#Pi 4 Multi-camera support
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spintly-co · 4 months ago
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Best Biometric Devices for Businesses: Features and Benefits Explained
Security and efficiency are top priorities for businesses looking to manage access, attendance, and authentication seamlessly. Traditional security methods such as passwords, PINs, and keycards are no longer sufficient due to the risk of theft, duplication, and unauthorized access. This is where biometric devices come into play, providing businesses with a highly secure and convenient way to authenticate individuals using unique biological traits such as fingerprints, facial recognition, or iris scans.
As biometric technology continues to evolve, companies are increasingly adopting biometric devices for access control, workforce management, and attendance tracking. In this blog, we explore the best biometric devices for businesses, their features, benefits, and why companies are making the switch.
What is a Biometric Device?
A biometric device is a security tool that verifies identity based on physiological or behavioral characteristics. These devices use sensors to capture and store biometric data, ensuring only authorized individuals gain access to secured areas or systems. The most common types of biometric authentication methods include:
Fingerprint Recognition – Scans and verifies fingerprints for authentication.
Facial Recognition – Uses AI-powered cameras to identify individuals.
Iris and Retina Scanning – Identifies users through unique patterns in the eyes.
Voice Recognition – Analyzes vocal patterns for identity verification.
Palm Vein Recognition – Maps vein structures in the palm for authentication.
Best Biometric Devices for Businesses
1. Suprema BioStation 2
Suprema is a leader in biometric technology, and the BioStation 2 is a top-tier fingerprint recognition device. It offers fast processing, a high-capacity storage system, and multi-layered security encryption.
Key Features:
High-speed fingerprint recognition
Large memory capacity (up to 1,000,000 templates)
IP65-rated durability for outdoor use
Supports RFID and mobile access integration
2. HID Lumidigm M-Series
HID Global’s Lumidigm M-Series fingerprint readers are known for their multispectral imaging technology, which ensures accurate readings even with dirty or damaged fingerprints.
Key Features:
Multispectral fingerprint imaging
Anti-spoofing technology
High-speed authentication
Ideal for high-security applications
3. ZKTeco SpeedFace V5L
ZKTeco’s SpeedFace V5L combines facial recognition with palm vein authentication for enhanced security. It is widely used in offices, government institutions, and healthcare facilities.
Key Features:
Facial and palm vein recognition
Touchless authentication
High-speed face detection under different lighting conditions
Supports mask detection for pandemic safety
4. IDEMIA MorphoWave Compact
MorphoWave Compact is an advanced biometric scanner that allows contactless fingerprint scanning with a simple wave of the hand. It is perfect for high-traffic workplaces requiring fast and secure authentication.
Key Features:
3D fingerprint scanning with a wave gesture
Ultra-fast authentication in less than a second
Ideal for corporate and industrial applications
Resistant to environmental factors such as dirt and moisture
5. Spintly Biometric Access Control
A modern and wireless biometric access control solution, Spintly offers a seamless and cloud-based biometric authentication system that eliminates the need for complex wiring and expensive infrastructure.
Key Features:
Mobile-first biometric access
Cloud-based access control and real-time monitoring
Scalable solution for small and large businesses
Wireless, touchless authentication for convenience
Key Benefits of Using Biometric Devices for Businesses
1. Enhanced Security and Fraud Prevention
Biometric devices provide a higher level of security compared to traditional authentication methods. Since biometric credentials are unique to each individual, they eliminate the risks of stolen passwords, keycards, or PIN codes.
2. Contactless and Hygienic Authentication
With the increasing focus on health and hygiene, businesses prefer contactless biometric solutions such as facial recognition and palm vein authentication. This reduces the need for shared surfaces and ensures a safer work environment.
3. Accurate Employee Attendance Tracking
Traditional attendance tracking methods can be manipulated, leading to errors and fraudulent timekeeping. Biometric devices ensure precise time tracking by allowing only the registered individual to clock in and out, reducing buddy punching and payroll discrepancies.
4. Improved Operational Efficiency
Using biometric authentication speeds up the access process, reducing wait times at entry points. This boosts workplace efficiency and eliminates administrative overhead associated with lost ID cards or forgotten passwords.
5. Easy Integration with Existing Systems
Modern biometric devices, such as those offered by Spintly, integrate seamlessly with cloud-based access control and workforce management systems. This allows businesses to remotely manage access, monitor real-time activity, and maintain digital records without additional infrastructure costs.
6. Scalable and Future-Proof Technology
Biometric technology is scalable and can grow with business needs. Whether a company has a single office or multiple locations, biometric access solutions provide a flexible and future-proof security approach.
Why Businesses Are Choosing Spintly for Biometric Access Control
Many businesses are moving towards cloud-based, wireless biometric authentication, and Spintly is leading the way in providing seamless, hassle-free biometric access solutions.
Why Spintly?
Wireless Access Control – No complex wiring or expensive installation.
Cloud-Based Management – Manage and monitor access remotely.
Mobile and Biometric Integration – Employees can use both mobile credentials and biometric authentication.
Easy Scalability – Suitable for small offices, large enterprises, and co-working spaces.
Conclusion
The adoption of biometric devices is rapidly increasing as businesses recognize the need for high-security, efficient, and contactless authentication. With advancements in cloud-based biometric access, organizations can now ensure seamless security without the limitations of traditional wired systems.
If you’re looking for a modern and scalable biometric access solution, Spintly offers a wireless, mobile-friendly, and cloud-integrated approach that simplifies access management while enhancing security.
Investing in the right biometric device not only secures business operations but also improves workforce efficiency, making it an essential component of modern access control systems.
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luxurycarsales · 5 months ago
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Audi Q3 vs Competitors: why it is the bright choice
Audi Q3 has emerged in this market without an effort by just putting together glamour, performance, and advanced tech at the premium edge of a luxury compact SUVs segment. Though pitted against BMW X1, Mercedes-Benz GLA, Volvo XC40, or even Lexus NX among many, Audi Q3 certainly proves an excellent choice in smart selectivity to these discerning customers. This time, therefore, we research and examine critical parameters that make this Audi Q3 unique from its peers and competitors.
1. Styling and External Design
Audi Q3 boasts of the design which marries perfectly to poise with sheer sportiness. Its imposing Singleframe grille, sharp LED lights, and macho muscles bring a command posture to this automobile on road. Though rivals like BMW X1 as well as Mercedes-Benz GLA offer styling good enough too, the Q3's design remains on eternal charm rather than that of any hot trend.
BMW X1: The X1 is highly dynamic in design but a wee bit on the sporty side so may not suit all.
Mercedes-Benz GLA: GLA will have something curvy to it, but compact size will not be as potent in terms of visual appeal as that of Q3.
Volvo XC40: Scandinavian minimalism, the XC40 is clean in design, but that's not aggressive enough in Q3's flair.
Lexus NX: Despite the space-age styling, it is polarizing, especially in its aggressive spindle grille.
2. Interior Quality and Comfort
Inside the Audi Q3, there's a very well-put-together cabin that is premium with good technology integration and more driver-focused design. The interior features good legroom and headroom for passengers, making it great for daily city driving as well as highway drives.
Technology: MMI touch response in the Q3 is a standard benchmark when it comes to connectivity and personalization by Audi Virtual Cockpit. Competitors at similar price points, including the BMW X1 and Mercedes-Benz GLA, will bring very similar technology to market. But when easy operation and reaction time are prioritized, there's Audi.
Comfort: Q3 is about comfort by giving support features. Seats in Q3 can be upgraded with leather upholstery or multi-way power adjustments. The Volvo XC40 equals the comfort level provided by Q3 but fails to give the impression of something premium inside Q3.
Cargo Area: The Q3 has excellent cargo capacity compared to, so it is best suited as a family wagon or adventure tool. The X1 is a little better than Q3 in terms of cargo capacity but generally lousier in terms of cabin quietness.
3. Performance/Handling
Audi Q3 The driving dynamics are quite good on this Audi model with a well-balanced suspension system, sharp steering, and of course, quattro all-wheel drive. Under the hood, it has a standard 2.0-liter turbocharged engine with 184 horsepower, although it can be upgraded to 228 horsepower for some extra power.
BMW X1-It's just such an excellent model in having a sporting feel due to brisk and sharp cornering, which is lurchy when going over lousy roads
Mercedes-Benz GLA: GLA has a place as one of these agility-focused, run-of-the-gang urban models that would also short-change Q3 on composure as driven in extremely high and very bad.
Volvo XC40: It is softer and less sporty, which is less exciting to drive than the Q3.
Lexus NX: The ride is smooth, but there is no sharp handling or performance menu like that of the Q3.
4. Safety and Driver Assistant
Audi focuses on safety and hasn't forgotten the Q3. It comes with a really long list of advanced safety and driver-assistance features, including adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, and even a 360-degree camera system. Therefore, drivers are safe and, in turn, passengers will have peaceful moments behind the wheel of the Q3.
BMW X1: This one too has similar safety features, but most of them are optional, not standard.
Mercedes-Benz GLA: It offers a full suite of safety tech, but some of those features are only available on higher trims.
