Author: Connected World
This popped up in a recent edition of Wired magazine, featuring the upcoming use of “robot dogs” to enhance security at a major public event. Robots used for security at major venues are not new. Back in 2018, I met B-3PO (“she” was intentionally designated as a female) at New York’s LaGuardia Airport Terminal B. As I was entering the terminal, she rolled up to me and stopped. I had a “conversation” with her (and found out later that the robot had a realtime connection to a real NYC police officer (a lady) that could make the conversation seem “real”).…
Quantum computers are big, expensive, and often need to operate at temperatures near -459 degrees Fahrenheit, or absolute zero. Now, material scientists at Stanford University are researching a new nanoscale optical device that works at room temperature. The new device uses twisted light from molybdenum diselenide to entangle photons and electrons, stabilizing quantum states for effective communication. The new device is small, relatively inexpensive, and pragmatic. The team is currently working to refine the device. Here is how this can help: Lead to a new era of low-cost, low-energy quantum. Remove the need for super cooling. Miniaturize quantum systems for…
#Factoftheweek $2.4 billion 6,500 network deployments Those are the numbers related to private LTE/5G network deployments in 2025, excluding PoC (proof-of-concept) projects, according to Berg Insight. The analyst firm anticipates the market value will grow steadily in the next five years, driven by: New network deployments Upgrades and expansion of existing networks Enterprises adding new applications Berg suggests the market will reach $12 billion in 2030, which is a 38% growth rate. The market is being shaped by trends such as virtualization of network functions, the implementation of O-RAN in radio products, and the emergence of neutral host network solutions.…
Predicting topological defects has traditionally required slow, resource-intensive simulations—but that is all starting to change. Researchers at Chungnam National University are looking to solve this problem, with a deep learning method that predicts stable defect configurations in nematic liquid crystals in milliseconds rather than hours. In nematic liquid crystals, molecules can rotate freely while remaining roughly aligned. Now, researchers led by Professor Jun-Hee Na from Chungnam National University, Republic of Korea, have developed a faster way to predict stable defect configurations using deep learning, replacing time-consuming conventional numerical simulations. The model employs 3D U-Net architecture, a convolutional neural network widely…
#Factoftheweek The number of devices using eSIMs will grow by 30% in 2026; rising from 1.2 billion in 2025. Where will we see the greatest growth? Juniper Research says look to: Connected logistics Oil and gas Smart street lighting Why? Juniper Research says these industries will benefit the most from the GSMA’s SGP.32 standard, which launched in 2025. This new standard for the IoT (Internet of Things) will enable scalable, server-driven remote SIM provisioning, offering benefits such as bulk activation, reduced operational costs, and greater flexibility to switch connectivity providers. With all this in mind, eSIM platforms must now pivot…
If you are like me, then over the past twenty years you’ve paid attention to Gartner’s Hype Cycle predictions on the evolution of various technologies. In fact, you are not alone. It is estimated more than 75% of the Fortune 500 companies rely upon Gartner’s technology assessments. Talk about having influence! When I saw this press release from Gartner, I sat up and paid attention. With its focus on supply-chain applications, I breathed a sigh of relief that the “polyfunctional robot” described in the press release matched the type of “cobot” that I described in my article: Cobots on the…
What if we could use AI (artificial intelligence) and 3D forest reconstruction from remote sensing data to help find and reconstruct trees in a forest? Researchers at Purdue University’s Department of Computer Science and Institute for Digital Forestry and Germany’s Kiel University are doing exactly this, leveraging AI to isolate and reconstruct forest trees. Up until now, existing algorithms could only partially reconstruct the shape of a single tree from a clean point-cloud dataset acquired by laser-scanning technologies. Now, researchers have introduced TreeStructor in IEEE transactions on geoscience and remote sensing. Lidar (light detection and ranging) works by shooting laser…
#Factoftheweek Hello Q-Day Expect growth from $1.2 billion in 2026 to $13 billion in 2035. Juniper Research suggests there are two primary forces driving the 30% compound annual growth rate of post-quantum cryptography. The rapid evolution of standards and regulations designed to prepare for Q-Day. Sustained R&D (research and development) investment that is accelerating algorithm maturity through rigorous, real-world testing. What is Q-Day? It is the point at which quantum computers can compromise today’s encryption, and it is on the radar of governments and other organizations. Enter cryptography. This is a technological domain that is heavily reliant on interoperability across…
Part 1: The Rise of Chargebacks There are some distribution operational situations that have a direct impact on the cost of order fulfillment that tend to increase the cost of goods that you and me, the consumers, pay. One of these is what is known as a “chargeback” that occurs frequently and for which a good amount of money is spent to prevent occurrences. In logistics, a chargeback is a post-transaction financial penalty or cost recovery that one party (usually a retailer, shipper, or customer) deducts from payments owed to another party (usually a supplier, carrier, warehouse, or 3PL (third…
We are entering a new era of work—one where AI (artificial intelligence) and the IoT (Internet of Things) will drive innovation at companies in nearly every vertical market around the globe. At the heart of all of this is the data center. As we enter this new era of work, we must also consider the role of the data center. JLL suggests data center storage capacity will grow from 10.1 zettabytes in 2023 to 21 zettabytes in 2027, which is a five-year compound annual growth rate of 18.5%. As data rises, so too will the need for data centers, and…