptographic mechanism, which requires computational power that some IoT devices have trouble supporting," Shen said. "The focus of our research is on one specific form of low power security mechanism called radio frequency fingerprinting."
Radio frequency fingerprinting (RFF) refers to a method of identifying devices by exploiting hardware variations that arise despite the precision used during the manufacturing process. These variations result in unique features in the radio waves the device transmits. After signal processing, these features can be used to identify a specific device.
One way to make RFF harder for hackers to identify, and thus mimic, is to change the fingerprint's features. This is a non-trivial task, especially given the fact that the RFFs result from unintentional manufacturing deviations. One of the researchers' papers looked at using power amplifiers to change a device's signal features.
"Usually, each device will have fixed hardware characteristics that might change with the environment or slowly over time," Xu said. "But this power amplifier is capable of reconfiguring itself to generate various radio frequency fingerprints in one device, preventing people attacking the device from mimicking the hardware characteristics."
Continue reading: https://techxplore.com/news/2022-02-fingerprinting-internet.html

 
Figure 1: Latency Sensitivity Across various Edges (source)
Latency being primary driver for edge computing, applications and services need to be developed leveraging the capabilities of edge compute platform. These applications are expected to be cloud native, microservices based, leveraging helper services available on the platform, while providing secure multi-tenant configurations. The partitioning of the functionality must leverage resource awareness in the platform and facilitate performance scalability and security. Mobility and Federation will be important considerations allowing use of services across multiple MEC domains.
Another success factor will be portability across a range of device capabilities, some with hardware acceleration, some without. Paradigm of edge-native applications clearly describe characteristics required for developers to build applications in order to satisfy service offerings at the edge [1]. The reality however is proving to be far more complex for application writers to satisfy plethora of requirements [2].
Where Kubernetes CNI is limited...
Microservice architectures are decoupling applications from maintaining & managing infrastructure operations to only perform required business logic. Infrastructure tasks of moving the data, health checks, rate limiting, etc., are being decoupled from orchestrators like Kubernetes and are being taken up by service mesh using sidecar proxies, forming software defined data plane for microservices.
While Kubernetes has become the orchestrator of choice for microservices, data plane networking has evolved with advent of Container Network Interface (CNI)s such as Calico, Cilium, and OVN4NFV. Applications running as microservices still perform routine infrastructure management tasks such as rate limiting, health checking, L4 to L7 connection management, and TLS termination, which has to be replicated by each of the microservices.
Continue reading: https://www.thefastmode.com/expert-opinion/22946-service-mesh-and-edge-computing-considerations

Edge computing is not just a methodology but also a philosophy of networking that is primarily focused on bringing computing devices closer to the network. The objective is to reduce any sort of latency in the usage of bandwidth. To put it in layman’s terms, edge computing means executing a smaller number of processes in the cloud and migrating those processes to a more localized environment such as a user’s computer, an IoT device, or an edge server.  Executing this process ensures a reduction in long-distance communication that arises between the client and the server.
Network Edge
For all internet devices, a network edge is a place where the device or the local network that contains the device, communicates with the internet. One can call the word edge a buzzword and its interpretation is rather funny. For instance, the computer of a user or the processor inside an IoT device can be treated as a network edge device; however, the router used by the user, or the ISP is also factored as a network edge device. The point to be noted here is that edge of any network, from a proximity point of view is very close to the device; unlike other scenarios involving cloud servers.
Difference between edge computing and other computing models
Historically speaking, early days computers were large, bulky machines that could be accessed either via a terminal or directly. However, with the invention of personal computers, which was quite a dominant computing device for quite a long time, the methodology of computing was more in a distributed manner. Multiple applications were executed, and the data was either stored in the local computer or probably stored in an on-premise data center.
However, with cloud computing, we are seeing a paradigm shift in the way the computing process is done. It brings a significant value proposition where data is stored in a vendor-managed cloud data center or a collection of multiple data centers. Using cloud computing technology, users can access data from any part of the world, through the internet.
But the flip side is that because of the distance between the user and the server location, the question of latency may arise. Edge computing brings the user closer to the server location, making sure that the data does not have to travel a distance.
Continue reading: https://www.techfunnel.com/information-technology/edge-computing/

