Innovation — Page 3

SmartThings’ New Clean & Slick App

December 6, 2013 By Steve Borsch

Making certain it is simple to setup and configure ‘things’ that connect to a SmartThings hub, the company yesterday rolled our their new iOS 7 application (iTunes app store link). They also made certain to alert their Android customers that one is coming for that platform as well within weeks.

While the previous app worked well—especially after an update a few weeks ago that squashed a few bugs—this new version hits the sweet-spot for taking SmartThings to the next level with the average consumer.

It is significantly easier to use and much more logical and intuitive than the old layout. While the ‘old’ access to things and apps remains, the new layout provides several higher level functions:

Dashboard
Laid out in a very clean and straightforward way, all one’s things in the home can be grouped in Home & Family, Doors & Locks, Lights & Switches, and Danger & Damages (and coming soon: Motion & Cameras and Comfort).

Hello, Home
This functionality lets you customize your home to react to your unique daily patterns, and also tell it what you’re up to so it can adapt when your plans and routines change.

Activity Feed
While one could poke around previously to discover the log stream of activity, now it is simple to view what is happening with all of your connected things: When the go on and off; which thing triggered another thing; and so on.

Screenshots from the new iOS 7 SmartThings app (iTunes app store link)

Another significant development, and one I’ve not yet read anywhere, is that SmartThings is in distribution and not just selling everything themselves at the SmartThings Shop. While searching for z-wave compatible items at Amazon the other day, I suddenly noticed quite a number of SmartThings items appearing like this one. This is a good move by the company and, in two conversations I’ve had with home audio/video/alarm installers I know in the past month, both are looking at home automation and the Internet of Things very seriously. All of this bodes well for SmartThings going forward.

Great app that has made using SmartThings significantly more enjoyable since yesterday and the bonus? Two newbies in my family understand how to use it with NO COACHING by me!

Digi’s New XBee® Wi-Fi Cloud Kit

November 19, 2013 By Steve Borsch

Digi International today announced their new XBee® Wi-Fi Cloud Kit which “Brings the Internet of Things to Everyone.” Their objective with this ‘kit’ is to “Add cloud connectivity to any device or sensor–create your own Internet of Things ASAP.”

Check out their press release below and go to the “XBeeCloud” and see examples here.

New XBee® Wi-Fi Cloud Kit by Digi International
Brings the Internet of Things to Everyone

Add cloud connectivity to any device or sensor–create
your own Internet of Things ASAP (#IoTASAP)

MINNETONKA, Minn., Nov. 19, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — Digi International (NASDAQ: DGII) today released the XBee® Wi-Fi Cloud Kit, a development kit that allows anyone to build, connect, and control their own Internet of Things. The kit recently won an Editor’s Choice ribbon at World Maker Faire New York 2013.

Built around Digi’s new XBee Wi-Fi module, which wirelessly connects devices to the cloud, the kit integrates with Device Cloud by Etherios™ using a sample internet-based application, and includes a new development board with sensors, actuators, a USB cable, and a variety of electronic prototyping parts for creating custom circuits.

“The new XBee Wi-Fi Cloud Kit is the fastest and easiest way to explore and develop devices and circuits that connect to the Internet of Things,” said Rob Faludi, chief innovation officer and author of Building Wireless Sensor Networks. “Through its straightforward integration with Device Cloud by Etherios, makers, educators, electronics engineers, software designers, and innovators of all kinds can now create their own Internet of Things through easy-to-use web applications.”

The XBee Wi-Fi Cloud Kit features a sample web application that lets users remotely activate various outputs on the development board including LEDs, a vibration motor, a bar graph gauge and an audio buzzer.

In addition, users can build their own circuits on the development board to sense temperature or light, switch on and off other devices via a relay, turn on and off additional LEDs and more. The web application code is open-source, available for anyone to download and use as a learning tool.

The XBee Wi-Fi Cloud Kit is now available for $149 MSRP. For more information or to buy your kit, visit: http://www.digi.com/xbeecloud. See examples here and take part in the conversation on Twitter with the hashtag #IoTASAP.

About Digi International

Digi International is the machine-to-machine (M2M) expert, combining products and services as end-to-end solutions to drive business efficiencies. Digi offers the widest range of off-the-shelf M2M hardware. Etherios, a division of Digi International and a Salesforce.com platinum partner, helps organizations of all sizes achieve their business goals with capabilities encompassing advisory, CRM, wireless design and M2M services. Etherios also offers cloud-based products, Device Cloud by Etherios and The Social Machine. Together, Digi and Etherios offer the only complete end-to-end M2M solution. More information can be found atwww.digi.com and www.etherios.com.

