Welcome to the latest installment of the Buzz in Edge monthly news roundup where we highlight some of the best Edge Computing stories from around the Web. In September we saw some fascinating stories that showcase how organizations are strategically deploying edge solutions and how bringing compute power closer to data sources is driving new innovations -- from drones collecting weather data to the broadening use of IoT sensors in âsmart citiesâ.
So letâs dig in! Our first story comes from the government sector where Phil Goldstein of FedTech Magazine highlights how the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is employing next generation drones alongside artificial intelligence to improve their weather forecasting models that will ultimately help communities prepare for hurricanes and other weather related disasters:
The drones NOAA uses have become increasingly sophisticated, and the agency is using edge computing and the cloud to more efficiently gather, analyze and disseminate data that they collect in the field. NOAAâs drones also leverage artificial intelligence capabilities to better study hurricanes and keep track of populations of seals in Alaska.
While this is great news for those of us who live in areas most affected by climate change, it may not be such welcome news for old school storm chasers! Read more at: How NOAA Uses Drones to Study Everything from Seals to Hurricanes
Next up, Brian Bailey explores the Tradeoffs Between Edge vs. Cloud in Semiconductor Engineering with a particular focus on the cost, energy, and architectural considerations of each model and the balancing act that IT leaders must walk when rationalizing between the two:
The reason things are migrating to the edge is because every time you move data through the network, itâs expensive. It costs power. It is about efficiency. Customers donât want to wait anymore. So if you have applications that are trying to run quickly, you want to move them as close to the edge as possible. The more you can do locally, the less you have to move that data through the network
Is edge computing right for your organization or use case? In Real-Time Insights, veteran tech journal Joe McKendrick offers his suggestions of the 5 Questions to Ask Before Plunging into Edge Computing and covers off on areas that are all too often overlooked such as this last question that addresses the challenge of maintaining and upgrading systems at remote edge locations:
How will maintenance and upgrades of remote devices and systems be handled? Since many edge devices and systems are scattered at remote locations across the globe â or maintained by outside parties â ongoing maintenance and upgrades may be challenging. Ultimately, the ideal will be to enable software-driven upgrades delivered automatically across all these devices, but the reality these days is a company may be connecting to thousands of devices from different manufacturers and built on different protocols.
Innovations from microchip manufacturers like Scale Computing partner Intel have been one of the driving forces behind making edge computing a reality. In this in-depth feature story, Intel: Under attack, fighting back on many fronts, freelance journalist Andy Patrizio delves into the hypercompetitive microprocessor market and why Intel is making a big bet on edge computing with its Risc-based chip and their NUC mini-computer systems:
OâDonnell said that while the mobile-computing ship has sailed, there is still a big opportunity for Intel in edge computing with a RISC-based chip. âOne of the biggest criticisms of x86 is the power consumption,â he said. âBut IoT devices and edge-computing devices are going to be massive; that's a huge growth market. And power consumption matters there.
For our final story of the month, we go across the pond to the Register.com where British tech writer Rupert Goodwins brings us an informed argument as to why he believes that âedge computing has a bright future, even if nobody's sure quite what that looks likeâ which among other things highlights some unconventional use cases such as the massive datasets generated by a modern aircraft:
But another high-profile edge application, transport, needs a very different approach. An aircraft can generate a terabyte of performance and diagnostic data on a single flight, which outstrips the capabilities of in-flight datacomms. Spread that across a fleet in constant global flux, and central control isn't an option. Autonomous processing onboard, prioritising of immediate safety information such as moment-to-moment engine parameters for available real-time links, and efficient retrieval of bulk data when possible, lead to design decisions far removed from 5G engineering.
Was there a great Edge Computing story that we missed last month? Drop us a line and let us know.