A new analysis shows that while isolated disruptions have occurred, the region’s data centre ecosystem remains stable, highlighting the growing importance of resilience-first infrastructure design.

A Live Stress Test for Digital Infrastructure

Rising tensions across the Middle East have brought renewed scrutiny to the resilience of critical digital systems.

According to a recent analysis from DC Byte, the situation is less a breakdown—and more a real-world stress test for modern infrastructure. In its latest report, Assessing the Impact of the Middle East Conflict on Data Centres, the firm outlines how the sector is responding under pressure.

Minimal Disruption, Strong Architecture

Out of 233 data centre developments across the GCC, only a small number have been directly affected.

Crucially:

• Workloads have been successfully rerouted

• Core services have remained largely uninterrupted

• Infrastructure redundancy has performed as designed

This reflects a broader shift in infrastructure strategy—where resilience is built into systems from the outset, rather than added later.

Risk Is Reshaping Strategy

While the system has held up, the conflict is accelerating changes in how operators approach infrastructure design.

Key priorities now include:

• Advanced physical risk modelling

• Distributed and decentralised workloads

• Multi-region redundancy frameworks

These approaches are rapidly moving from best practice to baseline expectation.

Supply Chains Still Matter

Beyond operational resilience, the report highlights emerging pressure points in logistics and connectivity.

Disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz are introducing:

• Shipping delays

• Routing constraints

• Increased costs

These issues reinforce a critical insight:

Even the most advanced digital systems remain dependent on physical infrastructure and global supply chains.

Investment Momentum Remains Strong

Despite geopolitical uncertainty, investor confidence in the region appears largely unchanged.

The data shows:

• 2.4GW of qualified capacity

• 2GW+ in early-stage planning

• No major investor withdrawals

This suggests that the market continues to be viewed as high-growth, with manageable risk exposure.

Infrastructure Meets Geopolitics

DC Byte CEO Bernard Johnson notes that the situation highlights a deeper trend:

The growing interaction between geopolitical risk and digital infrastructure.

In practical terms, this means data centres are no longer just technical assets—they are increasingly seen as strategic infrastructure.

The Bigger Picture

As demand for cloud computing, AI, and digital services continues to expand, resilience is becoming a defining factor in infrastructure investment.

The Middle East is now demonstrating that:

• Modern architectures can withstand localized disruption

• Redundancy is no longer optional

• Infrastructure design must account for geopolitical uncertainty

Conclusion

So far, the region’s data centre ecosystem is proving resilient under pressure.

But the long-term impact may be even more significant:

• Greater emphasis on distributed infrastructure

• Increased investment in risk-aware design

• A shift toward resilience as a competitive differentiator

In an increasingly unpredictable world, uptime is no longer just an engineering challenge—it’s a strategic one.

The post Testing Data Centre Resilience appeared first on Tech Trends.

Autonomous drones are moving from experimental trials into real-world emergency healthcare systems—reducing response times when every second matters.

From Pilot to Commercial Deployment

Swedish drone technology company Everdrone has raised SEK 36 million in a new funding round, signaling its transition into a commercial phase for emergency healthcare services.

The investment, led by Sciety, will support further development of Everdrone’s platform and enable expansion into additional European markets.

CEO Mats Sällström says the funding strengthens the company’s ability to scale:

“This funding gives us stronger conditions to continue building the company and expanding our services into more markets across Europe.”

Drones in the Emergency Chain

Everdrone is already operating what is believed to be the world’s first drone service integrated into an emergency response chain for cardiac arrest.

Its autonomous drones are dispatched in parallel with ambulances, delivering critical equipment—such as defibrillators—directly to the scene.

This approach addresses one of the most critical challenges in emergency care:

Response time

By delivering life-saving equipment before paramedics arrive, the system has the potential to significantly improve survival outcomes.

Everdrone CEO Mats Sällström with one of the company’s autonomous medical drones

A Proven Model Gaining Traction

Unlike many emerging technologies, Everdrone’s system is not theoretical—it is already operational.

• Active service in Västra Götaland Region (Sweden)

• Procured by Region Stockholm

• Expanded into Normandy (France)

The company has also been conducting operational flights since 2020, working closely with healthcare providers to validate its model.

Why Demand Is Growing

Healthcare systems are increasingly exploring new ways to:

• Reduce response times

• Improve coverage in rural and urban areas

• Optimize resource allocation

Drone-based delivery offers a compelling solution—particularly in time-critical scenarios such as cardiac arrest.

As Sällström notes:

“Interest in drone-based solutions in emergency healthcare is increasing as regions look for new ways to reduce response times.”

Beyond Defibrillators

While current deployments focus on delivering automated external defibrillators (AEDs), Everdrone is building a broader platform for emergency logistics.

Potential future use cases include:

• Delivery of additional medical supplies

• Real-time video support for dispatch teams

• Integration with wider emergency services

This positions the company not just as a drone operator—but as a critical infrastructure provider in digital healthcare systems.

Investment Signals Confidence

The funding round was led by Sciety, a Nordic investment firm focused on life sciences and digital health.

Andreas Lindblom, Managing Partner at Sciety, highlights the strategic fit:

“Everdrone addresses a clear and well-documented need in emergency healthcare and has already established partnerships with several regions.”

Beyond capital, the partnership brings:

• Industry expertise

• Strategic networks

• Increased visibility

—key factors for scaling across regulated healthcare markets.

A Broader Shift in Healthcare Innovation

Everdrone’s growth reflects a wider trend:

The convergence of autonomous systems and healthcare delivery

As technology matures, solutions that were once experimental are becoming embedded into real-world infrastructure.