All brand names and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.

SOURCE Digi International

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Tedx Comes South of the River

October 29, 2013 By Phil Wilson

Lakeville saw it’s first Tedx on Monday night…and Lakeville was impressed. Ok, not all of Lakeville saw it, but about 150-200 of its residents did. In case you’re not familiar with Tedx, it’s the local, independently organized version of the popular Ted Talks that have been popularly educating audiences, and YouTubers, on everything from driverless cars and neuro-science to global warming and conservation through using only one paper towel to dry your hands.

Tedx Lakeville was spearheaded not by some local brain trust, board or politician, but by a senior at Lakeville South High School (I know, right!). Dylan Adelman is by no means the embodiment of a stereo-typical high school senior guy. He shows very few signs of ‘senioritis,’ waiting for high school to end so he can celebrate the “Summer of Dylan.” Instead he decided Ted, and its series of short presentations, needed to come to Lakeville and he made it happen. The result was “The Next 100 Years: The Future of Politics, Education and Technology.”

So how did it go? In a word…fantastic. Ok, the placement of a tweet wall to the left of the stage was troubling. If you know me at all, you know I despise the tweet wall during speaking events. It’s distracting, a source of pointless tweets and a trolls playground. Not to mention it’s just plain rude to ask a speaker to present only to enable an insane distraction to their topic and presentation…(Oops, I’m ranting). I’m happy to say, after a few Taco Bell tweets, cooler heads prevailed and the tweet wall was turned off. (Well played, all.)

Topics included presentations from local business leaders. politicians, educators and students. They presented on subjects including, Redefining Failure, The Digital Self, Quality Candidates and Education and more. I was particularly taken with the Discovery Learning presentation by U of M Junior, Anthony Fleck in the first half of the show. However, the second half is where Tedx Lakeville took off.

I was most impressed with the last two presentations of the evening. Betsy Grawe, a teacher in Lakeville, presented “Going Off Script”. It was a great combination of the perception vs. reality of the thinking of that group known as millenials. It included results of a poll of Lakeville millenials compared to national numbers. But more importantly it conveyed the message for them to not follow the script for life that has been presented to them.

Finally, Matt Little, Lakeville’s 28 year-old Mayor presented an incredibly well prepared look at solving our current political gridlock in “Beyond Bipartisanship.” His desire to for each political party to take a more pragmatic view to serve the constituency rather than their own party was very interesting and indicated to me that the mayorship will not be the only stop on his public service journey.

All in all Tedx’s trip south-of-the-river was well put together. It lacked only in preparation and focus by some of the presenters that lead to some disjointed and unnecessarily long presentations. The topics were sound and the execution of the event itself was incredibly well done. Mr. Adelman was a standout as he deftly transitioned from presenter to presenter. This guy is a rock solid speaker and, with the help of his team and advisors, delivered a rock solid event. (If no one has said it to him yet, “This will look great on a resume.)

I can’t wait for the next edition of Tedx Lakeville.

Comcast Partnering with CoCo for 1Gbps Fiber

October 10, 2013 By Steve Borsch

Good news for anyone already (or planning to be) a co-working person or company at CoCoMSP‘s Minneapolis Grain Exchange location or at its new Uptown facility: Comcast is providing dedicated one-gigabit fiber network connectivity to CoCo’s growing entrepreneurial community.

More in the good news department too: This 1GB fiber connection is symmetrical (same speeds upload and download) but there is no word yet on whether or not Comcast Business terms of service allow, or disallow, hanging a server off of this connection!

Since bandwidth is so incredibly important this is a good move by Comcast and a smart partnership by CoCo.

Here is the press release:

CoCo Minneapolis and Comcast Business Announce
Partnership to Provide Startups and Entrepreneurs
1 Gigabit Ethernet Connection

High-Performance Ethernet Services Enable CoCo
Entrepreneurs to Access Ultra-fast Internet Speeds

October 10, 2013

MINNEAPOLIS–Comcast is partnering with Minneapolis-based CoCo coworking and collaborative space to provide dedicated one-gigabit fiber network connectivity to CoCo’s growing entrepreneurial community, including its downtown location in the historic Minneapolis Grain Exchange and a new Uptown site that opens today.

