IEEE Consumer Electronics Magazine 

About: IEEE Consumer Electronics Magazine is an academic journal published by Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Computer science & The Internet. It has an ISSN identifier of 2162-2248. Over the lifetime, 877 publications have been published receiving 12672 citations. The journal is also known as: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers consumer electronics magazine & Consumer electronics magazine, IEEE.

Everything You Wanted to Know About Smart Cities

Abstract: This article is a single-source introduction to the emerging concept of smart cities. It can be used for familiarizing researchers with the vast scope of research possible in this application domain. The smart city is primarily a concept, and there is still not a clear and consistent definition among practitioners and academia. As a simplistic explanation, a smart city is a place where traditional networks and services are made more flexible, efficient, and sustainable with the use of information, digital, and telecommunication technologies to improve the city's operations for the benefit of its inhabitants. Smart cities are greener, safer, faster, and friendlier. The different components of a smart city include smart infrastructure, smart transportation, smart energy, smart health care, and smart technology. These components are what make the cities smart and efficient. Information and communication technology (ICT) are enabling keys for transforming traditional cities into smart cities. Two closely related emerging technology frameworks, the Internet of Things (IoT) and big data (BD), make smart cities efficient and responsive. The technology has matured enough to allow smart cities to emerge. However, there is much needed in terms of physical infrastructure, a smart city, the digital technologies translate into better public services for inhabitants and better use of resources while reducing environmental impacts. One of the formal definitions of the smart city is the following: a city "connecting the physical infrastructure, the information-technology infrastructure, the social infrastructure, and the business infrastructure to leverage the collective intelligence of the city" [4]. Another formal and comprehensive definition is "a smart sustainable city is an innovative city that uses information and communication technologies (ICTs) and other means to improve quality of life, efficiency of urban operations and services, and competitiveness, while ensuring that it meets the needs of present and future generations with respect to economic, social and environmental aspects" [12]. A broad overview of various components needed in a smart city is depicted in Figure 1. Any combination of various smart components can make cities smart. A city need not have all the components to be labeled as smart. The number of smart components depends on the cost and available technology.

Mobile-Edge Computing Architecture: The role of MEC in the Internet of Things.

Abstract: Mobile-Edge computing (MEC) is an emerging technology currently recognized as a key enabler for 5G networks. Compatible with current 4G networks, MEC will address many key uses of the 5G system, motivated by the massive diffusion of the Internet of Things (IoT). This article aims to provide a tutorial on MEC technology and an overview of the MEC framework and architecture recently defined by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) MEC Industry Specification Group (ISG) standardization organization. We provide some examples of MEC deployment, with special reference to IoT cases, since IoT is recognized as a main driver for 5G. Finally, we discuss the main benefits and challenges for MEC moving toward 5G.

Everything You Wanted to Know About the Blockchain: Its Promise, Components, Processes, and Problems

Abstract: In 2008, the emergence of the blockchain as the foundation of the first-ever decentralized cryptocurrency not only revolutionized the financial industry but proved a boon for peer-to-peer (P2P) information exchange in the most secure, efficient, and transparent manner. The blockchain is a public ledger that works like a log by keeping a record of all transactions in chronological order, secured by an appropriate consensus mechanism and providing an immutable record. Its exceptional characteristics include immutability, irreversibility, decentralization, persistence, and anonymity.

The Blockchain as a Decentralized Security Framework [Future Directions]

Abstract: The blockchain is emerging as one of the most propitious and ingenious technologies of cybersecurity In its germinal state, the technology has successfully replaced economic transaction systems in various organizations and has the potential to revamp heterogeneous business models in different industries Although it promises a secure distributed framework to facilitate sharing, exchanging, and the integration of information across all users and third parties, it is important for the planners and decision makers to analyze it in depth for its suitability in their industry and business applications The blockchain should be deployed only if it is applicable and provides security with better opportunities for obtaining increased revenue and reductions in cost This article presents an overview of this technology for the realization of security across distributed parties in an impregnable and transparent way

HEVC: The New Gold Standard for Video Compression: How Does HEVC Compare with H.264/AVC?

Abstract: Digital video has become ubiquitous in our everyday lives; everywhere we look, there are devices that can display, capture, and transmit video. The recent advances in technology have made it possible to capture and display video material with ultrahigh definition (UHD) resolution. Now is the time when the current Internet and broadcasting networks do not even have sufficient capacity to transmit large amounts of HD content-Let alone UHD. The need for an improved transmission system is more pronounced in the mobile sector because of the introduction of lightweight HD resolutions (such as 720 pixel) for mobile applications. The limitations of current technologies prompted the International Standards Organization/International Electrotechnical Commission Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) and International Telecommunication Union-Telecommunication Standardization Sector Video Coding Experts Group (VCEG) to establish the Joint Collaborative Team on Video Coding (JCT-VC), with the objective to develop a new high-performance video coding standard.