IoT news of the week for August 24, 2018

It’s not always the answers to a question, but what you ask, that matters: Figuring out how to hold algorithms accountable is a big topic today. This is a good thing, but the author of this article wonders if we’re even asking the right questions in AI research. For example, instead of focusing on the fact that most facial recognition algorithms are biased against people of color, should we perhaps ask if we should deploy these widespread facial recognition systems at all? The author argues that corporate interests in AI have led academic researchers and governments to ask the wrong questions and focus on AI as a tool to serve corporations as opposed to broader societal goals. He’s not wrong. (Real Life Mag)

Latch raises $70 million: Latch, a startup that makes connected locks for apartment buildings, has raised $70 million. I wrote about the company back in May, along with an enterprise access provider. Latch’s tech handles both individual apartment locks as well as access to the building and public areas. The funding round was led by Brookfield Ventures, the investment arm of Brookfield Asset Management, which is installing Latch into its properties under development. Latch also announced a deal with UPS earlier this summer, which lets UPS delivery drivers access mailrooms with Latch codes. (TechCrunch)

Yale locks now work with Comcast Xfinity home: As of last quarter, Comcast had 1.2 million subscribers to its Xfinity Home security and home automation service. Now those customers can have their Yale locks integrated into their smart home systems, thanks to a deal struck between the two companies. Customers will need the Yale Assure locks and a Yale Zigbee network module. (Security Systems News)

Are these the smart roads we’re waiting for? This story talks about a bed of sensors the State of Colorado is installing in Denver; it also acts as a profile of sorts for a company called Integrated Roadways. The Colorado officials talk about how the smarter roadway could help emergency officials detect accidents on remote stretches of road; alerts from the sensors could facilitate getting help to motorists in a crash more quickly. The CEO of the company focuses on the revenue-generating potential of looking at roads as a platform. He suggests that in addition to public safety, developers might want information about the number of cars passing an area, insurance firms might want data about accidents, and telecommunications firms might want to embed antennas into the road. And he argues that If such customers paid Integrated Roadway it would help lower the cost of roads for governments. I wonder, though, if we’re rapidly entering a turnaround in the era where government-funded infrastructure is seen as a waste and corporate handouts are seen as a tool to help reduce taxes. In the connected future, we’re going to be increasingly giving up much more than we think. (IEEE)

More smart municipal infrastructure news: Last week, we focused on citizens’ rights and roles in the creation of the smart city. This week, we’re talking about connected roads in Colorado and connected suburbs. And along with all of these initiatives, states are becoming aware that some of the data they are gathering might have privacy implications, which means they are starting to create jobs for state-level data privacy officers. Those employees are responsible for ensuring that state workers follow applicable laws and that agencies protect citizen data. And as we place cameras everywhere and start tracking everything from noise levels to pollutants, some of that data will identify citizens and as such, will need to be protected. (GCN)

A taxonomy of edge computing: If all of my efforts to define edge computing haven’t bored you—or if they have left you wanting to know even more—please read this paper, which attempts to categorize all elements of edge computing, fog computing, or whatever buzzword you want to throw at the authors. It’s a good next step toward going deeper. (Arxiv)

Canvass Analytics raises $5 million: Google’s AI venture fund led the round for this industrial automation company. Canvass Analytics uses machine data and AI to help companies automate their industrial equipment. This is still a fairly young field, but it’s growing rapidly as more granular data collection and newer AI models are helping industrialists understand the signals that machines give. (Drone Below)

All the ways you can mess up IoT security: These aren’t actually all of the ways you can mess up IoT security, but the seven that the slide show does present are notable. I normally hate slide shows, but for people trying to wrap their heads around the common places connected devices can be exploited, this is a good overview. (Dark Reading)

Sending a kid off to college? Check out Kevin’s story on how to make dorm rooms smart—and a few of the pitfalls you might encounter. (StaceyonIoT)