Atmel launches next-generation CryptoAuthentication device

---

Atmel becomes first to ship ultra-secure crypto element enabling smart, connected and secure systems.

---

Just announced, the Atmel ATECC508A is the first device to integrate ECDH (Elliptic Curve Diffie–Hellman) security protocol — an ultra-secure method to provide key agreement for encryption/decryption, along with ECDSA (Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm) sign-verify authentication — for the Internet of Things (IoT) market including home automation, industrial networking, accessory and consumable authentication, medical and mobile, among many others.

Atmel’s ATECC508A is the second integrated circuit (IC) in the CryptoAuthentication portfolio with advanced Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC) capabilities. With built-in ECDH and ECDSA, this device is ideal for the rapidly growing IoT market by easily providing confidentiality, data integrity and authentication in systems with MCU or MPUs running encryption/decryption algorithms (such as AES) in software. Similar to all Atmel CryptoAuthentication products, the new ATECC508A employs ultra-secure hardware-based cryptographic key storage and cryptographic countermeasures which are more secure than software-based key storage.

This next-generation CryptoAuthentication device is compatible with any microcontroller or microprocessor on the market today including Atmel | SMART and Atmel AVR MCUs and MPUs. As with all CryptoAuthentication devices, the ATECC508A delivers extremely low-power consumption, requires only a single general purpose I/O over a wide voltage range, and available in a tiny form factor, making it ideal for a variety of applications that require longer battery life and flexible form factors.

“As a leader in security, Atmel is committed to delivering innovative secure solutions to the billions of devices to be connected in the IoT market,” explained Rob Valiton, SVP and GM of Atmel’s Automotive, Aerospace and Memory Business Units. “Atmel’s newest CryptoAuthentication IC is the first of its kind to apply hardware-based key storage to provide the full complement of security capabilities, specifically confidentiality, data integrity and authentication. We are excited to continue bringing ultra-secure crypto element solutions to a wide range of applications including IoT, wireless, consumer, medical, industrial, and automotive, among others.”

Key security features of the ATECC508A include:

• Optimized key storage and authentication
• ECDH operation using stored private key
• ECDSA (elliptic-curve digital signature algorithm) sign-verify
• Support for X.509 certificate formats
• 256-bit SHA/HMAC hardware engine
• Multilevel RNG using FIPS SP 800-90A DRBG
• Guaranteed 72-bit unique ID
• I2C and single-wire interfaces
• 2 to 5.5V operation, 150-nA standby current
• 10.5-kbit EEPROM for secret and private keys
• High-Endurance Monotonic Counters
• UDFN, SOIC, and 3-lead contact packages

In the wake of recent incidents, it is becoming increasingly clear that embedded system insecurity impacts everyone and every company. The effects of insecurity may not only be personal, such as theft of sensitive financial and medical data, but a bit more profound on the corporate level. Products can be cloned, software copied, systems tampered with and spied on, and many other things that can lead to revenue loss, increased liability, and diminished brand equity.

Data security is directly linked to how exposed the cryptographic key is to being accessed by unintended parties including hackers and cyber-criminals. The best solution to keeping the “secret key secret” is to lock it in protected hardware devices. That is exactly what this latest iteration of security devices have, are and will continue to do. They are an inexpensive, easy, and ultra-secure way to protect firmware, software, and hardware products from cloning, counterfeiting, hacking, and other malicious threats.

Interested in learning more? Discover the latest in hardware-based security here. Meanwhile, you may also want to browse through recent articles on the topic, including “Is the Internet of Things just a toy?,” “Greetings from Digitopia,” “What’s ahead this year for digital insecurity?,” and “Don’t be an ID-IoT.”

FemtoUSB is an open-source Cortex-M0+ board

---

The latest board from Femtoduino is designed to help those looking to migrate from AVR to ARM-based designs.

---

You may recall Femtoduino from their recent campaign around the highly-popular IMUduino BTLE. Now, the crew is back with their latest device, an uber-mini Cortex-M0+ MCU that they call FemtoUSB. The board was designed as a basic starting point for those interested in ARM-based projects, particularly for those transitioning from 8-bit AVR.

“Before the release of the FemtoUSB, learning to design for ARM chips was very difficult,” the team writes. “Compiling a toolchain? What does the most basic schematic for an ARM chip even look like? What in the world is JTAG?”

Recently launched on Tindie, FemtoUSB is built around an Atmel | SMART ATSAMD21E18A, featuring 256KB of Flash and up to a 48MHz operating frequency. Its creators note that its schematic follows the suggested design found in the SAM D21 data sheet. The device features 3.3V on-board regulator (VIN line), a supply up to 10V, and a regulated down to 3.3V on the 3V3 line. The FemtoUSB comes with a standard 0.1″ (2.54mm) pin spacing design for breadboards, and a smaller 0.05″ (1.27mm) pin spacing design for tinier projects.

“Atmel has some of the best support for the open-source hardware community. They offer proper documentation, excellent chip performance, and a great foundation via the Atmel Software Framework,” Alex Albino, Femtoduino Senior Engineer, explains. “Did we mention how easy it is to get started with ARM using Atmel?”

Migrating from 8- to 32-bit is much easier today than it was in years prior. As the Femtoduino team points out, most microcontrollers have a similar set of requirements, which range from adding some resistors and a reset circuit to hooking up a USB port and burning a bootloader.

“You can of course, add in a reverse current protection circuit, a crystal clock source for chips that don’t have an internal one (or if you want a faster clock source), some fancy peripheral additions, etc. However, here’s where we will draw an imaginary line, and now distinguish between 8-bit AVRs and 16/32-bit ARM chips.”