This includes:

• AI-assisted diagnostics

• Remote monitoring

• Autonomous logistics (like drone delivery)

Together, these innovations are reshaping how healthcare systems operate under pressure.

Conclusion

Everdrone’s move into commercial deployment marks a significant milestone—not just for the company, but for the future of emergency response.

By integrating autonomous drones into healthcare systems, it is demonstrating how technology can directly impact outcomes in life-or-death situations.

As adoption expands across Europe, drone-based emergency response may soon become a standard part of modern healthcare infrastructure.

The post Scaling Drone Emergency Response appeared first on Tech Trends.

Cybercriminals are exploiting booking platforms and property management systems—forcing hotels to rethink how they defend their digital infrastructure.

A Growing Threat to Hospitality

Hospitality businesses are facing a surge in phishing attacks, with cybercriminals increasingly targeting hotel property management systems (PMS), booking platforms, and internal communications.

According to industry experts, attackers are using increasingly sophisticated methods to trick staff into revealing login credentials or installing malicious software—often by impersonating trusted systems or partners.

Nicola Longfield, General Manager for Accommodation at Access Hospitality, explains:

“Cybercriminals are actively targeting hotel property management systems, email systems, and booking channels… sending emails that appear to be from legitimate sources designed to trick staff into entering login information or downloading malware.”

These attacks are not random—they are highly targeted and tailored to hospitality workflows.

How Phishing Attacks Are Evolving

Unlike traditional phishing attempts, today’s attacks are designed to closely mimic real operational scenarios within hotels.

Common tactics include:

• Fake login pages that replicate hotel systems

• Lookalike domain names designed to deceive staff

• Google Ads used to promote fraudulent login portals

• Emails impersonating booking platforms or internal systems

• Urgent messaging around payments or reservations

Jan Hejny, CEO at HotelTime, highlights the growing sophistication:

“Phishing attacks are becoming far more targeted and contextual… often mimicking real payment or booking scenarios.”

Once attackers gain access, the consequences escalate quickly—ranging from fraudulent guest communications to full system compromise.

The Business Impact

The risks extend far beyond IT systems.

Potential consequences include:

• Compromised guest data

• Fraudulent booking communications

• Financial losses

• Operational disruption

• Long-term damage to brand trust

As Diego Baldini, CISO of The Access Group, notes:

“These attacks can result in compromised hotel accounts, fraudulent communications sent to guests, and serious reputational or financial harm.”

Industry Response: Collaboration and Awareness

Major hospitality tech providers—including Guestline, Mews, HotelTime, and Planet—are actively working to combat the rise in attacks.

Richard Johnson, Chief Information Security Officer at Planet, emphasizes the importance of shared intelligence:

“Fraud is a full-time operation… by sharing intelligence quickly and raising collective awareness, we continually make it harder for them to succeed.”

This highlights a broader shift: cybersecurity in hospitality is becoming a collective responsibility, not just an individual one.

How Hotels Can Protect Themselves

Experts point to several immediate actions that can significantly reduce risk.

1. Adopt Phishing-Resistant MFA (Passkeys)

Passkey-based authentication is emerging as the gold standard.

• Creates a cryptographic link to legitimate login pages

• Prevents credential theft even if phishing occurs

• Eliminates reliance on passwords and one-time codes

• Supports biometric or hardware-based authentication

2. Train Staff and Reduce Human Risk

Human error remains the primary attack vector.

• Bookmark official login pages

• Avoid logging in via search engines

• Identify suspicious emails and urgent requests

• Encourage immediate reporting of potential threats

3. Strengthen Access Controls

• Use strong, unique passwords

• Avoid shared login accounts

• Implement role-based access permissions

4. Keep Systems Updated

• Apply security patches regularly

• Maintain antivirus and firewall protections

• Back up critical systems and test recovery processes

Why This Matters Now

The rise in phishing attacks reflects a broader reality: hospitality is becoming an increasingly attractive target for cybercriminals.

Hotels sit at the intersection of:

• Financial transactions

• Personal data

• Real-time customer interactions

This makes them uniquely vulnerable—and highly valuable targets.

Conclusion

As phishing attacks grow more sophisticated, hospitality businesses can no longer rely on basic security measures.

The shift toward phishing-resistant authentication, staff awareness, and proactive system management is no longer optional—it is essential.

In an industry built on trust and guest experience, cybersecurity is quickly becoming a core pillar of business resilience.

The post Securing Hotel Booking Systems appeared first on Tech Trends.

A smartwatch becomes a payment terminal, signaling a shift toward frictionless, card-free commerce powered by open banking.

Turning Wearables Into Payment Terminals

In a move that pushes the boundaries of both fintech and wearable technology, Huawei has partnered with Luxembourg-based fintech Yowpay to launch what is being described as the world’s first Open Banking smartwatch POS application.

The solution enables a Huawei smartwatch to function as a fully operational point-of-sale (POS) terminal—no additional hardware required.

By leveraging SEPA instant payments and account-to-account (A2A) infrastructure, merchants can now accept payments directly from their wrist. Instead of relying on card networks or physical terminals, the system generates a dynamic QR code on the watch face, which customers scan using their smartphones.

How the Technology Works

Huawei smartwatch displaying a dynamic QR code for SEPA-based payments via Yowpay

At the core of the solution is Yowpay’s orchestration layer, which connects merchants directly to bank-based payment rails.

Here’s how a typical transaction works:

• The merchant opens the Yowpay app on a Huawei smartwatch

• A dynamic QR code is generated on the watch face

• The customer scans the code using their smartphone

• Payment is initiated via SEPA instant transfer

• Funds are received in real time into the merchant’s account

This approach removes intermediaries, bypassing traditional card schemes and their associated fees.

For small businesses, freelancers, and mobile vendors, this could represent a significant shift in both cost structure and operational flexibility.

