IoT news of the week for February 5, 2021

Claroty’s industrial security report is a troubling read: If you’d like to understand the breadth and depth of the threats facing companies who manufacture our food, generate our power, and operate plants, this research report is full of terrifying data and helpful context. The report covers activities in the second half of 2020, noting that the number of vulnerabilities discovered was on the rise and that third-party research companies (such as Claroty) were making most of the discoveries. Roughly 46% of the vulnerabilities discovered affected the basic process controls. A little more than 70% of the vulnerabilities were remotely executable, which means hackers can attack over a network connection and don’t need physical access to the equipment. There’s a ton of stuff in here, including an acknowledgment that we are in the early days of network access for OT equipment, which means the industry is playing catch up. But it does need to catch up.  (Claroty) — Stacey Higginbotham

Petasense wins a deal with NRG: Sensor startup Petasense is part of NRG’s digital transformation effort, according to this case study published in Power. The energy generation company uses predictive modeling to understand when it needs to purchase extra power at higher costs throughout the tough Texas summer. Right now, it’s only collecting data eight times a day from these sensors and batch processing the data, but it hopes to plan a real-time predictive modeling operation soon. It’s a nice reminder that although we talk about real-time modeling like it’s happening everywhere, it often isn’t. (Power) — Stacey Higginbotham

Predictive logistics sounds really interesting: This case study about Tata Steel BSL working with a company called FarEye caught my attention because FarEye apparently helps with something called predictive logistics. As companies move their digital transformation efforts beyond their factories’ four walls, figuring out how data can be used to optimize supply chains is the logical next step. It looks like Tata is using FarEye to reduce the paper involved in the physical delivery of goods, but is also using it to anticipate exactly where shipments will be and speed up the process of getting goods in customers’ hands and then turning the truck around. (MoneyControl) — Stacey Higginbotham

Should Emerson break up into its component parts? With the news that Emerson’s CEO David Farr is stepping down, analysts ask if it’s time to break up the industrial giant. Lal Karsanbhai, the CEO of Emerson’s industrial automation group, will replace Farr, who has served for two decades as CEO. Emerson is a hodgepodge of businesses that range from consumer garbage disposals to process manufacturing software that I normally cover. It also has a data center business and an HVAC and refrigeration business. Its rivals have done some spin-outs to focus on the IIoT software and automation opportunities, and it sounds like Wall Street is hoping Emerson will do the same. (Bloomberg) — Stacey Higginbotham

The FDA has appointed a cybersecurity chief for medical devices: This is a pretty forward-thinking move and a really inspired selection: The Food and Drug Administration has selected Kevin Fu to serve as the agency’s first cybersecurity chief for medical devices. Fu is a former professor at the University of Michigan, where he helped create the school’s Archimedes Center for Medical Device Security. He is well known for his research into spoofing sensors, and the topics of his papers have included everything from ways to flood accelerometers with bad data to attacks on medical devices such as defibrillators. Some of his research has seemed far-fetched, but often in security that’s exactly how it works —  ideas seem crazy until someone tries a tactic to hack a device. (Fierce Biotech) — Stacey Higginbotham

Amazon drivers know how it feels to be a Ring Neighbors user: I’m being facetious with the title here, but there is some truth to it. This week, it was reported that Amazon has started to equip delivery vehicles with AI-enabled, 4-way cameras from Netradyne. The idea is to improve driver safety. No audio is recorded, but video during a delivery shift is. And the built-in AI can detect things such as failing to stop at a stop sign, distracted driving, speeding — even if a driver yawns. In the latter case, the system will suggest the driver take a 15-minute break. Unfortunately for drivers, the footage can also be used for employment decisions, so they’re understandably not happy. (CNBC) — Kevin C. Tofel

This HomeKit app looks better than Apple’s: Do you like using HomeKit but think the Apple Home app is kind of limited? Then Home+ might be right up your alley. I only just heard about it, but the brand-new version 5 launched this week. What sets Home+ apart from the native Home app is that it gives users the ability to make more complex automations, custom icons, and smart grouping for their devices, plus backups for their HomeKit data. The app costs $14.99, but based on what I see on the developer’s site, it appears to be well worth it. (Mattias Hochgatterer) — Kevin C. Tofel

Google turns to algorithms instead of additional sensors for health measurement: Ever since Google announced approval of its Fitbit acquisition, the company has been churning out health-related news on a regular basis. This week, Google said it would be rolling out respiration and heart rate measurements to existing Pixel phones. Typically, you need specific sensors for these measurements, sensors that the Pixel phones don’t have. However, they do have cameras which, combined with Google’s algorithms, can reportedly measure both of these attributes. To get your respiration rate, you’ll need to view yourself with the front camera for 30 seconds, but Google hasn’t said how long you’ll have to place a finger on your rear camera in order for it to capture your pulse. Both features will be integrated with the Google Fit app and the data will be kept locally in Fit if users choose. (The Keyword) — Kevin C. Tofel

Smarter outlets could reduce a building’s electrical consumption by up to 60%: Researchers at the National University of Singapore are working on a so-called Smart Electrical Outlet/Socket (SEOS) system. When I found out this article was about “smart outlets,” I almost skipped it, because don’t we already have those? Yes, but the SEOS system takes the concept a little further. Aside from remote connectivity to control any device plugged into a smart outlet, it adds even more smarts in the form of NFC tags on appliances whose electrical specifications can be read by the outlet. The outlet, in turn, can monitor the power flow, automatically turning the appliance off if it’s drawing too much electricity. And there’s no “vampire energy” — that small amount of power that most outlets draw just by being plugged in — being wasted. In that case, SEOS outlets won’t draw any power, helping to reduce the overall electricity usage of a building anywhere from 30% to 60%. (New Atlas) — Kevin C. Tofel

Roof repair prediction is here: Having replaced my roof about four months ago, I wish this had been available sooner. This week, LexisNexis launched its Rooftop service to help predict if and when a roof might need replacing. Sure, you can go by the advertised lifetime of your shingles, but that’s a pretty vague window; it doesn’t include issues that can be seen by aerial imagery, weather data, or recent nearby claims. That’s what LexisNexis Rooftop combines to help roofers give quotes for repairs and replacements while also providing home insurance agents with more accurate information for their quotes. (LexisNexis) — Kevin C. Tofel