When working with ARM chips, Albino advises that you will need a programmer dongle to initially burn a bootloader. Serial Wire Debug seems to be the most basic form of the JTAG interface — something provided by all ARM chips. This is akin to the “Ardiuno ISP” mode of programming. Keep in mind, though, not all chips “talk the same” between the chip and a dongle.

“It’s kind of like how two people can have the same interface (vocal chords), but speak different languages. Fortunately, it seems Atmel’s SAM D21 chips talk Cortex Microcontroller Software Interface Standard (CMSIS), which is a vendor-independent hardware abstraction layer for the Cortex-M processor series. This is another great reason to use Atmel’s line of ARM chips, for what it’s worth.”

The pins used to provide a JTAG connection vary depending on the ARM chip selected, and offer more debugging features when more pins are added. For the most part, JTAG Serial Wire Debug establishes the five necessary connections: Ground, Voltage Reference, Reset, Serial Wire Clock (SWCLK), and Serial Wire Debug Input/Output (SWDIO).

Albino shares that your programming dongle should have a datasheet informing you of the pinout provided, which will enable you to wire it to your board accordingly. Another key difference — and a very important one for that matter — is the voltage. You may be used to 5V logic levels working with AVR 8-bit chips, but 5V can be utterly destructive to an ARM chip as they are meant to work with less power. The usual voltage range for Atmel’s line of ARM chips is somewhere between 1.8V to 3.3V.

“As with all ARM chips, you will benefit greatly from having a programmer dongle. Some vendors lock their chips behind really expensive software tools, and even more expensive programmer dongles ($200+). Oh, and have fun trying to get their proprietary stuff working with your open source setup. Thankfully, Atmel offers their ATMEL-ICE programmer at a reasonable price of about $85. I hear you can get them much cheaper without the case, though don’t expect it to come with ribbon cables if you go the cheap route.”

Bringing the FemtoUSB to life required the following components:

• An ATMEL-ICE programmer
• A Windows, Mac OS X, or Linux machine
• Two USB Micro B cables
• Round jumper wires
• Breadboard
• A reflow station (Sparkfun Hot-air Rework Station)
• A good pair of tweezers
• Helping third hand
• A multimeter

Additionally, the project calls for some low-temp lead-free solder paste, a couple PCBs and SMD components. On the software side, the team suggests using Atmel Studio with Windows or Terry Guo’s GNU ARM Embedded Toolchain for those running Mac OS X or Linux.

Regardless the operating machine, Albino stresses that Atmel Software Framework and Atmel SAM-BA In-System Programmer are required. The board also comes pre-loaded with the AT07175: SAM-BA Bootloader for SAM D21, “which is what actually gets programmed on to the chip so we can load stuff via USB instead, thanks to the open-source BOSSA utility.” (Hence, the name FemtoUSB.)

Femtoduino does reveal that they are working on getting an Arduino integration working, along with other non-Arduino tools to load things via USB. Interested? Femtoduino is now available on Tindie for $24.99. Those wishing to learn more can also head over to the project’s Github page here.

Hackers make off with at least $300 million in bank heists

---

According to researchers, hackers have hit more than 100 financial institutions in 30 countries.

---

In what would appear to be a heist right out of a Hollywood script, a group of digital thieves have carried out malware attacks that have stolen at least $300 million from banks and other financial institutions in 30 countries. The breach could prove to be one of, if not, the largest bank thefts ever, according to The New York Times. 

Kaspersky Lab, a Russia-based cybersecurity firm that investigated the string of thefts, has published a report on its findings. Based on The Times article, researchers discovered that the hackers — which have been dubbed the “Carbanak cybergang” — hit more than 100 establishments dating back to 2013. While the band of cyber criminals focused primarily on banks in Russia, millions of dollars were also taken from those in Japan, the Netherlands, Switzerland and the United States as well. The money was transferred to bank accounts around the world in small-value amounts to avoid detection.

The amount that Kaspersky has evidence of could potentially be three times more than initial projections. What’s worse, the firm says that the attacks may still be taking place. “That projection is impossible to verify because the thefts were limited to $10 million a transaction, though some banks were hit several times. In many cases the hauls were more modest, presumably to avoid setting off alarms.”

To carry out the crimes, the report cited that the hackers sent emails containing a malware program called Carbanak to hundreds of bank employees, hoping to infect a bank’s administrative computer. Programs installed by the malware recorded keystrokes and took screenshots of the bank’s computers, so that hackers could learn bank procedures. They also enabled the criminals to control the banks’ computers remotely. By mimicking the bank procedures they had learned, the group directed the banks’ computers to steal money in a variety of ways.

Hackers managed to steal the money in all sorts of creative ways, Kaspersky Managing Director Christopher Doggett revealed. For instance, the group managed to take $7.3 million by reprogramming a single bank’s ATMs, while another bank lost $10 million from its hacked online platform alone. The hackers were deep enough in the computer systems at banks to obtain sensitive customer information, as well managed to acquire the secret keys that ATMs use to make sure your PIN is valid, Kaspersky added.

“In some cases, transfers were run through the system operated by the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication, or Swift, which banks use to transfer funds across borders. It has long been a target for hackers — and long been monitored by intelligence agencies.”

At the moment, both the White House and FBI have been briefed on the researcher’s findings, and Interpol is coordinating an investigation. This incident follows last year’s news of a cyber group implementing a piece of Backdoor.MSIL.Tyupkin malware to steal millions in cash from ATMs around the world — without having to use a credit or debit card. Kaspersky Lab had discovered this security breach as well.

Kaspersky researchers have traced the crime back to groups in Russia, China and Eastern Europe, and noted that they mainly targeted Russian-speaking banks with malware-laced emails in Russian.

