Applied AI Weekly News

Sam Schroeder

Is the Internet of Things over hyped? Perhaps. The world doesn't need a toaster which can provide data on the number of toaster pastries you eat. Or the fridge that checks on your milk consumption. While fun, those ideas don't truly convey how a connected world can help humans. This week we share a few real world stories where connected devices are making an impact on health, mining, and mobile phone tracking in public spaces. Controversy!

News

Forget Self-Driving Google Cars, Australia Has Self-Driving Trucks

Mining company Rio Tinto has been using automated trucks, known as an Autonomous Haulage System, since 2008. The high cost for drivers, as well as scarcity, led the company to look for other options.

My Sensored Family

Peter Silvas shares his family's experience with his daughter having a Medtronic Sof-Sensor Glucose meter "installed" to measured her blood sugars every 5 minutes. Here is a case where a device is measuring and transmitting real, life saving data. Healthcare is an industry which is primed for innovation in IoT. It is great to see such impactful uses of technology.

Hundreds Of Devices Hidden Inside New York City Phone Booths

Titan, a media company that sells ad space in phone kiosks around New York City, installed about 500 beacons to track mobile phones with the consent of a city agency. "Beacons are Bluetooth devices that emit simple signals that smartphones can pick up... and used in commercial setting". By installing the devices in public spaces demonstrates the road to exhaustive mass surveillance is paved with coupons.

Security Jobs Are Hot, Thanks to the Internet of Things

“The factory floor wasn’t a place where there were security threats. Now it is", says Tejas Vashi of Cisco. As more devices come online and networked to the internet, a host of security threats and compromises are coming to the forefront. To stay ahead of this, businesses are hiring personnel to keep their operations secure.

Business

Can IoT Slash Healthcare Costs?

It's suggested that Healthcare has $750 billion a year in waste. Using data collected from patient devices healthcare companies could track patient information to notice realtime differences in their environment. Better data equals better choices on treatments and decrease waste.

Photo: Intel Free Press | License

Six Ways the Internet of Things Will Affect Our Jobs

As the economy and technology progress, there is a constant fear of losing jobs to automation. Machines and software are getting smarter. However, time and again, advancements in technology create unique job opportunities. There continues to be the need for workers with problem-solving skills and the ability to adapt to complex situations.

5 Internet of Things Startups to Watch

There's a lot of investment going into making "smart" devices these days. However, the power of harnessing this data isn't shown until it's stored in the cloud and analyzed. These 5 startups build products that cover both devices and cloud offerings.

Video

The Internet of Things Is in a Bubble Phase, Says IBM Internet of Things Exec Paul Brody

Making his second appearance in IoTWeekly Paul Brody, VP of Internet of Things at IBM, shares skepticism about the hyped IOT while speaking at Gigaom’s Structure Connect in San Francisco. While connecting everything in our homes may be fun, it's not yet truly useful. “I’m a big believer that the internet of things will grow one very compelling use case at a time,” he said.

Events

The "Summer of IoT" Accelerates into Fall and Winter

Interested in what events in the IoT space are coming down the line? Check out this article for a list of some of the conferences held throughout the world.