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AIoT at the Edge: Running on... Trash?
Plus our top IoT stories of the week!
IoT For All
June 26, 2025
Hello readers,
Welcome to the IoT For All newsletter! This week we’re talking about how one man’s ewaste is another man’s datacenter, how IoT is reshaping patient care, how to find an IoT mentor, and more!
The Future of IoT Might Be in Your Junk Drawer
As AI-powered IoT solutions like computer vision and predictive maintenance become more and more essential to modern enterprises, we’re seeing a simultaneous shift towards edge computing. After all, isn’t it easier, safer, cheaper, and simpler if all of your data is processed on site instead of traveling to the cloud and back?
In response to this demand, companies like Qualcomm are increasingly focusing on hardware for this usecase, and companies like Canonical are bringing software to that hardware. But as Estonian researchers are discovering, you don’t always need cutting-edge tech—sometimes any old garbage will do, literally.
In their work, which will be published in IEEE Pervasive Computing and is covered in IEEE Spectrum, researchers from the University of Tartu in Estonia powered an underwater computer-vision fish identifier with nothing less than four decade-old Google Nexus phones wired together.
The quartet of phones, reformatted to run a Linux-based OS and wired up such that one “master” phone delegated grunt work to the three others, was able to serve the computing needs of the node for a cost of less than $10. As researcher Huber Flores told IEEE Spectrum:
“Smartphones are really well designed for high-energy processing,” says Huber Flores, an associate professor of pervasive computing at the University of Tartu in Estonia. “They are also very well optimized to not overheat and are very efficient in handling heavy data processing applications.”
…
“These phones, you can just get them from trash,” says Flores. “All you have to do is to buy a module to regulate the voltage that you put into the phone from another source. Then you install the open-source system to control the hardware and make the smartphones work together and you have a tiny data center that can be useful for many applications.”
Of course, this approach is a more than a bit too fiddly for most enterprise applications. The result is a technical hodge-podge. It doesn’t scale well. Upfront savings on materials are going to be eaten up by labor costs of setup and maintenance.
But the potential of this approach is not direct implementation. Many companies already recycle e-waste for resale or reuse, like Closing the Loop (phones) and Circular Computing (laptops). This study illustrates the potential for a similar model, converting e-waste into low-cost, environmentally friendly edge compute modules. There’s certainly no shortage of available hardware.
No one’s suggesting your next product rollout should be powered by jury-rigged junkyard phones, but the exercise does point to an intriguing possibility of a circular economy for compute.
As AI and edge computing become table stakes for enterprise IoT, we’d do well to remember that innovation isn’t just about what’s new—it’s about what’s useful.
📖 Top Articles
As a leader in medical device innovation, you’re not just building equipment; you’re helping shape the future of healthcare. The Internet of Things (IoT) has opened the door to powerful, connected ecosystems, and the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) is taking it even further. From diagnostic systems and wearable monitors to smart hospital beds, your technologies can create real-time, data-rich environments that support faster decisions and more personalized care.
 Factory robots, smart locks, and connected traffic lights are already part of daily life, but each new device widens the talent gap. Because the Internet of Things (IoT) fuses hardware, cloud, artificial intelligence (AI,) and cybersecurity, newcomers often face a steep, confusing climb. A mentor who has gone through the pitfalls and delivered real-world products can turn that maze into a guided trail. |  The construction industry is changing fast, and IoT is at the center. By 2025, more construction companies will rely on IoT tools to boost productivity, reduce downtime, and improve site safety. This article helps construction firms understand what IoT means for them, how it’s evolving, and ways they can use it to improve their projects. |
The eSIM Standard Designed for IoT
The GSMA’s new SGP.32 standard redefines how IoT connectivity is managed over time. Developed to meet the specific needs of industrial and large-scale deployments, it enables secure, flexible SIM provisioning throughout a device’s lifecycle.
In this timely report, Semtech highlights what SGP.32 means for your operations:
Simplified logistics: Eliminate the need for SIM swaps and manual provisioning.
Lifecycle flexibility: Switch profiles remotely as networks evolve.
Greater scalability: Manage thousands of devices across geographies.
Whether you're deploying smart meters, connected equipment or mobile assets, this standard helps you stay secure, compliant and connected long-term.
🔥 Rapid Fire
Battery-free wireless sensor tag enables Ambient IoT
Murata unveils world’s smallest BLE module for compact IoT devices
Disaster awaits if we don’t secure IoT now
5G-A and AI to deliver ubiquitous, all-scenario AIoT connections
Nordic buys Memfault
Thames Freeport lands multisite private 5G network
Wi-Fi 7 set for ‘healthy’ growth, driven by IoT, smart cities and WaaS
Drinking water data bursts boundaries: modern IIoT implementations and cybersecurity practices
🎙️ The IoT For All Podcast
In this episode of the IoT For All Podcast, Jingyi Chew, Marketing Specialist at Milesight, joins Ryan Chacon to discuss the state of smart buildings. The conversation covers wireless IoT solutions, people sensing, LoRaWAN, the challenges of making buildings smart, real-world smart building use cases and success stories, the importance of partners in IoT, and advice for deploying smart building solutions.
