Articles – Page 79

November 30, 2020

“You wouldn’t worry so much about what others think of you if you realized how seldom they do.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

Like most things about computers and the Internet, MAC addresses were created with the assumption that people aren’t jerks. Sadly, that notion proved incorrect, and we’ve spent the last 40-odd years trying to curb spam, malware, Wi-Fi spoofing, ad tracking, and any number of other modern ills.

To that list add the many and varied attacks on online privacy. … Read More → "Erasing Your Network Footprint"

Do Robot Dogs Dream of Cyborg Cats?

by Max Maxfield

November 27, 2020

Were you wondering if anyone was in the process of using decentralized artificial intelligence (AI) to create a pack of robot dogs? If so, I can put your mind to rest by informing you that the answer to your question is a resounding “Yes!”

Did you notice that I used the term “decentralized AI” as opposed to “distributed AI” in the preceding paragraph? If so, were you also wondering about the difference between decentralized and distributed AI? Should such be the case, then you’ll be happy to know that … Read More → "Do Robot Dogs Dream of Cyborg Cats?"

Adding Brains to Cars

Imagination’s 4NX NNA Scales Massively

by Jim Turley

November 25, 2020

“I not only use all the brains that I have, but all that I can borrow.” – Woodrow Wilson

There’s an episode of Star Trek where the Enterprise goes back in time to 20th-century Earth. Looking down over freeways packed with cars, a crewmember marvels that mere humans could pilot so many vehicles so close together without constant collisions. </ … Read More → "Adding Brains to Cars"

Intel Drives FPGA Expansion

Dual Announcements Highlight Differentiation

by Kevin Morris

November 24, 2020

The winds of change are blowing strongly in the FPGA market these days. As programmable logic has matured, a number of lucrative market opportunities have opened up, driven by the rapid deployment of 5G, the revolution in application of AI technology across numerous design types, the transformation of the data center into a complex heterogeneous computing cluster, the overhaul of automotive and transportation technology, and the explosion of new IoT applications. All of these trends are contributing to an unprecedented growth in the amount of data being generated, transported, stored, processed, and used.

Microchip TrustAnchor Holds the Keys

Tiny Add-on Chip Provides Security

by Jim Turley

November 23, 2020

“One of the keys to happiness is a bad memory.” – Rita Mae Brown

You’ve got a problem. You designed a nice microcontroller-based system a few years ago and it’s selling well, with thousands of units out in the field. That’s not the problem. The problem is, now your boss wants you to add security features to it. You know – just slap them on. No big deal, right?

But to add secure boot, and crypto acceleration, and secure key storage … Read More → "Microchip TrustAnchor Holds the Keys"

Eeek! Biology-Gated-Transistor Sensors

by Max Maxfield

November 19, 2020

Irrespective of the aspersions cast by the non-biological alien characters in Terry Bisson’s short story, “They’re Made Out of Meat,” I’m proud to be a carbon-based lifeform. In fact, although I don’t like to boast (I pride myself on my humility and you’ll have to travel a long way to find someone more unpretentious than your humble … Read More → "Eeek! Biology-Gated-Transistor Sensors"

How to Rob a Bank

ATM Security is Startlingly Lax

by Jim Turley

November 18, 2020

“Because that’s where the money is.” – Willie Sutton, when asked why he robs banks

When you think of secure, reliable, mission-critical computers, you naturally think of Windows, right? It’s obvious. It’s so bulletproof, especially Windows XP.

That’s evidently the thinking behind many, and perhaps most, of the world’s automated teller machines (ATMs), which are little more than PC motherboards connected to a cash drawer. Everything you know and love about Windows is on display (sometimes literally), including … Read More → "How to Rob a Bank"

Create Your Own RTOS in 1 Hour (Part 4)

Let’s Get Coding

by Jim Turley

November 16, 2020

“It is our attitude at the beginning of a difficult task which, more than anything else, will affect its successful outcome.” – William James

Time to write some code. The good news is, you won’t need much, and that’s largely the point. We’re going to let the hardware built into every x86 processor since the Reagan administration do the work for us. All we have to do is nudge it in the right direction and let nature take its course.

< … Read More →

Eos Embedded Perception Software Sees All

by Max Maxfield

November 12, 2020

Sit down, take a deep breath, and try to relax. In a few moments, I’m going to show you a video of people (well, dummies that look like people) walking in front of vehicles equipped with pedestrian detection and automatic emergency braking systems. The results will make the hairs stand up on the back of your neck. I’m still shaking my head in disbelief at what I just observed, but first…

Earlier this year, I posted a column describing what happens Read More → "Eos Embedded Perception Software Sees All"

The Custom CPU Paradox

Is RISC-V Generic or Custom?

by Jim Turley

November 11, 2020

“I think there’s something great and generic about goldfish. They’re everybody’s first pet.” – Paul Rudd

RISC-V, like Finn, is kind of a big deal. It’s free, it’s flexible, and it’s fast. It’s not particularly remarkable as microprocessors go, but neither is it offensive or saddled with terrible flaws. It’s the beige Toyota Camry of processors.