Episode 437: Goodbye and good luck

This is the final episode of The Internet of Things Podcast, and to send us off after eight years, we don’t discuss the big news of the day such as Arm’s planned IPO, a new display option from Brilliant, or new gear from Leviton. Instead we share our reasons for stepping back from the show, and where we’re heading next. Also, because everyone wants some new podcasts or IoT news options, we share some of our favorite resources. On the podcast side, I sometimes listen to the Mr. Beacon Show or The IoT Podcast. We also read The Verge, TechHive, The Ambient, and The Journal of Innovation published by the Industrial IoT Consortium. We both stop in at r/smarthome and r/homeautomation on Reddit, and I’ll read anything by James Blackman over at RCR Wireless for industrial IoT news. I also check out the Axios Pro Rata newsletter from Dan Primack to see fundings and sales, and subscribe to Target is New by Iskander Smit for thoughtful takes on IoT, AI, and design. There are many other options out there, but we didn’t want to make our goodbye episode any longer. To close out the show we answered our last listener question on what we think makes a complete smart home and our thoughts on future innovation that will keep the industry moving forward.

After we started the show full-time in 2016, I never had matching light switches again. Image courtesy of S. Higginbotham.

Our guest this week is Jennifer Pattison Tuohy from The Verge. I’ve known Jenn for almost a decade from her work covering the smart home for a variety of publications. She is smart, tries everything she writes about, and has the history in covering technology to see the bigger picture. She’s on the show to talk about where the smart home is today, the state of Matter, and what business models are likely to work for connected home devices. She gives us some insights into some cool things the Connectivity Standards Alliance is planning, her thoughts about smart home infrastructure versus devices, and even shares her current smart home setup. It’s the perfect note on which to end the show.

Hosts: Stacey Higginbotham and Kevin Tofel
Guest: Jennifer Pattison Tuohy from The Verge

  • Why we’re saying goodbye.
  • What to read or listen to when we’re gone.
  • What we’re looking forward to in IoT innovations.
  • What might be next for Matter.
  • What Jenn Tuohy from The Verge has in her home.

 

 

 

Episode 436: Can Alexa (and the smart home) stand on its own?

Amazon’s head of devices, David Limp, plans to retire as part of a wave of executives that have been leaving Amazon in the last year. Also, next year Alexa and the Amazon Echo will be 10 years old, which prompted us to take a look at the role Alexa and the Amazon Echo have played in the smart home, along with what has and hasn’t changed. Our concerns about the state of the smart home are perfectly illustrated by this review of the Mill composting system created by Nest co-founder Matt Rodgers, and the news that Masonite is now selling its expensive smart door at Home Depot. There’s positive news as well, as the FCC releases its Notice of Proposed Rule Making for the IoT cybersecurity label. Y’all have 30 days to comment, so get on it. Then we talk about Microsoft’s discovery of a new set of vulnerabilities affecting industrial equipment, and a new company that will become a secondary source of Z-Wave chips. Kevin also shared his review of the Homey Pro smart home hub, which is expensive but allows users to control their devices locally. Finally, we answer a listener question about what light bulb a woodworker should use in a lamp he’s trying to build.

The Masonite smart door is on sale at Home Depot. Image courtesy of Masonite.

Our guest this week is Mariusz Malkowski, founder and CTO of Trident IoT, who tells us about the company’s origin and what it means for the Z-Wave community. He also explains how Matter will work with Z-Wave, and the importance of bridging between the two standards. We discuss the future of Z-Wave, including the plans for Z-Wave Long Range and planned security upgrades. We then cover how Trident is going to build Z-Wave chips, but also how it will focus on building or integrating other smart home radio protocols into devices, and will act as a Z-Wave certification house as well. Enjoy the show.

Hosts: Stacey Higginbotham and Kevin Tofel
Guests: Mariusz Malkowski, founder and CTO of Trident IoT
SponsorsSkyhawk

  • David Limp’s departure from Amazon inspires a smart home reckoning
  • Are expensive doors and compost services the future of the connected devices?
  • The Homey Pro is an expensive hub with privacy in mind
  • Why a new chipmaker could boost the Z-Wave standard
  • Trident IoT is building a new type of chip company

Episode 435: How Honeywell is approaching TinyML

This week we make a big announcement about the podcast and newsletter. Get ready! Then we talk about the issues with Matter and who’s to blame. We lay out the challenges that both we and The Verge have highlighted with Thread credentialing, and talk about uneven device support. It’s a mess. Other messy topics include the prospect of hacked radiation sensors in Chernobyl, as reported by Kim Zetter. Then we get chippy, discussing the new RISC-V company that Qualcomm, NXP, Infineon, and others are backing, and the proposed sale of an IoT module business to Renesas. A drone startup is building an on-demand drone network that looks like a satellite network, and we have thoughts. We also discuss Kevin’s experience and reaction to our audience’s comments on his transition to Home Assistant. Then, we highlight some tips to help you prep your home ahead of smart energy management programs. Finally, we answer a listener question about the Amazon Echo Show and devices that might work with it.

