The proliferation of smart things has reached critical mass. Products with wireless connectivity (from lightbulbs to thermostats to smart speakers) are more present in people’s homes today than not—one report suggests that 79 percent of U.S. consumers have at least one connected device at home. But the technology actually has its roots in a world that predates…
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The Internet of Things is getting smarter. Companies are incorporating artificial intelligence—in particular, machine learning—into their IoT applications. The key: finding insights in data. With a wave of investment, a raft of new products, and a rising tide of enterprise deployments, artificial intelligence is making a splash in the Internet of Things (IoT). Companies crafting…
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“The Innovator’s Dilemma” is one of the most — if not the most — important books chronicling how innovation takes place, and why its common that market leaders and incumbents fail to seize the next wave of innovation in their respective industries. The book is so good, that even after having read it multiple times,…
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In 1894, W.K. Kellogg made a discovery that would forever change what we eat in the morning. Seeking a more digestible breakfast alternative to baked bread for his brother’s hospital patients, the bespectacled former broom salesman accidentally left a pot of boiled wheat out overnight. The wheat became softened and when he rolled it out…
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“Algorithm” is a word that one hears used much more frequently than in the past. One of the reasons is that scientists have learned that computers can learn on their own if given a few simple instructions. That’s really all that algorithms are mathematical instructions. Wikipedia states that an algorithm “is a step-by-step procedure for calculations. Algorithms are…
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When was the last time you connected with nature? It’s easy to get caught up in a screen-to-screen routine – starting the workday in front of computer screens and ending the day in front of another screen. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, most Americans spend 90% of their lives indoors. No wonder a lot…
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Analytics and data reveal valuable insights into our customers’ preferences and behaviors. But sometimes, wouldn’t it be great to hear directly from them? That’s where customer feedback comes in. Feedback lets us uncover the why behind customer actions. Why do users gravitate to one feature over another? Why do they drop off at the final…
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When we design machines for a connected world, the traditional operation manager or engineer’s toolbox may look rather empty. As our assets and systems become more complicated, the way in which we develop for, manage and maintain them needs to evolve, too. We need tools to meet the new realities of software-driven products fueled by…
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There’s a lot of noise at the moment about the Internet of Things (or IoT) and its impact on everything from the way we travel and do our shopping to the way manufacturers keep track of inventory. But what is the Internet of Things? How does it work? And is it really that important? What…
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When people talk about “the next big thing,” they’re never thinking big enough. It’s not a lack of imagination; it’s a lack of observation. I’ve maintained that the future is always within sight, and you don’t need to imagine what’s already there. Case in point: The buzz surrounding the Internet of Things. What’s the buzz?…
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