Networking & Computing Technology News & Analysis

Web Surfing Using Light: Is LiFi Coming?

Researchers at Oxford University are developing a wireless networking technology that uses light to beam information through the air at more than 100 gigabits per second, according to a report in The New Zealand Herald.

Sheep Could Bring Internet of Things to Rural Wales

A computer scientist from Lancaster University has been awarded more than £171,000 to bring the Internet of Things (IoT) to rural Wales—by way of sheep.

Addressing Data Security Risks in Industrial Automation

Industry 4.0 (also known as the Fourth Industrial Revolution) promises to bring increased levels of automation and interconnection to manufacturing. Proponents suggest that it should increase efficiency and adaptability to allow for more customizable production.

Industrial Ethernet Market Poised for 8.6% Growth Through 2018, IHS Says

The world market for industrial Ethernet infrastructure grew by 7.1% in 2014, reaching $1.48 billion, up from $1.38 billion in 2013, according to IHS Technology. I

Ford Has a Better (Parking) Idea

For most drivers, finding a parking space in a crowded parking lot or busy downtown area is one of the most frustrating driving tasks. Ford Motor engineers are no exception to feeling such frustration, but they have been able to do something toward solving the problem.

Toshiba Hops on Internet-of-Things Train

Like many other technology firms, Toshiba is creating a special division to focus on the Internet of Things (IoT). The company announced plans to combine its Cloud & Solution division and ICT departments beginning April 1.

Wi-Fi and Hybrid Technologies to Lead in Indoor Positioning

IHS Technology By the end of 2015, Wi-Fi and hybrid technologies will make up the majority of the systems that navigate users in locations covered by nearly 91,000 digital indoor positioning maps, according to a research note by IHS’s Jamie Fox, principal analyst with IHS Technology.

What's the Best Fieldbus for Your Process Plant?

Industry 4.0 and the Internet of Things are influencing the choice of fieldbus technology for process plants.

Software That Suggests Low-risk Alternatives

Imagine that you could tell your phone that you want to drive from your house in Boston to a hotel in upstate New York, that you want to stop for lunch at an Applebee's at about 12:30, and that you don't want the trip to take more than four hours.

Cyber Attacks in the Oil Patch: Safeguards and Risk Mitigation Strategies

As the digital oil field moves from concept to reality, its vulnerabilities take on a whole new importance.

Cyber Security Bills Signed Into Law

President Barack Obama on Dec. 18 signed five cybersecurity-related bills, the first time in 12 years that significant cybersecurity legislation has become law.

Internet of Things in the Real World, Part 4

How will the Internet of Things (IoT) actually be implemented in an industrial enterprise? Many of the separate elements have been in place for a couple of decades, so the challenge is to understand what needs to be done to pull them together to function as a whole.

IHS Acquires Communications Technology Market Intelligence Firm

IHS Inc. has acquired Infonetics Research, an international market research firm that serves the global communications market.

Internet of Things in the Real World, Part 3

There’s little doubt that the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) would be ideal for enabling the manufacturing and extraction industries to be more efficient and productive—producing more output with reduced input of time, effort and energy.

10 Steps to Better Foundation Fieldbus Installations--Part 3

Lessons learned from fieldbus users can help improve systems, performance and personnel. Part 1 of this three-part series discusses how wiring mistakes interfere with communication. Part 2 examines how configuration and addressing make all the difference.

Internet of Things in the Real World, Part 2