The green energy revolution is here. With oil prices stuck above $100/barrel, temperatures hitting record highs , and the costs of renewables – particularly solar – dropping fast , the interest in sustainable, efficient power is reaching a tipping point. Yet many challenges lie ahead, both at the grid level and at the building level.   One key challenge is building smart grids that can respond to shifting supply and demand. In addition to enabling greater efficiency, re...Read More

Embedded markets of nearly every stripe are clamoring for a new generation of devices that can intelligently connect to other devices , to the enterprise , and to cloud services . Customers worldwide are discovering that Internet connectivity can help boost revenues , lower costs , and enable entirely new business models . In this blog, we’ll examine emerging connectivity requirements and design solutions for various markets, including retail , medical , automotive , manufacturi...Read More

Machine-to-machine (M2M) communications strategies and cloud computing are transforming embedded connectivity from an assortment of fragmented, proprietary technologies to open standards easily integrated into new designs. This new direction in M2M connectivity enables a wide range of applications and services by exchanging real-time data between remote devices, one or more central servers, and authorized third parties. In addition, these improved M2M solutions can reduce capital and operating ...Read More

I just got back from the Embedded Systems Conference Silicon Valley (ESC SV), and I saw an impressive array of new products and services from members of the Intel® Embedded Alliance. Here are my favorites:   On the hardware side, my top pick from the show is Emerson’s new RapiDex Service quick-turn custom board service (Figure 1). Prototype boards are delivered within eight weeks—a remarkably short timeframe—and the volume commitment is only 100 pieces. The service...Read More

Personalization has always been in vogue as a marketing ploy to promote everything from monogrammed clothes and jewelry to customized laptops and cell phones with special ring tones. Today, this trend is appearing in the health care industry as a strategy to encourage proactive health management. With Wii Fit and other game consoles that administer fitness training, iPhone apps that track caloric intake, and even PDA-like devices that rate products using genome computing analysis , users have ...Read More