Volvo XC40: The XC40 is a safety top pick, but its technology isn't as well-integrated as it is in Audi.
Lexus NX: The NX is known for reliability, and it has good safety features, but it misses out on some of the Q3's latest and greatest tech.
5. Value and Pricing
The Audi Q3 plays in the price game with other luxury compact SUVs. The balance between standard and optional upgrades, a high resale value, and a low cost of ownership all factor into it making a smart choice on the bottom line.
BMW X1: This is priced a bit more, especially when options are added.
Mercedes-Benz GLA: The starting price is similar, but it can get expensive fast adding desirable features.
Volvo XC40: Good value but doesn't quite do it for the Q3 marriage of luxury and performance.
Lexus NX: Prices the NX a notch above, and its value may not be exactly the same as the same features.
6. Brand Reputation and Legacy
A legacy of innovation and quality engineering, from Audi, supports the Q3's appeal. With reliability reputation, combined with its cutting-edge design and technology, the Q3 will stay ahead in the game.
BMW: They are known for driving dynamics, but some models have been a problem in terms of reliability.
Mercedes-Benz: They have always positioned themselves as luxurious, but its compact models like the GLA lack refinement from the rest of the family line.
Volvo: Safety and sustainability are their hallmark, but do not represent a performance brand like Audi.
Lexus: A very serious player in the reliability game, but not exciting about design and performance.
Conclusion
The Audi Q3 Price in Chandigarh is unique in the luxury compact SUV market for its perfect blend of style, performance, comfort, and technology. With many things being well done by the BMW X1, Mercedes-Benz GLA, Volvo XC40, and Lexus NX, the Q3 finds a balance that few others can. Whether you're interested in a high-class driving experience, advanced technology, or an extensive and comfortable cabin, the Audi Q3 shines as the wise pick for customers demanding the most possible value from this class of models.
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arducam-blog · 6 years ago
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Camera modules for the Raspberry Pi 4: We will be releasing them soon!
Read the blog here: http://bit.ly/cams-Pi-4
Buy some of our cool cams here: http://bit.ly/Buy-Arducam
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akashs123 · 4 years ago
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Power Management IC Market: 2021 Growth, Opportunities and Forecast 2023
Market Research Future published a research report on “Power Management IC Market Research Report - Global Industry Forecast To 2023” – Market Analysis, Scope, Stake, Progress, Trends and Forecast to 2023.
Market Insight
The global power management IC market is cementing its foothold due owing to the traction generated by information and communication sector globally, thus expecting an exponential expansion with 8.8% CAGR during the forecast period (2018-2023), declares Market Research Future (MRFR). The valuation of the market is also recorded as USD 38,388.9 Mn to achieve in the same period. The study encompasses several thriving factors and drivers that are contributing to the market’s growth in the present as well as in the future. PMIC includes a broad range of chips and can be integrated into battery-operated devices, such as mobile phones and portable media players.
Market Drivers & Trends
According to the report published by MRFR, the rising miniaturing trend in the electronics industry has a massive impact which is the chief Power Management IC Market influencer. Apart from the information and communication sector, it is also getting popular with consumer electronics sector being a significant end-user of PMIC, which can be a great boon for the global power management IC market.
On the other hand, the factors such as the need for efficient power, high density and design flexibility of power modules are supporting the market growth inevitably. At the same time, the growth of silicon-carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) are also likely to open new growth opportunities for market players going forward and acquire more valuation. On the flip side, the factor of development issues in multi-power domain SoCs can limit the adoption rate of power management IC in the coming years, thus restricting the market growth in the forecast period.
Get Free Sample Report @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/5038
Key Players
Some of the key players in the market are Texas Instruments Inc. (U.S.), ON Semiconductor Corp. (U.S.), Analog Devices, Inc. (U.S.), Dialog Semiconductor PLC (U.K.), Maxim Integrated Products, Inc. (U.S.), STMicroelectronics N.V. (Switzerland), and Linear Technology Corp. (U.S.), Renesas Electronics Corporation (Japan), Toshiba Corporation (Japan), among others.
Market Segmentation:
MRFR’s study includes a detailed segmental analysis of global power management IC market based on product and application.
By the mode of product, the market has included various segments such as integrated ASSP power management IC, motor control IC and voltage regulators. The integrated ASSP power management segment is further sub-segmented into battery management IC, LED drivers ICs, PFC controllers hot-swap controllers, wireless charging ICs, energy management ICs, PoE controllers. The segment is likely to remain extremely attractive during the estimation period and post a CAGR of 9.3% as there was an uptick in the adoption of integrated ASSP power management IC for its high-performance characteristics.
By the mode of application, the market included consumer and wearable electronics, telecom and networking and automotive. The consumer and wearable electronics segment, therefore, stood at a valuation of USD 9,275.6 Mn in 2017 and is now expected to remain highly attractive in 2019 and would expand at a striking pace over the next couple of years. Sales of consumer and wearable electronics such as smartwatches, cameras, smartphones, TVs, laptops and fitness bands have consistently grown in recent years, which have been driving the segment’s growth.
Detailed Regional Analysis:
According to regional analysis, the study of global power management IC market has covered the main regions of North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin South America and the Middle East & Africa (MEA).
Among these, in 2017, Asia Pacific (APAC) held for the largest market share in terms of value and is now anticipated to witness a CAGR of 8.9% in the forecast period. APAC region is led by China that offers lucrative market avenues and is the go-to destination for all the market players related to the market. Economic surge and incidence of a massive semiconductor industry are some of the key factors boosting the market share in the region. Furthermore, the incidence of a large number of wafer fabrication manufacturers is also contributing the market growth in APAC. China makes a noteworthy contribution to the global semiconductor component supply, which characterizes its strong position in the market.
In North America region, the power management integrated circuit market is increasing at an extensive rate, as the Brazilian government is doing hard work to attract prominent companies to invest in their production plans of semiconductor plants. Furthermore, the companies involved in these plans will be exempted from federal taxes, such as ISS, COFINS, and PIS. Additionally, this region is also witnessing the intensifying demand for energy-efficient LED lights, portable devices, and electric vehicles, which will likely to drive the power management IC market in the future.
The European region is likely to drive the market over the forecasted period due to the rising number of R&D activities witnessed in the automation sector and portable devices for achieving more energy efficiency. Even the manufacturers in the European region are developing customized solutions in intergraded circuits to meet the developing demand in various industrial applications.
Get complete Report @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/power-management-ic-market-5038
TABLE OF CONTENTS
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1 Market Synopsis
Table 2 List Of Assumptions
Table 3 Global Power Management Integrated Circuit (Pmic) Market, By Product, 2017–2023 (Usd Million)
Table 4 Global Power Management Integrated Circuit (Pmic) Market, By Application, 2017–2023 (Usd Million)
Continued…
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At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.
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zerohour1974 · 5 years ago
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Playing with the Pi's
Hello ladies and gentlemen, welcome to my ongoing world of waffle. So as the title suggests a friend lent me a Raspberry Pi 3 with 1GB of RAM and a Raspberry Pi 4 with 4GB RAM.
Now in the past I have always been dismissive of the Raspberry Pi so they were lent to me to play with to see if using the items in question would change my perspective.
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Well started off with the Pi3. Installed Raspberry Pi OS (Raspbian as it used to be known). It works fine if a little slow but that's to be expected given it only has 1MB of RAM. It will browse the web, but try and do anything beyond that and you start to see the slow down.
I did get the ZX Spectrum emulator Fuse working and providing you never got above double height video it worked alright. I managed to play TLL without too much stutter.
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Installed RISC OS next which was interesting for all of about ten seconds. It didn't support the WiFi so I could not install any different software so that was that.
Looked at Retropie... Nice idea but unfortunately it's using RetroArch (the most annoying multi-emulator ever) so I quickly got out of that.
I have yet to find a core on Retroarch I can say yep that works without problems. So as soon as I saw that it was RetroArch. Oh dear well it was a nice thought.
Now I'm sure I am going to get people complaining that if you set Retroarch up correct it's fine. I don't doubt it but it's a faff to sort so it can take a run and jump.
Right having messed around with the Pi3 it was time to move onto the Pi4.
That's when I hit the wall. For some strange reason I was not getting a video output. Now remember this isn't my Raspberry Pi. I am borrowing them from a friend. I am quite concerned.
The adaptor he supplied as soon as I connect the HDMI to it, goes snap. Not good. So I connect up a micro HDMI to HDMI cable. Nothing.
Odd. I eventually get another adapter type and finally I get video. However if you straighten the cable the video cuts out.
I don't know if this is common but video works if it's pulling slightly to the right. I don't think this is common but as the saying goes when in Rome.
Raspbian works as it should and the extra ram is definitely noticed when typing stuff.
One of the things I installed on both versions was Focuswriter (a minimalist word processor). On the Pi3 you had to wait for it catch up when typing. It would normally get it but there was a delay before it appeared on screen.
On the Pi4 this delay seems to have gone thankfully which is to be expected given better processing power, more RAM.
Web browsing works but is still underpowered. However on the 4GB I can open more than one tab which the Pi3 could not.
