The Internet of Things Podcast - Stacey On IoT

We’re heading into the holidays with a guest appearance from my family who share their thoughts on what it’s like to live in a smart home, the products they like and what’s missing so far. My husband has been on the show before, but I also invited my 10-year-old daughter on to talk about her favorite toys and what she thinks of Philips Hue bulbs and the Amazon Echo (and Google Ho...

There was so much news this week, that we skipped having a guest in favor of just keeping track of some big moves in the sector. This week was Google’s time to shine since it launched both Actions on Google (an SDK for talking to its Assistant on Google Home) and its IoT operating system plus the Weave communications protocol. Not to be topped Microsoft released an SDK for Cortana it’s...

Get the bottom line on the Bluetooth 5 specification with Kevin and I in this week’s podcast. If radios aren’t your thing, then delve into the details of connected lights and new features with Amazon Echo and Google Home. We also talk about GE’s new Alexa concept light . (We think it’s strange-looking). We also cover the end of Pebble, the new Amazon Go store and a new ener...

Gosh, it’s another week and another show that features security. We kick it off with this week’s news that features ransomware , botnets and a report from the Department of Homeland security discussing the internet of things. Kevin and I then touch on Intel’s new IoT chief and new Automated Driving Group as well as a bunch of Amazon Echo news . Finally, I discuss my impressions o...

‘Tis almost the season to offer gifts large and small for the loved ones in your life. In the podcast, Kevin and I focus mostly on larger gifts, because once you add connectivity the price takes a big jump. We also discuss Black Friday deals. Vibhu Norby, the CEO of B8ta , is on the show to share some of his gift picks. They range from $3,000 (get two!) to $30. Hopefully we can inspire you i...

We recorded last week’s podcast before the election results came out, so this week Kevin and I kick off the show with some thoughts on what Trump means for smart homes and the industrial internet. Then we hit gadgets hard with news about Eero routers getting a big update, the trouble with Google’s troubleshooting and resolution for my Google Home issue. I review the June oven , discuss...

The Google Home arrived this week and I detail a few first impressions here. Kevin Tofel and I also came up with a sneaky way to control a wider variety of devices using If This Then That and the Google Home. We kicked off the show talking about the recent hack of the Philips Hue light bulbs and then covered the Nest appliance news. We also discussed a new mindfulness device I’m testing , Ta...

This week’s podcast is light on the smart home and heavy on the infrastructure required to make the internet of things work. Kevin and I explain why Qualcomm’s $37 billion buy of NXP makes sense, the details behind NB-IoT , which is yet another low power wireless network and how Microsoft is stepping up to protect security for the internet of things . Speaking of security, we also talk...

Security was the big topic this week after a massive botnet comprised of connected devices disrupted many popular internet services. I hated the thought of all connected devices coming under attack, so I wrote a bit about the realities of IoT security here and also here . As part of my effort to understand what was going on I interviewed Andy Ellis, Akamai’s chief security officer about what...

The second version of the Wink hub, complete with an Ethernet connection, Bluetooth and a $99 price tag is out, and I started testing it. The good news so far for folks who have existing Wink gear is in this week’s show, along with my take on the new, richer color Philips Hue bulbs. For those seeking the latest in thermostats, we discuss the new, cheaper Ecobee Lite , the Honeywell Lyric T5...

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 smar...

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...

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...

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 ha...

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 Hom...

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 n...

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 bec...

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 ta...

Hell hath frozen over at Intel, with the big news this week that Intel has taken an ARM license so it can manufacture ARM-based chips. We talk about what this news means for Intel, its IoT strategy and more. We also try to make sense of Fucshia , a reportedly new OS that Google has dumped in Github. And for those less enamored of the big companies’ strategies, I also share my review of the B...

Ransomware on a connected thermostat . Bluetooth locks that can be opened from a quarter-mile away. Cars that can be controlled at highway speeds. All of this and a Mr. Robot reference await you in this week’s show as I discuss the news from Defcon and BackHat with Beau Woods, the deputy director of the Cyber Statecraft Initiative at the Atlantic Council. Woods’ advice for consumers wa...

Wearables make a return to the podcast with Philips’ news of a suite of medical-grade devices to measure health. Plus, I give my impressions of the UnderArmor Fitness box after a few months living with it. Kevin Tofel and I also talk about Black Hat and IoT security , including a $9.4 million grant to study the electromagnetic noise made by hacked devices as a means of detecting hacks. There...

The Amazon Echo is the gateway drug to the smart home for many folks. They start with Alexa and move to shopping for connected lights or outlets. So we brought Charlie Kindel, director of Alexa Smart Home at Amazon, on the show to discuss the Echo’s history, its future and what voice can and cannot do in the home. So turn off your Echo mics for this one because we couldn’t avoid saying...

Japanese conglomerate SoftBank making an offer to buy chip design firm ARM in a deal worth $32 billion kicks off our show this week, as Kevin and I weigh the merits and opportunities presented by the deal. We then skip over to ZenReach , the Wi-Fi provider that uses Wi-Fi as a means to capture more data about you. Kevin and I share some tips to ensure privacy. On a somewhat related note, the Feder...

For the first time since it became part of Google/Alphabet, Nest has released a new product. It’s an outdoor camera for home security . But Nest has added a bit of a twist. We discuss the $199 camera and the ideas behind it with Mehul Nariyawala, a product manager who was in charge in building the camera. The new Nest Cam Outdoor. Before we dig into the deets on Nest, Kevin Tofel and I share...

Insurance firms might be the savior of smart home technology. Because the price for many connected gadgets are so high, and consumers are uncertain if they are worth the investment, insurance discounts and programs are one way connected devices could find their way into a home. But they also could help the insurance companies totally transform their business. It used to be just about insuring some...