Industry News - Week of Jan. 13, 2020
IN THIS ISSUE: New Year, New Standards; IBM's Safer, Better Rechargeable Batteries; Faster Releases Means More Bugs; Innovation Needs More than Money; 3D Printer Fixes Broken Arm; Python 2.x Reaches End-of-Life
Amazon, Apple, Google to Cooperate on Home Tech
A wise person once said that "the nice thing about standards is that every company gets to have one." That appears to be changing on the home front as Silicon Valley tech giants have agreed to work together to develop a set of protocols that unite residential devices. Results of the so-called Connected Home IP project are expected later this year.
IBM Developing Safer Non-metal Batteries
Most have seen the jaw-dropping videos of rechargeable batteries flaming out. With safer, more durable energy storage in mind, IBM Research is working on a battery that uses minerals in seawater as its base. It's hard to imagine a more abundant resource that doesn't require boring into the Earth.
Faster Software Releases Can Lead to Increased Error Rate
A recent survey of DevOps showed that 82 percent of organizations uncover bugs in software already in production, and that most issues are attributable directly to accelerated release schedules. Full disclosure: The survey was conducted by Split Software, which offers release acceleration solutions.
HBR: Innovation Requires More than Money and Mandates
A 25-year innovation researcher writing for Harvard Business Review explains why companies are failing to innovate, despite investments in time, money and resources.
Healthcare workers in Sweden have reportedly treated their first patient using a cast made on a 3D printer, claiming that the breathability and water resistance of the splint allows for faster healing with greater convenience and comfort.
For developers using Python 2.x that have been putting off the move to Python 3, it looks like the time has come. The next and final release of the 2.x branch will be version 2.7, and is scheduled for April.
Edward Correia
