Category Archives: IOT

Toaster: Extraordinary Ordinary Things

When they wake up and prepare breakfast, one of the first things millions (if not billions) of people around the world do is slip a couple of slices of bread into a toaster, before preparing the rest of their morning repast. However, the toast is almost always first because, to paraphrase a famous advertising slogan for orange juice, “a breakfast without toast is like a day without sunshine.”

While early electric toasters were a vast improvement over previous means of converting slices of bread into toast, they still had a long way to go before becoming the absolute go-to utensil required for composing the first meal of the day.

Because of the central role, it plays in human nutrition, and for numerous other reasons, I believe the electric toaster unquestionably deserves a place on the list of what I like to call “extraordinary ordinary things.”

Continue reading Toaster: Extraordinary Ordinary Things

Dealing with Infrastructure Disruption: IoT Security

Editor’s intro: The Internet of Things (IoT) has become a hot topic because of unprecedented cybersecurity problems that have caused massive outages of key Internet services. IoT devices can help improve the lives of individuals, but lack of market incentives has led to huge cybersecurity vulnerabilities that threaten to undermine national infrastructure and public trust. Prof. Kevin Fu was invited to a U.S. House Hearing by Chairman Greg Walden of the Subcommittee of Communication and Technology and Chairman Michael Burgess of the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade to discuss IoT vulnerabilities and what might be done about them. We are pleased to present a copy of his testimony. Continue reading Dealing with Infrastructure Disruption: IoT Security

My GPS Car Is Smarter Than Your Honor Student

Driverless cars may know how to negotiate intersections and park themselves better than humans, but so far I haven’t read about a smart car that can get me through Silicon Valley faster during rush hour. The problem isn’t with drivers, the problem is with pavement. There just doesn’t seem to be enough roadway to accommodate everyone at the same time. Perhaps the solution lies in data, not just driverless technology. Continue reading My GPS Car Is Smarter Than Your Honor Student