Why This Matters for Merchants

The implications extend beyond novelty. This is a clear signal of where payments infrastructure is heading.

Key advantages include:

• Lower transaction costs
  By bypassing card networks, merchants avoid interchange and processing fees

• True mobility
  No need for card readers, terminals, or smartphones—just a smartwatch

• Instant settlement
  Payments arrive in real time via SEPA instant transfers

• Simplified setup
  Ideal for micro-merchants, freelancers, and on-the-go businesses

• Financial sovereignty
  Direct bank-to-bank transactions reduce dependency on intermediaries

In effect, the smartwatch becomes both a payment acceptance device and a gateway to open banking.

The Rise of QR and A2A Payments

This launch aligns with a broader shift toward QR-based and account-to-account payments globally.

While card payments still dominate in many Western markets, open banking frameworks—particularly in Europe—are accelerating alternatives that prioritize:

• Speed

• Cost efficiency

• Transparency

• Control over payment flows

Yowpay’s platform is designed to optimize payment routing across multiple channels, including QR codes and open banking flows, improving conversion rates while maintaining simplicity.

Where Huawei Fits In

Huawei’s role in this partnership highlights a strategic push to expand the capabilities of its wearable ecosystem beyond health and lifestyle tracking.

By integrating fintech functionality directly into devices like the Huawei Watch GT and Watch Ultimate series, the company is positioning wearables as tools for productivity and commerce—not just personal use.

This also reflects a broader industry trend: the convergence of consumer devices and financial infrastructure.

What Comes Next

While still early, smartwatch-based POS systems could open up entirely new use cases:

• Street vendors and pop-up retailers

• Event-based commerce

• Service professionals operating on-site

• Emerging markets with limited POS infrastructure

The success of this model will depend on adoption, regulatory alignment, and user trust—but the direction is clear.

Payments are becoming more embedded, more immediate, and increasingly invisible.

Conclusion

The Huawei–Yowpay collaboration marks a notable step toward wearable-first commerce.

By combining open banking with everyday devices, it removes friction from transactions and challenges the dominance of traditional payment systems.

If adoption scales, the future of payments may not sit in your pocket—or even your phone—but on your wrist.

The post Using Smartwatch POS Payments appeared first on Tech Trends.

Please tell us more about yourself?

I’m Philip Attfield, CEO of Sequitur Labs Inc. I have more than 25 years of experience in computing, networking, security and systems modeling at both large and small enterprises. I began my career at Nortel where I was a member of the scientific staff, developing software tools and in-house products for modeling, synthesis and verification of telecom and network equipment hardware. I later founded Signal 9 Solutions, which pioneered PC/desktop firewalls and created the Conseal brand of security products. At Boeing, I led the team responsible for the development of large-scale security policy and management framework. I’ve served in a number of high-profile roles in the field of digital forensics and am a frequent keynote speaker at international security conferences.

What is Sequitur Labs’ mission and what unique products/solutions do you provide?

Sequitur Labs is a software company developing and commercializing revolutionary technologies to improve embedded device and system security, manageability, and trustworthiness in the connected economy. Sequitur helps device OEMs reduce the cost and complexity of implementing security correctly by providing packaged software as a product. Sequitur’s software leverages advanced, on-chip hardware security technologies to deliver high-value strong security, economical and accessible security solutions.

Sequitur’s software solutions are critical security enablers for a large, worldwide market of device makers that need strong security but cannot afford the in-house expertise. Sequitur’s business approach includes demystifying and driving down the cost of security, simplifying deployment, and messaging the business value of security.

Could you give us a walkthrough of Sequitur’s products and what sets them apart?

The EmSPARK Security Suite was designed to address solutions in industries where embedded security is paramount such as industrial control, building automation, the smart home, machine vision, automotive communication, and medical devices. Built on three pillars of product security – design, build and sustain, EmSPARK provides device manufacturers with the firmware, tools and APIs needed to properly execute IoT protection. Our latest version of the EmSPARK Security Suite provides a robust security framework protecting embedded firmware, keys and security-critical assets through the entire device lifecycle. It enables silicon hardware security features, secure device provisioning, and API access to essential trust services such as secure storage, firmware updates and payload verification.

The EmSPARK Security Suite delivers a host of capabilities, including the integration of OpenSSL with functions secured by ARM TrustZone and preconfigured to use cryptographic functions available processors supporting this technology in hardware. The EmSPARK Security Suite also includes key management functions that form the basis of several secure processes such as trusted boot, storage and authentication with IoT clouds.

This allows developers to focus on building their application and/or device rather than spend time reading through data sheets to configure various hardware components. The result is that they can get their products to market faster.

Having an IoT security solution in place does not guarantee protection against an attack. How does your company offer greater assurance?

Devices secured by the EmSPARK Security Suite help customers reduce the risk and liability associated with IoT deployments. The Suite covers security requirements relevant at various stages of a product’s lifecycle.

We believe that a product must be secured from the time it is manufactured to the time it is decommissioned. This ensures that a company’s intellectual property (IP) is not stolen, the device operates without compromise at any point in its life, and that customer data is protected at all times. Additionally, it ensures that connections with remote systems, such as IoT cloud servers, are secure and tamper-proof.

For example, the EmSPARK Security Suite enables implementing a root of trust, which supports a variety of secure processes such as trusted boot. It creates a dual operating environment because a TrustZone-enabled processor can switch between secure and non-secure states. This allows isolating and separating critical material and data in a hardware secured area, dramatically improving device security. Developers can easily build applications that use secure resources without having to become experts in cryptography and complex hardware security technologies.

Analysts predict the global IoT security space will grow to USD $36.6 billion by 2025. Where do you see the future of IoT going?