“These attacks again underline the fact that criminals will exploit any vulnerability in any system,” said Sanjay Virmani, Director of Interpol’s Digital Crime Centre. “It also highlights the fact that no sector can consider itself immune to attack and must constantly address their security procedures.”

Could this have been mitigated? Had tiny, inexpensive and ultra-secure hardware CryptoAuthentication devices been implemented, each time the software booted, it would have been checked for authenticity. Every time. No exceptions. Even the slightest deviance from the original code would be detected by the CryptoAuthentication protected system and the bad code would be unable to load. If the bad code doesn’t load, the account information cannot get into the hands of thieves, and the robberies could not happen. Period.

”The protection provided by CryptoAuthentication is built directly into the device, and it is secured in hardened, tested hardware. Hardware protection beats software protection every time. That is because software is always subject to bugs, tampering and malware, just as these attacks are proving. Again and again and again,” explained Atmel resident security expert Bill Boldt.

The defense mechanism proposed here is extremely straightforward, and goes by the unimaginative yet highly descriptive name of “Secure Boot.” Though simple, given that it is hardware-based, it is incredibly strong.

“And, that is the lesson,” Boldt adds. “One would think that financial institutions should know by now that they need to harden the targets with hardware, and not leave themselves and their customers exposed.”

Interested in learning more about the attack? You can read the entire New York Times writeup here. Meanwhile, with security at our core, Atmel’s hardware-based solutions can protect every system and embedded design. Start safeguarding today.

Report: Smart home devices have security flaws

---

Connected home devices like cameras and thermostats can be easy targets for hackers, cybersecurity firm explains. 

---

With a new breach seemingly every day, consumers are more on-guard than ever before when it comes to ensuring the security of their personal information from cyber criminals. And, rightfully so. Validating the cause for such concerns is a new report from Synack that highlights the ease in which malicious hackers can access a majority of smart home devices on the market today. Quite ironically, many of them are security gadgets — the same products that are supposed to keep you protected.

Writing for Gigaom, Stacey Higginbotham notes that the firm had conducted an in-depth analysis on a number of today’s most-popular smart home gadgets, including cameras, thermostats, smoke detectors and automation controllers. Upon reviewing 16 of these devices, researchers discovered a vast majority of them possess some serious vulnerabilities.

Colby Moore, a security analyst for Synack, told Gigaom that it took him only 20 minutes to break into all but one of the assorted devices during testing. Furthermore, the company believes the lack of security for such products could derive from the fact that there are no set standards for smart home security.

“Right now the internet of things is like computer security was in the ‘90s, when everything was new and no one had any security standards or any way to monitor their devices for security,” Moore says.

Upon finishing the investigation, Synack found the worst performing devices to be, in fact, connected cameras. Each of the five camera products examined had issues either with encryption or password security. As for thermostats, Nest was deemed to be the most secure, although it did lose points for a weak password policy. Others were cited for having problems with password policies, encryption and a long history of flaws across product lines.

Meanwhile, a number of smoke and carbon dioxide detectors didn’t fare so well either. The analyst reveals that this category could fall victim to a supply chain-based attack, meaning someone could intercept the device and change a component.

Lastly, a few of the home controllers are believed to have issues with exposed service and insecure architecture, while others lack proper password policies as well. In all, Moore shares with Gigaom that the security of smart home devices today is “abysmal.” He suggests users hardwire as many devices as possible, enable automatic firmware updates and utilize strong passwords.

“Smart homes are a dumb idea if they are not secure. And that means secure at every node,” Atmel resident security expert Bill Boldt chimed in on the matter. “Who wants a home that allows people to monitor them? There is already a website out there showing pictures of people intercepted from their own home security cameras. That is just the top of the iceberg. Nodes of all types from thermostats to cameras, to meters, appliances need to be authenticated and encrypted. Consumers will soon figure that out and demand it.”

Interested in reading more? Head over to Gigaom’s entire writeup. You can also discover how to add enhanced authentication and encryption into your next design here.

Shopping is about to get a whole lot smarter with connected carts

---

The carriage of tomorrow may reduce shopping times, cut down waiting in lines and offer a personalized experience. 

---

What do you do when you’re tired of having to schlep around a shopping cart aisle after aisle? You create an autonomous one that will carry out the tedious task for you! Or, you make them smarter at the very least.

Well, that’s what a pair of new projects have done, one by a team of students at Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, the other from UK product development group Cambridge Consultants. Not only will these come in handy as you make your way up and down the grocery store each week, it can keep you from having to stop mid-aisle for a free hand to check off an item on your list, and can even prevent the transmission germs during flu season. What’s more, it doesn’t have to be limited to marketplaces either. The cart can prove to be useful throughout airports, libraries, malls and college campuses.

First, following a similar premise as we’ve seen floating orbs capable of following and replaying human activity before, Makers Ohad Rusnak and Omri Elmalech have devised a slick self-driven shopping cart using a 3D Kinect sensor, a 3D camera and an Arduino Mega 2560 (ATmega2560). Through the duo’s self-developed computer vision algorithm, the system’s 3D camera can accurately identify and follow the cart’s owner as they make their way about the supermarket, while the embedded Arduino is responsible for controlling all the movement, sensing and tracking.

“I think in the future, a few years from now, we’ll see something like this in the supermarkets,” Rusnak says.

More recently, Cambridge Consultants showed off its latest connected cart concept that, by being fitted with low-cost sensors and Bluetooth Smart, can tell a retailer where you are in a store within three feet. The embedded technology, which would appear to be much more commercial-ready than the aforementioned project, can pinpoint the cart’s whereabouts so shop owners can offer location-based promotions and eliminate checkout lines in real-time. It also means fewer carts will leave the parking lot, too. For stores, this could drastically cut the multi-million-dollar annual cost of lost carriages as businesses could set alerts when they were being removed from their premises.

