The Week in Review: IoT


Finance Toronto-based Ecobee, which markets smart thermostats, raised $61 million in its Series C funding, bringing the total funding for the 11-year-old company to $146 million. Energy Impact Partners led the new round and was joined by Amazon’s Alexa Fund, Relay Ventures, and Thomvest. Ecobee counts Nest Labs, the Google subsidiary, as its chief rival. ThoughtWire, also headquartered in... » read more

The Week In Review: Design


M&A Microchip inked an agreement to acquire Microsemi, provider of chips for defense and aerospace, for $68.78 per share in cash. The acquisition price represents a total equity value of about $8.35 billion and a total enterprise value of about $10.15 billion, according to Microchip. The deal is expected to close in the second quarter of 2018. Silvaco acquired NanGate. Founded in 2004, ... » read more

Bluetooth Mesh Drives Security For Automotive Applications


The use of Bluetooth technology continues to grow beyond mobile into rapidly expanding IoT and automotive applications. Consumers have grown to expect hands-free calling via Bluetooth, however, as the technology moves to other use cases such as tire pressure monitors or door lock connectivity, security becomes a key challenge to automotive SoC designers. Bluetooth-enabled devices have been a... » read more

The Week In Review: IoT


Connectivity Sigfox this week held the first annual Sigfox World IoT Expo in Prague, Czech Republic, bringing together network operators, business partners, and industry professionals. The company announced a number of new services for its users, including the Admiral Ivory connectivity service, which promises to make any short-range wireless device into a long-range Internet of Things device,... » read more

The Week In Review: IoT


Finance August Home received $25 million in Series C funding, bringing its total funding to $75 million. Existing investors Bessemer Venture Partners, Comcast Ventures, Maveron, and Qualcomm Ventures were joined by AGL, Liberty Mutual, and SPDG. The Internet of Things startup will use the money to expand operations and to extend its offerings in home access products and services. Prospera, ... » read more

The Week In Review: IoT


Tools SAP brought out an Internet of Things tool called the Leonardo IoT Bridge, meant to connect sensor data from the field with business data systems inside enterprises. Leonardo IoT Bridge makes use of the SAP Leonardo cloud-based service. The German software company said it would partner with the Bosch Group to provide an IoT Bridge dashboard for delivery companies, keeping tabs on deliver... » read more

The Week In Review: IoT


Analysis The Internet of Trains? That’s how Siemens sees its work in railroads, utilizing Big Data analytics and Internet of Things technology. “Sensors on an Internet of Trains system monitor everything from engine temperature, to the open or closed state of doors, to vibrations on the rails, and even image data from outside of the trains using cameras,” Bernard Marr writes in this anal... » read more

Antenna Design Grows Up


Apple’s iPhone 4 antenna issue represents a classic example of what can go wrong in modern antenna design. Put one in the wrong place, and a seemingly insignificant part can turn a cool new product into a public relations nightmare. Ever since antennas dropped out of sight, most consumers don't give them a second thought. In the 1960s, almost every home had a rooftop antenna. Fast forward ... » read more

The Week In Review: IoT


Market Research There will be 8.4 billion connected things in use this year, a 31% gain from 2016, and leading up to 20.4 billion connected devices in 2020, according to Gartner. The market research firm estimates worldwide spending on endpoints and services will hit nearly $2 trillion in 2017. Greater China, North America, and Western Europe account for two-thirds of the IoT installed base th... » read more

Performance Increasingly Tied To I/O


Speeding up input and output is becoming a cornerstone for improving performance and lowering power in SoCs and ASICs, particularly as scaling processors and adding more cores produce diminishing returns. While processors of all types continue to improve, the rate of improvement is slowing at each new node. Obtaining the expected 30% to 50% boost in performance and lower power no longer can ... » read more

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