With as many as 60 billion smart devices expected to be online in the near future, the likelihood that IoT products, applications and systems are going to be the main points of vulnerability from an organizational security standpoint seems fairly obvious. There are lots of lines of security built into corporate data centers to prevent break-ins and malicious attacks from cybercriminals but not nearly as much effort to secure the devices connecting to those data centers. The greatest obstacle to a future serviced by smart devices is security, including aggressive new variants that attack endpoints at the edge and threaten embedded computing systems.

IoT security is at an inflection point. In-house efforts to address device-level security are difficult and expensive, making it an unattractive option for many manufacturers. But I believe that the success of our industry will be achieved by helping developers build applications that use secure resources without having them having to become experts in cryptography and complex hardware security technologies. IoT will only be successful if device manufacturers and system operators can successfully and economically protect against threats. Working hand-in-hand with a comprehensive IoT security software solution will promote the growth of the industry beyond analysts’ predictions.

The post Improving IoT Security in the Connected Economy appeared first on Tech Trends.

Having real-time, hands-free digital information and applications overlaid onto our surroundings is the next step from looking up information on mobile phones and interacting with AI voice assistants
Share on X

It’s really a stroke of genius when you stop and think about it. On the one hand, there’s growing appetite for Augmented Reality functionality among consumers. Having real-time, hands-free digital information and applications overlaid onto our surroundings is, after all, the logical next step from the way we’ve become used to looking up information on mobile phones and interacting with AI voice assistants.

The difficulty with AR glasses lies in fitting a decent-size field of view - and the processing power necessary to make all these wonderful functionalities work smoothly – in eyewear that doesn't look dorky or feels heavy
Share on X

But what if your product naturally gives you a lot more room to play with?
Share on X

But there is, of course, the minor snag of fitting a decent-size field of view – and the processing power necessary to make all these wonderful functionalities work smoothly – in a normal-sized pair of glasses. Yes, huge strides have been made, and we’re getting closer, but still no cigar.

But what if your product naturally gives you a lot more room to play with? The last thing you want from a motorcycle helmet is for it NOT to cover your entire face and head after all, so you can make it relatively light and cool-looking without compromising on the amount of tech you can fit in there. And that’s exactly what Jarvish has set about doing.

Jarvish was founded in 2014 by a group of motorcycle enthusiasts
Share on X

The company was founded in 2014 by a group of motorcycle enthusiasts and members of the former Advance Technology Division (ATD) team at Foxconn. They had previously produced a popular smart motorcycle helmet, but their latest prototype, the Jarvish X-AR also (as the name suggests) supports a broad range Augmented Reality functions.

The last thing you want from a motorcycle helmet is for it NOT to cover your entire face and head, so you can make it relatively light and cool-looking without compromising on the amount of tech you can fit in there
Share on X

“The X and X-AR have been designed to enhance the motorcycling experience with smart features that mean a rider can focus on the road ahead without any distraction,” says Jeremy Lu, CEO of Jarvish. “Police officers in Taiwan are already wearing the first generation of Jarvish smart helmets, while on duty, to record their journeys, gather evidence and connect with police central command.”

This new AR helmet, which weighs around 1700g was designed in Germany and is made from pure carbon fiber. The HUD can be controlled and retracted easily via voice command, integrating with services like Alexa, Siri and Google Assistant so that riders can use voice activation to control the cameras, make calls, play music, etc.

The helmet has the ability to not only display directions, but also notify the wearer of traffic and weather conditions, indicators, speed, hazard road signs and incoming caller IDs on the HUD
Share on X

The X-AR includes an AR-powered head-up display (HUD) which uses maps and routing from HERE Technologies and – via the Jarvish app – allows users to input a destination by voice and receive audio and/or visual directions to the location in the helmet. The technology behind the display ensures that, even in bright light, these projections are always clearly visible.

The helmet has the ability to not only display directions, but also notify the wearer of traffic and weather conditions, indicators, speed, hazard road signs and incoming caller IDs on the HUD. It even shows 2K rear-view images so the rider has 360° visibility while on the road.

This new AR helmet, which weighs around 1700g was designed in Germany and is made from pure carbon fiber
Share on X

Their Kickstarter raised over $200,000 in its first two days
Share on X

It also comes with a built-in front 2K camera and removable 16GB (optional up to 256GB) memory cards in the helmet. This means you can – if you’re that way inclined – broadcast your journey in real time to your social media account by voice command, or just download the footage to your smartphone or upload to the cloud for later. The battery lasts for four hours of continuous use and supports wireless charging via micro-USB.

Their recently launched Kickstarter raised over $200,000 in its first two days (out of an original $50,000 target). They say the purpose of the campaign was not only to raise funding, but also to raise the company profile as they gear up to recruit more engineers and create a broader ecosystem of AR applications.

The Jarvish X-AR is selling at USD $1,099
Share on X

The Jarvish X-AR is selling at USD $1,099 , which again is not pocket change, but not a ridiculous price point either, specially when compared to other top of the line helmets or even some of the newest smart glasses we’ve seen targeted at the consumer market. The prototype certainly made a splash at CES earlier this month, and the company aims to start shipping the pre-ordered units from September 2019. You can order it on their Indiegogo page

This article was originally published on VRScout

This AR Motorcycle Helmet Is As Sleek As It Is Advanced via @alicebonasio https://t.co/rJm4XR8TPq pic.twitter.com/tOy9b1eVJa

— VRScout (@VRScout) February 4, 2019

Tech Trends’  Virtual Reality Consultancy services offers support for companies looking to enhance brand strategy with immersive technologies such as Virtual, Augmented and Mixed Reality

Alice Bonasio is a VR Consultant and Tech Trends’ Editor in Chief. She also regularly writes for Fast Company, Ars Technica, Quartz, Wired and others. Connect with her on LinkedIn and follow @alicebonasio and @techtrends_tech on Twitter.