Home Assistant energy monitoring. Image courtesy of K. Tofel

Our guest this week is  Muthu Sabarethinam, VP AI/ML product and services with Honeywell, who is on the show to talk about TinyML. We start off discussing how Honeywell is thinking about using data from equipment to build services, and then segue into talking about how Honeywell might use TinyML located on sensors. Sabarethinam explains the reasons Honeywell wants algorithms that can run directly on a sensor, and how it will help with security, power, and latency. He also shares his thoughts on how companies should package their algorithms to make it easier to deploy TinyML at scale. For perspective, Honeywell supports more than a million sensors in the field that could all use TinyML. We conclude by talking about business models and how customers want to access data. It’s a great show.

Hosts: Stacey Higginbotham and Kevin Tofel
Guest: Muthu Sabarethinam, VP AI/ML product and services with Honeywell
Sponsors: Wilderness Labs and Skyhawk

  • We’re hitting pause on the podcast later this month
  • Sensors can lie, so how should we offset that risk?
  • Why RISC-V is getting so much love
  • Why Honeywell wants local AI on industrial sensors
  • How to think about building AI sensors that can scale

 

Episode 434: So many new hubs, and a primer on LPWANs

This week’s show kicks off with a surprising revelation from Kevin, who has decided to swap out his smart home platform. He explains his choice, which also may represent a theme of sorts, as we see more and more high-end smart home hubs hit the market. We discuss the HOOBS Pro device and the Homey Pro, both of which cram a bunch of different radios into one powerful box. Then we talk about California’s Privacy Protection Agency and its decision to investigate how connected car companies are using consumers’ data. Do connected car companies violate California’s 2018 privacy law? After that we dig into a new report about the troubles facing OT and IT security professionals, and marvel over a water-soluble PCB board that might help address some of the challenges associated with e-waste. The board isn’t destined for large scale production or IoT devices yet, but we applaud any effort to bring more easily recycled electronics to the market. Finally, we hear from Signify’s CEO that the maker of Philips Hue devices is planning a video camera for a home security offering. We close the first segment with a pair of comments from our listeners responding to last week’s question about turning off lights using a sensor.

Infineon is testing out a water-soluble PCB board. Image courtesy of Infineon.

Our guest this week is Alexis Susset, the CTO of UnaBiz. He’s on the show to explain the value of Low-Power Wide-Area networks and Unabiz’s plans to offer many LPWANs under one roof. He shares how the acquisition of Sigfox’s assets last year helped give Unabiz the credibility it needed to create deals with other LPWAN providers to share their networks. He also does a deep dive into the pros and cons of various available LPWAN technologies such as Sigfox, LoRaWAN, and cellular. Finally, we talk about the rise of satellite networks for IoT devices and whether or not we’ll need any more LPWAN technologies in the near future. Enjoy the show.

Hosts: Stacey Higginbotham and Kevin Tofel
Guests: Alex Susset, the CTO of UnaBiz
Sponsors: Wilderness Labs and Skyhawk

  • Kevin switches to Home Assistant, and even his wife likes it
  • Hubs are back, baby
  • Criminals are still hacking enterprise networks and critical infrastructure
  • How Sigfox helped UnaBiz make deals with other LPWAN providers
  • Why IoT devices might benefit from specialized satellite

Episode 432: How to make IoT more consumer-friendly

This week we dig in on two topics that will make the internet of things friendlier for consumers. The first is the newly announced cybersecurity label plan from the White House that will create a way for consumers to see if their planned IoT purchase meets adequate cybersecurity standards. The second is our suggestion that device makers plan for failure when building a smart product, to help prevent consumers from spending hundreds or thousands on a connected device only to see it lose functionality when the manufacturer shuts down or sells. This happened recently for folks who spent $5,000 on VanMoof bikes and for folks who spent about $225 for a connected BBQ controller from iKamand. The iKamand app was turned off without notice to subscribers about 18 months after the company was purchased by Middleby Corp. Then we switch to a lighter topic. Literally, as we discuss LiFi and what the newly created IEEE standard for the tech may mean for the IoT. Then we discuss smaller news items such as funding for an IoT device that attaches to mobility aids to predict falls, Leviton updating devices to work with Matter, a new global eSIM plan for IoT devices from Verizon, and a new dev board that combines Arduino and Espressif’s ESP32. Finally, we answer a listener question about smart light bulb sockets.

