Peggy Smedley Show

Peggy and Junade Ali, Consultant, Haystack Analytics, talk about road traffic safety and the potential burnout of software engineers. He shares his journey with road traffic sensor networks and behavioral interventions for drivers—and how he built an engineering team. They also discuss: Examples of sensor systems and interventions. A study that looks at the burden that has fallen on software engin...

Peggy talks about sustainable homes and the biggest trends among the various generations. She says generational trends are impacting nearly every industry—and this is certainly true for our homes. She identifies what sustainable technologies are most popular among homebuyers. She also discusses two big questions: Where are we going to find the land if Baby Boomers aren't downsizing? How will we ul...

Peggy and Tim Linsenmeyer, CTO, Clover Imaging Group and Michael Walton, industry solution executive, manufacturing industry, Microsoft, talk about how Clover Imagining is leveraging AI (artificial intelligence) and ML (machine learning) to help disabled adults gain meaningful employment. They talk about how a machine-learning sales forecasting system helped right-size inventory and labor. They al...

Cities are opening back up, and now an age-old question returns: What will the city of the future look like? In a word, Peggy says sustainable. She digs into two reports and gives a peek behind the curtain of what smart, sustainable cities will look like in a post-COVID era. She also discusses: Research that suggests urban leaders need to rethink how people move through and in cities. Three big le...

Peggy and Malik Saadi, managing director and vice president, strategic technologies, ABI Research, talk about the state of 5G. He says the networks have evolved through incremental technology improvements, which has enabled applications to gradually make their way to our mobile phones. They also discuss: Examples of how 5G can expand business opportunities. Which approach is better: build it and t...

Peggy and Teppo Hemiä, CEO, Wirepas, talk about wireless connectivity. He says it works closely with partners, explaining that the IoT (Internet of Things) is very a diverse and fragmented market. They also discuss: Connectivity in smart cities—and coverage in outdoors versus indoors. How to connect the unconnected—and how connectivity is becoming a little bit more affordable. An example of how ho...

Peggy talks about technology, travel, and cleanliness, as families and corporate executives are beginning to hit the road again. She says there are some pretty cool things hotels are doing with technology and digs into a report of how advanced technologies can make hospitality a little bit safer. She also discusses: Where opportunity exists to recover and reemerge in a better normal. How hotels an...

Peggy and Muriel Médard, Cecil H. Green Professor of electrical engineering and computer science), Massachusetts Institute of Technology, talk about how to take situations that are uncertain and turn them into reliable systems. Médard says there are both excitement and apprehension about 5G and technology. They also discuss: Two different definitions of 5G, which are radically different in spirit....

Muriel Médard, Cecil H. Green Professor of electrical engineering and computer science), Massachusetts Institute of Technology, returns to continue the discussion with Peggy, as they focus on security. Médard says the question of security is multidimensional, but any system that is becoming more embedded into the culture of everyday use is liable to be attacked. They also discuss: Examples of secu...

Peggy talks about how to source and select the right talent for a job, explaining how technology can help. She says companies need to think differently about how they recruit, as today's employees are looking to change the world. She also discusses: New technologies to help find the right talent. A case study of one industrial company looking to embark on a tech-enabled transformation. A law in Il...

Are we pricing out a generation of homeowners? Peggy and Tony Uphoff, president & CEO, Thomas, talk about the rising cost of materials—like lumber—and what has led to this. He says a combination of factors led to this rise, such as the tariff. They also discuss: If pricing will slow the demand of residential housing. The tradeoff between affordability and sustainability. How generations are in mov...

Peggy and Jeff Butler, CEO, LIFESIMPLE, explains how the company is converging the online with the offline with a rewards program. He says technology enables profit off of people and their information but doesn't do enough to help people in their communities—and he is trying to change that. They also discuss: The three-phase rollout for its program. An example of an area struggling with education...

Peggy argues there is no such thing as a talent crunch in the technology space. She says the number of job openings reached a series high of 8.1 million on the last business day of March. The real challenge is employers are experiencing a disconnect with how they source and select their talent. She also discusses: Why we need good talent today. Four current trends in talent management. New opportu...