Video playback is not great and for all they claim the Pi4 can do 4k. Not streaming it can't. It could just say manage 320p without it falling apart.
However that could equally be the fault of my internet as it is not exactly quick.
Audio playback was equally a bit choppy.
Part of me is suspicious due to the strange connection angle required maybe I'm not getting optimal signal here.
I moved on from Raspbian and attempted to get Manjaro ARM to work.
This was a fail. It ran through it's setup then on the reboot refused to start up into X. It just sat there looking dumb and would not accept any keyboard input.
Oh dear not a great start. Ok moving on I discovered a system called Twister OS.
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Now it's a modified version of Raspbian but allows window theming, overclocking and seems to have several more basic programs.
Well it starts off fine. It can indeed be themed to look like Windows 95, Windows XP, Windows 7, Mac OS X (light and dark modes) and its own TwisterOS desktop.
They all change easily using the Twister themes and each time you have to restart but it's quick and responsive so not bad at all.
The overclock can be set manually or be set using the modes of on-demand or performance from the system tools menu.
Being it is a modified Raspbian install it can use all of the same programs so tested with Focuswriter.
It runs smoothly. Loaded Fuse the Spectrum emulator and it has no real issues. Then I try the challenge.
MAME is always a good test. I had ran it on the Pi3 before now and while things loaded it struggled with sound and frame rates were inconsistent.
Well it seems running under TwisterOS. MAME ran my test games of Frogger, R-Type, R-Type II and StarForce without issue. I did not even seem to have to switch it to performance which I thought I might but they all worked fine with no major slowdown.
So bonus points to the Pi4 it worked regarding basic emulation pretty well.
To be honest running the Pi4 with TwisterOS it really isn't bad. Obviously provided you don't intend to use it to stream video the Pi4 is definitely an improvement over the Pi3.
Now I admit the Raspberry Pi isn't aimed at me. Don't get me wrong it can emulate stuff, but the Pi is aimed at programming types or engineering people.
They will try and connect the Raspberry Pi to cameras to monitor birds, or connect to your doorbell be a monitoring device. Or sit and teach your kids how to program in BASIC using Scratch.
I don't have the patience for that sort of stuff or the skill as normally it involves soldering or programming neither of which I can be fussed about.
Is the Raspberry Pi a bad idea. Not at all I'm sure someone always finds ingenious ways to use one. Am I one of those people... nope.
Do I think I will ever invest in a Raspberry Pi. Answer probably not but now at least I can admit that the Pi4 is not as bad as I thought it was.
Now my experience is over I can return the Pi's to their owner forthwith. Job done...
Not the world's worst thing available but not something I really need in my life.
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4gdronecontrol · 5 years ago
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Drone Highway Patrol: A Drone Based Response System for Highways
When we think about commercial drones, we mainly see them as a tool for aerial inspection and monitoring, since a lot of applications happen in this context. According to phillybyair.com, the construction industry was the largest user of drones, in terms of usage, in 2019, which further strengthens the perception of widespread use by this industry. 
However, the COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed the commercial drone ecosystem; we are now witnessing a rapid adoption of drones by various government agencies across the world for public safety use cases. For instance, during the global pandemic lockdown, police officials in the state of Gujarat, India created the country’s first drone command center from where a fleet of drones was managed to monitor the streets of the city of Ahmedabad; read the full case study. 
If we dig deeper into the use of drones for public safety, there is one use case that is not often talked about, drones for highway patrolling. No! You won’t be getting a speeding ticket from a drone any time soon. But what drones can do is to act as first responders in emergency situations happening on highways. Clearly, drones aren’t meant to catch criminals and speeding vehicles, they are more like eyes-in-the-sky that provide situational awareness when something goes wrong. 
Why Use Drones for Highway Patrolling
With regards to highway patrolling, drones provide the following advantages:
A drone can reach a location much faster compared to ground-based vehicles, which is why they are ideal for the role of first responders. 
In situations like wildfires or avalanches, where roads get blocked, drones can be sent to assess the situation and identify people who are in distress.
Drones can help optimize the resources to be deployed for emergency response, by providing crucial first-hand information on a fast-evolving situation to human first responders (police, fire, and paramedic). 
Drones can carry a variety of payloads, such as Automated External Defibrillators. A drone carrying an AED can save lives by rapidly reaching someone having a cardiac arrest in remote areas.
Instances of Drones Used for Patrolling
Save people from avalanches: Drones are actively being used in mountainous areas for patrolling ski paths and participating in search and rescue missions, in case of an avalanche.
According to BBC, 90% of avalanche victims survive if rescued within the first 15 minutes, but the odds of surviving drops to 20% after 45 minutes. Thus, the rapid response abilities of drones become ideal for such situations.
In the Czech Republic, there is a nationwide agency called the Mountain Rescue Service of the Czech Republic that actively participates in rescuing people trapped by an avalanche. They rely on a response system based on a network of drones. When an avalanche strikes, mobile vehicles carrying drones go to the affected area and deploy the drones. The drones carry a transceiver to hone into a particular frequency that skiers transmit. In this way, skiers trapped in snow are quickly located and saved. 
Analyze crash sites: Iowa State Patrol has deployed drones to investigate crash sites on highways. Drones equipped with a high-resolution camera can be used to render 3D images and recreate accident sites for investigators. The state patrol is using this technology only for investigating accidents, not to monitor traffic violations.
How FlytNow can Power a Drone Response System for Highway Patrolling
FlytNow is a cloud-based application that offers a web dashboard to manage a fleet of drones. The dashboard has an integrated map that allows live tracking of all connected drones; it also has widgets to control the drones along with their payloads. 
FlytNow comes in two main versions (FlytNow Business and FlytNow Enterprise) for commercial users. 
How Drones are Connected to FlytNow?
FlytNow supports both DJI and custom drones. DJI drones are connected using the FlytOS mobile app. The app connects with the Remote Controller (RC) and establishes a connection with the web application. 
When connecting custom drones based on PX4 and Ardupilot or DJI enterprise drones, a single board computer (SBC) is required; this could be a Raspberry Pi 3b+/4, Odroid N2, DJI Manifold 2, Nvidia Jetson Nano / TX2, etc. that is loaded with the FlytOS operating system and connected with the autopilot of the drone. The SBC allows the drones to communicate with FlytNow and receive instructions over the cloud.
FlytNow Business for Remote Patrolling
FlytNow is a standard offering that provides out of the box features to manage drones remotely. It is ideal for localized response systems that rely on both remote viewing capabilities and the support from local pilots. Here are some of the features that help police officials:
FlytNow has a standard web-based dashboard to manage all connected drones. It has panels to monitor the live telemetry data of each drone and the live video feed coming from the drones. An officer having access to the dashboard can inspect an emergency situation remotely, and guide the personnel present at the scene. In the case of a DJI drone, an officer close to a scene might use the mobile app to share the footage with remote officers or an expert.
FlytNow Business offers integration with a private cloud server to store videos captured by the drones. Police officials can use this feature to maintain a video record of every incident captured by the drones, which might prove to be useful in future investigations.
This version supports the remote control of a variety of payloads, including payloads offered by DJI. Among the supported payloads include a thermal camera, spotlight, and loudspeaker. Such payloads are useful in special circumstances like night time search and rescue missions where time is a critical element.
FlytNow Enterprise
The FlytNow Enterprise version includes everything that the Business version has, plus additional features and the option of customization. This offering is ideal for establishing a full-fledged emergency or disaster response system that includes a network of Drone-in-a-Box installations, multi-user access, and integration with services like 911. Below is an illustration of how a system like this might work:
Understanding a drone-based response system using FlytNow Enterprise for highway Patrolling
Here we will explore how a drone-based highway response system might work using a hypothetical situation.  
At hour 21:00 on route 66, a tanker collides with a truck and catches fire. A nearby witness calls 911.
An emergency operator receives the request and triggers an alert. The alert is then routed to nearby state troopers and the fire service.
As fire engines are prepared for dispatch, a fire serviceman opens the FlytNow dashboard and selects the fire alert (made possible through integration with 911), which puts a pin on the map.
The fireman requests drone coverage for the scene. Since FlytNow is integrated with a network of drone stations, powered by Drone-in-a-Box (DiaB) hardware, a mission is created automatically and a nearby drone is selected for the task.
On receiving the command (over the internet), a drone automatically takes off from a DiaB and flies towards the location. FlytNow automatically selects an optimal path for the drone, taking into consideration airspace norms, by leveraging UTM services like Airmap.
On reaching the location, the drone begins a live-video stream of the incident, providing crucial situational awareness to the firefighters. The stream is broadcasted (the drone maintains communication with FlytNow over 4G/LTE/5G network) to nearby state troopers.
A state trooper with special privileges takes secure control of the drone’s camera and initiates a thermal scan to identify victims. The object detection capability of FlytNow allows the drone to identify crash victims. The trooper passes the information to the paramedics.
When the battery of the drone becomes low, the drone automatically returns to the DiaB to recharge and stay ready for the next mission.
Summary
In this blog, we discussed the fast-evolving adoption of drones in public safety operations, especially highway patrolling. We touched upon the utility of drones in patrolling operations and specific instances where drones have saved lives.