“At CoCo, we always need more bandwidth, so this type of resource is a huge opportunity for our members. We appreciate that Comcast is leading by example in supporting startups and mobile workers.”

The Comcast partnership gives CoCo members access to an entirely new level of Internet bandwidth, once only available to larger businesses. The Comcast one-gigabit fiber connection is hundreds of times faster than outdated legacy technology and is symmetrical to provide equally fast upstream feeds, allowing the kind of bandwidth necessary to meet the most demanding applications.

This cutting-edge resource demonstrates Comcast’s commitment to the entrepreneurial ecosystem and its dedication to helping foster business growth and innovation in the Twin Cities.

“The Twin Cities is among the most connected metropolitan markets in the country, due largely to the major investments we’ve made in our metro-wide fiber optic network,” said Jeff Freyer, Regional Vice President for Comcast Twin Cities Region. “The resources we’re providing CoCo and their clients through this one-gigabit connection are a perfect example of the kind of scalability we’ve built into our infrastructure to serve businesses of all sizes – as well as our residential customers – with a full suite of innovative and affordable products and services.”

Freyer continued, “We appreciate the opportunity to partner with CoCo and are excited to empower today’s technology entrepreneurs with this ultra-fast internet connectivity.”

CoCo serves more than 500 members across three locations in the Twin Cities, including Lowertown St. Paul, downtown Minneapolis and now in the growing Uptown neighborhood. CoCo’s membership consists of startups, freelancers, consultants, and increasingly, mobile corporate workers.

“The high-bandwidth, low-latency connection goes a long way to even the playing field with much larger businesses and tech centers with huge resources,” said Spark software engineer and CoCo member David Middlecamp. “The symmetric bandwidth supports creators of content and services, rather than just content consumption, and facilitates working remotely across the globe, or collaborating across millions of connected devices.”

“This is the type of resource many of our entrepreneurs need in order to develop new technology and grow,” said founding partner Don Ball. “At CoCo, we always need more bandwidth, so this type of resource is a huge opportunity for our members. We appreciate that Comcast is leading by example in supporting startups and mobile workers.”

About CoCo Minneapolis
CoCo is a community for tech and creative entrepreneurs, independent businesses and corporate workgroups. We offer inspiring environments where they can gather, share ideas, team up on projects and get work done. A CoCo membership is an alternative to working from home, the cubicle farm or the local coffee shop.

About Comcast Business
Comcast Business, a unit of Comcast Cable, provides advanced communication solutions to help organizations of all sizes meet their business objectives. Through a modern, advanced network that is backed by 24/7 technical support, Comcast delivers Business Internet, TV and Voice services for cost-effective, simplified communications management.

The Comcast Business Ethernet suite offers high-performance point-to-point and multi-point Ethernet services with the capacity to deliver cloud computing, software-as-a-service, business continuity/disaster recovery and other bandwidth-intensive applications. Comcast Ethernet services are significantly faster than standard T1 lines and other legacy technologies, providing scalable bandwidth from 1 Mbps up to 10 Gigabits-per-second (Gbps) in more than 20 major US markets.

For more information, call 866-429-3085 or visit http://business.comcast.com/enterprise.

About Comcast Cable
Comcast Cable is the nation’s largest video, high-speed Internet and phone provider to businesses and residential customers. Comcast has invested in technology to build an advanced network that delivers among the fastest broadband speeds, and brings customers personalized video, communications and home management offerings. Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) is a global media and technology company. Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more information.

Contacts

Comcast
Mary Beth Schubert, 651-493-5775
Vice President, Corporate Affairs,
Comcast Twin Cities Region
Marybeth_schubert@cable.comcast.com

SharePlan from Code 42

October 8, 2013 By Steve Borsch

SharePlan from Code 42 Software, the makers of CrashPlan. SharePlan is a “…sync and share platform that keeps information flowing, teams collaborating and business humming—securely, in real-time, between all endpoints, from the get-go.”

It’s a product that hits the sweet spot of the angst felt by just about every leader in I.T. across the world: Employees are sharing files—oftentimes insecurely and using consumer-centric services like Dropbox. They are also increasingly bringing in their own devices (BYOD) and want to share files to their devices too. For anyone charged with the responsibility of security for their organization, this is the stuff of nightmares.

SharePlan nails what the enterprise needs: a highly secure (256-bit encryption); the option to self-host behind their firewalls; remote wipe and audit trails; and much more (complete list of features here).