Peggy and Kristina Swallow, director, Nevada Dept. of Transportation and former ASCE president, talk about how to make our infrastructure resilient. Swallow says we need to be thinking about and considering sustainability with new technologies, approaches, and materials. They also discuss: How much money could be saved with pre-disaster mitigation and preparedness. Why we need to figure out how to...

Peggy and Russ Martin, senior director of policy and government relations, GHSA (Governors Highway Safety Assn.), talk about how to reduce accidents and distracted driving. He gives some ideas about how to protect everyone on the road. They also discuss: The incidents that happen with construction workers. The pros and cons to autonomous vehicles. What can be done to raise awareness of distracted...

Peggy and Graciela Chichilnisky, co-founder and CEO, Global Thermostat, and author, Reversing Climate Change, talk about what is happening in climate change. Chichilnisky says we have been over extracting and overusing resources, which means we use the atmosphere as a dump for carbon dioxide. They also discuss: Why climate change is not a physical problem. Solar energy is lower cost than any other...

Peggy talks about how technology can make cities more circular in a sustainable world. She says the potential value unlocked by AI (artificial intelligence) in helping design out waste in a circular economy for food, as an example, is up to $127 billion a year in 2030. She also discusses: Three main ways AI can enable a circular economy. Examples of how companies have reduced ewaste. How AI can gi...

Peggy and David Patterson, pardee professor of computer science, Emeritus, University of California at Berkeley, talk about RISC and how it brings openness to hardware design. He says in the beginning ease of use was the top priority with technology, and now we are paying the price with security. They also discuss: Why testing can reveal the presence of bugs but can't reveal the absence of bugs. H...

Peggy and Scott Schober, president/CEO, Berkeley Varitronics Systems and Gary Berman, host, the "CyberHero Adventures Show," talk about Colonial Pipeline, weak passwords, and how humans are cyber compliant. Schober says secure what you can secure and backup that data. Berman explains how he pivoted from being a victim to an advocate. They also discuss: Who cyber criminals are. How to avoid becomin...

Peggy talks about the importance of transparency of data in facilities management and the new, emerging facility manager. She says these individuals are very socially engaged and mobile ready. She also discusses: The new age of outsourcing in our cities. The rise of wellness, health, and catering to the different needs of workers. How the different generations adapt to change, apply their technica...

Peggy and Don Vaughn, head of product, Invisibly, talk about shopping habits, brand loyalty, and a new survey. He says 72% of people are more likely to shop at a store that gave their employees extra pay during COVID-19. They also discuss: How people are starting to consider how ethical brands are and brand equity—how they treat their workers. How all generations have a similar mindset about brand...

Peggy and Christian Auty, partner, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner and leader of BCLP's U.S. Global Data Privacy and Security Team, talk about how to protect our businesses. He says the recent hack of the Colonial Pipeline—and all the hacks since that time—is different because there is a greater commitment at the highest levels of the federal government. They also discuss: What makes the government st...

Cybercrimes have increase 300% since the pandemic—and some 95% of cybersecurity breaches are due to human error. Peggy continues the rebuilding our cities series, with two key ways we can protect our city in this new digital world. She also discusses: Finding the right talent culture for building the right infrastructure. Tangible steps for building a deliberate culture around security. Ways to us...

Peggy and Remi Desa, CEO, Pantonium, talk about how to make a more convenient experience for public transit riders, while also making it more efficient and flexible for transit agencies. He says the company's goal is to improve public transit and make it better by taking buses off fixed routes and making them ride on demand. They also discuss: How transportation has changed as a result of the COVI...

Peggy and Dale Seed, principal engineer, Interdigital, talk about deploying the IoT (Internet of Things) technology and sustainability. He says just because you have good ideas and rolling out technology in different ways doesn't mean it is all for the good of mankind. In rolling out technology, there is also responsibility that goes along with it. They also discuss: Standards and the work that st...