We then discussed how FlytNow, as a solution, enables emergency responders to build a system where drones can autonomously go to an emergency situation and provide situational awareness.
If you or your police department is interested in such a drone system, then try our 28 days free trial of FlytNow Pro. This version allows you to immediately demonstrate the power of drones for public safety.
Or contact us at https://flytnow.com/contact/ for the Business or Enterprise version.
The post Drone Highway Patrol: A Drone Based Response System for Highways appeared first on FlytNow.
source https://flytnow.com/drone-highway-patrol/
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appliancesreviews · 5 years ago
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Microwave ovens evolution from Turntable to Smart Inverter and RF power transistors
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As known, the first serial microwave oven was introduced by Japanese Sharp in 1962.
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As usual, most consumers reacted incredulously to the new product. However, they had a good reason. Unfortunately, the first microwave overs provided very low quality cooking due to uneven heat treatment of foods. In fact, food received microwave waves only from the side of the magnetron antenna. Developed in 1966, a turntable radically reduced this problem.
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This innovation significantly improved microwave cooking quality and, as a result, increased its popularity among consumers. Of course, companies adequately responded to huge demand, concentrating their efforts on its further improvement. The 1979 models already used an automatic control system. The first microwave oven with Internet access appeared in 1999. Today, this device is a mandatory attribute of almost any kitchen.
Classification
A huge range of models expands, but also complicates the choice of microwave. But it requires at least a simplified classification. Functionally, today companies offer basic budget Solo models, microwave ovens with grill, convection, steam generator, or combinations thereof, and innovative inverter microwave with smooth power control. Solo typically support only cooking and heating modes. Models with a grill provide the preparation of barbecue, chicken or pies with a delicious crispy crust. Usually, they use a tubular heaters or a quartz heating element. Tubular heaters can be placed anywhere in the chamber, it's quite reliable and inexpensive. A quartz heater is more expensive and more powerful. It's always mounted in the chamber top.
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Convection reduces the cooking time, providing additional heat treatment due to the circulation of hot air. Typically, the fan is located on the back wall. In fact, the model with grill and convection replaces the stove with the oven, providing cooking from compote to barbecue. Additionally, additional accessories significantly expand the functionality. For example, companies often equip their models with a multi-level grill for simultaneous preparation of 2-3 dishes, a pan for frying, which can replace a traditional frying pan, skewer or double boiler, etc.
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The price of a microwave also significantly depends on the chamber coverage. Today, companies use: - stainless steel. This inexpensive, reliable and hygienic material is not very convenient for care; - enameled steel. Its perfectly smooth surface is very easy to clean, but has a relatively short life, especially when used in grill mode; - bioceramics. Expensive, but the most high-quality coating, preserving the maximum of nutrients in the foods. In addition, many companies additionally use an antibacterial coating.
Penetration depth
As known, high quality cooking requires uniform heat treatment and the choice of optimal power. Of course, microwave cooking is no exception. Penetration depth of microwave waves significantly affects this process. Penetrating into food, waves lose most of the power in the upper layers. Typically, penetration depth varies in the range of several inches, depending on the food texture.
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After that, the traditional thermal conductivity provides the further spread of the heat. Of course, penetration depth directly affects the choice of optimal power and cooking time for various dishes. For example, microwaves penetrate inside of a green bean casserole only half an inch. Making hot cheese sandwiches is even more difficult. For example, the microwaves easily pass through the roll, but stop in the cheese, leaving the center cold. Of course, instructions and recipe books contain some tips. But overall, microwave cooking requires some experience or experimentation. However, warming up or cooking simple dishes, including cereals, soups, etc, does not have these problems. The traditional microwave ovens control power by magnetron turning on / off. Unfortunately, this rather primitive adjustment often overdries the finished dish.
The microwave energy distribution
Technologically, the microwave waves generated by the magnetron are directed along the waveguide into the working chamber, and fall on the foods surface after several chaotic reflections from the walls. Accordingly, each of its points receives microwave energy simultaneously from several waves. As a result, the waves overlap each other, creating an interference effect. Unfortunately, the phases of the waves may not coincide, partially compensating for each other's power. But in addition to reducing energy efficiency, chaotic distribution reduces the cooking quality due to uneven heat treatment. Therefore, companies are constantly improving the technology of microwave field forming inside the chamber, achieving its maximum uniformity. Today, its evolution contains several stages. 1. Turntable This simple, but very effective solution appeared in the first models. Typically, an electric motor rotates it on three small wheels. Of course, companies are constantly improving this design. For example, modern LG models use hexagonal-shaped Turn-Stable with six wheels for increasing stability.
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This innovation eliminates tipping over while heating, even when dishes are not in the center. 2. Stirrer In addition, companies often use stirrer (rotating antenna) in the upper part of the microwave chamber.
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Usually it's a slowly rotating metal blade. Some companies use this technology instead of rotating turntable. According to research, this mode provides maximum efficiency.
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But some companies, such as Miele, offer Duplomatic models with the simultaneous use of Turntable and stirrer. 3. Panasonic has developed 3D cyclonic wave technology.
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4. LG's iWave (Intellowave) technology uses circularly polarized waves instead of plane-polarized.
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Inverter control
The rapid development of inverter control technology has opened up new possibilities for developers of microwave ovens. Functionally, any inverter technology is an analogue of the gas pedal in a car, providing smooth adjustment of power. In recent years, companies have been actively offering inverter air conditioners, washers, refrigerators, etc. Microwaves are no exception. Panasonic and Siemens were the first to offer inverter models with smooth adjustment of magnetron power. But soon the LG NeoChef series joined the list. Formally, this technology reduces temperature fluctuations. But, probably, only a very experienced chef will be able to use this pros. A 20% reduction in energy consumption due to the lack of a transformer is a more powerful argument. Unfortunately, an additional inverter control circuit increases their price. But lower power consumption and longer magnetron life compensate for this factor.
Inverter microwave oven without turntable
The triple distribution of microwave waves with two additional antennas has become the next evolution stage. Of course, the idea of a design without turntable has long attracted developers. But this design does not provide uniform heating due to the lateral arrangement of the magnetron, which can heat food only on one side. But FlatBed technology with a rotating magnetron in the bottom panel under the food has solved this problem.
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Their pros include: - this innovation reduced cooking and defrosting times by 13% and 12%, respectively; - a more effective effect of microwave waves from below reduces energy consumption and cooking time; - magnetron under the bottom panel is reliably protected from splashes of fat and reflected waves; - effective free cooling does not require a fan; - perfectly flat surface due to the lack of turntable greatly simplifies cleaning the camera after cooking; - reducing the components reduces the likelihood of their failures, including the replacement of an electric motor, damaged wheels or broken tempered glass plate; - a significant increase in chamber capacity. Unfortunately, these models are more expensive.
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Microwave Oven with SSRFE transistor
As known, all modern models use a magnetron as a source of microwave waves. But science does not stand still. But science does not stand still. In 2017, the RF Energy Alliance (RFEA) and MACOM (GaN-on-Si) announced a solid-state RF energy source, which could become its alternative. According to the company, the technology provides “an unprecedented control range, even energy distribution, and fast adaption to changing load conditions.”
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In particular, the MACOM’s GaN-on-Si 300W amplifier increases energy efficiency by no less than 80% at 2.45 GHz. In addition, unlike the magnetron, the service life of solid-state RF energy amplifiers can be up to 10 years. Of course, today this technology is far from real implementation. But it may well become one of the possible directions for the further improvement of microwave ovens. This video shows the prospects of Solid State Energy RF. Read the full article
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iamjaiyam · 6 years ago
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Multi-platform, multi-camera AI security system
This project aims to develop a versatile security system for use at home and commercial places. This project supports four types of embedded platforms - raspberry pi Zero, Raspberry pi 3/4 B, Jetson Nano and Jetson TX2.
Functions
Raspberry pi 3: The camera performs motion detection and records a video. The video is sent in an email.
Jetson Nano: After recording video, an object detection model checks if a person is presentin the video. If yes, the video and a screenshot are sent by email.
Jetson TX2 + Pi Zeros: A set of 4 raspi zeros stream video over Wi-Fi to a Jetson TX2, which combines inputs from all sources, performs object detection and displays the results on a monitor.
Code
GitHub: https://github.com/dataplayer12/homesecurity
Recognition
I would like to thank NVIDIA for featuring this project on their Jetson Projects Page at: https://developer.nvidia.com/embedded/community/jetson-projects#homesecurity
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sciforce · 6 years ago
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Embedded programming in the Internet of Things
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Embedded programming has a long history of making devices do what people need. However, it remains outshined by application programming: when application programmers were embracing high-level object-oriented languages like C++ or Java, or graphical application development environments like MATLAB, embedded programmers were only moving from assembly language to C. Besides, they were always outnumbered by app programmers — simply because now even hobbyists can develop an app using an easy language and upload it to cloud, while embedded programmers need to have profound knowledge of the hardware platform.