“The latest innovation is a small device that fits on the wheel of each trolley – and doesn’t need batteries as it is powered via energy harvesting from the rotation of the wheel. Costs are kept to a minimum by using commercially available low-cost sensors and connectivity that allows the data to be managed on a hosted server,” the firm writes.

Aside from enabling stores to target customers with relevant offers as they browse the aisles, data from smart carts could be used by retailers to understand better what their customers decide not to buy – it could help highlight areas where customers stopped to browse but did not purchase anything. Privacy advocates may also take comfort in knowing that the cart is being tracked opposed to the shopper’s smartphone.

“This is the latest example of our work in the fields of connected devices, data analytics and integrated systems across a range of sectors and with clients around the world. Connected product development has a crucial role to play in securing – and maintaining – competitive advantage in the fast-moving retail industry,” Cambridge Consultants concludes.

We couldn’t agree more. This can and will be an extremely cool concept to see catch on. So, how long before we see these roaming robotic trolleys around your nearest Target, Wal-Mart and Kohl’s?

4 key projections around IoT growth in the enterprise

---

Big opportunities ahead for some big industries. 

---

The Internet of Things (IoT) is being hailed as the next big area of growth. The specific predictions vary, but the number of smart devices is anticipated to increase dramatically, with the IoT representing tens of billions of devices in just the next several years. And, while a majority of folks may think this era of constant-connectivity is merely a future filled with ambient objects in their homes that can lower energy costs, watch the outside of their homes and open garage doors from their smartphones, the IoT is actually much more significant than that — especially to the enterprise sector.

As a recent Business Insider study revealed, connected devices and software can offer businesses tremendous benefits, including enhanced security, more effective monitoring of machinery and equipment, improved efficiency and productivity and better energy management, among countless other things. The team at 2lemetry at recently broke down four important estimations for growth surrounding the Internet of Things in the workplace. Here they are…

The global enterprise — which includes factories, office/buildings, transportation and shipping systems, hospitals and health care administration —  device count will reach 9.1 billion by 2019 with a total of 23.3 billion IoT devices. In fact, this space will account for 39% of the approximate 23 billion active smart devices expected come 2019.

Spending on enterprise IoT products and services will hit $255 billion worldwide by 2019, up from $46.2 billion in 2014, according to BI: Intelligence‘s projections.

Several industries are already using IoT, one in particular being industrial machinery with an 18% usage rate. Not far behind are automotive, consumer electronics and telecom and high tech, all three of which have a current 17% usage rate. The fifth industry in this discussion is aerospace and defense, pulling a 15% usage rate.

When it comes to the early adopters of intelligent technology, the manufacturing, logistics and information realms are certainly leading the way. Manufacturers will invest $140 billion in the next five years, while logistics and information sectors will spend roughly $112 billion and $100 billion, respectively, to accomodate the increase in data.

Interested in learning more? Download the entire report from Business Insider here.

15 3D printers that will change how you make food

---

Hungry? Why wait? You may soon be able to print food on-demand right from your kitchen. 

---

Actually having to cook your meals is about to become so last year. Food may soon find its way onto your plate and into your mouth in a number of ways that never have to boil in a pot, sear in a pan, or bake in the oven. In fact, the emergence of 3D printing may one day allow these desktop machines as ubiquitous as that microwave you have sitting on your counter.

Who recalls during Back to the Future when Marty McFly’s mother pops a four-inch pizza into a hydrator that, in just a matter of seconds, came out the full size of a conventional pizza. And while such a Black & Decker machine, or a Star Trek-like replicator for that matter, have yet to go mainstream, the dream of printing your own on-demand food is inching its way closer, thanks to companies like XYZprinting, Natural Machines and 3D Systems.

More recently, innovators around the world have been exploring various ways to use 3D printers — many of which powered by AVR and Atmel | SMART microcontrollers — in order to craft edible items. Though these efforts have mostly produced chocolate, sugar, pasta and pizza, one day researchers hope that the technology may even lend a helping hand in nutrition and long-term sustainability. Take for instance, easy-to-chew meals for senior citizens who have trouble consuming anything other than things in puree form. New developments in printed food will enable the elderly in retirement and assisted living communities to enjoy tasty melt-in-your-mouth food from fresh ingredients using a 3D printer. Furthermore, these devices will be able to provide customized diet to individuals, giving them the exact dosages of nutrients. Not to mention, scientists hope that 3D-printed fare may revolutionize space travel as well, especially for long duration missions.

These sort of gadgets don’t stray too far from regular 3D printers either. Instead of extruding plastic filaments, these next-gen systems will emit edible ingredients. At the moment, however, a vast majority of these gadgets are only designed to take care of the tedious and time-consuming parts of meal preparation, not so much a “just press the button and magically appear” sort of thing we can all hope for… yet. Future models, though, will likely be able to complete the process so that the extruded items are ready to eat.

“I don’t see this as a novelty. I see it as something that really will become a part of the culinary fabric for years to come,” Liz von Hasseln of 3D Systems summed it up best in a recent interview with the Washington Post. “I think the way that happens really powerfully is when it impacts kind of the cultural ritual of eating which is actually a really powerful part of being a person in the world.”

Here are some of the machines leading the way…

Natural Machines’ Foodini

Designed for both home and professional kitchens, Foodini comes with empty food capsules. Users simply prepare and place fresh, real ingredients inside, which are then dispensed from the machine. Other than being capable of creating complex designs, such as very detailed cake decorations or uniquely-shaped gourmet items, the Foodini can be useful for recipes that require precision and mastery, like homemade pizza or filled pasta. The printer takes on the daunting parts of making meals, therefore streamlining some of cooking’s more repetitive activities.