The post You’re Taking Me for ARide appeared first on Tech Trends.

Drones have been getting a really bad rep of late, specially in the United Kingdom, after rogue operators managed to shut down operations at both Gatwick and Heathrow airports, effectively ruining Christmas for thousands of travelers and prompting widespread clamour for greater regulation against them.

Yet like all technology, it’s not the tech itself, but what you do with it that counts, and which makes it a force for evil – or for the greater good. The other side of all the fear and annoyance that drones can cause in the wrong hands are the life-saving applications that companies like Edgybees are working on.

The perspective of a drone and added AR overlay provides first responders improved situational awareness and open communication
Share on X

Drones have been getting a really bad rep of late, specially in the United Kingdom, after rogue operators managed to shut down operations at both Gatwick and Heathrow airports
Share on X

Edgybees was initially founded as AR video game enhancement software, then pivoted to specialize in rescue drone technology that collects geospatial data and overlays information onto video feeds to bring emergency responders accurate and real-time information.

The San Diego-based start-up partnered with HCL Technologies to host a series of live demonstrations to world leaders at the recent World Economic Forum 2019 in Davos, Switzerland. They showcased their intelligent video drone software application in search and rescue operations during flood emergencies. The presentations were part of the HCL 2030 Ecosystem Platform, which explored how humanity’s relationship with technology will evolve through the next decade of rapid innovation.

Edgybees was initially founded as AR video game enhancement software, then pivoted to specialize in rescue drone technology
Share on X

“This is a significant stride in introducing the profound impact that Augmented Reality has in shaping the outcome of public safety operations around the world,” says Adam Kaplan, CEO of Edgybees. “Overlaying data such as street names, individual locations, and key points of interest on real-time video footage, the solution provides context to emergency responders in critical situations. The unmatched perspective of a drone combined with the added overlay provides first responders improved situational awareness and open communication — vital components that can determine a successful first response scenario or search and rescue operation.”

The technology was developed in-house by Edgybees (which since being founded in 2017 has raised over $6.4M in funding) via HCL’s ETO Open Innovation Program in partnership with Consulate General of Israel to South India.  Its First Response command and control system for professional drone users in emergency response organizations is already operational in over 70 organizations in the US, Australia, Europe, and Israel.

The drones will be able to send real-time updates on the number of deployments possible in a single battery charge
Share on X

This is a significant stride in introducing the profound impact that augmented reality has in shaping the outcome of public safety operations around the world
Share on X

Kalyan Kumar, Corporate Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, HCL Technologies explains that with his company’s predictive technology, the drones will be able to send real-time updates on the number of deployments possible in a single battery charge as well as inform on external factors while the drone is in flight:

“Extending the enterprise-proven AIOPS platform into Drones Management is a powerful means to augment the automation of the entire stack. In the case of drones, AIOPS allows a level of predictive analytics and other functional data that substantially enhances the drone’s capabilities.”

It’s easy to see how, once refined, this type of functionality will be a game-changer in all manner disaster-relief situations, from earthquakes to tsunamis – in short, any type of time-critical situation where access is either difficult, overly risky, or impossible. Equipping first-responders with critical information in real-time could enable rescuers to save precious minutes, hours, or even days in reaching victims, for example, and to do so without compromising their own safety. So let’s not rush to outlaw drones just yet, but instead focus on keeping them in the competent hands of the good guys.

This article originally appeared on VRScout

AR Drone Technology That Can Help Save Lives via @alicebonasio https://t.co/4qnE1UJ68j pic.twitter.com/pJm056FEPk

— VRScout (@VRScout) January 28, 2019

For companies looking to get into Immersive technologies our VR Consultancy service offers comprehensive support in strategic deployment of Virtual, Augmented and Mixed Reality

Alice Bonasio is a VR Consultant and Tech Trends’ Editor in Chief. She also regularly writes for Fast Company, Ars Technica, Quartz, Wired and others. Connect with her on LinkedIn and follow @alicebonasio on Twitter.

The post The AR Drone That Can Help Save Lives appeared first on Tech Trends.

Let’s face it, humans are vain and fickle creatures, so the fact that most HMDs look dorky as heck doesn’t really help with the whole mass market adoption issue. Magic Leap makes you look like a Minion, and even though I personally think the HoloLens looks much cooler (hey, what can I say, I’m a geek) I will also admit that it feels on the heavy side after prolonged use.

Humans are vain creatures, so the fact that most HMDs look dorky as heck doesn’t really help with the mass market adoption issue
Share on X

The Vuzix Blade Smart Glasses platform includes an Android based operating system, a cloud-based services platform that is being developed specifically for the Blade and a growing ecosystem of apps
Share on X

So a set of functional AR glasses that actually look like regular eyewear is something to sit up and take notice of, and that’s what Vuzix was showing off at CES this month.

The company is marketing its Vuzix Blade Smart Glasses to both the enterprise and consumer markets, providing differentiated software solutions to each one. On the consumer side, the Vuzix Blade Companion App, which is available for download from the App Store or Google Play, connects the device to both Android or iOS devices. It offers content such as AR enhanced golf training by Oncore Golf, Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. The app is also being upgraded with new functionality including the enablement of photo and video sharing between the Blade and smart phones.

“Vuzix Blade Smart Glasses are truly wearable smart glasses that can not only be unboxed and paired to a phone in a matter of minutes, but also deliver immediate utility for prosumers and consumers,” said Paul Travers, Vuzix President and Chief Executive Officer. “It provides a natural view of the real world while concurrently allowing AR content to be simply viewed and interactively managed with transparent optics designed to overlay visual information such as GPS mapping directions, restaurant menus, weather information, event happenings, stock information, video conferencing, sports updates, health metrics, patient data, streaming video and more.”