With the emergence of the Internet of Things (IoT), the balance can finally change. Now that every thermostat, toaster, watch, and light bulb is equipped with a processor, the market needs more embedded programmers to program these devices, and consequently more simpler tools to allow the programmers to write code without plunging into the hardware.
But first!
What is embedded programming?
According to Technopedia, embedded programming is a specific type of programming that supports the creation of consumer facing or business facing devices that don’t operate on traditional operating systems the way that full-scale laptop computers and mobile devices do. The idea of embedded programming is part of what drives the evolution of the digital appliances and equipment in today’s IT markets.
If explained in simpler words, embedded programming is designing software for small computers that drive devices; essentially, it is the dominant methodology for microcontroller and microcomputer programming used in small facilities-handling devices like thermostats, handheld games or other small devices.
Embedded programming and IoT
From the engineering perspective, the Internet of Things is an embedded microprocessor controlled system connected directly or indirectly to the web. The three pillars of the IoT are therefore embedded programming, network technology and information technology. The embedded system of a device collects data from a sensor and sends it to the cloud using a wifi module — basically, it means that you can turn your embedded device into an IoT device by simply giving it Internet access.
The IoT is everywhere, and so are embedded devices:
Industrial world, such as industrial machinery and control, temperature monitoring, or cognitive anomaly detection — the recent challenges of embedded systems turned them towards automation.
Healthcare, including blood pressure monitors, heartbeat monitors, and pacemakers.
Aerospace and Defense with such applications as flight control systems, actuation, air and thermal management, engine power control and many others.
Smart Homes, including Home Security system, Setup Box, Digital Camera, Television, Microwave Oven, Air Conditioner, Refrigerator and much more.
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Embedded systems
Once I’ve read the saying that every complex system in the world can be reduced to two ideas: software and hardware. An embedded system is not an exception: to understand how embedded programming works, we need to understand its hardware and software parts.
Embedded Hardware
The embedded development board is divided into five modules: Processor, Memory, Input devices, Output devices and Bus controllers.
Hardware Components of an Embedded System
Processor
Embedded processors can be broken into two categories: ordinary microprocessors that use separate integrated circuits for memory and peripherals, and microcontrollers that have on-chip peripherals, reducing power consumption, size and cost. Some of the examples of microprocessors include:
Microcontroller (CPU) is an intelligent device that computes the tasks assigned by the user and is used to build small applications with precise calculation.
System on Chip (SoC) comprises a CPU, Peripheral devices (Timers, counters), Communication interfaces (I²C, SPI, UART), and Power Management Circuits on a single IC.
ASIC processor (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) is designed for use for a particular application and owned by a single company.
DSP processor removes the noise and improves signal quality in Audio and Video Applications.
Memory
Data storage and memory management require EEPROM. Some examples of the memories used in embedded systems include Non-Volatile RAM, Volatile RAM, DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory), etc.
Input Devices
Input devices, such as sensors, switches, photodiode, optocouplers, etc., take input from the outside world accepting input from the user and responding accordingly.
Output Devices
Output devices, including LCD, LED, seven segment displays, buzzers and relays, are indications or results of input events from outside the microcontroller.
Bus controllers
The bus controller is a communication device that transfers data between the components inside an embedded system. The most widely-spread bus controllers are serial buses (I2C, SPI, SMBus etc.), RS232, RS485 and universal serial bus.
Embedded Software
Embedded software, sometimes called firmware, is written for the device drivers, operating system, and applications, as well as for error handling and debugging.
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Software Components of an Embedded System
Device Driver
A device driver is a piece of embedded code written for a particular hardware.
Operating System (OS)
Embedded systems have a range of operating systems, including RTOS (Real-time operating systems), mobile embedded, stand-alone and network embedded systems.
Most of the embedded software is now written in two languages, C and C++. There is not much difference between C and C++ in terms of syntax. However, C++ has some additional features, like enhanced security and closeness to real-world applications, while C is considered to be more reliable and showing better performance and directly interacting with the hardware.
Key steps to create an embedded product
Now, knowing the theory, we can prepare ourselves to try embedded programming.
Probably, the best way to start writing software that would directly affect physical objects is to explore such embedded platforms as Arduino, Raspberry Pi, or Particle.
To develop a viable product you should take the following steps:
Step 1. Learn C or C++
And this is where many (me included) stop. However, if you want to write embedded software, you have to learn C/C++ (and maybe eventually Rust).
Step 2. Learn Some Basic Electronics
At least to the extent that you understand what voltage, current, power, resistance, and ohms law are.
Step 3. Get the Basic Equipment
Embedded programmers actually interact with the physical world, so such things as soldering iron, Digital Multi-Meter (DMM), and a hardware debugger/ JTAG adapter (such as an ST-Link, or OLMEX adapter) or a Logic Analyzer would be of help.
Step 4. Choose a Microcontroller and Toolchain
To make your program run, you’ll need a microcontroller to actually run it, a compiler that would compile it for the microcontroller, and other tools to load the program onto your hardware. An example of the compbination of mictocontrollers with a toolchain is the STM32 microcontrollers that are supported by the arm-gcc along with openOCD toolchain.
Step 5. Understand the Datasheets
Before actually sitting down to write the first line of your code, you need to understand the (end user) specifications.
Step 6: Examine the components
Analyze and pick up the components (software and hardware) required to make the product.
Step 7: Design a product
Designing is always the most critical phase of any development cycle. The peculiarity of the embedded programming is that you have to develop the hardware and software parts individually and integrate both.
Step 8: Develop a prototype
A prototype is a sample version created to test the concept which is developed according to the specifications using the selected hardware and software tool.
Step 9: Test the application
Now that the prototype it is possible to run test cases to prove the possible potential of the application.
Step 10: Deploy the application
After testing the application, the result is checked in a real environment to realize the Proof Of Concept — a technique used to validate an idea.
Step 11: Support and Upgrade
If needed, you should be ready to provide support and upgrade the application with new features.
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Eleven steps to create an embedded product
And now you are ready to start changing the world — for example, but creating a smart Lego city!
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arducam-blog · 6 years ago
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Hook your raspberry pi 4 with up to 4 cameras!
Read the blog here:
http://bit.ly/2JNJZvl
Check out the product here:
http://bit.ly/2JNJZvl
Or buy it here:
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Features:
Accommodate 4  Raspberry Pi cameras on an multi camera adapter board
Take still photos in sequence (not at the same time)
Display real time video in lower frame rate
3 GPIOs required for multiplexing on the adapter board
All camera ports are FFC (flexible flat cable) connectors
Support 5MP OV5647 and 8MP IMX219 pi cameras
Support Raspberry Pi A/B/B+ and Pi 2, Pi3 B, Pi3B+
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biyarbutar-blog · 5 years ago
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Screen For Raspberry Pi 3 5 Touch Screen LCD Display Monitor with Transp...
check product here
Features and specifications: LCD TFT Touch screen display This 3.5 inch touch screen module is designed especially for Raspberry Pi, using the latest Linux Core system (vision 3.18.9) and the latest Raspberry Pi official UI desktop file system. An ideal alternative solution from HDMI monitors. LCD Interface: SPI Touch Screen Controller: XPT2046 Backlight: LED LCD Type: TFT Resolution: 320*480 DOTS Core System: vision 3.18.9 SPI Speed: 32MHz Color Levels Index: 65536 Power Consumption/Backlight Current: TBD Enables your system to: 1. Play videos (supports multi formats, MP4, etc.) 2. Take photos by touching (17 camera modes) 3. Supports software keyboards (system interaction without keyboard/mouse) 4. Driver is installed automatically
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terabitweb · 6 years ago
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Original Post from Talos Security Author:
New 4CAN tool helps identify vulnerabilities in on-board car computers
By Alex DeTrano, Jason Royes, and Matthew Valites.
Executive summary
Modern automobiles contain hundreds of sensors and mechanics that communicate via computers to understand their surrounding environment. Those components provide real-time information to drivers, connect the vehicle to a global network, and in some cases use that telemetry to automatically drive the vehicle. Like any computer, those in vehicles are susceptible to threats, such as vulnerabilities in software, abuse via physical-access, or even allowing remote control of the vehicle, as recently demonstrated by Wired and a DARPA-funded team of researchers.
Allied Market Research estimates the global connected car market to exceed $225 billion by 2025. To help secure this emerging technology, Cisco has dedicated resources for automobile security. The Customer Experience Assessment & Penetration Team (CX APT) represents the integration of experts from the NDS, Neohapsis, and Portcullis acquisitions. This team provides a variety of security assessment and attack simulation services to customers around the globe (more info here). CX APT specializes in identifying vulnerabilities in connected vehicle components.
During a recent engagement, the Connected Vehicle Security practice identified a gap in tooling for automobile security assessments. With ease-of-use, modern car computing requirements, and affordability as motivating factors, the Connected Vehicle Security practice has built and is open-sourcing a hardware tool called “4CAN” with accompanying software, for the benefit of all automobile security researchers. We hope 4CAN will give researchers and car manufacturers the ability to test their on-board computers for potential vulnerabilities, making the vehicles safer and more secure for drivers before they even leave the lot.
What does a car’s network look like?