3D Systems’ ChefJet

The ChefJet is an entirely new, kitchen-ready category of 3D printers for food. The first two printers in the series, with expected availability in the second half of the year, are the monochrome, countertop ChefJet 3D printer and the full-color, larger format ChefJet Pro 3D printer. These machines were designed with the professional baker, pastry chef, mixologist and restaurateur in mind, enabling the creation of custom edible geometries for every cake, cocktail and dinner celebration. The printer can also create 3D candies in a variety of flavors such as mint, sour cherry, and vanilla, as well as sugar objects that resemble expensive china.

F3D

Designed by four undergraduate students from the Imperial College in London, F3D (pronounced “fed”) is the latest food printing research project that has set out to revolutionize the way we prepare our food. Unlike some of the more commercial-ready devices on this list, the Makers modified existing RepRap 3D printing technology to create a food printer capable of 3D printing and cooking a complete dish. F3D proved its potential by 3D printing an entire pizza – dough, sauce, cheese and all – in under 20 minutes. Beat that Domino’s! Though still in its prototype phase, this student-made project is impressive, nonetheless.

XYZprinting’s Food Printer

The latest machine from XYZprinting allows users to create various 3D shapes out their food. The company says it has worked with a food specialist, and devised a proprietary recipe that can be used in single or triple material versions. The machine is equipped with a touch display that lets home chefs select a pre-set design for the shape of their edible item. Those who rather import their own designs may do so online or via a USB drive. Even more, the printer can output one cookable object at a time, before going ahead and making an entire batch.

NASA-Funded Food Printer

Back in 2013, NASA funded a 3D food printer project by Austin, Texas-based Systems and Materials Research Corporation (SMRC), in an effort to one day offer astronauts some freshly cooked food up in space. Using an open-source RepRap 3D printer, the team of Makers replaced its existing ink cartridges with printable ingredients comprised of powdered bases mixed with oil and water. These were then printed with modified extruder nozzles, while a heated plate as its bed cooked the food as it is printed. Impressively, it only took about 12 minutes to put together the dough, sauce and cheese.

Choc Edge’s Choc Creator

With aspirations of “creating chocolate in style,” the UK-based Choc Edge team has been a notable pioneer in the industry. In fact, the company released the world’s first commercially available chocolate printer back in 2012. At the time, the machine was capable of printing both two- and three-dimensional cocoa creations. Now, it has returned to the chocolatier scene with a new model. This printer boasts an easy-to-use syringe head that allows users to easily install and remove units, as well as refill the syringe with fresh chocolate within 10 minutes. The latest version also boasts a new automatic temperature control system, ensuring optimal flow in the printing process along with a closed compartment to help maintain consistent temperatures.

PancakeBot

The very first version of the open-source PancakeBot was designed way back in 2010 by Miguel Valenzuela. At the time, Valenzuela was inspired by a MAKE: Magazine feature on a British Maker who devised a Pancake Stamping Machine using LEGO. Since then, the machine has become a Maker sensation, claiming the hearts and stomachs of everyone — including President Obama himself. The original bot was simply a CNC for a kitchen table, comprised of LEGO Mindstorms, LEGO bricks and a pair of ketchup bottles for the batter. As you can imagine with any automated device whipping up tasty treats, the initial video of Valenzuela’s PancakeBot 1.0 went viral, which encouraged the Maker to continue tinkering with the design. The next iteration of the platform – which debuted at Maker Faire Bay Area 2014 – consisted of an acrylic body packed with Adafruit motor shields, an Arduino Mega (ATmega1280), two stepper motors, a pair of belt drives and a vacuum pump. The improved PancakeBot could be programmed to draw out any flapjack design, ranging from an Eiffel Tower to a self-portrait. The printer simply squirts batter onto a hotplate so that, once the pancakes are done extruding, they’re ready to eat. While earlier models are not available for sale, the PancakeBot team has partnered with StoreBound to bring the robotic contraption to market.

Hershey’s CocoJet

During CES 2015, 3D Systems revealed its latest chocolate printer, the CocoJet, in collaboration with Hershey. The device, which was particularly aimed at candy makers and bakers, dispenses delicious liquid chocolate just as any other 3D printer would extrude filament. Users can choose between dark, milk or white chocolate and between pre-programmed designs or confections of their own creative devising.

Biozoon’s Smoothfood Printer

One German company has produced a 3D printer capable of printing out dozens of different meals, all made of a gelatin base, for senior citizens and others who have difficulties chewing food. Fortunately, this food will literally melt in a person’s mouth. With funding from the EU, the project uses 48 nozzles, liquified food and a gelling agent to recreate the shape and taste of something that would otherwise be difficult to swallow, ranging from chicken to broccoli to lamb. The project, called PERFORMANCE, is intended to give elderly people better access to appealing and nutritious food. Since its inception, Biozoon’s devices have been adopted in over 1,000 care homes throughout the country.

Dovetailed’s Fruit Printer

Unlike a number of other projects on this list that focus around sweets, Dovetailed revealed a new approach to 3D-printed food last spring: fruit. Using spherification technology, the Cambridge-based firm combined strawberry flavoring with a sodium rich gel to deposit little balls into a cold calcium chloride solution to create something that resembled the likeness of a raspberry. The device is programmed to print blackberries and was in the process of working on apples and pears as well.

