Analytics for Manufacturing - MTConnect Insights.

Have been looking around for analytics applied to manufacturing processes. View to how to optimize business value of the manufacturing process (aka ROI, efficiency, etc.). [And optimization can be about consumables, parts, energy - usually uptime and reliability are key concerns.]
Found an approach with the following components:
Protocol or language: MTConnect. Wrote about MTConnect before.
Tools: Systems Insights VIMANA and their partners like Autodesk and Yamazaki Mazak.
Then apply model based analytics ala Analytika.

Postscapes IoT Awards 2014.

Had mentioned search for best IoT Blog. Postscapes just announced 2014 awards for lots of different categories of IoT. And here are the Postscapes awards for 2013. PTC Thingworx seemed very happy with taking about a third of the awards.

Third Industrial Revolution - Rifkin.

Started reading Jeremy Rifkin's Third Industrial Revolution, TIR. Not exactly what expected, but in many ways what was long sought. Chiefly about renewables distributed generation supplanting old central models.

Five pillars of TIR:

1. renewables.
2. micro-power at buildings.
3. storage - hydrogen emphasized, but arguments works just as well for any way of storing electrons or converting electrons to storage.
4. Internet of Things, IoT, for energy grid.
5. transportation to take advantage of new electron sources and storage.

O'Reilly Blog and Internet of Things.

Glaring omission in my recent tale of seeking best Internet of Things blogs. O'Reilly should be therein. Found this recent article on Internet of Things problems facinating. Great O'Reilly Blog. Really want to try to get to one of their Solid conferences. Always have been a fan of Make and their events and blogs.

Best Internet of Things IoT Blogs.

Went looking for a list (even if just opinion) of the best blogs for Internet of Things, IoT. Had criteria that it be reasonably outward looking, agnostic and current. Did not exactly find what sought. But some related things...

Best IoT Twitter accounts from Link Labs. Postscapes seems to come up often. Some general trend watchers have some good IoT materials like PSFK. There are some personal opinions, which sometimes lead back to trend watchers and consultants like McKinsey. Big companies, of course, come up on search for best IoT blogs - Microsoft, Intel, IBM, Cisco, Bosch, PTC, and so on. Some smaller entities come out too like Stephenson (local in Massachusetts), Adafruit (prototyping supplier).

IoT Infographics.

Intel Platform Transforming data into insight is the essence of analytics.
Libelium Smart world and the connectedness of all things.
IoT World Landscape and Players in IoT. Matt Turck, First Mark Capital.
Microsoft Azure IoT Platform Slides page 11 most notably - but see also lead-in material.

Playing Restaurant.

Latest development with Charlie and Anna is playing restaurant together. Charlie is chef. Daddy is waiter. Anna is customer. Daddy delivers menu (cardboard box top) to Anna on sofa. Anna places order for "fries and cookies". Charlie says "coming right up" and goes off to corner of living room and prepares food (small stand with door to act as oven). After some minutes he brings back the (invisible) food cupped in his hands. "Here you go". Places it in on an overturned sand bucket in front of Anna. Anna accepts with cupped hands and comments "mmm", makes chewing noises or somesuch. Repeat.