They just released a recent webinar for enterprise prospects and you can learn more watching it below or, if you’re an enterprise representative, Request a Demo:

[youtube=http://youtu.be/QYNiZ9j8yfg]

So You Think You Can Innovate. Okay, But Can You ‘Cut Cubes From Fog’?

September 3, 2013 By Graeme Thickins

From an image copyright Tony Harris, DeviantArt.com.

The design process taught at Chicago’s Institute of Design has been likened to “cutting cubes from fog,” and the school is coming to Minneapolis this fall to tell you just what that means. Last spring, Stanford’s d.school offered courses at the CoCo coworking & collaborative space. Now, the Institute of Design — a graduate school of the Illinois Institute of Technology, and another of the nation’s top graduate design programs — is offering courses here.

The Institute believes design can help close the innovation gap. It says innovation is often characterized as the “fuzzy front end” of business (I love that!). But it’s out to bring definition to ambiguity. “As the pace of change in the world continues to accelerate, the demand for people trained to take on the ambiguous will continue to grow.”

On its web site, the Institute comments on its mission. “Design is expansive, generating large numbers of new options that can then be prototyped and tested to inform ever better ideas… In an age of uncertainty, having a process for making the unknown known can be of tremendous value and lead to ideas grounded in real unmet needs.”

The Institute’s decision to come to Minneapolis is based on its relationship with a local partner. “These three fall workshops are all about design thinking and design methods — the core of both incremental and breakthrough innovation,” said Rob Davis, director of communications and business development at bswing, which is presenting the the three-part series at its Experience Center at 700 N. Washington Avenue on September 27, October 4, and October 18. Rob formerly was head of communications at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD).

Image copyright Larry Keeley, SketchPlanations.com.

The series explores the fundamentals of graduate-level innovation practice. It’s the first time that IIT Institute of Design, the nation’s top-ranked and largest graduate-only design program, is offering courses here in Minnesota.

Minneapolis is not the only city where the series will be offered, but execs at the Institute of Design said in their prepared remarks why they think our city is a good choice: “Minneapolis-St. Paul is home to numerous world-leading companies and has rebounded quickly from the economic recession. There is a huge opportunity for companies to help make the future,” said Ashley Lukasik, director of corporate relations, communications, and marketing for IIT Institute of Design.

“Minnesota’s savvy business community has a strong tradition in seeing innovation as the path to profits. Companies are seeking to produce new things—reframing the conventional view of their current offering is an effective way to do that,” said Patrick Whitney, dean of IIT Institute of Design.

The cost of the three-part series is $3700, or $1400 for an individual workshop. (Sound like a lot? Not! Stanford’s similar series is $14,500. And Stanford d.school’s courses cost $10,000+.)

More about the Illinois Institute of Technology’s Institute of Design: Since its founding as the New Bauhaus in 1937, the Institute of Design has grown into the largest full-time graduate-only design program in the U.S., with students from around the world. IIT Institute of Design is ranked number one for research and theory, based on skills sought by recruiting organizations and number six for overall best industrial design graduate schools. The school offers a professional Master of Design degree program with areas of study in communication design, interaction design, product design, strategic design, systems thinking, and user research; a dual Master of Design / MBA degree program with the IIT Stuart School of Business; the Master of Design Methods, a nine-month program for mid-career professionals; and a PhD in Design. The Institute of Design created the country’s first PhD design program in 1991.

More about bswing: Driven by the mission “make tomorrow matter,” bswing helps people imagine and create the future. With years of industry experience in in energy, retail, healthcare, financial services, and higher education, bswing combines a deep understanding of user needs and desires with great design to create better products, services, and experiences. The firm provides concept/prototype development that allows organizations to pivot to meet the needs of changing markets and also designs experiences that help organizations tell their stories and connect with key audiences. bswing’s clients include Landis+Gyr, Room & Board, Oracle, Center for Energy and Environment, Prime Therapeutics, and University of Minnesota’s Center for Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplantation.

The Search is On for Tech to Impact Aging

August 13, 2013 By Phil Wilson

Mojo and Ecumen officially launched the AgePower Tech Search today at the Carlson School of Business at the U of M.

Hosted by Mojo co-founding agitator Ernest Grumbles the event was the first public information meeting to reinforce the mission of AgePower: to locate, reward and help launch new technologies that have a positive, near-term impact on the aging experience. That means the search is on for companies, startups or individuals who have a testable technology that serves that aging population.

