Research firm Gartner recently made a number of interesting forecasts related to the Internet of Things, notably that there will be 4.9 billion connected devices in use this year, up 30 percent from 2014. We should expect 25 billion connected things by 2020. The research firm also anticipates that by 2020, connected kitchen appliances will contribute at least 15 percent savings in the food and beverage industry. And Gartner says there will be 250 million connected vehicles with automated driving capabilities within the next five years. Continue reading Gartner Predicts About 25 Billion Connected Devices by 2020

Two competing coalitions have enlisted the Linux Foundation to help them develop open-source software that will work with each of their proposed technology standards for the Internet of Things. The Open Internet Consortium and The AllSeen Alliance have already started developing their own specifications for how connected home devices will interact with each other. Some reports suggest that the Linux partnership with both coalitions might eventually help merge the competing standards. Continue reading Linux Tapped by Rival Groups for Internet of Things Standards

HDR (High Dynamic Range) — which enables a greater range of luminosity that results in enhanced color and contrast — was a feature demonstrated on numerous TV displays at the 2015 CES in Las Vegas. A panel looking at “HDR: Hollywood’s New Creative Tool” brought together studio execs, technologists and display manufacturers to talk about HDR’s advantages and the obstacles in achieving wide adoption. Panelists discussed the new Ultra HD Alliance, the need for standards, and much more. Continue reading CES Panel Discusses HDR as Hollywood’s New Creative Tool

A group of movers and shakers in the MEMS/sensors industry gathered during a day-long conference at the 2015 CES in Las Vegas yesterday to discuss how their technologies need to evolve in order to enable a smart Internet of Things. Panelists addressed the need for improved sensing technologies, smaller form factors and better integration. Companies represented during the early afternoon session included SunEdison Semiconductor, IBM, Evernote, ARM and virtual reality startup Virtuix. Continue reading Tech Session: Developing MEMS and Sensors for a Smart IoT

Developers of health and fitness wearables — currently the industry’s biggest segment — are challenged with providing accurate and reliable biometric information. If the consumer cannot be convinced that calories burned, steps taken, and blood pressure numbers do not reflect reality, then health and fitness wearables will never gain the traction they need to become mass market. Enter Valencell, a core technology provider for biometric information to silicon providers and OEMs. Continue reading Sensors/MEMS Session: Biometric Information for Wearables

Wearables are powered by MEMS (Microelectrical Mechanical Systems) and sensors, and the MEMS Industry Group (MIG) is focused on addressing the issues that will help catapult wearables and the Internet of Things to become more powerful market segments. The wearable sensor market is expected to expand seven-fold in five years, to be valued at more than $450M in 2018. At CES, MIG Executive Director Karen Lightman introduced a day-long conference devoted to MEMS and sensors. Continue reading MEMS and Sensors Power Wearables, the Internet of Things

The Internet of Things (IoT) is just a pipedream if the network to connect devices and people cannot handle the traffic. 5G is the fifth generation mobile network that aims to enable the IoT, and at the 2015 CES executives from Cisco, Ericsson and Samsung discussed how the network will be created. Dramatic increases in global mobile traffic are widely anticipated, with an estimated 50 billion connected devices in play by 2020. Cisco predicts an 11-fold increase in global mobile data traffic between 2013 and 2018. Continue reading The Internet of Things: 5G Mobile to Enable Connected Devices

Broadcom has left the Open Interconnect Consortium, a standards group for the Internet of Things that was created by Intel as an alternative to Qualcomm’s AllSeen Alliance. Sources say the split had to do with a disagreement over intellectual property. OIC members are required to donate code to the group, and additionally must agree to forfeit the right to sue over that IP in the future. The AllSeen Alliance does not have such a provision, which is a primary difference between the two organizations. Continue reading Broadcom Bows Out of Intel’s Open Interconnect Consortium

Last week, we reported that Microsoft was joining Qualcomm and 50 other members of the AllSeen Alliance, in an effort to develop open source standards for the Internet of Things. Yesterday, a group of tech companies led by Intel announced the formation of a competing organization. The Open Interconnect Consortium — which also includes Atmel, Broadcom, Dell and Samsung — similarly plans to develop standards for wirelessly connecting devices to each other and the Internet. Continue reading Open Interconnect Consortium Plans to Develop IoT Standards

Microsoft on Tuesday announced that it is joining Qualcomm and 50 other members of the nonprofit AllSeen Alliance to develop standards for an open source Internet of Things and help promote protocols for how smart devices will interact with each other. Meanwhile, competing companies reportedly have plans to unveil a rival standards consortium as early as next week. Current AllSeen Alliance members include major tech players such as Cisco, LG, Panasonic, Sharp and Technicolor. Continue reading IoT: Microsoft Joins the Qualcomm-Backed AllSeen Alliance

The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers announced it plans to provide administrative support for the Hollywood Post Alliance. The move is part of a larger plan to eventually combine the two organizations. SMPTE made the announcement yesterday during the Entertainment Technology in the Internet Age conference at Stanford University. A roadmap has been endorsed by both boards that will steer HPA toward consolidation within SMPTE as a separate affiliate organization. Continue reading SMPTE and HPA Announce New Move Toward Consolidation

The Industrial Internet Consortium — which includes AT&T, Cisco, General Electric, IBM and Intel — said last week that it plans to develop engineering standards for the connection of objects, sensors and computing systems in large industrial assets, such as oil refineries, factories and harbors. The consortium aims to establish standards for how machines will share information and move data. The group also plans to publish case studies, conduct forums and cooperate on security practices. Continue reading Consortium Seeks Engineering Standards for Internet of Things

At the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco this week, a collection of tech companies and organizations announced the formation of the non-profit Immersive Technology Alliance (formerly S3DGA), which plans to develop games involving augmented reality, virtual reality, 3D and gesture controls. Members include Avegant, Big Blue Bubble, Electronic Arts, Epson, GameFace Labs, Technical Illusions and others. Earlier reports that Oculus VR is involved in the consortium turned out to be inaccurate. Continue reading Game Companies Announce the Immersive Technology Alliance

Key media organizations have announced the launch of the Joint Task Force on File Formats and Media Interoperability, which plans to work with manufacturers, broadcasters, ad agencies, standards organizations and trade associations to develop greater efficiencies and cost savings for the exchange of file-based content. The initial focus will be to collect and analyze requirements for a machine-generated and readable file interchange and delivery spec for the media industry. Continue reading Task Force on File Formats and Media Interoperability Launches

Wireless charging has yet to enter into the mainstream market and has seen little development. But a relatively unknown startup, Ossia, has developed wireless powering technology called Cota that it hopes to bring to market and change the way businesses and consumers power their devices. It uses a wireless spectrum similar to Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to safely deliver power, and has the potential to easily power common devices in a seamless way. Continue reading Startup Ossia Unveils Wireless Power Charging Technology