A global consortium of technology companies has announced that it is releasing a solution for terrestrial and satellite asset tracking based on LoRaWAN technology. The organization, known as the  Multimodal IoT Infrastructure Consortium (MMIIC), plans to pilot the system in a global supply chain environment beginning in February 2022. The group formed to provide connectivity everywhere, including in hard-to-reach places, such as at sea, in rural areas, in mines, or at oil and gas fields. The solution leverages terrestrial LoRaWAN devices with firmware that shifts communication to satellite technology in those more remote locations.
The consortium consists of  TrakAssure, which provides the tracking devices and full application solution;  Senet, which offers LoRaWAN connectivity; satellite company  Eutelsat; and  Wyld Networks, which builds the sensor technology and firmware being used in this solution. MMIIC (pronounced "mimic") was formed to advance LoRaWAN network coverage and optimize supply chains, according to the participants. The companies are targeting the global supply chain, including container logistics and related asset tracking, as the first application. However, other use cases include monitoring utility poles for energy companies around the world, as well as the delivery of goods into rural locations, and agricultural applications.
Continue reading: https://www.rfidjournal.com/consortium-to-release-iot-solution-for-satellite-terrestrial-tracking

You have probably heard of the term DevOps already, as well as machine learning and artificial intelligence. DevOps was first introduced a decade ago as a practice that seeks to unite developers and IT operations to collaborate better. However, as the volume of data became more and more unmanageable for normal human capacity, the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning, therefore, became a more pressing necessity. After all, we live in the golden age of digitization and technology.
This is where MLOps came into existence.
What Is MLOps?
One can say that MLOps is just a level higher than DevOps. It is its expected evolution. In a nutshell, MLOps is similar to DevOps in that it is a practice that involves software developers and IT operations teams with the addition of data scientists and ML and AI experts. They seek to find useful applications of the various technologies available, particularly in creating models and ensuring their efficiency.
Why Do Companies Need to Consider MLOps?
While machine learning is a valued addition to any company’s tech arsenal, the actual application, and much more, its productization still proves to be a challenge. After all, the production process with machine learning involves multiple components from data collection, data prep and analysis, model creation, model review, and more. Thus, it will require collaboration among various teams to make it possible.
The Benefits of MLOps
There are different advantages to having MLOps. Here are three:
Efficiency
The first reason why you should consider MLOps is the efficiency that it can bring to your company. MLOps allows data scientists to focus on their tasks more and achieve the faster development and deployment of their machine learning models.
Continue reading: https://www.iotforall.com/why-companies-need-to-think-about-mlops

A while back we took a look at IoT as an emerging trend and concept, and we saw how it related to VoIP technologies. That was almost four years ago, which is an eternity when it comes to the rate at which technological trends in telecommunications evolve. Many of the fundamentals are still valid, but given the explosive growth in IoT, .we thought it time for an update on some of the more recent developments in the field.
The birth of IoT
We provided an overview of IoT and how it works with VoIP in a previous article. So, where did this all start? It depends on whom you ask. The concept of a network of smart devices was discussed as early as 1982. However, many experts will agree with Cisco that the actual birth of IoT was the point in time when more “things” were connected to the internet than people. This is estimated to be sometime between 2008 and 2009.
Why it’s called Internet of Things
When the internet was initially conceived, and as it grew, it was primarily an internet of computers. As new network-aware applications and gadgets emerged, such as cameras, mobile phones, tablets, and IP phones, the internet became an internet of devices. In recent years, the actual objects being connected to the internet have become extremely diverse, from thermostats, cars and pacemakers, to municipal lighting,  refrigerators, marine buoys…and the list goes on. There really is no category broad enough to encompass all of these types of objects. That’s why the word “things” was used, to include every possible…well, thing.
So, the Internet of Things is just that: an internetwork of connected things or network-aware objects that can collect data, communicate with other things, are connected to a central control system, and can respond to incoming information, as well.
Technological advancement
Arguably the most significant trend of IoT over the past couple of years is the explosive increase in the number of connected and controlled devices. According to some analysts, in 2021 alone there was an estimated 9% increase in the number of IoT devices worldwide (not connected devices in general, but specifically IoT devices), bringing the estimated total to over 12.3 billion connected things. The same source suggests that that number will grow by 22% annually between now and 2025, resulting in close to 27.1 billion connected things by 2025.
One of the major advantages of IoT is the fact that it creates opportunities for a more direct integration of the physical world into computer-based systems, which results in improvements in efficiency, as well as economic benefits in many areas. As a result, this magnitude of increase is simply phenomenal and is probably the one major aspect that is driving IoT forward. The more connected devices, the more opportunities for integration of the physical world, the more efficiency and economy can be achieved.
Continue reading: https://telecomreseller.com/2022/02/09/voip-and-iot-a-marriage-of-innovation/

