Peggy Smedley

About Peggy Smedley

Peggy Smedley is an internationally known speaker and highly respected personality in the media world educating businesses and consumers on the latest technological advances shaping everyday lives. An outspoken advocate and supporter of connected devices and M2M technology, Peggy is the quick-witted host of The Peggy Smedley Show, the editorial director of Connected World magazine and its sister publication Constructech, as well as the president of Specialty Publishing Co.

IoT Leaders Weigh in on 5G, Blockchain, IoT Hurdles

5G, the latest generation of cellular mobile communications, is making headlines left and right, and it could be a key piece of the connectivity puzzle going forward. The conversation is ongoing about how close the U.S. really is to commercial deployment of 5G. Some say widespread rollouts will come as early as next year, while others predict the U.S. is closer to 5-10 years out. Just how interested are companies in 5G and other emerging technology trends, such as blockchain? What’s holding IoT adoption back, and how do businesses plan to overcome these challenges?

By Peggy Smedley|2019-04-23T18:06:17+00:004/24/2019|

Is 5G Here?

I know I have written about this more than once this year, but it deserves repeating; 5G is going to be something to watch as solutions are developed leveraging its power and speed. What’s more, if you attended Mobile World Congress this year, you heard all the buzz surrounding 5G. I’d go as far as to say that 5G is hot right now. Many companies are chomping at the bit to tell us all about how they’re going all-in on 5G.

By Peggy Smedley|2019-04-24T14:27:33+00:004/24/2019|

Smart City Progress and the Promise of 5G

Cities are getting smarter one by one and IoT (Internet of Things) application by IoT application. At some point in the future, most cities in the developed world will be “smart,” meaning they’ll run on connected technologies—from dynamic street lighting to connected parking meters, smart buildings, AVs (autonomous vehicles), and beyond. These smart city systems will help citizens be more productive; it’ll also keep them safer. What’s more, the data collected from smart city systems will help cities run more efficiently.

By Peggy Smedley|2019-04-17T14:16:37+00:004/17/2019|

AI Decisions Impact Safety of Humans Beings

I can’t count how many times I have written about AI (artificial intelligence). But for this columns I will address it again in part, because you will be hearing about it for many years to come. The fact is there are many reasons why this is true. AI is changing the nature of the relationship between humans and machines, and that’s a heavy statement with a lot of consequences. It’s for this very reason I believe we need to focus on the question of ethics in autonomous and intelligent systems.

By Peggy Smedley|2019-04-17T14:10:39+00:004/17/2019|

Americans Remain Leery of AVs

Change is hard, and, in some cases, it can be downright scary. Technology is driving a lot of change in the 21st century, and it’s possible that the biggest, most “intimidating” changes are yet to come. For instance, robotics, AI (artificial intelligence), and automation are huge, important technology trends that are taking the world by storm. Artificially intelligent systems and machines are automating tasks that used to be reserved for humans, and this will affect the future of work in both expected and unforeseen ways.

By Peggy Smedley|2019-04-09T22:46:21+00:004/10/2019|

AVs: The Precipice of Change

There has been much discussion on what the U.S. Dept. of Transportation is doing to prepare our nation for autonomous vehicles and the future of transportation. Let’s take a step back. Autonomous vehicles represent a huge change in modern society. I think the shift is kind of like the shift from horse-driven carriages to motorized automobiles. Today, many of us are used to owning vehicles, driving them from point A to point B, usually alone.

By Peggy Smedley|2019-04-09T21:34:03+00:004/10/2019|

5G & AV to Solve Driver Distraction?

Some people become advocates against distracted driving after tragedy strikes, my motivation was different. While I have not lost someone close to me as a result of distracted driving, I was in a car accident many years ago, and that moment gave me pause to think about what people are doing when they are driving.

By Peggy Smedley|2019-04-01T16:41:20+00:004/1/2019|

Is 2019 the Year for Cybersecurity Legislation?

One of the latest cybersecurity headlines has been the Citrix breach, and, unfortunately, the incident is just one example of how cybercriminals are always looking for ways to access data that isn’t theirs. In a company blog post, Stan Black, Citrix’s CSIO, says the FBI contacted Citrix on March 6 to say they believed cybercriminals overseas had gained access to the company’s internal network.

By Peggy Smedley|2019-03-27T13:32:10+00:004/1/2019|

Robot Workers: Whom Will Automation Replace?

As machines get smarter and/or more capable, they can take over more tasks that used to be done by humans. From ATMs to self-help kiosks at fast-food restaurants, the past several decades have seen many machines come onto the scene that can do valuable jobs.

By Peggy Smedley|2019-03-27T15:23:20+00:003/27/2019|

Cobots and Human Productivity

There has been a lot written about robots replacing humans. But what we should be discussing is humans and how they will be working together with robots to create a better, more connected environment.

By Peggy Smedley|2019-03-26T19:42:27+00:003/27/2019|

Are Tech Giants Too Giant?

In such a fast-growing space as technology, the number of startup firms seems endless, but is it really? Are young firms getting off the ground, or are tech giants swallowing them up before they have a chance to spread their wings and contribute to the market by adding competition and innovation?

By Peggy Smedley|2019-03-20T15:45:48+00:003/20/2019|

Enjoying A Career Milestone

Automation is turning industries and sectors upside-down. It’s not the first-time technology is changing the workforce in a drastic way, and it won’t be the last time, either. In this column, we are continuing our overarching discussion about automation and reskilling by focusing on how automation is affecting the nature of work in sectors like hospitality and retail.

By Peggy Smedley|2019-03-19T17:13:13+00:003/20/2019|

Vertical Makeovers with Tech

Automation is turning industries and sectors upside-down. It’s not the first-time technology is changing the workforce in a drastic way, and it won’t be the last time, either. In this column, we are continuing our overarching discussion about automation and reskilling by focusing on how automation is affecting the nature of work in sectors like hospitality and retail.

By Peggy Smedley|2019-03-13T14:10:44+00:003/13/2019|

Developments in Quantum Computing

This week has been all about Barcelona and MWC (Mobile World Congress) 2019. Mobile phones make most of the headlines—foldable phones, anyone?—but beyond the flashy new smartphone screens and improved smartphone cameras, several trends, product announcements, and innovations are relevant beyond the mobile phone sphere in the greater IoT (Internet of Things) space.

By Peggy Smedley|2019-03-13T13:29:29+00:003/13/2019|

Automation Leads to Slowdown?

I will bet there isn’t a person on the planet that hasn’t heard digitization and automation will displace some workers and that it will also create many new jobs. Everyone has an opinion on this topic. For this column let’s change the narrative just a bit and look at it from a few different perspectives.

By Peggy Smedley|2019-03-06T17:09:17+00:003/6/2019|