This is likely not the first time you’ve heard about the war over net neutrality and it certainly won’t be the last. The long debated issue is still being fought as talks have recently heated up in the White House, among the FCC, and throughout large corporations. But what is really happening? Why are we still talking about this and is there anything we can do to preserve the open Internet as we know it? We decided to take a look into the furious net neutrality argument and go over why you should deeply care. What is Net Neutrality? The current Internet as Americans use it today is a neutral place for the free exchange of ideas to fly across your computer screen and mobile device. You can liken today’s Internet to a Reddit thread or the comments in any news article as good examples to demonstrate the absolute freedom we have on the interwebs. Tim WU, the Columbia University professor credited with coining the term, describes net neutrality in these terms: “Network neutrality is best defined as a network design principle. The idea is that a maximally useful public information network aspires to treat all content, sites, and platforms equally. This allows the network to carry every form of information and support every kind of application. The principle suggests that information networks are often more valuable when they are less specialized — when they are a platform for multiple uses, present and future.”   Sounds Good, Who Would Threaten That? As the open Internet climbed to the raging popularity it mightily commands today, capitalists of all kinds pitched the idea of creating a sort of a tiered system to the Internet. This would give preferential treatment to those who have more cash. For example, a large corporation with a boat-load of money could pay to have their site send information faster than those who can’t afford it. The topic for and against net neutrality has been a fiercely fought issue for well over a decade, but recently became a bit more complicated. Those in favor of shifting the Internet to a tiered service argue that if there are companies that can afford faster data delivery, they should be given that option. Again, ending net neutrality is simply a matter of how fast the information is delivered. Some Internet Service Providers (ISPs) see this idea as a win because they could separate preferred sites - sites in the “fast lane” - so that users would blame the actual site rather than the ISP for the poor performance of sites not in the fast lane. The reason the issue became even more hotly debated is because in 2014 politicians became more involved than ever before. In April 2014, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) took a stab at net neutrality by releasing a proposal that suggested broadband companies could provide Internet “fast lanes” for those, like large corporations, that could afford to pay a higher fee. As previously stated, this would mean that smaller companies with littler wallets unable to afford the higher fee would suffer in terms of content delivery speeds and would therefore have to compete with a significant disadvantage. Crap. So What’s Next? The issue caught the attention of the White House, which seemingly supports the principle of net neutrality. In a statement released in November 2014, President Barack Obama took a side: “We cannot allow Internet service providers (ISPs) to restrict the best access or to pick winners and losers in the online marketplace for services and ideas. That is why today, I am asking the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to answer the call of almost 4 million public comments, and implement the strongest possible rules to protect net neutrality.”   Since then the FCC has responded and allegedly will be revising their proposal. They will soon vote on new terms yet to be determined, but FCC chairman Tom Wheeler suggested in an op-ed just days ago that he will push for net neutrality. “These enforceable, bright-line rules [in the new proposal] will ban paid prioritization, and the blocking and throttling of lawful content and services. I propose to fully apply — for the first time ever — those bright-line rules to mobile broadband. My proposal assures the rights of Internet users to go where they want, when they want, and the rights of innovators to introduce new products without asking anyone’s permission.” And now, we wait. The future of net neutrality now rests in the hands of the FCC, which will meet on February 26th to vote on the next phase of the battle over open Internet. Wheeler has proposed that, “the FCC use its Title II authority to implement and enforce open internet protections. Using this authority, I am submitting to my colleagues the strongest open internet protections ever proposed by the FCC.” We will soon see if this will become a reality when they vote on the 26th.

The internet of things (IoT) is changing the way we interact with our everyday possessions and how they interact with each other. They enable previously unconnected devices to send information and data to other devices, all with the goal of creating a better experience for consumers and enterprises alike. For the automotive and transportation industries, IoT gives companies great opportunities to improve the safety, efficiency, and entertainment aspects of their products. Regardless of your company’s progress with integrating IoT, you’re sure to get some ideas from our chosen five ways this technology is changing the industry. 1. London’s Public Transportation System Over the past several years, the Transport for London (TfL) has tested a variety of IoT technologies to improve safety and create better experiences for passengers. Back in 2014, TfL trialed screens that showed available seating on the upper decks of their busses. Instead of relying on sensors, capacity was determined with the buses’ existing camera systems. In 2015, the TfL started reviewing sensor systems that would monitor bus blind spots to reduce vehicle and pedestrian collisions. Both trials were part of London’s goal to become a leading global smart city. 2. Tesla’s Master Plan Last summer, Tesla’s Elon Musk revealed the second phase of his Master Plan, which focuses on smart car technology. One goal is to have cars that are powered with solar roofs and with autopilot technology that is ten times safer than human drivers. Another product, the Tesla Bus, will automatically match the speed of surrounding traffic. Finally, Tesla wants to encourage vehicle sharing by paying drivers to own one of its cars and have it drive others around when not in use. 3. Over-the-Air Software Updates We all receive app and software updates on our mobile devices on a regular basis. Now imagine receiving these over-the-air (OTA) updates for your car. This is what Fiat Chrysler realized when the company discovered a vulnerability that could allow hackers to take over Jeep Cherokees. The company issued USB drives to vehicle owners with the software fix, a slow and inefficient process. Market intelligence company ABI estimates that one-third of recalls can be addressed with OTA updates. Safety aside, OTA updates can give app developers and manufacturers alike the flexibility to push out the smallest of changes at little cost. 4. Infotainment in Cars Of course, IoT isn’t limited to safety and efficiency. Today’s cars provide entertainment for passengers in two ways. Embedded cars use chipsets and built-in antennas while tethered cars use hardware so passengers can connect their smartphones. Don’t forget that app integrations — from Google Maps to Spotify — allow passengers to interact with their favorite apps while driving. There is only growing opportunity for companies to team with auto companies to deliver their own applications. 