In his opening remarks, Grumbles noted AgePower is interested in providing real-world feedback with a desire to move the technology and the companies that develop it forward. With that in mind, AgePower will take submissions until October 31, 2013. Up to four finalists will be selected with a 6-month field evaluation to follow.

Eric Schubert of AgePower partner Ecumen highlighted that serving the aging population is global, not just a Minnesota issue. Perhaps that’s the reason the search is not limited to only those within Minnesota’s borders. What is for certain, Minnesota’s Ecumen and Mojo will split a small equity stake in the chosen company and/or technology.

Update: I was curious about the opening of the search to those outside Minnesota, especially in light of Mojo’s focus on promoting Minnesota tech growth. I asked Ernest about it and he sent this response:

“In an innovation economy, we need to do two things: (a) support our talent here in birthing startups and (b) attract startup talent to come here. MOJO tries to do this with internal support/advocacy and external marketing/messaging/networking. We want innovative people to want to stay here and to want to move here.

So, the reason why AgePower will welcome submissions from those outside the state…they have to come here to participate, and if they come, well, the life is good here…”

Walden U’s Doctor of I.T.

July 26, 2013 By Steve Borsch

Walden University is offering a new online Doctor of Information Technology (D.I.T.) program which is, “…designed to enhance students’ technical expertise while developing the leadership skills they need to guide their organization in an increasingly competitive marketplace.”

According to their press release here on Minnov8, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that employment in the computer and information systems management field is expected to grow 18% by 2020. The D.I.T. program prepares students for senior-level positions in industry and academia, such as chief information officer, chief technology officer, IS manager, IT strategist, and higher education faculty and administrator positions.

With the accelerating growth of massive open online courses (MOOCs) from leading universities — coupled with the growing demand for information technology and systems professionals — this new program from the 40 year old Walden University holds the promise for higher credentialing in I.T. but also for them as an institution to provide a degree like this one.

Again, read the full press release here on Minnov8.

Internet of Things Academy

June 4, 2013 By Steve Borsch

In collaboration with Sony U.K. and the Forum for the Future‘s project FutureScapes, London-based consultancy Superflux Ltd. has created an Internet of Things Academy (IoTA: Phase 1 and Phase 2). IoTA is “An open, educational internet-of-things platform to encourage creativity, collaboration and technological literacy.”

It’s a bold approach to connect with, and nurture, the makers and builders of tomorrow.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock and have little knowledge of what’s happening right now with the Internet of Things (IoT)—and how the U.K. and all of Europe are far beyond the U.S. in knowledge of machine-to-machine (M2M) and IoT—then hold on to your hat: The predicted explosion of internet-connected devices is about to transform our world and the economies within it. To suggest you should learn everything you can about IoT NOW and figure out how you can participate—along with helping to drive awareness and encourage teaching and mentoring of our next generation—is an understatement. This IoTA is a phenomenal step on the road to doing just that for the next round of makers and doers.

The global consultancy, McKinsey & Company, released a report in May entitled, “Disruptive technologies: Advances that will transform life, business, and the global economy” that is receiving ALOT of buzz since they, “…estimate that, together, applications of the 12 technologies discussed in the report could have a potential economic impact between $14 trillion and $33 trillion a year in 2025.”

That’s a pretty big swing and McKinsey does state that their report is “neither predictive nor comprehensive” but after reading it you will begin to understand why Cisco, IBM, HP, Siemens, Sony, Philips and just about every other technology company you can think of is all over IoT like-a-bad-suit. You can download PDFs of either the executive summary (PDF) or the full report (PDF) and see for yourself.

Why is this Internet of Things Academy moving forward in the U.K. and not here in the U.S.? Why isn’t the Minnesota High Tech Association (MHTA) spearheading something like this IoTA—which promises to get people involved in this new technology marketplace nearly immediately—instead of MHTA’s current focus on a longer-term Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) set of initiatives that might have a payoff a decade or so down the road?

It’s all about awareness. With SmartThings, Digi (and their Etherios company) and Spark Devices here in Minnesota, our state has the opportunity to be one of THE primary hubs for IoT if we embrace it, drive awareness, and teach it. If we wait until a cashier at Office Depot knows about IoT (and this month’s cover story in Wired magazine on the Programmable World is helping to put IoT on everyone’s radar screen) it will be too late and Minnesota will, once again, be an also-ran in the biggest market opportunity since the internet itself went commercial in the mid-1990s.

Here is a video done for Superflux’s Phase 2 of the IoTA for your viewing pleasure: