Episode 1: How to build hardware that doesn’t suck

Comcast has decided to bet big on the internet of things by investing in LoRa, a radio standard used for low power wide area networks. Kevin and I discuss the cable company’s plans in this week’s show along with Amazon’s new streaming music service, new Arlo indoor/outdoor cameras and wireless charging. We also point out that SmartThings may be the best bet if you are a UK smart home user with an Echo. It’s the only Echo-integrated smart home system supported in the UK. Farmers have had self-driving tractors for a while. Sensor-fueled smarts make them better. This week’s guest, Eric Hansotia, is the VP at agricultural conglomerate Agco. He spends the first few moments discussing precision farming and the rest of the interview talking about how to transform your business. Agco is trying to move from selling farm equipment to selling outputs. Instead of a tractor a farmer would buy a specific yield of crops, for example. This is a big transition, and Hansotia walks us through it. Hosts: Stacey Higginbotham and Kevin Tofel Guest: Eric Hansotia, senior vice president, global harvesting, crop care and advanced technology solutions at Agco Sponsor: ARM We’ll pass on Amazon’s new streaming service Drama in the IoT standard world Wireless charging is getting better How to start building services instead of devices Now product companies have to deal with churn The post Episode 80: Comcast builds an IoT network and Amazon streams music appeared first on IoT Podcast - Internet of Things.

13 Loka 201645min

Google finally told us what to expect with its Google Home product, a new mesh router configuration and an updated Chromecast this week at its hardware event. Kevin and I break down what we know about Google Home, how it compares to other devices on the market and also what we won’t know until we get the Home in our hot little hands. I expect mine on Nov. 8-10, so stay tuned. In more serious news, the use of IoT devices as a tool in DDoS attacks has everyone freaked out. We discuss why IoT devices are vulnerable and share a new checklist from the Online Trust Alliance on what you can do to help. The Google Home sells for $129 and you can choose which color base makes the most sense for your home. After that we talk to Danny Herztberg, a Realtor in Miami Beach who told me what devices make for a good investment and how his job has changed with the advent of smart home technology. He also pleads with device makers to make these things easier for consumers to use and understand. Hosts: Stacey Higginbotham and Kevin Tofel Guest: Danny Hertzberg, The Jills Sponsors: ARM and Hewlett Packard Enterprise Google Home v. Amazon Echo How to protect your connected gear and why you should Connected locks are the new granite countertops What devices offer the most investment value The post Episode 79: Google’s Home versus Amazon’s Echo appeared first on IoT Podcast - Internet of Things.

6 Loka 201648min

There’s a new Wink hub heading to Walmart, Home Depot and Amazon, so Kevin Tofel and I unpacked the new features on the second generation of the smart home hub in this week’s episode. We also discussed Amazon’s delivery plans that could take advantage of your connected door locks and garage doors, and then hit Kevin up for his opinion on the Apple Watch 2. SAP’s $2 billion investment in IoT, an IoT botnet, The Wirecutter’s favorite connected camera and Snap’s (formerly Snapchat) new glasses round out the show. The Wink Hub 2 will sell for $99. Afterward Carlos Herrera, the CEO of PetNet talks about what happened when his company’s pet feeder stopped sending users updates in late July. He offers a valuable lesson on building connected devices and sets the story straight about what really happened during a 12 hour server failure. All pets were fed during the lack of internet access, which means for now, the internet of things didn’t kill anyone’s dog. Hosts: Stacey Higginbotham and Kevin Tofel Guest: Carlos Herrera, CEO of PetNet Sponsors: HPE and ARM What’s new with the Wink 2? Amazon and August teaming up? The Apple Watch 2 is a good fitness tracker No dogs were kills during the loss of these servers What a bunch of aerospace engineers learned when building a connected device The post Episode 78: There are no dead dogs on the internet of things appeared first on IoT Podcast - Internet of Things.

29 Syys 201649min

The internet of things is about services, not devices. This is why I had Jon Troutman, co-founder of Canary on the show this week to talk about Membership, a new service offering from the all-in-one security device maker. This week Canary joined the masses in offering an outdoor camera, but it also launched a monthly service that does for security what AAA does for autos. The service holds your hand after a burglary, repays your deductible if anything was stolen and yes, provides some cloud storage. We talk to Troutman about how the company figured out what to offer and its hopes for Membership. The Canary Flex wireless indoor/outdoor camera. But first, Kevin Tofel and I discuss more security related topics, from the governmental framework on autonomous cars to the Industrial Internet Consortium’s new security framework. I also clarify some things I said last week about the Kevo lock. We briefly discuss the idea of Google’s Assistant service getting a name so we can anthropomorphize it and cover ARM’s new chip design for industrial manufacturing, cars and robots. If nothing else, you’ll walk away from this show knowing that people are now thinking very hard about securing the internet of things. Hosts: Stacey Higginbotham and Kevin Tofel Guests: Jon Troutman, co-founder of Canary Sponsors: Macadamian and the Smart Kitchen Summit What should we call Google’s Assistant in the home? Cars and the industrial internet get new security frameworks Security begins with hardware Why Canary joined the outdoor camera gold rush Rethinking a security service The post Episode 77: So much about security plus Canary’s new service appeared first on IoT Podcast - Internet of Things.