Before jumping into the 4CAN hardware module itself, let’s start with some automobile basics. For a modern vehicle to operate effectively, its network of hundreds of sensors and computers must communicate with each other. While vehicles and components employ Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and cellular communication protocols, the backbone of a vehicle’s network is a Controller Area Network (CAN), also referred to as the “CAN bus.”
Access to the CAN bus from a physical perspective is typically via an ODB2 connector, often located on the driver-side lower dash, though it can sometimes also be accessed by removing side mirrors or external lights. Compromising the CAN bus can lead to total control of the vehicle, making it a prime target for pen testers and malicious attackers. Often, attacks against peripheral components such as Wi-Fi or LTE are ultimately an attempt to gain access to the CAN bus.
CAN Bus background
A typical vehicle’s CAN bus is shown below. In a secure configuration, the critical components such as airbags and brakes communicate on separate CAN buses from the non-critical components, such as the radio or interior lights. Pen testers and attackers with access to the CAN bus test for this separation of services looking for insecurely configured vehicles.
The CAN bus is a two-wire multi-master serial bus. Each device connected to the CAN bus is called a “node” or Electronic Control Unit (ECU). When a device sends out a message, or CAN frame, that message is broadcast to the CAN bus and received by every node. When two nodes broadcast a CAN frame at the same time, the arbitration ID, a type of unique node identifier on every CAN frame, determines message priority. The CAN frame with the lower arbitration ID takes priority over the higher arbitration ID.
Electrically, the CAN bus uses differential signaling as a means to reduce noise and interference. There is CAN-HI and a CAN-LO signal, and the two signals are inverse from each other. The bus also has a 120 ohm characteristic bus impedance. When performing a CAN-in-the-middle, the bus must be terminated with a 120 ohm resistor. The image shown below is from Wikipedia, which has an excellent overview of the CAN bus if you’re interested in more detailed information.
Single CAN bus with multiple nodes
The simplest implementation of an automobile’s network uses a single CAN bus. An example with 3 nodes is shown below. All connected nodes will see every CAN message published to the CAN bus. There is no ability to separate critical from non-critical nodes.
Multiple CAN buses with a gateway
A typical vehicle setup has multiple CAN buses combined with a gateway to arbitrate access between the CAN buses. This gateway acts as a firewall and can check CAN IDs to determine if the message should be allowed to traverse CAN buses. In this way, critical ECUs can be isolated from non-critical ECUs.
The vehicles that we have been testing have 4 CAN buses inside, all of which are connected to the gateway. The architecture looks something like this:
The security of each ECU on the bus is partly dependent on the gateway’s ability to segregate traffic. Testing the gateway involves sending and looking for messages allowed to traverse disparate CAN buses. On four-bus systems, this test requires pen testers can access the four buses simultaneously.
Existing solutions
Several devices exist that allow testing of the CAN bus. Most of the devices use the MCP2515 CAN controller, which provides a serial peripheral interface (SPI) to connect with a microcontroller, and a MCP2551 CAN Transceiver or NXP TJA1050 CAN Transceiver, which generates and receives the electrical signals on the physical CAN bus. This table describes some of the CAN hacking solutions currently available on the market.
Each device has its pros and cons, but none completely met our needs of being easy to use, allowing access four buses, and doing so at an affordable price point. Here’s how the currently available devices align with our needs.
In the absence of a compatible device we set out to solve this problem, doing so with the following technical motivators:
Raspberry Pi compatible
Easily enable or disable 120 ohm bus terminating resistors
Natively supported by SocketCAN for easy Linux integration
Inexpensive
Our Solution
We call the solution “4CAN,” and designed it with the following goals in mind:
Validating communication policy for intra-CAN bus communication.
Fuzzing (sending randomized payloads) to components to identify vulnerabilities.
Exploring the CAN commands used to control/interact with the vehicle.
Simplify our testbench setup to keep everything organized and in sync.
Design
George Tarnovsky, a member of CX APT, is the originator or the 4CAN’s design. The Raspberry Pi contains five hardware SPI channels so we decided to use the MCP2515 CAN Controller since it could interface with the Pi via SPI. We added a four-port DIP switch instead of physical jumpers or a solder bridge to easily enable the 120 ohm bus terminating resistors. The MCP2551 CAN transceiver was used as the CAN transceiver.
The high-level design is described in the below schematic.
PCB layout
To be as compatible as possible, we aimed to conform to the Raspberry Pi HAT specification as closely as possible. The HAT spec limits the hardware dimensions, requiring us to use creative solutions to pack all the components on the board. Since we did not include an EEPROM and did not leave a cutout for the camera connector, the module is not HAT compliant per spec. These were conscious design decisions, since we will not be using a camera add-on and do not make use of the EEPROM.
All components are surface mounted, using the smallest component sizes we could find to minimize space on the board. The only exception to using the smallest components is the USB-UART connection. Instead of adding all the components ourselves, we went with a premade board containing all the circuitry. This board sits on top of the 4CAN. A resistor pack further reduces part-count and has a smaller footprint than four individual resistors. Rather than drive all four CAN controllers with individual crystal oscillators, we opted to use just one. This can introduce clock skew, because each component receives the clock in serial, rather than in parallel at the same time. To limit the effect of clock skew, we kept the clock lines as short as possible. In order to keep costs down, we used a 2-layer PCB design. While this limits routing options, the cost is significantly cheaper than a board with more layers. We also added the standard 40-pin GPIO header, so that the remaining GPIO can be used.
The final layout is shown below.
Before and after
Before
In order to test four CAN buses simultaneously, we required three CAN devices. Two TT3201 three-channel CAN Capes attached to Beaglebones, and one CanBerryDual attached to a Raspberry Pi. We also have another Raspberry Pi to remotely control the test vehicle. With this configuration, we can test sending CAN frames between any two combinations of CAN channels. Although this setup works, it is a bit unwieldy, requiring lots of wires making connection tracking and test aggregation difficult.
After
Using 4CAN, the test bench setup is vastly simplified. With a single Raspberry Pi, we can simultaneously test four CAN channels, and since the 4CAN exposes the entire 40-pin GPIO header, we can remotely control the test vehicle.
The simplicity of using 4CAN is easily observable on the physical test bench.
Before 4CAN:
Using 4CAN:
Usage
For the 4CAN to communicate with the Raspberry Pi, the Pi must be configured with four SPI channels enabled and tied to specific GPIO pins. Additionally the Pi’s linux kernel requires additional drivers such as SocketCAN, which implements the CAN device drivers as network interfaces. From a user-space perspective, can-utils loads the SocketCAN drivers and provides capabilities to sniff CAN traffic, send CAN messages, replay captured CAN traffic, implement a CAN gateway to facilitate CAN-in-the-middle, and more.
CAN-in-the-Middle
To determine whether an ECU is sending or receiving a message or to modify CAN traffic in-flight, the 4CAN can be inserted between the CAN bus and an ECU to capture or possibly modify the traffic, to perform a CAN-in-the-Middle (CITM) attack. The required bridging can be enabled by combining can-util’s ‘cangw’ command and a script we have provided.
Sniffing Inter-CAN communication
The 4CAN allows us to test inter-CAN communication by sending a CAN message with a known payload on one CAN bus, and seeing if that same message appears on a different CAN bus. Doing so allows us to learn whether and how the CAN gateway is filtering or modifying messages. In some instances we have observed the CAN ID change for the same message across different buses. We provide a script to facilitate this “transcan” testing.
Tool Release
The 4CAN is available on GitHub here.
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Go to Source Author: Original Post from Talos Security Author: New 4CAN tool helps identify vulnerabilities in on-board car computers…
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mobodexter · 6 years ago
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Edge computing nodes - Key factors influencing deployments
Mobodexter | Mobodexter
Edge computing nodes: The potential “edge-native” applications are wide-ranging: it ranges from mobile and cloud gaming, augmented and virtual reality applications, safety, to surveillance in smart cities. It also extends to customer engagement in assisted and autonomous driving, autonomous drones, intelligent retail and defect detection services and quality control in intelligent manufacturing.
All such “edge-native” or “edge-assisted” applications derive motivations from ultra-low latencies, managing data volume, and data privacy issues. The type of edge deployments and related services that are taking shape fall under three main categories: (1) Telcom edge or Multiple access edge computing (MEC) driven by telecom operator offerings targeted to developers. (2) Hosted cloud edge services such as from Microsoft Azure, AWS, Cloudflare, and Packet. (3) Private edge deployments have seen today in enterprises such as in the industrial IoT.
As the shape and size of each implementation will differ based on usage case, so too will the matching edge node (or edge computing system). In edge nodes, one size will certainly NOT fit all.
Following are a few of the essential factors to consider that are driving edge node style:
( 1)Type of edge network or service: This factor to consider will drive connection options such as 4G or 5G or private LTE or WiFi for regional and cloud connection of the node. It will also drive the software application that the node will need. This type of edge node will find use in business security, iot, personal privacy functions, and multi-tenancy options.
