Author: Connected World
Call me obsessive but I notice small (sometimes exceedingly small) changes in people, places, and things. Those observations get me to thinking about why these changes were made, and especially in the case of “things” there’s usually a financial reason behind the change. Take changes in packaging, for example. I have seen firsthand the process that goes into packaging decisions. One of the most enduring “holy grails” of CPG (consumer package goods) manufacturing and marketing is finding the most economical tradeoff between the minimal amount of packaging material needed to protect a product and the most attractive packaging possible to…
#Factoftheweek 32.5 million units by 2029. Global Subscriber Base 41% growth rate The global subscriber base surpassed 5.8 million units in 2024 and is expected to grow to 32.5 million units by 2029—a roughly 41% growth rate, according to Berg Insight. Consider this: Only about 10% of the Earth’s surface has reliable terrestrial connectivity. Key use cases could include agriculture, asset tracking, maritime, intermodal transport, oil and gas exploration, utilities, construction, and government, just to name a few. New entrants are lowering costs and opening up higher volume and lower-margin applications. Hybrid connectivity—satellite and terrestrial IoT—is becoming more critical, especially…
Battery companies are at the forefront of innovation—and new initiatives aim to strengthen the U.S. battery materials supply chain. Consider the example of the University of Texas at Austin’s Discovery to Impact initiative, which has invested $250,000 from its UT Seed Fund into Nascent Materials, a company commercializing a safer and more resilient method for processing materials in lithium batteries. Nascent improves critical cathode materials in lithium-based batteries through a unique thermo-fusion synthesis method. This approach eliminates the need for expensive pCAM (precursor cathode active materials) used in traditional manufacturing processes, resulting in safer cathode chemistries with superior material quality…
There’s a question I keep getting asked that I think deserves a thoughtful answer: Where is the boundary line between human and machine control—the HMB (Human-Machine Boundary)—presently? Just like any broad question like this one, the answer depends on context: Are we talking about physical control, cognitive decision-making, or adaptive learning? Some evolutionary history may be helpful. You decide just how “Darwinian” this evolutionary path has been and will continue to be, where “Survival of the Fittest” is the operative benchmark. 1. The Traditional Line: Human Controls, Machine Executes For most of the industrial and digital age, the line was…
#Factoftheweek $224 trillion B2B global payments 20% growth rate in five years. By 2030, global B2B payments are expected to rise to $224 trillion, up from $186 trillion in 2025, which is roughly a 20% growth rate in five years. One of the biggest accelerators is virtual cards, which is predicted to see a 370% increase in transaction value. Why? New emerging markets like rising trade, new supply chains, and greater globalization. Demand for more automated payment. The ability for greater control and flexibility of complex B2B transactions. The reality is players who build embedded, frictionless pay may capture more…
Polk State College’s Engineering Technology students are leading the way in smart manufacturing innovation. In a recent capstone project, students developed a cloud-based data infrastructure system using the college’s liquid process control system. This system integrates realtime sensory data—such as pressure, flow, temperature, and liquid level—into a cloud server, laying the groundwork for intelligent, connected factory operations. This hands-on project is a prime example of how manufacturing can benefit from new innovation. Here is how this can help in manufacturing: Predictive maintenance contributes to more sustainable manufacturing. The project enhances decisionmaking, minimizing downtime. Foster new roles in data analytics, cloud…
#Factoftheweek By 2030, global transmission infrastructure investment is projected to rise to $573.7 billion, up from $372.6 billion in 2025, which is a growth rate of roughly 9.2%. What’s driving this growth? The need for smart, connected grids that leverage technology like #AI, the #IoT, and realtime analytics. A desire for improved efficiency, resilience, and demand forecasting. Growth in areas like renewable energy, EVs (electric vehicles), and more. The reality is the grid is no longer just wires and poles. It is a digital, intelligent network. It makes you think about what areas of the value chain are the most…
The development and deployment of MoBluRF can lead to new roles in AI (artificial intelligence) research, software engineering, and content creation. MoBluRF is a new framework designed to reconstruct 4D scenes from blurry monocular videos, and it addresses a challenge in NeRF (neural radiance fields) technology, which often struggles with motion blur in handheld footage. Researchers at Chung-Ang University in South Korea have unveiled MoBluRF to open new possibilities for the future. Here is how this can help: Transform bluffy videos into detailed models. Advances in reconstruction technologies will drive innovation across industries. Improved reconstructions enhance user experiences in AR…
Recently, I came across a report that cited AI behavior that, to me, was disturbing. We’ll get to that in a moment. The AI’s behavior reminded me of an old term that hasn’t seen much usage in recent years, but I think it helps us to understand the AI’s behavior. That term is “bunker mentality.” Merriam Webster defines it as “a state of mind especially among members of a group that is characterized by chauvinistic defensiveness and self-righteous intolerance of criticism.” Having served in the military, I like its definition better: Bunker mentality refers to an excessively defensive and self-isolated mindset…
#Factoftheweek AI (artificial intelligence) spending is about to hit $1.5 trillion in 2025, and this is just the beginning. Gartner projects global AI investment will soar past $2 trillion in 2026. Where is all this cash flowing? AI infrastructure AI application software Gen AI models and AI-enabled devices Why is adoption exploding? Enterprises and hyperscalers need higher compute power. Embedding AI features into everyday products makes it harder to opt out—devices are becoming enabled by default. Venture capital and AI cloud providers are accelerating both innovation and deployment. Looking to the future, we will continue to see the rise of…