What does President Obama think about the Internet of things?

This week on the show Kevin and I start with a speculative Google project dubbed the “house mouse” by researchers at Google’s ATAP group. Then we cover a bit on Google’s proposed acquisition of Fitbit, Amazon’s new smart cart, Amazon’s developer event next week, and how Amazon can compete in the digital assistant game without a phone. We also talk about SiteWise, the AWS service for industrial IoT equipment monitoring, and Microsoft and Samsung partnering on real estate in the smart home and apartment world. From there, we discuss a proposed cybersecurity law for connected devices in the UK, Zoom’s fancy new hardware, Arm’s proposed sale or IPO,  and another device to prevent your smart speakers from eavesdropping. We also answer a listener question about smart outlets. The Zoom hardware costs $599 and has three cameras, eight mics, and a 27-inch screen. This week’s guest is Jonathan Cobb, the CEO of Ayla Networks, who explains how companies need to think about the connected tech they are adding to their offices to keep employees safe after the pandemic. We talk about what he’s doing at Ayla, what he recommends other leaders think about when trying to bring employees back, and why companies probably shouldn’t buy this stuff in haste. We also discuss security, privacy, and what you don’t want to know about your employees. It’s a helpful interview. Hosts: Stacey Higginbotham and Kevin Tofel Guest: Jonathan Cobb, the CEO of Ayla Networks Sponsors: Very and Very Google’s house mouse may give point and click new meaning Amazon’s SiteWise for IIoT is designed to lock you in Who would buy Arm and would it be a good investment? Define your business problem and then buy IoT What should a business consider before surveilling workers The post Episode 277: Does your house need a mouse? appeared first on IoT Podcast - Internet of Things.

16 Juli 202056min

This week Kevin and I discuss the news from Google’s smart home event, and what it means for the big players in the game, standards efforts, your television, and whether Amazon can compete without a smartphone when it comes to the smart home. From there we talk about Arm’s decision to spin out its IoT services businesses and Synaptics buying Broadcom’s wireless IoT business. An update for Alexa, insecure smart cameras, and a skinny new codec round out the news segment this week. For the IoT Podcast Hotline, we answer a listener question about creating routines based on sunrise and sunset. Augury’s sensor forms the basis of the Halo system. Image courtesy of Augury. My guest this week takes us to the manufacturing floor where his company is enabling insurance providers to better assess risk and price policies accordingly. Saar Yoskovitz, co-founder and CEO at Augury, joins me to talk about the company’s new guarantee that is backed by Hartford Steam Boiler, a division of Munich Re, that pays customers IF Augury fails to anticipate a machine breakdown. We also discuss the role the pandemic has played for Augury’s business and how the company ended up launching a new product for its customers to help them keep production employees working remotely. Instead of just helping manufacturers keep an eye on the health of their machines, Augury has a web-based communication tool that lets production managers keep an eye on their plant and schedule workers. It’s a cool story. Hosts: Stacey Higginbotham and Kevin Tofel Guest: Saar Yoskovitz, co-founder and CEO at Augury Sponsor: Very Google’s integration with Android reminds me of Apple Arm’s decision to spin out its IoT services makes sense A new codec could help cut down on smart camera data demand When IoT meets an insurer’s moral obligation Why Augury found itself building a Slack for manufacturing The post Episode 276: Google inches toward a smarter home appeared first on IoT Podcast - Internet of Things.

9 Juli 202055min

This week Kevin and I talk about my recent move and what I am looking for in a video doorbell before diving into our thoughts on Google’s planned smart home event for next week. Then we cover the big IoT acquisitions of the week from Google, lululemon(!), and Amazon. After that, we discuss Qualcomm’s new chip for wearables, Netgear’s mid-range Orbi router, Amazon’s new space services, Nest installations, and companies giving up on 360 video for VR. Kevin then shares his thoughts on the Echo Frames, which is Amazon’s attempt to put Alexa on your face. We conclude the news segment by answering a question about why we like color-changing light bulbs. The North Focals glasses cost $999 and now belong to Google. Image by North. Our guest this week is Que Dallara, President and CEO of Honeywell Connected Enterprise, who came on the show to discuss the partnership Honeywell signed last month with SAP to combine operations data from buildings with business data. She explains that this deal is about bringing the analytics common in the IT world to the action-oriented information from the OT world, allowing companies to understand how their buildings affect their bottom line. She talks about the details of the partnership but also explains what’s behind the IT/OT convergence and shares her thoughts on how far companies can get with a horizontal solution for enterprise IoT. Enjoy the show. Host: Stacey Higginbotham and Kevin Tofel Guest: Que Dallara, President and CEO of Honeywell Connected Enterprise, Sponsor: Very and Very Which video doorbell did I buy? Google buys North and gets another pair of glasses Kevin tries on Amazon Echo Frames What’s behind the new SAP and Honeywell partnership How COVID-19 pushed Honeywell and SAP to focus on smart buildings The post Episode 275: Does the smart home need glasses? appeared first on IoT Podcast - Internet of Things.