Vuzix Smart Glasses are being marketed to both enterprise and consumers
Share on X

The Vuzix Blade Smart Glasses platform includes an Android based operating system on the device, a cloud-based services platform that is being developed specifically for the Blade and a growing ecosystem of apps and software development firms around the world that they are working with, including Yelp and AccuWeather. They are also working with Amazon to finish the broader integration of Alexa expect to complete certification soon; and Alexa BETA is currently available for developers.

“Wearers can see a comprehensive weather forecast as a visual overlay that pops into their field of vision,” says Steve Smith, President of AccuWeather Digital Media “All of this is done without having to pull a smart phone out of your bag, while juggling luggage or reservation documents, making it easy to stay informed on-the-go.”

The Vuzix Blade ecosystem of consumer-oriented applications is expected to grow significantly throughout 2019 – ranging from utilities to entertainment with applications like karaoke, language translation, sheet music scrolling and more.  Also included on the Blade Smart Glasses are four games designed exclusively for the platform including AR Dino Hunter, AR-Golf, AR-Racers, and an idle AR Space-Miner game.

The Vuzix binocular system features HD displays with a large full-color 60-degree field of view
Share on X

The glasses aren’t exactly cheap at just under $1000, but compared to similar Mixed Reality devices such as the HoloLens and Magic Leap One they are a comparatively budget solution
Share on X

Enterprise customers, on the other hand, subscribe to the Blade Commercial Edge Software Suite, which now includes the LogistiVIEW Connected Worker Platform – an enterprise productivity toolset for frontline workers – and embedded biometric capabilities by PaaS Smart Glass targeted for field-based workers in industries such as aviation, healthcare, security, manufacturing and logistics. It enables first responders, for example, to quickly identify causalities or patients and obtain vital information such as medical histories of allergies and blood type, reducing wait times when arriving in hospital.

Vuzix had previously won the award for innovation at CES in 2005 and 2018 (the company was founded in 1997) and repeated the feat at this year’s event, being recognizing for its “outstanding design and engineering”.

Vuzix’ wide-field-of-view waveguide optics is certainly impressive. The entire display engine is approximately the size of a pencil eraser and will allow future AR smart glasses to have a virtually indistinguishable look and feel from normal eyeglasses.

“This binocular system features HD displays with a large full-color 60-degree field of view (FOV) stereo image, the largest commercially demonstrated FOV system from Vuzix to date. An extremely small display module featuring MicroLED display technology developed with Plessey Semiconductor coupled with a Vuzix waveguide and coupling optics,” Travers explains.

Vuzix won the award for innovation at CES in 2005 and 2018 and repeated the feat this year
Share on X

The glasses aren’t exactly cheap at just under $1000, but compared to similar Mixed Reality devices such as the HoloLens and Magic Leap One they are a comparatively budget solution. Also, the price point is not that far from a top-of-the-range smartphone, and as more content and functionality becomes available on such devices, it is easy to see how the investment would start to become justifiable. As a consumer, hands-free AR proposition, it is certainly among the most viable (and least silly-looking) that I’ve come across.

The consumer version Vuzix Blade Smart Glasses are expected to start shipping in February 2019.

This article was originally published on VRScout

AR Glasses You’d Be Happy To Be Caught Dead In via @alicebonasio https://t.co/6oxTx9qKGi pic.twitter.com/1hjoJw9WJd

— VRScout (@VRScout) January 24, 2019

For companies looking to get into Immersive technologies our VR Consultancy service offers comprehensive support in strategic deployment of Virtual, Augmented and Mixed Reality

Alice Bonasio is a VR Consultant and Tech Trends’ Editor in Chief. She also regularly writes for Fast Company, Ars Technica, Quartz, Wired and others. Connect with her on LinkedIn and follow @alicebonasio on Twitter.

The post AR Glasses You Can Be Seen In appeared first on Tech Trends.

A look back at some of the most exciting moments & innovations Tech Trends covered in 2018!

Cryptocurrency

Crypto is crashing – or so the experts say –  but it is not going away, so Tech Trends was excited to welcome on board our very own FinTech wizard Richard Andrews who kicked off his soon to be regular series last month.

Is Cryptocurrency on the verge of going mainstream?

Image by MichaelWuensch from Pixabay

During the bull run of 2017/18, coins could pump 50% on little more than a tweet of a conference announcement or a trivial code release. The principles of decentralisation and innovation were king and governments, financial services and regulation of any kind the public enemy of this bright new decentralised future. But after the parabolic rise of 2017 and the sharp sell-off of 2018 investor sentiment has reversed dramatically in the hope that these same institutions can restore their fortunes.

Hopes of greater institutional participation hinge on the Bitcoin ETF (Exchange Traded Fund) allowing institutional investors to participate in the market without the risks of holding Bitcoin directly
Share on X

Hopes of greater institutional participation have largely hinged on the prospect of a Bitcoin ETF (Exchange Traded Fund) which would allow private and institutional investors to participate in the market without the risks of holding Bitcoin directly. A good comparison is the well-established GLD ETF that provides exposure to gold without holding it under the mattress. However, this approach has so far proved disappointing due to rejections and delays by the US Securities and Exchange Committee (SEC). Read his full article here.

Mixed Reality

HoloLens subscription service spurring immersive tech adoption

Since the HoloLens was first released almost three years ago, Microsoft has steadily been building partnerships and demonstrating an array of industry use cases across manufacturing, engineering, healthcare, education and many others.