5. Smart Highways While apps like Google Maps show traffic volumes on routes, wouldn’t it be nice to remove traffic jams altogether? That was the challenge when Cisco teamed up with Austrian autobahn company ASFiNAG to create a smart highway to eliminate traffic problems. Cisco connected thousands of sensors through a network of switches and routers to send real-time information including traffic speed measurements and weather information to authorities. Among the results of this project is the reduced need for infrastructure investment due to better road use. The Future of Transportation By 2020, the automobile will be the number one connected device. There’s potential for companies to leverage IoT technology in cars to bring customers services from location-based offers to personal health monitoring. In fact, it’s not a stretch to think that car companies today will have to become the leading software companies of tomorrow (Apple and Google’s move into the car space is just one threat). Companies from both industries need to work together to create the best products for their customers. Now, it’s time for you to think about how you can integrate IoT into your car-related products or services and join the technology revolution.

To some, the Internet of Things (IoT) is a futuristic concept of connectivity that’s linked to things like smart buildings and cars — so it might be surprising to find out that IoT is making its way into gyms and workouts, as well. And we’re not just talking about Fitbit — companies are coming up with smart equipment that can sync with apps, push your resistance, track your workout progress, and much more. Given that fitness is a multi-million dollar industry, there need to be new innovations to keep people moving, and IoT may just bring about a whole new world of high-tech workout progress. Here are some of the trends we’ve spotted so far: A Smarter Workout One thing that hasn’t changed in the fitness world is that people are always looking for a faster, more effective workout. Now that exercise is becoming more interconnected with devices and apps, it’s amazing to see the strides that are being made towards creating all-in-one workout equipment. For example, Mashable profiled a Hong Kong-based startup called Move It, which is looking to bring a small, portable system of gym equipment to market — except this set of equipment has smarts. The four components — consisting of a push up stand, an ab wheel, a resistance band, and a jump rope — are connected by Bluetooth to inform each other of how hard the user is working. There’s also a social component, allowing users to post their workout results online. Although Move It isn’t particularly portable, given that the set weighs about 11 lbs when it’s stored together, Victoria Ho, Mashable’s Asia editor touts that “the set could be good to spur on a couch potato keen to get up and get moving, or an older person who wants to up their fitness level” – which definitely could make it a great choice for someone who can’t make it to the gym every day. Connected Equipment With all the gym chains out there, it’s remarkable to see how many still rely on the same old equipment technology that hasn’t advanced much in the last couple decades. This could be a major reason why many gyms see a drop-off in membership — because the machines aren’t doing much to continually motivate the users. At least, that’s what an article at TechCrunch thinks, as they report on the potential solution: eGym, a German startup that creates cloud and app software to help improve gyms. eGym Cloud focuses on providing its members with an all-around better gym experience — from data-based personal fitness plans to in-person trainer instruction. The plan evolves as the gym member does, because all the while, the gym collects data on its members’ workouts. The goal is to continually provide users with progress reports and results, which will hopefully motivate them to work harder, and keep paying to be a gym member. There’s also the neat high-tech twist of wristbands alerting the gym machines of the user’s identity, and the ability to view analytics after the workout is complete. If a full on eGym isn’t your style though, you can find a more widely known gym that has connected equipment, like the HOIST fitness machines which are found in 24 Hour Fitness gyms, among others, across the country. The company offers two free apps (that we designed and developed) to work with its strength system and its indoor cycle bikes. The HOIST Strength app provides both a library of exercises to scroll through as well as the ability to track workouts, body measurements, and create original workouts. The app acts a personal trainer, but can also be used as a personal training supplement — it’s great to be able to show your trainer your logged workouts. You can even send your results to your personal trainer in CSV or text form. The HOIST Bikes app works much in the same way, but with a truly IoT addition: the Bluetooth functionality links the app to the cycle bike. Once you’ve finished your ride, the app will provide you with an overview of your progress (and if you made any new personal records) as well as comparing the day’s results to past workouts. The app can also track heart rate, calories burned, and RPM. It seems likely we’ll be seeing more Bluetooth-enabled exercise bikes in the near future, given how well the machines can sync with apps. Gyms of the Future Exercise will always be necessary, but it needs to evolve to keep up with our need for better tracking and results. Fortunately, IoT is making it easier to connect with apps and equipment that give us a clearer picture of how hard we’re working (or how hard we need to work). The end result is a smarter gym, and hopefully a smarter workout.