2 Juli 20201h 5min

This week’s show is a whopper, starting with the news from Apple’s WorldWide Developers Conference. We talk about how Apple is playing the long game by integrating sensors and machine learning across devices to give contextual experiences, Apple’s updates to HomeKit, and some details about Apple opening up its FindMy network. From there we talk about SmartThings’ evolution and eventual shut down of some beloved services and the new Wyze Cam Outdoor camera. On the enterprise side, Microsoft acquires CyberX, and Deutsche Telekom spins out its IoT business. We also cover news from Google related to Hue devices, Misty Robotics, Tuya, and Segway. Kevin gives a preview of Amazon’s Echo Frames and we answer a quick question about viewing your Ring doorbell on an Apple TV. The new Wyze Cam Outdoor is battery-powered and cheap. Image courtesy of Wyze. This week’s guest is Mark Benson, head of engineering at Samsung SmartThings, who joins us to discuss the changes coming to the platform later this year. He lays out why SmartThings is going to end support for some features as it tries to move toward delivering a more intuitive smart home. For example, on the hardware side, your hub will still exist but SmartThings will also put its software on hubs made by other vendors and we’ll see other manufacturers make SmartThings’ branded devices. On the software side, it’s moving from the current Groovy programming environment to an API, which is going to upset some developers and DIY folks. Benson explains why this change is needed and what developers will gain and lose. You’re going to want to listen. Hosts: Stacey Higginbotham and Kevin Tofel Guest: Mark Benson, head of engineering at SmartThings Sponsors: Very and Very Apple’s using its chips and closed ecosystem to deliver context to devices Why Microsoft purchased CyberX How long will the Zigbee Alliance keep its name? 2020 is the turning point for the smart home Why SmartThings wants to trade Groovy for an API The post Episode 274: Apple embraces IoT and SmartThings shakes things up appeared first on IoT Podcast - Internet of Things.

25 Juni 202059min

This week’s show features a guest co-host, Chris Albrecht, editor at The Spoon. We kick off the show discussing the latest IoT security vulnerability Ripple20 and why you need a software Bill of Materials for your connected products. We then focus on COVID-19 contract tracing, using wireless signals to monitor patients remotely, Intel’s updated robotic vision platform, and my personal robotic nightmare that’s now for sale. Then, we talk about the new Philips Hue gear that’s out and why Chris doesn’t want smart light bulbs. Are you ready for Apple’s WWDC or the launch of a new Wyze product? Plus, Google countersues Sonos, consumers like their storebought routers better, and National Instruments changes its name and a bit of its business strategy. Finally, we answer a user question about making cameras a bit more private. Spot will cost as much as a luxury car at $74,500, but anyone can buy one. Image courtesy of Boston Dynamics. This week’s guest is Amir Haleem, the CEO and co-founder of Helium, which operates a network for the IoT.  Haleem explains why he’s chosen to build a network using a mixture of cryptocurrency, decentralized hotspots and LoRa devices. On the show, he announces Helium’s new tracker hardware and the launch of the Helium network in Europe. We talk about business models, Europe’s IoT efforts, and whether or not I will get any LoRa sensors that can deliver low-power connectivity at a greater distance from my house. It’s a good show. Hosts: Stacey Higginbotham and Chris Albrecht Guest: Amir Haleem, CEO and co-founder of Helium Sponsors: Calix and Very The Ripple20 vulnerabilities are bad. Here’s how to make it easier to patch Let’s talk about delivery robots Philips Hue’s new gear is worth a look Why low power IoT networks have a business model challenge Helium didn’t want to get into hardware, but it ultimately caved The post Episode 273: Ripple20 and Helium goes global appeared first on IoT Podcast - Internet of Things.