( 2) Type of work: The moving information gravity mainly drives Edge-native applications to the edge, such as from sensing units, video cameras, Lidars, and others. The task for this class of applications is associated with pre-processing or processing this information. Thereby leading to a limited set of specialized work, e.g., maker vision, time-series information analytics, deep knowing reasoning, signal processing, and comparable.
The majority of these work benefit substantially from unique function accelerators such as ASICs, FPGA, and GPU to satisfy efficiency/ watt and efficiency/ expense objectives. Very important in this context is how the node’s compute abilities appear like to designers. The type of APIs would these edge accelerators be provided.
( 3) Type of Data : Data source user interfaces, security, and personal privacy, storage is driven by volume and life expectancy, information company. The information is processed throughout end-points, edge, cloud, along with arranged and saved is a considerable part of edge computing. We depend on partners who are professionals in this location to assist us to resolve this.
( 4) Decisions are driven by data processing: Edge will exist to set off low latency choices. Hence edge nodes will require the ideal user interfaces to carry out such decisions whether autonomously or with human-in-the-loop.
( 5) Scaling the deployment and operation of date: In our viewpoint, this is among the essential elements of edge releases, and edge nodes will require to supply the best assistance for this function.
Conclusion: The choice of Edge computing nodes depends on many factors like the type of network, type of workload, type of data, requirements for data processing, and scaling requirements. These are a complex set of requirements typically managed and solved with support from Edge computing experts.
Footnotes:
Mobodexter, Inc based in Redmond, WA builds IOT Edge solutions for enterprises applications on Kubernetes & Dockers.
Register now at developers.paasmer.co and enjoy free Edge trial license that can run on Raspberry Pi.
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https://blogs.mobodexter.com/edge-computing-nodes-key-factors-influencing-deployments/
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akashs123 · 5 years ago
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Power Management IC Market Growth Rate Research Report by Forecast 2023
Market Research Future published a research report on “Power Management IC Market Research Report - Global Industry Forecast To 2023” – Market Analysis, Scope, Stake, Progress, Trends and Forecast to 2023.
Market Insight
The global power management IC market is cementing its foothold due owing to the traction generated by information and communication sector globally, thus expecting an exponential expansion with 8.8% CAGR during the forecast period (2018-2023), declares Market Research Future (MRFR). The valuation of the market is also recorded as USD 38,388.9 Mn to achieve in the same period. The study encompasses several thriving factors and drivers that are contributing to the market’s growth in the present as well as in the future. PMIC includes a broad range of chips and can be integrated into battery-operated devices, such as mobile phones and portable media players.
Market Drivers & Trends
According to the report published by MRFR, the rising miniaturing trend in the electronics industry has a massive impact which is the chief Power Management IC Market influencer. Apart from the information and communication sector, it is also getting popular with consumer electronics sector being a significant end-user of PMIC, which can be a great boon for the global power management IC market.
On the other hand, the factors such as the need for efficient power, high density and design flexibility of power modules are supporting the market growth inevitably. At the same time, the growth of silicon-carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) are also likely to open new growth opportunities for market players going forward and acquire more valuation. On the flip side, the factor of development issues in multi-power domain SoCs can limit the adoption rate of power management IC in the coming years, thus restricting the market growth in the forecast period.
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Key Players
Some of the key players in the market are Texas Instruments Inc. (U.S.), ON Semiconductor Corp. (U.S.), Analog Devices, Inc. (U.S.), Dialog Semiconductor PLC (U.K.), Maxim Integrated Products, Inc. (U.S.), STMicroelectronics N.V. (Switzerland), and Linear Technology Corp. (U.S.), Renesas Electronics Corporation (Japan), Toshiba Corporation (Japan), among others.
Market Segmentation:
MRFR’s study includes a detailed segmental analysis of global power management IC market based on product and application.
By the mode of product, the market has included various segments such as integrated ASSP power management IC, motor control IC and voltage regulators. The integrated ASSP power management segment is further sub-segmented into battery management IC, LED drivers ICs, PFC controllers hot-swap controllers, wireless charging ICs, energy management ICs, PoE controllers. The segment is likely to remain extremely attractive during the estimation period and post a CAGR of 9.3% as there was an uptick in the adoption of integrated ASSP power management IC for its high-performance characteristics.
By the mode of application, the market included consumer and wearable electronics, telecom and networking and automotive. The consumer and wearable electronics segment, therefore, stood at a valuation of USD 9,275.6 Mn in 2017 and is now expected to remain highly attractive in 2019 and would expand at a striking pace over the next couple of years. Sales of consumer and wearable electronics such as smartwatches, cameras, smartphones, TVs, laptops and fitness bands have consistently grown in recent years, which have been driving the segment’s growth.
Detailed Regional Analysis:
According to regional analysis, the study of global power management IC market has covered the main regions of North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin South America and the Middle East & Africa (MEA).
Among these, in 2017, Asia Pacific (APAC) held for the largest market share in terms of value and is now anticipated to witness a CAGR of 8.9% in the forecast period. APAC region is led by China that offers lucrative market avenues and is the go-to destination for all the market players related to the market. Economic surge and incidence of a massive semiconductor industry are some of the key factors boosting the market share in the region. Furthermore, the incidence of a large number of wafer fabrication manufacturers is also contributing the market growth in APAC. China makes a noteworthy contribution to the global semiconductor component supply, which characterizes its strong position in the market.
In North America region, the power management integrated circuit market is increasing at an extensive rate, as the Brazilian government is doing hard work to attract prominent companies to invest in their production plans of semiconductor plants. Furthermore, the companies involved in these plans will be exempted from federal taxes, such as ISS, COFINS, and PIS. Additionally, this region is also witnessing the intensifying demand for energy-efficient LED lights, portable devices, and electric vehicles, which will likely to drive the power management IC market in the future.
The European region is likely to drive the market over the forecasted period due to the rising number of R&D activities witnessed in the automation sector and portable devices for achieving more energy efficiency. Even the manufacturers in the European region are developing customized solutions in intergraded circuits to meet the developing demand in various industrial applications.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1 Market Synopsis
Table 2 List Of Assumptions
Table 3 Global Power Management Integrated Circuit (Pmic) Market, By Product, 2017–2023 (Usd Million)
Table 4 Global Power Management Integrated Circuit (Pmic) Market, By Application, 2017–2023 (Usd Million)
Continued…
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hiruma-electronicse · 6 years ago
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8: RINGING IN THE NEW YEAR IN SINGAPORE
Yes, yes, yes, I know. I am very late. In fact, I am more than a month overdue on this blog post, so I must ask for your pardon and your willingness to go back in time a little bit…
AWAY WE GO TO SINGAPORE!
DAY .5:
After work on Friday afternoon, Ryan and I made the short walk to the airport to hop on a plane for Singapore, along with two of our friends and fellow Greenheart teachers, Celia and Alayna.
The flight was quick and easy, and we landed in the beautiful Changi Airport (more on this later) without a hitch.
A BREATHTAKING SIGHT:
As we flew into Singapore, we crossed over the bay and harbor. The night lights of yachts, sailboats, and other massive vessels anchored off-shore dotted the dark waters like stars in the sky. It was one of the most breathtaking airplane views I have ever seen.
We grabbed a cab and cruised to our hostel. Just like Kulala Lampur, we were instantly blown away by the well-paved and well-lit streets, civilized traffic patterns, and lack of crazed motorbike drivers. Singapore is infamous for being extremely organized and structured. Our taxi driver briefed us on the many taxes for tourists and citizens in Singapore, as well as the stringent fines imposed for breaking any of the various (and super specific) laws: drinking water on the subway, possessing/selling chewing gum, throwing cigarette butts on the ground, etc.
We arrived at our hostel, took a short walk along the main street, and settled in for the night.
SOMETHING YOU MAY BE ASKING YOURSELF:
Wait. Is Singapore a country? Or a city? And where is it exactly? I remember hearing something about this in geography class…
Good question! Singapore is considered to be a sovereign city-state, which means it functions as a small country complete with a Prime Minister, President, and parliament. As mentioned, Singapore has its own laws and taxes, as well as a military. The main island of Singapore lies directly below the southern coast of Malaysia. It is small--about a 45 minute drive from side to side or from top to bottom. Technically, it has four official languages, but every citizen speaks English fluently. Singapore’s population is made of up of citizens from varying geographic backgrounds (the majority being Chinese, Indian, or Malay), which makes for a diverse cultural scene.
DAY 1:
After a quick breakfast at the hostel, we set off for one of Singapore’s most well-known landmarks, the Marina Bay Sands building. This building has a very unique look: three massive columns (which are actually three, flat, rectangular towers leaning against three other towers) supporting what looks like a long yacht on the top. The columns are full of hotel rooms and at the top lies a pool, bar, restaurant, and observation deck. At the bottom, another structure is tucked in the space between the towers. This structure houses a luxury mall and performance theater. Trust me, this thing is worth a google image search.
Our first order of business was to ride the elevator to the 57th floor of the Marina Bay Sands to take in the best view of the city on the massive observation deck. And, my goodness, it was worth it.
Apart from being a very efficient and functional city, Singapore is also extremely beautiful. From the observation deck, we could see the gorgeous bay, vibrant green spaces, and the stunning, modern architecture of the buildings below. It was a view like no other. We took our time soaking in the sights.