Rather than place users in a fully computer-generated world, as virtual reality does, HoloLens allows them to put 3D digital models in the room alongside them. As the Windows-10-based product does not have wires or external cameras or require a phone or PC connection, users can walk around the objects they create and interact with them using gestures, gaze and voice. This tends to make it well suited for onsite industrial applications.

While many large companies have adopted mixed reality and HoloLens applications, the $3,000 price tag of the device has been perceived as a barrier for adoption among smaller players
Share on X

Yet while many large companies have adopted mixed reality and enthusiastically evangelized about the efficiency gains that they achieved with HoloLens applications, the $3,000 price tag of the device has been perceived as a barrier for adoption among smaller players, who understandably aren’t sure that the ROI would be justified in onboarding the technology at this relatively early stage. Read the full article here.

Health Tech

Epilepsy consortium believes technology could save the NHS £250 million a year

Today, up to one in 100 people in the UK are believed to suffer from epilepsy, leading to three per cent of all Accident and Emergency visits and a total of 1.3 million days in hospital a year. It’s a challenging condition to manage, particularly as existing medication only works for up to 70 per cent of sufferers. Of those who do not respond to medication, most are not suitable for invasive surgery, leaving many to continue to experience unpredictable and potentially life-threatening seizures. New research by Public Health England (PHE) has found a 70% rise in the number of deaths of epilepsy patients between 2001 and 2014. PHE said there was a need to improve the clinical management of patients and make improvements to their wider health by tackling smoking, alcohol intake and poor diet.

The programme provides patients with wearable technology that records vital health data to help clinicians build a tailored record of a patient’s condition and seizure patterns
Share on X

This is what myCareCentric Epilepsy consortium – funded by Innovate UK and comprised of Poole Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, the University of Kent, System C & Graphnet Care Alliance and Shearwater Systems – is hoping to do by equipping people with the ability to self-manage their condition. Running on Microsoft’s cloud platform Azure, the programme provides patients with wearable technology that records vital health data to help clinicians build a tailored record of a patient’s condition and seizure patterns. It has the potential to learn to classify seizures; to alert clinicians and carers in real-time so they can consult patients remotely, and provide essential lifestyle recommendations and drug prescriptions. Read the full article here.

A Tragic Loss to Science

Stephen Hawking taught us about about life, the universe, and everything

I once met Professor Stephen Hawking as he was coming out of the elevator at the John Lewis store in Cambridge (UK – The original one), where we both lived at the time. And although I’ll admit this might be far from the most interesting Stephen Hawking story out there, it’s still one of my favourites. Being in his presence was an incredible feeling. I felt ridiculously honoured to have bumped into him in this ordinary shop.

Now, after his death, I feel much the same way about having had the honour of sharing the same time-space with him. In an age of fake news, President Trump and imminent Brexit, he was our steadfast voice of reason. Right to the end, he advocated for the things he felt passionate about, such as defending the National Health Service against the likes of Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt who – with a level of misguided arrogance I can’t begin to comprehend – actually chose to argue with him (with entirely predictable results).

In an age of fake news, President Trump and imminent Brexit, Professor Stephen Hawking was our steadfast voice of reason
Share on X

And all this he achieved with wit, wisdom, and a wicked sense of humour, which endeared him to millions around the world. When combined with the inspiring way in which he defied an illness that should have killed him and transcended the disability which left him only able to move a few muscles on his face, he is indeed a formidably inspirational figure. Read the full article here.

Virtual Reality

PokerStars brings online poker to a truly immersive social VR experience

Tech Extremes

Ninja tech skills can come in handy even onboard an Antarctic research ship

A research trip around the Antarctic gave a Software Engineer Carles Pina i Estany a new perspective on how the very product he helped build was being used by scientists. Aboard a research vessel thousands of miles from shore and the nearest reliable Internet connection, these modern explorers routinely relied on Mendeley to do their work, even in subzero temperatures.

A research trip around the Antarctic gave a Software Engineer Carles Pina i Estany a new perspective on how the very product he helped build was being used by scientists
Share on X

The opportunity to take part in this unique expedition came when Carles’ partner, Jen Thomas, was invited to become Data Manager on a research trip led by the newly created Swiss Polar Institute, which has a mission to connect researchers active in polar or extreme environments, promotes public awareness of these environments, and facilitates access to research facilities in those extreme environments. As they were short of an IT person and Carles was already on a sabbatical from his work at Elsevier – during which he had already planned to travel around the world – he seized the opportunity to fulfil a longstanding ambition to take part in a polar expedition. Read the full article here.

Ted Talks with Zebra

Accessible design in the age of Industry 4.0

Earlier this month Tech Trends attended our first TEDSalon in New York! Presented by Zebra Technologies and TED the session theme was ‘The Next Wave’ and focused on the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

The Fourth Industrial Revolution is bringing a tsunami of change that will dramatically affect how we interact with and adapt to technology. The ways we choose to ride this wave will determine the shape of our future. Will we use this as an opportunity to solve our most pressing issues, or allow it to become a calamity that divides us? Hosted by TED’s Bryn Freedman, five speakers and one performer explored the tools and expertise we’ll harness to build the future

The Fourth Industrial Revolution is bringing a tsunami of change that will dramatically affect how we interact with and adapt to technology
Share on X

The evening included fascinating presentations from experts on the woeful state of America’s election systems and how technology can help, and how we need to change the way we learn if AI is part of the process. Zebra’s own design technologist James Morley-Smith took inspiration from how his disabled son Fintan learned piano starting with the black keys (the opposite of the traditional method) to guide his designs. In his work at Zebra, Morley-Smith designs for employees who are often in noisy, poorly lit industrial settings and clad in bulky protective gear. By following the black-keys tactic, he’s factoring in users’ limitations from the get-go, much like the idea of accessible product design championed by Microsoft at this year’s Build Conference. Read the full article here.