18 Juni 202056min

This week’s podcast starts off with IBM’s decision to stop selling facial recognition software (we recorded before Amazon made a similar announcement) and then shifts to a discussion on neuromorphic computing. From there we discuss Lutron’s new wooden blinds, turning a Commodore 64 into a home automation system,  insights on water use during the pandemic,  more integrations from RoomMe, and funding for Drop’s kitchen operating system. We also touch on industrial news with a scaled-out Bluetooth deployment and PTC, Microsoft, and Rockwell Automation offering Factory Insights as a service. Kevin then shares some thoughts on the next big things necessary for smart homes to advance. Finally, we hear from a listener who wants to find a way to make his smoke alarms smarter. Lutron adds smart wooden blinds to its Serena line of smart window coverings. Image courtesy of Lutron. Our guest this week is Andrew Farah, CEO of Density, a startup that provides sensors for people tracking. We last chatted more than five years ago and since then he’s built out the company, created a product for commercial real estate and found time to advocate for building IoT products that are anonymous by design. We talk about how companies are using his service and sensors to keep occupancy rates below the legal limits during the pandemic and why sensors are much better than cameras. You’ll enjoy the show. Hosts: Stacey Higginbotham and Kevin Tofel Guest: Andrew Farah, CEO of Density Sponsors: Calix and Very IBM’s decision to stop selling facial recognition software is a start This enterprise hub can read 12,000 Bluetooth tags in a minute Three things that will move the smart home forward This sensor has 800 components and can tell how many people are in a room Why we need to build things with anonymity at the forefront The post Episode 272: Let’s talk about anonymity by design appeared first on IoT Podcast - Internet of Things.

11 Juni 202057min

This week’s show kicks off with a discussion of what’s happening in the U.S. with protests, police brutality, and the role connected tech can play in smart cities, including the role image recognition can and does play. We then tackle the IoT news starting with Nest’s addition of Google’s advanced protection program and a GPS tracker that seems like a good buy. Then we discuss funding for a smart oven, a pool sensor, another HomeKit enabled security camera, a subscription service for monitoring the health of your HVAC system, cheap sensors, and a new doorbell from Wyze. We then move onto Amazon killing the Echo Look camera and its new intercom feature before breaking out the deep science for windows that can adjust to different light levels automatically. In our IoT Podcast Hotline segment, we answer a question about using a connected sprinkler to ward off animals. The nutrition-style label that helps users figure out how secure a connected device is. This week’s guest is Lorrie Cranor, director of the CyLab Security and Privacy Institute at Carnegie Mellon University, who is on the show discussing the newly created nutrition-style label researchers created for IoT devices. Researchers tried to convey about 47 relevant pieces of information that relate to a device’s security and privacy qualifications and crammed as many as they could onto an easy-to-read-label that’s designed to fit on a product’s packaging. The label doesn’t convey all 47 elements, but it does capture several key pieces of information about how long a device will get security updates, the types of sensors it has, and how the company treats its data. Other elements are relegated to a deeper privacy fact sheet that a consumer can access via a web site or QR code. Cranor explains the label, the methodology, and asks for help turning the research into something useful for the industry at large. Let’s make it happen. Hosts: Stacey Higginbotham and Kevin Tofel Guest:  Lorrie Cranor, director of the CyLab Security and Privacy Institute at Carnegie Mellon University Sponsors: Calix and Edge Impulse We need to talk about how to enforce laws when IoT can see everything This is a really nice GPS tracker for the masses $10 Zigbee sensors? Yes, please! What should a security label measure? How can we get this label on our devices? The post Episode 271: Surveillance scares and a nutrition label for IoT security appeared first on IoT Podcast - Internet of Things.

4 Juni 202055min

This week’s show starts off with Wink’s new pricing plan (although it feels less like a plan and more like watching a toddler trying to chase a soccer ball.) After that, we talk about Wemo’s decision to address a known security issue by pushing users to create accounts, We also discuss the future of remote work and augmented reality as filtered through an industrial lens and as planned by Mark Zuckerberg. In other news, SoftBank is trying to sell industrial IoT software company OSISoft, while NXP has a new CEO. Professional smart home provider Savant says it will acquire GE’s Lighting biz, and we have thoughts. Plus, Kevin actually reviews a few GE smart bulbs. We close by answering a question about what to use instead of Wink. Wemo is asking users to adopt accounts to improve security. This week’s guest is Vahid Manian, the COO of Morse Micro, a company building a radio chip for Wi-Fi HaLow. If you are unfamiliar with the standard, that’s because after the Wi-Fi Alliance launched it in 2017, no one got excited about the so-called Wi-Fi for IoT. So far, I can’t think of a single company pushing forward with Wi-Fi HaLow devices or silicon, outside of Morse Micro. But Manian explains what Wi-Fi HaLow is good for, and why we might see it used for sending video over longer distances. I don’t know if I’m sold, but he says we can expect some devices using the tech in the middle of next year, so I’m willing to wait and see. Enjoy the show. Hosts: Stacey Higginbotham and Kevin Tofel Guest: Vahid Manian, the COO of Morse Micro Sponsors: Calix and Edge Impulse My dysfunctional relationship with Wink AR for work can be smart, but shouldn’t be surveillance Why Savant is buying GE Lighting and GE is selling What the heck is Wi-Fi HaLow? How many versions of Wi-Fi do we need? The post Episode 270: Wink is a bad boyfriend and what about Wi-Fi HaLow? appeared first on IoT Podcast - Internet of Things.

28 Maj 202049min