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Dumbstruck city: big, brittle, not so smart

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A city that seems smart one moment can look like the dumbest thing alive the next moment. All it takes is one little cloud outage.

We’ve taken cloud outages in stride. After all, how often does it really matter if you place an Amazon order now or in an hour or two? But what if the cloud locks or unlocks your front door?

Fainting ladies

I’ve been reading up on “smart cities.” Anthony Townsend, in his article “Smart Cities: Buggy and Brittle” — from 2013 and still fresh — says yes, worry. Start with the cellular networks.

Cellular networks … are the fainting ladies of the network world — when the heat is on, they’re the first to go down and make the biggest fuss as they do so.

… Read the rest “Dumbstruck city: big, brittle, not so smart”

Why “smart cities” is interesting, first look

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At first, the term “smart cities” may sound like just another bit of fluff — another one of the data industry’s fascinations. It did to me. But I’ve been reading about it, and I’ve come to think that the reality may hold real benefits for the data industry — more than just a new market for bright, shiny products.

Definitions vary, of course, but the term seems to boil down to this: It’s the use of data from the Internet of Things and other sources to squeeze more use, more security, and even more pleasure from city facilities, utilities, roads, transit, and other public resources.… Read the rest “Why “smart cities” is interesting, first look”