Open Electronics’ 3Drag

As we experienced (and tasted) first-hand back at World Maker Faire 2014, the 3Drag has officially made three-dimensional chocolate shapes a reality. Modified with a real pastry bag for precision bakery work or a heated syringe, 3Drag is suitable for plotting lettering and lines using any type of chocolate like milk, white and dark. All this, with the advantage to design the object or the pastry directly in computer graphic. Based on an ATmega2560, the device is fitted a special extruder (which replaces the one typically used for extruding plastic materials) with a very common 60 ml syringe. A NEMA17 stepper motor drives its piston and a heater to maintain the chocolate contained in the syringe at its appropriate temperature.

Structur3D’s Discov3ry Extruder

Structur3D launched a 3D printer add-on, which could create a paste from all sorts of materials such as plastic, silicone, wood filler, and even Nutella. In fact, at last year’s Maker Faire Bay Area, the startup demonstrated how it could print the Maker Faire logo with the delicious hazelnut spread.

Barilla’s 3D Pasta Printer

One of, if the top, pasta seller in the world is in the process of developing a 3D pasta printer for restaurants. The machine would be able to print 15 to 20 pieces every two minutes, getting a pasta dish to a patron in a matter of minutes. It would also allow for custom-designed pasta shapes, ranging from roses to moons.

Cornell Creative Machine Lab’s Food Printer

One of the earliest on the scene back in 2011, Cornell Creative Machines Lab developed 3D printer that could generate tiny space shuttle-shaped scallop nuggets as well as cakes or cookies that, when cut into, reveal a special message — whether a wedding proposal, someone’s initials or even a logo for a corporate event. Additionally, the CCML team could make a solid hamburger patty, with liquid layers of ketchup and mustard, or a hamburger substitute that’s made from vegan or raw foods.

Zmorph’s Cake and Chocolate Extruder

The ZMorph Personal Fabricator embodies a modular makeup, which enables a user to easily detach and swap out a number of extruders. The various toolheads let Makers to print with everything from pastry to chocolate to marmalade. What’s more, the add-ons can fabricate signs on cakes or their own food design in a matter of minutes.

Mondelez International’s Oreo Printer

And who could forget 3D-printed Oreos? At SXSW 2014, Mondelez International had 3D-printed custom Oreo cookies based on what was trending on Twitter with the hashtag #eatthetweet. Attendees could choose from 12 flavors, ranging from banana to mint to lime, and then select either a chocolate or vanilla base for the cookie. The cookie would then be printed in a couple of minutes.

A look at some of today’s wearable microcontrollers

---

This list is sew awesome!

---

Created by Leah Buechley of MIT, and introduced commercially with SparkFun back in 2007, the LilyPad was the first board to feature sew-through contacts for stitching soft circuits. Since then, a number of “ready-to-wear” electronics platforms have emerged, each of which have helped usher in a new generation of textiles that look to redefine wearable technology. In fact, a recent Gartner report revealed that the emergence smart garments will potentially disrupt the market. So much so that embedded clothing shipments are projected to rise from a mere 0.1 million units in 2014 to 26 million units in 2016.

As first noted by MAKE: Magazine’s Boris Kourtoukov, “there’s a plethora of options” when it comes to these microcontrollers. What’s more, they all possess one common trait: they’re powered by Atmel. These so-called body boards are now giving Makers the ability to easily (and affordably) produce their own projects in ways that otherwise would have been unimaginable.

So, without further ado, here’s a look at some of today’s most prominent boards ready for adornment.

The Favorites

LilyPad Arduino

LilyPad is a wearable e-textile technology developed by Leah Buechley and cooperatively brought to life with SparkFun. Each LilyPad was creatively designed to have large connecting pads to allow them to be sewn into clothing. LilyPad can sense information about the environment using inputs like light and temperature sensors and can act on the environment with outputs like LED lights, vibrator motors, and speakers. And yes, they’re even washable.

MCU: ATmega328

FLORA

FLORA is Adafruit’s fully-featured wearable electronics platform. The round, sewable microcontroller weighs in at 4.4 grams and measures only 1.75 inches in diameter. 100% Arduino-compatible, the platform is one of the most beginner-friendly ways to create some amazing wearables. The FLORA family includes an assortment of sensors and RGB LEDs that let you add lighting to your projects, not to mention also boasts built-in USB support, eliminating the need for pesky special cables and extra parts.

MCU: ATmega32U4

GEMMA

Those who are seeking the awesomeness of FLORA but in a tinier package are sure to love another one Adafruit’s wearable platforms: the GEMMA. The board, which packs all of its features in a 1″ diameter package, is programmable with an Arduino IDE over USB. An upcoming Arduino IDE-supported version will feature an on/off switch and microUSB connector.

MCU: ATtiny85

TinyLily Mini

A brainchild of TinyCircuits, the TinyLily Mini is an Arduino-compatible module in an ultra-compact package. Geared towards Makers looking to devise e-textile and wearable applications, the board is very similar to the Arduino LilyPad, with the same processing power and software compatibility – but at 1/12th of the size. The TinyLily Mini also is equipped with sew tabs for eight I/O (four digital, four analog/digital) and four power sew tabs (two for power, two for ground).

MCU: ATmega328

SquareWear

SquareWear is an open-source, wearable board. The Arduino-compatible MCU measures 1.7″x1.7″ in size, and is equipped with a built-in rechargeable Lithium coin battery. It is designed to be sewable, which allows Makers to stich conductive threads through its large pin pads, solder a wire directly onto the pads, or solder snaps onto the pads for quick attachment or detachment from textiles and fabrics. Additionally, the MCU packs an on-board miniUSB port that can be used for programming, charging batteries and serial communication, as well as a color LED, a pushbutton, a buzzer, a light and temperature sensor, and three MOSFETs to drive the high-current load. See, it’s hip to be square!

