Did Your Espresso Machine Just Tweet You?

When asked, I like to explain the "Internet of Things" as an ecosystem of technologies monitoring the status of physical objects IRL (in real life, in "meatspace", as opposed to cyberspace), capturing meaningful data, and communicating through the great internet IP network to our software apps. For Bluedog, the Internet of Things means smart objects, machine to machine communication, RF technologies, and a central hub of information.

As a proponent of service oriented architecture, I find the idea of the Internet of Things to be compelling. With devices of all kinds reporting data in real-time, people have the ability to make quicker, more accurate decisions. In the supply chain, managers could monitor the status of shipments like a crate filled with expiring pharmaceuticals or spoiling veggies. With sensors, RFID tags, and RFID readers, supply chain participants view in real-time the exact location of the cargo inside the warehouse, its point of origin, time until expiration, and factors in the environment like temperature that might impact the process.

This transparent process improves efficiency, reduces waste, and allows traceability. If a shipment is determined to be unsuitable for consumption due to spoilage or other unforeseen circumstance, the root cause will quickly be discovered from the plethora of information available.

Kevin Ashton likely first coined the phrase in 1999, but the idea has evolved in the intervening time. Initially, it was used to describe the limitations in the relationship between the internet, computers, and the physical world. Ashton was describing how nearly all the data available on the internet originates from a human. With available and emerging technologies, Ashton believed information about things need not be dependent on a manual interaction; it could be an automated process.

At Bluedog, we see the adoption of such supporting technologies as a means of spurring innovation. IP networks are commonplace throughout homes, offices, warehouses, even city streets. Industry need and government mandates are regulating technologies leading to accepted standards across boundaries, allowing for interoperability among devices. The cost and size of devices continues decreasing which allows companies to embed smaller, common items with GPS, Q-codes or bar codes, RFID, and low-cost sensors.

Contemplate the future, on this, the close of 2013. Drones and other autonomous vehicles, more mobile computing, the Cloud, the frontiers of space being pushed back, new genetics, physics, materials science and other advancements! The future is so bright, I've gotta wear shades.

Bicyclists need to observe the traffic laws -- of course

Poor behavior by cyclists gives us a bad name. And, of course, jeopardizes safety for all. This study in Portland, Oregon puts numbers to what we have anecdotally observed -- frequent running of traffic lights, stop signs, ignoring pedestrian safety, etc.

Aaron Cole, who was one of the researchers, said, “We encountered a great deal of criticism during and after our study, primarily from bicyclists that felt our study was severely flawed,” admitted Cole, adding, “One local bicycle business even went so far to say that all of our data was ‘junk.’ Meanwhile, support for this has been seen from those who don’t ride bicycles. The Portland Police Bureau was supportive during our interview, and many drivers commented how they witness the same thing.”

Incidents of bike crashes go under-reported. Leah Shahum of the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition says its group's 2001 study concluded that police neglect to report bicycle incidents. Out of about 40 injury cases called in to the coalition's hotline, officers didn't file reports one-third of the time.

One of my favorite resources for bike safety has lots of tips, tricks and plain old good advice for keeping us all safe on the road, together.

Bike Share in the Suburbs

I recently returned from cycling in Dublin (and Connemara, briefly), happy to see a new bike sharing scheme in use. Even with the winter temperatures, there was palpable enthusiasm for the service. I'm a big fan of the Washington DC version, even though I tend to be self-reliant.

So now Montgomery County, Maryland is seeking funds to bring Capital Bikeshare to the area... awesome! Let's hope that traffic cooperates, since suburban drivers tend to move more quickly, with less bandwidth for attention to the road.

If you dress right, the winter can be a good time to free yourself of the chains of the automobile -- get in shape while saving money and time getting where you need to go. Just be visible, to avoid getting smooshed.