22 Syys 201642min

Have you downloaded iOS 10 yet? If you have, and are wondering what to do with the Home app and your HomeKit home automation, then this show is for you. We brought on Adam Justice the head of ConnectSense, a home automation brand to discuss his experience with HomeKit so far (check out his video series). This is screen from the Control Center pane. (Image courtesy of Apple). Before we get to HomeKit, Kevin Tofel and I talk a bit about last week’s Apple announcement, review the second generation Kevo smart lock and the Philips Hue Motion sensor. We led with news of Amazon’s new Echo, some data-leaking sex toys, and the Department of Justice creating a group to investigate the security impacts of connected cars. Enjoy the show. Hosts: Kevin Tofel and Stacey Higginbotham Guests: Adam Justice CEO of ConnectSense Sponsors: Macadamian Amazon’s newest toy and DoJ investigates the IoT Connected sex toys means private time isn’t so private Review time! The best feature on the Home app Is HomeKit now ready for prime time? The post Episode 76: Tips and tricks for Apple’s HomeKit appeared first on IoT Podcast - Internet of Things.

15 Syys 201648min

Nest is in the news again this week with a clarification on what its software engineers are really up to and new products. Its outdoor camera is launching as are thermostats in 3 new colors. It’s also unveiling a new software product that looks pretty cool. I’m still worried about the hardware innovation we can expect. Kevin and I also discuss Verizon’s new IoT network, leaked news of a new Wink hub and Kevin’s review of his Wink Relay light switch. The new Outdoor Nest Cam. I interview Cory Reed, senior vice president of intelligent solutions at John Deere, to discover what connected car executives can learn from the company that pioneered a self-driving tractor. Reed and I also discuss how John Deere thinks about connectivity adding value to the business and how it prices connected products. Also, farmers are pretty sophisticated consumers of technology. From the diverse range of agricultural equipment and tractors farmers use to make their jobs easier, to the revolutionary developments in cultivation software, these are exciting times for the farming community. Hosts: Stacey Higginbotham and Kevin Tofel Guest: Cory Reed, senior vice president of intelligent solutions at John Deere Sponsor: Macadamian Will LTE Cat M1 pose a threat to other IoT networks? News from Nest Kevin’s thoughts on the Wink Relay How to think about building connected products from production to pricing What John Deere can teach us about building autonomous cars The post Episode 75: What connected cars can learn from tractors appeared first on IoT Podcast - Internet of Things.

8 Syys 201645min

As IFA starts in Berlin, there’s a bunch of product news to cover, including a partnership between Sonos and Amazon, that will let you control your Sonos from the Amazon Echo … in 2017. But before we get to that, Kevin Tofel and I explore what it means that Nest’s developers are reportedly moving over to Google, specifically part of the Google Home team. We also cover Z-wave becoming a more open standard, which could lead to more Z-wave compatibility in products like the Amazon Echo or smart TVs. After Kevin and I hit the news, strap yourselves in for a primer on the pros and cons of different radios, protocols and even clouds for those designing a connected product. Chris Matthieu, VP of IoT Engineering at Citrix, and one of the creators of Citrix Octoblu, came on the show to offer his expertise. This is nerdy, but great for anyone who wants to understand some of the popular options out there for making a connected product, whether you are a developer, a product manager or just someone trying to keep up with the trends. Hosts: Stacey Higginbotham and Kevin Tofel Guest: Chris Matthieu of Citrix Sponsor: Macadamian The distress at Nest Two great pieces of news How do you pick a radio for a connected project? A primer on protocols Which cloud works for you? The post Episode 74: More Nest distress and a primer on protocols appeared first on IoT Podcast - Internet of Things.

1 Syys 201647min

Can we change the way companies use our consumer and personal data derived from connected devices? Gilad Meiri, the CEO of Neura, discusses a new model for data privacy and a way to apply machine learning to connected devices. The results he’s after sound like magic, but we explore how it could be made real in this week’s show. Would you spend $60 on this NFC-enabled ring? Before we talk about AI and privacy, Kevin Tofel and I discuss the possible reasons behind Amazon’s reportedly new streaming music plan for the Echo, news in the world of connected cars and a new Ecobee thermostat spotted at the FCC. Kevin may also buy some connected jewelry made with NFC chips inside. Finally, we talk about turning your home into a smart house ahead of putting it on the market. It’s pricey, but is it worth it? Hosts: Stacey Higginbotham and Kevin Tofel Guest: Gilad Meiri, CEO of Neura Sponsors: ARM and the Smart Kitchen Summit Amazon wants to charge $5 for an Echo-only music service? Staging the smart home with August, Lutron and Nest Kevin’s eyeing NFC jewelry AI is mostly a buzzword at this point Consumers alone will not be able to preserve their data privacy The post Episode 73: AI is just a buzzword appeared first on IoT Podcast - Internet of Things.

25 Elo 201648min