Winter is nigh upon us, according to all the usual signs. The NFL broadcasts focus on who can make the playoffs, college kids are back at home describing how grown up they are in one breath while asking Mom to do their laundry in the next, and, oh yeah, winter begins officially on Friday.

Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving break, assuming you’re in an area that celebrates tradition with massive amounts of massive poultry followed by a massive dessert selection.

Yes, it’s Thanksgiving week in the U.S., which means cheap TVs for sale on Friday. And, of course, giving thanks for the family and friends who invade your house and make fun of your current TV while switching to the football game they want to watch.

Do your leaf peeping quickly, before they all fall down. As we march toward Halloween, the conferences and user group meetings seem to multiply and spread news like those swirling leaves. We caught as many as we could that concerned IoT, and here are some more.

Raise your hand if you’ve bought one or more bags of Halloween candy already. Lower your hand if one or more bags have been opened for “quality assurance” testing. Thought so. Enjoy it while you can.