Sprint's 'Curiosity' Aims to Advance an IoT-Connected World
*By Samantha Errico*
As our world becomes more digital, companies are increasingly turning to the "internet of things" to inform their business practices. One such company is cellphone-service provider Sprint, which recently announced a "Curiosity IoT" platform ー a network designed to turn sensor data into "actionable intelligence," according to the chief of products and solutions at the IoT division, Ricky Singh.
Although the project is still in its early stages, Singh hopes that this core network will "create an intrinsic part of the ecosystem that helps bring solutions to bear that do impact our lives positively."
The internet of things, Singh told Cheddar, is enabling smart homes and smart buildings to be safer and more efficient. For example, IoT sensors can send users a phone notification when a person arrives at office ー those censors can also dim the lights when that user leaves a common area in his or her office building.
On a fundamental level, Singh said, IoT aims to create new experiences and services for guests, up the levels of efficiency for building owners, and reinforce safety and security for tenants.
"We're seeing traditional work spaces being evolved in more collaborative fashions ー you go there to interact with your co-workers rather than sit at a desk and work," Singh said. "And for the gig economy specifically, we're seeing the rise of companies like WeWork that provide co-sharing spaces that are all sort of powered in many ways by IoT. "
"Digitization of everything has really impacted what going into the office or building means for us," Singh said.
Skype users are scrambling to find an alternative after Microsoft shut down the pioneering internet phone service which let people make cheap long distance calls and chat with other users. Google Voice lets users make calls from a smartphone or a desktop web browser but it's only available to people in the U.S. Viber users can call phone numbers but can't get a number to receive calls. Zoom offers phone options too. You could get a number from a low cost virtual carrier or try other internet phone services. Microsoft says some Skype features will migrate to Teams, but its Teams Phone feature is only for businesses.
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Visa is hoping to hand your credit card to an artificial intelligence “agent” that can find and buy clothes, groceries, airplane tickets and other items on your behalf.