MCU: ATmega328

Xadow

Seeed Studio’s Xadow is a high-performance, low-power board that is perfectly suited for wearable projects. The microcontroller can be powered either via USB or a Lithium battery. Also, there is charge circuit on this module that you can charge for the Lithium battery through the USB port. Xadow has a diverse selection of compatible modules, including a barometer, UV sensor, LED, OLED and even a full GPS antenna.

MCU: ATmega32U4

Trinket

Trinket goes to show that big things really can come in small packages. In fact, the tiny MCU is one of the lowest-cost Arduino IDE programmable boards on the market today. Adafruit designed a USB bootloader so Makers could easily plug it into any computer and reprogram it over a USB port just like an Arduino. It comes in two different versions: 3V and 5V. Both work the same, but have different operating logic voltages.

MCU: ATtiny85

Pro Trinket

A bigger sibling of the aforementioned board, this 5V unit combines everything you love about Trinket along with the familiarity of the common core found in Arduinos. It’s like an Arduino Pro Mini with more pins along with built-in USB. The Pro Trinket, which still only measures 1.5″ x 0.7″ x 0.2” in size, features 18 GPIO, two extra analog inputs, 28K of flash, as well as 2K of RAM. Like its older brother, the MCU has onboard USB bootloading support and Optiboot support, so Makers can either program their Pro Trinket over USB or with a FTDI cable just like the Pro Mini. (Recently, paying homage to our friends at Hackaday, the Adafruit crew even unveiled a Hackaday.io branded board — black solder mask, Jolly Wrencher and all. And, it’s stunning.)

Atmel MCU: ATmega328

Ones to Watch

BITalino

BITalino is a low-cost, easy-to-use toolkit designed for anyone looking to build self-tracking applications based on information from their body. The platform enables Makers to quickly bring projects entailing body signals and quantified self wearable devices to life, as well as learn how to create actual medical devices — which otherwise can cost upwards of $10,000. BITalino is described by its creators as an out-of-the-box solution that offers an array of Arduino-compatible software and hardware blocks equipped with sensors for electrocardiography (ECG), electromyography (EMG), electrodermal Activity (EDA), accelerometry (ACC), and ambient light (LUX).

MCU: ATmega328

Printoo

Launched by Ynvisible, Printoo is a printed electronics prototyping platform that is capable of bringing everyday objects to life. Comprised of various hardware modules that can all be connected to each other, it is currently the only platform that appears to have a robust flexible form-factor. This enables Makers to quickly and seamlessly create first product concepts for smart wearable devices. Moreover, the board is fully-compatible and programmable with the Arduino IDE.

MCU: ATmega328

SuperDuino

Introduced by Maker Mohsin Farooq, SuperDuino is a coin cell operated, Arduino-compatible board with a built-in 1.7-inch color display and a three-axis accelerometer. As you can imagine, this makes the MCU a suitable match for a wide-range of DIY games, gadgets and most of all, wearable devices.

MCU: ATmega328

Atmel launches new radiation-hardened mixed-signal ASICs for space apps

---

ATMX50RHA ASIC delivers flexible analog capabilities for up to 22 million routable gates simplifying the design process for next-generation space applications.

---

Atmel has announced a new radiation-hardened (rad-hard) mixed-signal ASIC platform for high-performance and high-density solutions for space applications. Manufactured on 150 nm Silicon on Insulator (SOI) process, the ATMX150RHA adds to Atmel’s portfolio of rad-hard solutions.

Providing a platform that simplifies the design process for space application, the new ATMX150RHA delivers up to 22 million routable gates, includes non-volatile memory blocks, flexible form factor with compiled SRAM and DPRAM blocks, and supports 2.5/3.3/5V and high-voltage (25-45-65V) I/Os with pre-qualified analog IP. This flexible and highly-integrated ASIC brings an overall lower bill of materials for space applications, which range from transportation and communication to Earth observation to scientific research. The ATMX150RHA ASIC platform is supported by a combination of state-of-art third-party and proprietary design tools such as Synopsys, Mentor and Cadence.

Leveraging Atmel’s nearly 30 years of flight heritage, the ATMX150RHA integrates Atmel’s proven rad-hard solution and offers a full service option for customers designing ASICs up to the qualified flight models. As previous Atmel ASIC platform generations, all ATMX150RHA products are fully designed, assembled, tested and qualified in Europe.

“With our long-standing flight heritage and more than 3,500 flight models delivered, we are a leading ASIC provider for space applications with proven, reliable solutions,” explained Patrick Sauvage, General Manager of Atmel’s Aerospace Business Unit. “Atmel’s ATMX150RHA ASIC adds to our proven aerospace portfolio, and delivers a fully integrated solution that allows aerospace designers a flexible, yet complete solution to help accelerate their space mission. The new ASIC is further testament to our aerospace leadership.”

Key features of the ASIC:

• Comprehensive library of standard logic and I/O cells
• Up to 15 usable Mgates equivalent NAND2
• Operating voltage 1.8+/-0.15V for the core and 5V +/-0.5V, 3.3+/-0.3V, 2.5+/-0.25V for the periphery
• High voltage I/O’s 25-45-65V
• Memory cells compiled (ROM, SRAM, DPRAM, Register file memory cells) or synthesized to the requirements of the design
• 32KB NVM memory block
• Cold sparing buffers
• High-speed LVDS buffers 655Mbps
• PCI buffers
• Set of analog IPs
• Low-cost NRE with a Space Multi Project Wafer (SMPW) option
• No single event latch-up below a LET threshold of 75 MeV/mg/cm² at 125°C
• SEU hardened flip-flops
• TID test up to 300kRads (Si) for 1.8V and 3.3V devices and 150kRads (Si) for 5V and HV I/OS according to Mil-Std 883 TM1019
• CCGA, CLGA and CQFP qualified packages catalog
• ESD better than 2000V
• Applications include satellites, space probes and space station launchers

Interested in learning more? Soar over to the ATMX150RHA’s official page here.

