Who Left The Door Open?


The list of smart gadgets coming our way is mind-boggling. It's also frightening. These devices are really slick and potentially very useful. It's great that a thermostat can determine if you're home so you don't have to worry about it, just as it's great to be able to vacuum your home when your not there. And it's nice to be able to schedule a meal that will be on the table when you get hom... » read more

Time To Talk About Security


One of the common refrains about the IoT is that it opens up a whole bunch of new security issues that no one has dealt with in the past. The problem is that aside from complaining about it, most companies aren't actually sharing information because they consider it either a proprietary advantage or a tip-off to thieves. The thieves, on the other hand, have no problems sharing information ab... » read more

Using Real Names On The Internet


Using the Internet isn't an option anymore. It's the primary medium for commercial, informational and personal communication. And increasingly, even the devices we purchase will make connections to and from the home base, regardless of whether we think that's a good idea. So now the debate begins to gain steam about whether people should be required to use their real names when registering f... » read more

Following Real Money On The IoT


We probably need to change the wording, but the next killer apps for the Internet of Things likely will be ones that save lives. A common approach by vendors looking to capitalize on the IoT is simply to mash together different vertical segments and technologies that never went together in the past. A crowd-based real-time GPS/traffic system like Waze would never have existed a decade ago (... » read more

Infrastructure, Then Integration


In any business and in any business segment, you have to start somewhere and then figure out what the likely end points will be and how to get there. It’s no different with the Internet of Things, except that the integration of different markets or applications is rather fuzzy at the moment. For example, it’s pretty easy to predict the possibilities for a car. It will likely move from co... » read more

Why An IBM Sale Matters


The rumored sale of IBM’s semiconductor unit to GlobalFoundries could add some interesting capabilities for the foundry, including deep process technology and expertise. It also could have some far-reaching effects for the entire semiconductor industry. The reason revolves around ongoing U.S. government initiatives to improve visibility for components throughout its supply chain. IBM has b... » read more

The Hidden Side Of Security


Inside of large chip companies, security is being taken very seriously these days. They just don’t talk about it very much—and sometimes not at all, even to their own employees. In fact, procedures have been instituted inside all of the major chipmakers to ensure that chips are secure on every level, including who gets to see what data within those companies, according to multiple Semico... » read more

Online Everyone Is Anonymous…For Now


Every time you go online you leave a digital footprint. You store cookies and the sites you visit store your IP address, but at least for now there is no way to narrow down exactly who visited a site, whether the person you’re talking with is really who they claim to be, or even to prove it was you at the keyboard when you do use your real name. There has been much discussion about forcing... » read more

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