The Internet of Things Podcast - Stacey On IoT

This week’s podcast covers our thinking on Amazon’s new Sidewalk network , but not the devices the retailer launched on Thursday. As part of the network conversation, we also discussed LoRaWAN network operator Senet’s new $16 million in funding before detailing three upcoming products from Wyze . We then talked about sharing Alexa routines , Google’s new mystery product , I...

This week’s show kicks off with Kevin and I discussing Nvidia’s $40 billion plan to buy ARM . After that, we talk about Google’s upcoming event , a gesture interface for Nest thermostats , and the news from the Apple event . From there we talk about alternatives to IFTTT in case you don’t want to pay for a Pro plan, and then dive into news on IoT security from down under ,...

This week the show starts with an overview on IFTTT’s new paid plan and then dives into the recent update on Project Connected Home over IP . There’s not a lot of news, but the effort is still progressing, which is something . We also discuss the new long-range Z-Wave standard ,  a new court ruling on geofencing data collection, and Apple’s upcoming event . We then discuss the ch...

This week’s show starts off with the FBI’s concerns about the Ring doorbell , then news about Apple and Google making their COVID-19 exposure notification framework easier for states to use. We discuss consolidation in the smart apartment market , vulnerabilities in Microsoft’s Azure Sphere and then dive into a heap of newly launched devices. First up is the Amazon Halo wearable...

ARM is back in our news lineup this week, as Kevin and I discuss who might be interested in buying the chip design company and why it decided not to spin out its IoT assets . We also talk about a new lock that opens with a touch, biometrics on other locks , and Fitbit’s new wearables . Some Roomba vacuums received a new update that makes them easier to control via voice and we talk about app...

This week’s show kicks off with the Bluetooth SIG’s effort to bring Bluetooth-based contact tracing to individuals who might not have phones, and then segues into what’s behind the Z-Wave Alliance’s organizational shakeup .  After that, we pause to remember the passing of Verizon’s IoT platform dreams and cover the end (or maybe just a momentary pause) of Alphabet&#82...

This week on the IoT podcast we begin by talking about what the widespread adoption of ultrawideband chips in phones could mean for the IoT. From there, it’s on to Google’s always-listening software update , humans coming back into the QA loop , and earthquake detection on Android phones (there’s another earthquake project too!). Kevin also asks how much control you have over you...

This week’s show kicks off with us talking about Johnson Controls buying the remaining stake it didn’t hold in security company Qolsys and parallels with Google’s big partnership and investment with ADT . From there Kevin and I share a bit about our own smart home experiences, starting with my Alexa-related temper tantrum. Kevin then shares how his outdoor Wyze Cam fared during H...

This week Kevin and I start the show with our thoughts on CES going digital , and then turn to subscriptions for smart products, specifically tied to the news that the Mellow sous vide is now charging for functionality that had been free. We then move on to pandemic-era fundings for Density , Withings , and connected fitness company Tempo . Rite-Aid face recognition , a new Alexa app (yay!) challe...

This week’s show digs into the announcements made during Amazon’s Alexa Live event held Wednesday . We explain the Connect Kit hardware and Alexa skill upgrades and try to offer a bit of context about what it means for users and developers. After that, we move to Wyze’s ask for donations and our fears over its business model. Then Kevin and I talk about big soda bringing QR codes...

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 SiteW...

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...

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...

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’ evolutio...

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 perso...

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 f...

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 di...

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 p...

This week’s show is all about Seattle-area companies. First up, Wyze wants to raise money, so it shared its sales from last year and plans for 30 more smart home products. Kevin and I talk about the company and its impact on the industry. Then we shift to Microsoft and its Build event, which took place this week. We discuss the IoT news including Azure RTOS , an update to Azure IoT Central (...

This week’s show is all about subscriptions! First Kevin and I share thoughts on Wink’s decision to charge a subscription fee after giving customers a week’s notice and threatening to shut down their devices if they don’t convert. We also detail Nest’s new subscription plan and keep on the Alphabet/Google topic by discussing the end of the Toronto smart city effort fr...

This week on the show, Kevin and I start with a potential privacy bill in the Senate related to COVID-19 track and trace and then discuss the challenges legislation and Bluetooth track-trace efforts will face . We then talk about a possible acquisition by Microsoft of an industrial IoT security company . Kevin shared his hope for a smart home with common sense based on advances in AI research befo...

ARM is expanding access to its chip designs to startups that have raised less than $5 million through its Flexible Access program . Kevin and I explain why this is a big deal and then go on to discuss a new gesture-based interface that could be either a gimmick or a gamechanger. From there we talk about the pandemic delaying Ford’s self-driving car plans , the closure of PetNet , and the acq...

This week Kevin and I dig into two sets of best practices for privacy and data collection relating to track-and-trace programs enacted on our devices. One is from Microsoft , and the other is from MIT . We also talk about Ring asking users if they want the ability to read license plates in their security cameras and offer some insights about the recently launched update to the Ring Alarm system ....

This week’s Internet of Things Podcast kicks off with a discussion of all the ways that IoT companies are evolving their products and pitches for the pandemic. We cover handwashing sensors , door sensors , and Raspberry Pis before moving onto discuss the Apple and Google contact tracing efforts . Then it’s on to product news from Ecobee (the new security camera, sensors, and service);...

Kevin and I kick off the show with the news that Google is moving ahead on its local control for certain smart home devices , which will be helpful for people who want faster response times and a bit more privacy. We also discuss the FCC’s approval to make Wi-Fi 6 E spectrum available . From there we speculate about the Ring Doorbox and Apple Tags products before jumping into news from Ecobe...