Sex Tech

Porn legend Ron Jeremy sees VR as the future of the adult industry 

Every 5 minutes, Pornhub transmits more data than the entire contents of the New York Public library’s 50 million books. Pornhub’s yearly review of trends reveals that in 2017 a total of 3,732 Petabytes of porn data was streamed, which makes for 7,101 GB per minutes and 118 GB per second.

In 2017 a total of 3,732 Petabytes of porn data was streamed, which makes for 7,101 GB per minutes and 118 GB per second
Share on X

And a man who significantly contributed to those gigantic volumes of traffic is Ron Jeremy, an AVN Hall of Famer with over 2,000 films under his belt. Jeremy is the Guinness Book of Records holder for Most Appearances in Adult Films and a big believer in VR Porn. So much so that he’s now put his money where his mouth is and launched RonJeremyVR, a premium service hosting VR films directed by the big man himself.

Every 5 minutes, Pornhub transmits more data than the entire contents of the New York Public library’s 50 million books
Share on X

So where are we in this new age of online VR thrills? According to the Pornhub Year in Review 2017 report:

“Virtual Reality Porn continues to gain in popularity, moving up 14 spots on the list from 2016. Cheerleaders came back with a bang, moving up 366 slots and into our top 20 searches of the year. VR devices were a popular holiday gift, and it seems that porn was one of the first things people wanted to try out with their new headsets. After the New Year, average daily views remained much higher than the pre-Christmas levels at around half a million per day.”

With the demand for streaming porn continuing to grow, this data suggests that Ron is indeed on to a real winner
Share on X

With the demand for streaming porn continuing to grow, this data suggests that Ron is indeed on to a real winner.  Read the full chat with Ron here.

Internet of Things

IoT and the connected home have yet to fulfil their promise

IFA this year was much like previous years, hundreds of companies screaming from the rooftops about minimally iterative products. A few more pixels, a bit bigger screen, a bit faster processor and everything a bit thinner, oh and crap Robots. I love tech and love my gadgets and can geek out with the best of them but I attended IFA this time looking for more meaningful innovation than a bit better camera on an $800 smartphone. I am happy to report that I found it, but not where you might expect.

A decade ago the invention of the smartphone changed our lives but truly new products like this are few and far between, so every year companies try to reinvent what we already have through minor upgrades and tweaks. We are stuck in a loop where the market is slowly evolving but no real innovation is going on, and the largest companies in the world are all guilty of this lack of effort to progress, so we must start looking off the beaten track for those that are truly working to innovate.

The largest companies in the world are all guilty of this lack of effort to progress so we must start looking off the beaten track for innovation
Share on X

Thought sustainably producing high-quality, smart and connected home products @Beko can democratise technology
Share on X

IoT and the connected home has been much discussed and I have seen some interesting concepts and even a few eyebrow-raising products but it is not yet in our homes, changing the way we live, and judging from the hundreds of pathetic, unimaginative and almost useless ‘innovative IoT products’ on display at IFA 2018, it’s not going to happen any time soon. But Turkish behemoth Beko, makers of reasonably priced kitchen appliances, held a press conference to announce their technology strategy and issued a white paper on the future of technology in the home and impressed me with their assessment of how new, innovative technologies in our kitchens can improve our lives and can do it affordably and in the not-too-distant future. Read the full article here.

Well, it’s been a very exciting year for technology, and we’re off to play with our gadgets, but be sure to check back with us right after Christmas as we boldly go where no one has gone before in 2019…

Merry Christmas from TECH TRENDS!

Tom Atkinson is a Digital Producer & Photographer at R3Digital and Reviews & Dept. Editor at Tech Trends. Connect on LinkedIn and follow him on Twitter @R3Digital

The post A Year in Tech: 2018 Recap appeared first on Tech Trends.

You’re looking to buy new kitchen appliances. You’ve decided that smart home products are the way to go. But, you just don’t know how to compare the different options.

Don’t worry, it is easier than you think.

The Basics

Smart home devices need the following:

• A Wi-Fi connection with a bandwidth large enough to handle all the traffic that will be taking place.
• The devices need to be able to communicate with each other.

In simpler terms, they need to speak the same “language” in a timely manner.

Take Stock

Before you start browsing, take stock of all your different needs. Then, also take a look at what connectivity solutions you already have in place. Make sure your current internet solution is wireless and also that it will be strong enough to bear the load of traffic to be added.

If you want to buy products from differing brands, you may have to check in to buying a 3rd party solution like Amazon’s Alexa or Google Home. This will help devices to inter-connect with greater ease. It will also serve as the central hub or platform from which you will access all your smart devices.

For a reliable IoT set-up make sure your current internet solution is wireless and also that it will be strong enough to bear the load of traffic to be added.
Share on X

Shopping!

Okay once you have established all these things you’ll be able to narrow down the vast array of available products to the top ones that will actually be worth it.

• Money Talks, so establish your price range and search within it. Stick to the budget you have available.
• Pick A Side. Choose brand names that you already own or are compatible with your current smart home setup.
• Take Extra Consideration and bring all your extra needs and requirements into play. Eliminate the products that won’t fulfil it.

Alright, you’re set. Buy that sucker and hook it up. Follow the simple steps above, read through our helpful infographic and apply the technological wizardry to make your life easier.

If you want to buy products from differing brands, you may have to check in to buying a 3rd party solution like Amazon’s Alexa or Google Home. This will help devices to inter-connect with greater ease
Share on X

The post Infographic: How To Compare Smart Home Products appeared first on Tech Trends.