IoT news of the week for Feb. 21, 2020

The horizon for digital transformations is receding: PwC released a survey this week about what it takes to be a “Transcender,” one of the 5% of companies that consistently generate an ROI or value on their digital investments. The attributes of success are fairly familiar to my readers (focus on people, adapt to change, etc.) but these two charts above stuck with me. Basically, the more companies learn about digital transformation, the more they realize how little they know and in some areas, IoT isn’t measuring up yet. (PwC)

Why aren’t we using the connectivity we have? 5G is everywhere these days, but this report from McKinsey dives into other connectivity options and tries to explain what industries need to do to take advantage of satellite, 4G, LoRa and other connectivity options we already have. The report also estimates the economic value that various industries could gain by using connectivity to build truly interconnected services. (McKinsey & Company) – Stacey Higginbotham

Rockwell Automation makes two buys: Rockwell Automation said this week that it plans to acquire Kalypso, a consulting firm that helps with digital transformations, and Italy’s ASEM S.p.A., which provides industrial gateways, human-machine interfaces, and hardened computers for industrial environments. Both deals will help Rockwell bridge the IT-OT gap as its customers seek to embed IoT into their businesses. Rockwell has years of experience in operational technology but is beefing up in the IT areas. (tED Magazine) – Stacey Higginbotham

Pee-powered sensors: I love the thinking here, although I am curious about the potential for both waste and e-waste. Researchers have built an RFID chip that can be embedded in the layers of hydrogel found inside a baby’s diaper. When moisture reaches the RFID tag it becomes conductive, sending a signal to a base station letting it know the diaper is wet. The challenge is that the tag has to be within one meter of the diaper, so you’d likely need multiple base stations. There’s also the worry of throwing away an RFID tag with every diaper. But it’s a good example of using a simple on/off signal from a low-power radio instead of a more complex sensor. (The Verge) – Stacey Higginbotham

Dell has new IoT servers: Depending on how you define the edge, Dell’s new gear may be for you. The IT giant has launched new products that range from servers to a self-contained half-rack of servers with power designed for the base of a cell phone tower. When I say edge, you say money! (ZDNet) – Stacey Higginbotham

AI margins are not like SaaS margins: Most companies building services around AI and connected devices expect to reap software-like margins, specifically SaaS-like margins of up to 80%. But this blog post argues that AI-based services cost more in terms of ongoing support and cloud resources, so their margins are around 50%-60%. The post digs into both of these challenges in depth. This jibes with the ongoing challenge associated with scaling IoT projects. For now, each one is custom and costs more to implement than anticipated. (Andreessen Horowitz) – Stacey Higginbotham

Nordic Semiconductor plans to host a bunch of webinars during what would have been Mobile World Congress: When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Nordic Semiconductor has taken that aphorism to heart with its plans to host three mini-conferences (webinars) from Feb. 24-27, when many in the industry were planning to be at MWC. If training on Nordic’s IoT boards or radio platforms was something you’d miss, check out the webinars here. I’m only mentioning this because it’s the sort of thing that, if successful, might make companies re-evaluate their conference strategies. (Nordic) – Stacey Higginbotham

U.S. lawmakers now inquiring about Ring’s relationship with police: A few weeks ago, I was surprised to learn that my local police were part of Ring’s private-public relationship. It wasn’t easy to determine, and it appears I’m not the only one who’s concerned. The U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy is, too. So much so that it sent a formal letter to Ring asking for a wide range of information, including if police partners are also using Amazon’s facial recognition software, the names of third parties that Ring shared information with, and every instance that a police department has requested video footage from consumers. The entire letter is worth the read. (CNET) – Kevin C. Tofel

Details on how Vector the robot will live on! After Anki, maker of the Vector autonomous robot, closed up shop last year, there was some hope given to owners of this cute little gadget. But the details of just how Vector would be kept alive were unknown until now. A Kickstarter project to fund Vector’s second life launched this week and at last check, had nearly met its $75,000 goal. For the lowest pledge amount of $17, backers will get a license for upgraded firmware as well as server support and an updated Python SDK. Those that want to run their own Vector server can do so for $47, providing an insurance policy of sorts if the central servers are ever shut down. (Kickstarter) – Kevin C. Tofel

Alexa comes to a kid’s play kitchen set: I don’t know if this is worth the $300 price tag, but if you want your kids to have a smart play kitchen, you can buy them one. KidKraft introduced its Alexa 2-in-1 Kitchen and Market, which looks like any old toy kitchen. Of course, looks can be deceiving. This kitchen has an RFID stovetop and cutting board, along with chip-tagged play food, supplies, and dinnerware. Apparently as the kids whip up their next big recipe, Alexa will chime in from time to time. I think I’ll eat elsewhere. (Engadget) – Kevin C. Tofel