Our next stop was the Gardens by the Bay, an incredibly unique nature park situated next to the Marina Bay Sands.
GARDENS BY THE BAY: A TABLE OF CONTENTS:
1: Supertree Grove
2: The Outdoor Gardens
3: The Flower Dome Conservatory
4: The Cloud Forest Conservatory
1: Supertree Grove
The Supertree Grove is made up of several tree-like structures that function as vertical garden spaces, solar energy collectors, rainwater cisterns used for irrigation, and air cooling and circulation machines for the indoor spaces. They are designed to mimic the way that trees photosynthesize, providing clean energy and irrigation for the conservatory buildings----not to mention their stunning appearance.
2: The Outdoor Gardens
I am using this title as a catch-all for the portions of Gardens by the Bay that aren’t in the grove or conservatories. Throughout the 250 acres of reclaimed land, there are several outdoor gardens categorized horticulturally, a children’s garden, Satay by the Bay (an open-air food court), and a walking path along the bay. We had a delicious Indian lunch at the food court and enjoyed walking through some of the outdoor gardens.
3: The Flower Dome Conservatory
This 3 acre domed-greenhouse featured a dizzying array of rare plants and flowers from areas with a mild, dry climate, such as the Mediterranean, South America, South Africa, and Australia. We wandered along the beautiful pathways, admiring both the dazzling plant life and exceptional artwork scattered throughout. From cacti to olive trees to peonies, the diversity of the conservatory was incredible. I couldn’t get enough.
4: The Cloud Forest Conservatory
This second dome is a little harder to explain. It replicates a cool, wet climate found in Southeast Asia and South America. Inside, there is a massive, mountainous structure that is covered thoroughly in surface-clinging plants (think mosses, lichens, ferns, various vines, orchids, etc) and completed by a 115 foot waterfall. The structure is hollow in the middle, which allows for visitors to walk around and through the “mountain.” At the end of the winding path around the dome, there is an exhibit on environmental degradation via human action and the projected future of the planet if preventative action isn’t taken. The exhibit finished with a list of ways to make a positive impact through everyday changes.
I cannot say enough about the unparalleled beauty and ingenius engineering of Gardens by the Bay. For me, the entire experience was deeply impactful.
For a rainy afternoon pick me up, we headed to a Harry Potter-themed cafe for snacks, warm drinks, of course, pictures with broomsticks and wands.
SIDE NOTE:
We were able to gallivant all over Singapore using our tourist transit passes. As you can probably imagine, Singapore has extremely efficient and well-designed public transit (buses, subway, trams, and more) that allows for easy travel to every corner of the island. All public transit is clean, punctual, and user-friendly. Just another reason why Singapore rocks.
Next up on the agenda: the world’s highest urban craft brewery. Located on the 33rd floor of the Marina Bay Sands Financial Center, this craft brewery is known for both the beer and the view. We were able to sit on the outdoor patio and enjoy an incredible nighttime view of the bay.
After taking full advantage of the vantage point, we headed to Potato Head, a super quirky, multi-level restaurant and bar for a late dinner. We enjoyed a delicious meal and the unique ambiance before a heavy rainstorm sent us home for the night.  
DAY 2:
Our second day began with a trip to the trendiest neighborhood in Singapore: Bugis Street and Haji Lane.
We explored the trendy and modern mall scene on Bugis Street in the early morning before making our way toward the more indie shops on Haji Lane.
Haji Lane is less of a lane and more of a wide alleyway. Tiny storefronts line the walls and what little wall space isn’t used by a store is covered top to bottom in colorful street art. The quirky charm is impossible to resist. We wandered through the alley before settling into a small Italian bistro for lunch. The menu featured handmade pasta and imported cheese made by the Italian owner and chef. We were all blown away by the delicious authenticity of the food. According to Ryan, who is a native Chicagoan and naturally a pizza snob, claims it was the best pizza he has ever had. Singapore for the win!
We spent the rest of the afternoon browsing through the artisanal shops. We bought mini pies from Windowsill Pies, the cutest tiny pie shop with yellow walls and blue shutters, and we indulged in the internet-famous “selfie coffee”.
A SELFIE…...COFFEE???
Yes, you read that correctly. Selfie Coffee. Basically, you take a selfie on a special camera, and then the barista prints your photo on the foam of your coffee. It sounds a little silly, but it turned out to be surprisingly cool. And the coffee isn’t too bad either.
Next we walked just down the street to see the main feature of the adjacent Arab Street: Masjid Sultan, or the Sultan Mosque. This functioning mosque is a pivotal center of the Muslim population in Singapore, and the facade is insane. Featuring a massive gold dome and iconic architectural features, it looks straight out of a movie. Once again, worth a google search.
We spent the remainder of the late afternoon resting and refreshing for the night’s festivities: NEW YEARS!
In the evening, we went back to Haji Lane in pursuit of another ethnic food we’d been missing: Mexican! Chips and salsa, tacos, enchiladas, quesadillas, and margaritas--our New Years night was off to a delicious start. Then we walked down the alley to a small craft beer pub to meet up with Kate and her friends!
KATE? WHO IS KATE?
Kate is a friend that Ryan and I made while visiting Krabi in October. She is originally from China, but is currently studying at university in Singapore. AND GET THIS: she studied abroad at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis! Kate is well-traveled, smart, and speaks incredible English, so it was a joy to be able to meet up with her again!
We all got to know each other over a few drinks, before Ryan, Alayna, Celia, and I departed for our main NYE event: the countdown at a carnival celebration with music by the bay! We took a quick train ride and walked to the entrance of the packed carnival space. There was a massive line, and we soon found out the event space was at capacity. It was pouring at this point, and it didn’t take long for us to decide that we needed to make a last minute change of plans. We agreed to go back to Haji Lane for the countdown, and I am unbelievably glad we did.  
We arrived, met back up with Kate and her friends, and joined the celebration in the alleyway. A few tents had been hastily set up near the DJ booth to shield the party from the rain, but it wasn’t long before everyone began ditched the small covered area and began dancing in the rain.
It was absolute magic.
We rang in the new year completely rain-soaked and so so happy.
DAY 3:
We enjoyed a relaxed morning and a fancy brunch at a Singaporean coffee roaster and cafe. Afterwards, we took an accidental bus ride to Sentosa, a small island just 15 minutes from mainland Singapore that is home to a beachfront, Universal Studios, several luxury resorts, and two golf courses. We didn’t stay for long, but it was an interesting to see the bulk of the traditional tourist attractions.
Then, we made our way to a very interesting landmark called Haw Par Villa. This “theme park” is a massive collection of art and colorful statues depicting ancient Chinese folklore and mythology. It was commissioned by the Aw Brothers, co-developers of Tiger Balm, in 1937 as a public gallery and venue for teaching traditional Chinese values. It is well-known for its outrageous dioramas, especially the cave-like exhibit of the “10 Courts of Hell,” which was just as gruesome as it sounds. It was a unique look at the vibrant mythology in Chinese Buddhism.
Next, we made the quick trip to the Singapore Botanic Gardens, a 158-year-old tropical garden recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The best thing about this beautiful land and massive collection of plant life is that it’s free to the public! It was amazing to see how these gardens played a role in the surrounding community--- the busy gardens featured joggers and their dogs, children at play, and families picnicking in the picturesque gazebos. I was also amazed at the variety of plants and the unique collections that were featured: a medicinal plant garden, a fragrant flower garden, a poisonous plant garden (don’t worry; it’s only open to the public with a guide), a foliage garden, a trellis garden, and of course the renowned National Orchid Garden, among many others.
We capped off a long day of walking and exploring by stuffing ourselves with meal from one of Singapore’s oldest Indian vegetarian restaurants. Perfect.
DAY 4:
Despite our early evening departure time, we spent the entire day at the airport. This may sound silly, but Changi Airport is an entire destination in itself. 
SOME THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT CHANGI AIRPORT:
Since 2013, it has consistently been rated the world’s best airport.
There are 4 enormous terminals, as well as a luxury terminal for private fliers.
The airport boasts several indoor gardens, as well as an outdoor one, a free movie theater, free massage machines, various relaxation zones, luxury shopping, an entertainment deck with gaming consoles, and countless art exhibitions throughout the airport.
Yes, I think I have to agree that Changi is the world’s best airport.
Our Changi adventure started by exploring the butterfly garden, a enclosure that is home to over 1,000 butterflies and vibrant, colorful foliage. We watched the beautiful creatures feast on pineapple slices and flutter around the peaceful space. Celia opted for a free movie screening while we continued to explore the terminals.
We stopped by the free leg and foot massage machines, the orchid garden and koi pond, and the forest inside the airport (trees literally growing out of the airport ground). We also walked up to the rooftop sunflower garden, where you can admire the rows of sunflowers and watch an airplane take off at the same time. Next was the entertainment deck for some old school arcade games and a flower garden accented with beautiful glass mosaic art pieces.
All too soon, it was time for us to say goodbye to Singapore and leave the magical world of Changi airport.
AWAY WE GO (BACK) TO BANGKOK!
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