Realtime tech is changing the way we build online experiences

---

Users don’t want to wait for updates anymore, they want information in realtime.

---

App users were once content with static apps, single-user experiences where content changes only when a user requests a new page, clicks a button or refreshes the page. New information is presented only when a user requests it.

But times have changed. The average attention span of a human is 8 seconds, according to the National Center for Biotech Information. Users don’t want to wait for updates anymore; they want information in realtime. As a result, we’re seeing a major shift from static apps to realtime apps, web and mobile apps that mimic real life behaviors, pushing content and information “as it happens.”

The result is the birth of applications that have created industries that wouldn’t have otherwise been possible without this realtime functionality. Realtime technology is at the core of these apps and services; its lifeblood. And these apps are just a couple examples of the exponential growth of realtime web and mobile applications.

We’re seeing increased understanding of the benefits of realtime web tech so it’s not surprising that the number of apps using the technology is rapidly increasing. Common functionality includes simple data updates for notifications, dashboards (sports, finance, site analytics and anything that’s stat-heavy), realtime news and activity streams. Or more complex functionality for multi-user chat, collaborative applications, multiplayer games, interactive 2nd screen experiences, realtime mapping and GIS.”

– Phil Leggetter in 10 Realtime Web Technology Predictions for 2014

Taxi/Ridesharing Applications: A tight realtime loop

The days of standing out on the curb to hail a cab are dwindling. In fact, I’ve watched people let empty cabs drive right by them. Why would somebody do this? It’s the realtime user experience. Users prefer to hail, track, and pay for their fare seamlessly, all in one mobile app.

Realtime maps have become a staple feature of taxi and ridesharing applications. Users expect to be able to watch their car on a live updating map, giving them an ETA and assuring them that a car is really coming. But there are also other realtime features in these apps that are vital to the overall user experience. The apps are able to dispatch drivers in under a quarter of a second with the click of a button. They’re able to monitor and track fleets of vehicles, accurately dispatching vehicles without ever double booking or dropping rides. And most of all, they’re able to create one smooth ride experience, from hailing to payment, and everything in between.

This tight information loop, fast and efficient communication between themselves, the driver, and dispatch is the reason these ride sharing and taxi apps are so popular. And that tight information loop requires realtime technology to make it all possible.

Examples: Lyft, Sidecar, Uber, GetTaxi, Flywheel

Sports Score Applications: Updates as they happen

Static or slow sport applications can’t emulate the fast-paced action of actually viewing a live sporting event. To create this user experience, there’s needs to be information pushed to the user as quickly and often as possible. A simple clock and score board that updates every 10-20 seconds doesn’t have the real life feel and speed it needs to capture the attention of its users.

Realtime technology has changed that. Information is now pushed as it happens, to thousands of users simultaneously, anywhere in the world. These apps no longer just update the score and time, but rather are fully featured applications for out-of-stadium audience interaction. This includes collaborative features like polls and trivia, social feeds, live blogging, and live statistics. The app obviously won’t completely emulate the feeling of watching a live sporting event in the flesh, but it is changing the way that somebody out of stadium can experience a live sporting event entirely from their phone.

Examples: Manchester City FC Match Day Centre, ScoreCenter

Online marketplaces: Emulating a real life auction house

If you remember the early days of eBay, you probably pulled your hair out with the frustrations of the last 5 minutes of a heated bid war, repeatedly tapping ‘refresh’ to see if you were still the highest bidder. Then you refresh again, the auction is over, and you’ve been outbid. A static bidding application doesn’t mimic the excitement of a real life auction, and more importantly doesn’t enable users to bid rapidly with one another for an item.

“Behavioral emails are one of best ways to capitalize on in-app activity,” said Dane Lyons, Founder and CTO of Knowtify.io, the smart email engagement platform. “People really appreciate a brand that provides the information they really need when they need it.”

Today, online auction houses need to push high volumes of data as quickly as possible. They may have hundreds or even thousands of buyers watching and bidding on a single item. Data stream networks can power this, no matter where each bidder is located across the globe. This creates a reliable, low latency connection between all the bidders, the auctioneer, and auction application, ensuring a smooth and solid bidding platform.

Examples: TopHatter, Catawiki

Home Automation: Reliable and secure realtime signaling

When a user presses a button on their phone to turn on a light, they expect that light to turn on as if they’re flipping a switch. Or when you cross over a certain geographical location in your vehicle, you expect your garage door to open and your house’s heater to turn on.

It seems as though every home appliance these days has an IP address. Home automation solutions are becoming increasingly popular, and our houses are getting smarter and smarter. To provide and power a full home automation product, speed, reliability and especially security are paramount requirements.

This is where realtime device signaling comes into play, a key component of any home automation product. Device signaling requires a system that is bidirectional, where updates are sent through a dedicated channel that can trigger events (such as a light turning on). This signaling is needed on both the send side and the receive side. Though low latency is key for this signaling, security and reliability are just as important. When the security of your home rests in an home automation solution, encryption and additional security features need to be a core feature of the application. This ensures that unauthorized users can’t access the home automation application.

When you lock the door from your smartphone, you want that door to lock every time, and you definitely don’t want somebody else to be able to unlock it.

Examples: Revolv, Insteon

These are just a couple different types of web and mobile apps that reflect the exponential growth and reliance of realtime technology. We want information as it happens. And realtime technology delivers that.

Interested in learning more? Be sure to browse through a number of PubNub’s latest blog posts, as well as surf through our archive on the company’s realtime network here.