Author: Peggy Smedley
Peggy Smedley and Ben Rau, director of digital platforms, Twisthink, talk about what is holding industries back from achieving the full potential of the IoT (Internet of Things). He says there has been incredible advancement with technology, but scale can be a challenge. They also discuss: Specific applications for the Internet of Things. How technology can help solve problems for industries. The importance of going slow to go fast and obsessing over solving a challenge. twisthink.com Webinar: The 5 Critical Factors to Ensure IoT Success (8/20/24 – 884) IoT, Internet of Things, Peggy Smedley, artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data,…
This past week we started an in-depth discussion on both software and hardware. Today let’s explore software since it’s always a moving target. Back in the late-1990s companies were telling construction firms they had the software package construction companies could depend on for years to come. Balderdash. That pitch is as stale as yesterday’s garbage. Don’t buy into any company pitch that says we can do it all. Or we have all the answers. As industry observers note that once you have determined where you are going over the next three to five years, only then can you decide what…
Two things can be true at the same time: we can have a shortage of construction workers, and we can need a significant amount of new infrastructure to be built. Often, the two are incongruent, so what can be done if people did, perhaps, use that money to help fund a new effort? We have all read the construction labor numbers. The construction industry will need to attract an estimated 501,000 additional workers on top of the normal pace of hiring in 2024 to meet the demand for labor. At the same time, our nation’s infrastructure is crumbling and needs…
Can you trust what you are seeing online? We are headed into an election season, and I want to caution all my readers. Do not trust anything you read, see, or hear, especially online. This is perhaps one of the most contentious election seasons yet, and we have a new foe to deal with: deepfakes. Now, I try to stay away from politics on this blog, but I think there is a more pressing issue to contend with here. We need to become good discerners of truth. We need to know how to do good due diligence. We need to…
Peggy Smedley looks at sustainability at the summer Olympics 2024. She says we all had a front row seat to some of the greatest athletic achievements and some of the greatest innovations of our time—and even if we didn’t know it, we were watching sustainability at work. She also discusses: The irony considering Paris was home to the 2024 Olympics and is the place where the Paris Agreement was brought to fruition. A closer look at sustainability in both the Aquatics Centre and the Olympic Village. How the Olympics addressed food, transportation, and more. peggysmedleyshow.com (8/13/24 – 883) IoT, Internet…
Peggy Smedley and Jasna Jankovic, professor, University of Connecticut, talk about what is considered clean energy. She says we need to consider how much energy we really spend and global use of energy, giving a perspective by the numbers and talking about how we must first address waste. They also discuss: Trends related to materials science, engineering, and technologies. The role of education and training in the field. What the field needs to succeed. jankovic.engr.uconn.edu (8/13/24 – 883) IoT, Internet of Things, Peggy Smedley, artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data, digital transformation, cybersecurity, blockchain, 5G, cloud, sustainability, future of work,…
Peggy Smedley and Ryan Chacon, president and co-founder, PowerShades, talk about how automated shades have evolved in the past decade. He says one thing is it is becoming much more mainstream and there is more opportunity for DIY (do it yourself). They also discuss: How automated shades integrate with other parts of the home like a smart thermostat. The benefits of automated shades. What makes this technology different from others. powershades.com (8/13/24 – 883) IoT, Internet of Things, Peggy Smedley, artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data, digital transformation, cybersecurity, blockchain, 5G, cloud, sustainability, future of work, podcast, Ryan Chacon, PowerShades…
In the years since computers burst onto the scene, we have witnessed a plethora of software and hardware come and go. Computer software and hardware go together like peanut butter and jelly. They are inseparably linked. And it might force us to beg the question: Which is more important, the software or the hardware? Or for that matter which comes first, the chicken or the egg, in the world of technology? In our 10 tips, we gave some simple advice as you try to tackle this cloudy murky terrain. Some still debate whether it’s the OS (operating system). Whichever…
Are Americans pessimistic or optimistic about the country’s future? What are their thoughts on the state of infrastructure? Does our infrastructure represent intergenerational equity and how is our infrastructure shaping future communities? These are certainly some hefty questions. These questions and more were addressed in a recent survey and report. What’s more, the insights are even more enlightening. GHD released a report—CROSSROADS—on the perspectives of the role infrastructure plays in meeting the diverse needs of current and future generations. The organization compiled its research from the roughly 13,000 people it surveyed. It gathered data from 4,000 people in the United…
Data is the new oil, but how do we drill for it? This is the question that must be answered today, and it is something we are seeing play out at the Olympics. In fact, Kaveh Mehrabi from the Intl. Olympics Committee, says the challenge we have is the volume of information. “As much as information is good, it can also become overwhelming. It can be difficult to understand and be confident where is the source of truth,” he says. This is one of the reasons the Intl. Olympics Committee and Intel collaborated to create a custom-designed AI Chatbot—Athlete365—to help…