E&T Engineering Technology Magazine October 2016 [antikvár]

proauced fom well-managed ioresls and are free of elemental chlorine. This magazine can be recycled THE INTERNET OF THINGS will both produce and thrive on data - lots of it. This really big data will make today's big data look like ticker tape. It's exciting because these big analogue and digital data streams will be combined to provide new insights about us and the world around us. They will spur new, as yet unimaginable, applications to make our lives easier, healthier, more efficient and better for the environment. But big data can also go badly wrong. That's not usuaUy on purpose - people can end up being hurt when big data is asked the wrong questions, the right questions in the wrong way or based on assumptions that look harmless on the face of it but can be very damaging when they are unwittingly reinforced and magnified. In this month's issue of E&T, Edd Gent looks at some worrying instances in which society has already gone wrong with using its data and what lessons these hold for engineers in particular in how to work with the bigger data sources of the future (p32). Big data and the loT will change everything. They raise so many questions across such a wide range of industrial and governmental activities and one that comes up a lot is what it will all mean for the insurance of driveriess cars, smart homes or even yourself when not only your doctor but perhaps your insurer too knows more about your health than you do. Ben McCluskey discovers how ubiquitous sensors and big data are already changing insurance policies and consumer behaviour (p28). Big data promises more efficient use of resources because it can monitor where spare capacity exists in any industry and match that to potential users. Platforms that can match the two are emerging as the new megacompanies disrupting entire industries, and nowhere is that more evident than in the travel industry, with apps such as Airbnb and Uber, which announced last month it is trying out a new driveriess taxi service. Important as they are, those two app players are just the beginning, says McCluskey, as the loT joins up sensors and systems right across cities' travel infrastructures (p36). I used Airbnb for the first time this year and it became clear to me that booking holidays will never be the same again. Now the summer's come to a close and the kids are heading back to school. Today's children are starting their new schools and classes with more technology in their bags than ever before. A survey by comparison site uSwitch found parents are spending record amounts on gadgets like phones, tablets and laptops. It was all very different in my day, of course. What about you? Were you of the slide rule, LED calculator or digital watch generation? They are the dark days my teenage children refer to as the stone age. But everything's accelerating and I expect the Internet of Things wiU make today's world look like the stone age to future generations in half the time ours has. did you know - iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus First water- and dust-resistant iPhone. The dual 12-megapixel cameras feature anew depth-of-field efiect, optical image stabilisation and a larger aperture and lens fox brighter, more detailed photos and videos. ; Wireless iUrPod : earphonesaresold i separately, but the : upgrade does include a i 3.Snun headphone j jack adapterforolder : accessories.Thenew : Apple W1 chip means : eHicient wireless communication. I^ceTime uses an HD camera with wide colour capture and auto image stabUisaUon. The Quad-LED True Tbne flash includes a sensor that detects fUckering lights and compensates for them in videos and photos. AlO Fusion chip now has four cores, integrating two high-performance cores that run up to two times faster than the iPhone 6. Graphics performance runs up to three times faster than iPhone 6 at as litUe as half the power, improving the much-discussed iPhone battery life. * ne Apple-designed Image Signal , which processes over 100 billion operations in as little as 25 milliseconds, produces high quality photos and videos.