The Internet of Things (IOT) refers to the interconnectivity of wearable devices, machines, people, and sensors sharing information and data within a network, IOT networks can be augmented and improved by deep learning systems. “Deep Learning” refers to any artificial intelligence system that is capable of genuine learning. This kind of system can take raw and unorganized data from multiple sources, analyze and organize that data, direct subsequent actions, and even adapt its inputs and outputs without human intervention or prompts. Accordingly, deep learning technology can enhance an IOT network in directing action. Deep learning can also monitor data arriving from the IOT network, trouble-shooting deficiencies or changes in data. Deep learning will therefore enable and increase the usefulness of any IOT network, including IOT in construction.
Practical implications
IOT is already transforming areas of the defence and health care industries, particularly those that depend on significant human labour to complete tasks that can be dangerous, dull, repetitive, or dirty. Likewise, deep learning is already enhancing the usefulness of those industries’ applications of IOT. These changes are rapidly transforming industries and practices. Used separately or together, these resources can have benefits to industries including:

• reducing human labour requirements;
• reducing human error;
• enhancing site safety and security;
• improving the speed at which data is processed and information is shared; and
• cutting costs.

Whether the function of traditional approaches, upfront costs, or change-adverse behaviour, the construction industry has not experienced the same level of transformation as its industry-peers with similar human labour demands. IOT and deep learning are forces of innovation with real potential for increased safety, efficiency, and profit. While there is little consensus as to when IOT and deep learning will become commonplace within the construction industry, research industry experts, and scientists agree that IOT and deep learning are showing tremendous potential to transform the sector in significant ways.
For example, and in the IOT in construction context, wearable devices, which monitor location or fatigue, can assist in worksite security and safety. Integrating systems which permit remote monitoring and management can improve information exchange and management control of a project, particularly where projects are located far from the construction company’s main base of resources. Devices monitoring equipment and machine performance or wear can assist in logistics and prevention of incidents that halt productivity.
Likewise, a primary focus of any construction manager and project execution team is achieving and maintaining optimal productivity rates while avoiding unnecessary expenditures. One key factor in maintaining productivity is ensuring the information is disseminated widely and quickly. Informational asymmetry, where information does not reach the parties it needs to reach in a timely manner, can lead to delays, reduce safety, and impact productivity. IOT systems can provide a means of eliminating informational asymmetry while increasing project safety. IOT systems can also increase safety and security of worksites, preventing incidents that could affect project schedules and budgets.
Continue reading: https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=145d6b97-7a07-49c6-b8c8-643ac50879a9

It’s increasingly difficult to imagine a world without cell phones or a future without our objects connected to the internet.  Today cars, smart home devices, factories, and cities are using IoT technology, and experts predict that the trend will continue into the future.
Internet of Things leverages the internet to connect electronic devices that people use every day.  These items are embedded with sensors and software to each other.  The technology allows your smart devices to send, receive, communicate and interpret information and data from connected devices in real-time.
Here is how the Internet of Things will transform the world.
Technologies behind the Development of IoT Systems
Many tech domains are strongly linked to IoT functionality.  The combination of IoT and other digital technologies shows exponential growth in the market.  These technologies are:
Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Machine Learning (ML): AI helps manage complicated IoT systems with multiple parameters and factors requiring highly efficient and rapid response and decision-making unavailable in humans.  Simulations and ML methods are used to train AI systems, thus helping them work much better than rigid algorithms that human programmers create.  Further, AI offers creative and well-informed decisions and actions based on previous experiences and mathematical modeling in situations beyond predicted, algorithm-based actions.
Continue reading: https://startup.info/is-the-internet-of-things-real/

Researchers supported by France’s Defense Ministry are working to develop a more effective surveillance drone that’s also less prone to detection by its imitation of birds or insects.
L’Agence de l’innovation de défense (AID), a section of France’s Defense Ministry that encourages and finances development of new, military-applicable technologies, is backing the project. It has thrown its weight behind the stealth drone known as Biofly, which has already produced craft that resemble a bird and dragonfly-ish insect. The specific program the prototypes arose from were AID’s biomimetrics section, which studies biological organisms for the development materials or systems. 
In this case, that involved learning how winged creatures of nature might allow data-collecting UAVs to do their work without being seen, or be identified if they are.
First to arise from that effort was a drone dubbed Bionic Bird (a choice thrusting the Defense Ministry into flagrant violation of France’s standing “Toubon Law,” which stipulates French as the “language of the republic” and obligatory in all official discourse and documentation). That Oiseau Bionique (taking no risks over here) is made of apolymer body outfitted with flapping carbon fiber wings. The motion was not only designed to allow the craft to pass easier as a bird while it spies from the sky, but also to increase its performance efficiency.
Recent improvements have given rise to an updated version of the UAV, as well as the insect-like variant. Though still a work in progress, officials at France’s Defense Ministry have been encouraged by the promising efficiencies of flight the drone has already attained, as well as the continued on-loading of tech that will include high-resolution cameras and effective body stabilizers to offset the flapping motion of the wings.
“These improvements have been made notably in the addition of piloting assistance, automation of flight plans like straight-line trajectory, varying speed capacities, the possibility of quasi-stationary hovering, yet also an increase in the velocity of these drones,” France’s Defense Ministry explains in a web page on the craft.
Continue reading: https://dronedj.com/2022/02/09/frances-defense-ministry-developing-bird-like-stealth-drone/

Non-profit organizations the Airborne Public Safety Association (APSA) and the Airborne International Response Team (AIRT) have entered into an agreement of cooperation in order to support the implementation of the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) Test Methods for Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) to improve upon the safety and proficiency surrounding public safety drone operations.
The agreement will see APSA and AIRT – the official home of the DRONERESPONDERS program – collaborate to promote validation and dissemination of the NIST test methods for sUAS.  The two organizations will work together in developing best practices for using the tests to support training with standard measures of remote pilot proficiency for public safety and emergency services organization operating drones for life safety missions.
“The NIST test methods for sUAS have emerged as a proven system for evaluating both remote pilot proficiency and aircraft capabilities,” said APSA Executive Director and CEO Daniel Schwarzbach. “Our partnership with AIRT and the DRONERESPONDERS program will help expand awareness and adoption of the NIST test methods while also ensuring a safer National Airspace System (NAS).”
APSA currently provides basic and advanced-level proctor training courses for public safety agencies looking to adopt the NIST test methods for sUAS, as well as a Basic Proficiency Evaluation for Remote Pilots (BPERP) certification. The DRONERESPONDERS program, with the support of a grant from NIST, will assist in validating and disseminating the test methods while supporting the courses. In addition, the organizations will maintain a record of public safety agencies and personnel who have successfully completed the training.
Continue reading: https://dronelife.com/2022/02/09/apsa-and-airt-collaborate-standardizing-public-safety-drone-operations-with-nist-testing/

Industrial IoT is the tech answer to the business challenge of environmental sustainability. Everyone says so; everyone knows so. And yet only a third of enterprises are putting their money where their mouths are, and investing in industrial IoT. That is the message, effectively, from Swiss engineering conglomerate ABB, which has polled the market, done the math, and identified the gap in the industrial change agenda between thought and action.
Of course, for a business selling industrial robotics and automation software, the results of the poll make clear how business might be done, if only enterprises would put their hands in their pockets to gamble on a leaner and greener future. But business and sustainability are – increasingly, and necessarily – linked, to the point they are almost the same, and greater business efficiency means a lesser environmental impact and a bigger bottom-line.
The new ABB (commissioned) study – of 765 decision-makers in “international” industrial enterprises – found that “future competitiveness” is the single biggest factor for their increased focus on sustainability, cited in 46 percent of cases. Two thirds (63 percent) “strongly agree” that sustainability is good for business profits. Indeed, almost all of them (96 percent) view digitalization as “essential to sustainability”, the poll said. At the same time, only 35 percent of firms surveyed in the poll have actually implemented “industrial IoT solutions at scale”.
The interpretation here, of course, requires you to accept that ‘industrial IoT’ is the same as ‘digitalization’, at least in the industrial arena where ABB sells most of its wares. Which puts us in the strange half-light of buzzwords and jargon. Except that industrial IoT is a more useful term, actually, because it describes how sensors are attached to machinery and processes in factories and plants, to enable live readouts and calibration to fine-tune performance.
Continue reading: https://enterpriseiotinsights.com/20220209/smart-factory/industrial-iot-is-the-answer-to-good-and-green-business-says-everyone-says-abb

It’s increasingly difficult to imagine a world without cell phones or a future without our objects connected to the internet.  Today cars, smart home devices, factories, and cities are using IoT technology, and experts predict that the trend will continue into the future.
Internet of Things leverages the internet to connect electronic devices that people use every day.  These items are embedded with sensors and software to each other.  The technology allows your smart devices to send, receive, communicate and interpret information and data from connected devices in real-time.
Here is how the Internet of Things will transform the world.
Technologies behind the Development of IoT Systems
Many tech domains are strongly linked to IoT functionality.  The combination of IoT and other digital technologies shows exponential growth in the market.  These technologies are:
Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Machine Learning (ML): AI helps manage complicated IoT systems with multiple parameters and factors requiring highly efficient and rapid response and decision-making unavailable in humans.  Simulations and ML methods are used to train AI systems, thus helping them work much better than rigid algorithms that human programmers create.  Further, AI offers creative and well-informed decisions and actions based on previous experiences and mathematical modeling in situations beyond predicted, algorithm-based actions.
Big Data: The technology is a set of various applications and methods.  The technology organizes, manages, and uses enormous data.  This includes high-level operations such as sharing and data visualization.  IoT generates considerable information from many standalone data points such as sensors, devices, etc.  It would be almost impossible to store, analyze and operate this magnitude of data.  However, Big Data management platforms mine, process, and investigate the data and generate valuable insights and findings.  The information helps to optimize and enhance IoT-enabled business processes.
Continue reading: https://startup.info/is-the-internet-of-things-real/

When I finally had my first big-girl engineering job, the paltry number of immediate colleagues who looked like me was a huge culture shock. As a student, I haven’t been in industry long enough to experience the effects of the perpetual recurrence of these feelings, but by the end of three months, I had drawn my own conclusions. If I wanted to have a long, shining, successful career in this field, I needed to know my role models, mentors and about acceptable work culture (at least in my immediate team). I also needed to solidify my motivations and confidence in the field, and in myself, in order to survive the barriers produced by this gender disparity. 
Women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) fields have long been subjected to sexism in the workplace. They face stereotyping, harassment, opportunity gaps, derogatory comments and are paid less, promoted less and given less access to work opportunities. Despite women earning 35.1% of undergraduate degrees and 34.5% of Ph.D. STEM degrees between 2008–2015, the drop to 27% for female STEM workers and 5% for females in top executive positions isn’t entirely shocking. 
Several measures can be taken to improve the work environment for women. A 2016 study published in the Harvard Business Review found that in a hiring pool of four candidates, increasing the number of female or minority candidates from one to two significantly increased their chances of being hired. Specifically, they found that the likelihood of a woman getting hired was 50% in a candidate pool of two men and two women, but dropped to 0% in a candidate pool of three men and one woman. Thus, implementing gender-blind hiring policies could help women overcome the barriers of these types of biases. Furthermore, even though 50% of American jobs are performed by women, women make up only 6.6% of Fortune 500 CEOs. To address the bias that has led to this statistic, companies can implement directed programs providing training, mentorship and exposure to leadership opportunities for women, with clear articulations such as end-goals of promoting participants to senior managerial roles or C-suite positions.
Continue reading: https://stanforddaily.com/2022/02/09/opinion-keeping-the-stem-woman-in-stem/