The U.S. Cyber Trust Mark could indicate that your next IoT device meets select security requirements. Image courtesy of the FCC.

Our guest this week is Steve Hanna, a distinguished engineer at Infineon and the chair of the security working group at the Connectivity Standards Alliance. He’s on the show to tell us more about the need for a voluntary, government cybersecurity mark for devices, and explain why developing such a mark is so difficult. We talk about the FCC’s role in managing the program, the time frame for a mark, and how the government plans to think about keeping up with the always-changing security landscape. We also discuss how Infineon’s customers are changing their views about IoT security labels, and how the mark relates to work done by the Arm’s PSA security standard and the security elements that are part of the Matter standard. It’s a good interview, made better by the fact that Hanna sounds just like Mr. Rogers.

Hosts: Stacey Higginbotham and Kevin Tofel
Guest: Steve Hanna, a distinguished engineer at Infineon
Sponsors: Wilderness Labs and Particle

  • Why we want a U.S. Cyber Trust Mark for consumer devices
  • What happened to this smart BBQ controller?
  • Leviton embraces Matter for its switches
  • Badges, QR codes, and building a layered mark for cybersecurity
  • Where will privacy fit into any security mark or standard?

 

 

 

Episode 428: How to add ChatGPT to the smart home

This week’s podcast tackles Kevin’s real-world experience with the Google Pixel tablet and speaker dock. He liked the tablet, but as a smart home accessory it’s lacking, which is what we had originally anticipated. But it’s still a bummer, because I want a good Google Home display option as Google deprecates third-party Google Home display devices. Then we talk about a couple smart energy products including Dracula Technologies’ new energy harvesting technology that can “suck” even more power from sunlight, Savant’s new energy storage device for homes, and a smart plug from EcoFlow that connects to Kevin’s existing rechargeable battery. The industrial internet of things gets a mention thanks to IDC putting out a new report estimating that total spending on IIoT will be $1 trillion in 2026. Get on it. We then get a bit random, discussing smart water filtration stations, and what Broadcom’s new Wi-Fi 7 chips means for Wi-Fi and for smartphones, before hitting a Thread-enabled dev kit using an ESP32 and Philips Hue bulbs getting a feature tweak. We close the news segment by answering a listener question about connecting Zigbee bulbs between IKEA’s and Home Assistant’s platforms.

Image courtesy of IDC.

This week’s guest is Ran Roth, CEO and co-founder of Sensibo, a maker of smart HVAC controllers. The add-on devices connect to window units, mini splits and other A/C and heating units that use IR controllers. We talk about smart energy and the road the company has taken since its founding in 2014. But most of our conversation focuses on how Sensibo is using ChatGPT to improve the user experience with its devices. Roth also hints at other potential use cases for ChatGPT that are less intuitive, and explains how he thinks the availability of large language models will help companies that have access to them use their data more easily. He likens it to the shift that Amazon’s cloud computing had on innovation after AWS launched cloud computing (EC2) in 2006. He then talks about what he’s learned so far and the concerns people have around AI and privacy. It’s a good show.

Hosts: Stacey Higginbotham and Kevin Tofel
Guest: Ran Roth, CEO and co-founder of Sensibo
Sponsors: Blynk and Particle

  • As expected, Google’s Pixel tablet isn’t a major improvement for the smart home
  • Better energy harvesting from Dracula sucks more power from light
  • Broadcom’s chips could lead to smartphones with Zigbee or Thread
  • How Sensibo is using ChatGPT to parse a lot of data
  • What Sensibo has learned about using generative AI

 

Episode 425: Smarter grocery stores are coming

Krogers and Walmart are both expanding various IoT devices to more of their stores as part of a larger shift in how connectivity and intelligence will change how we shop. Walmart is deploying electronic shelf labels in 500 stores while Kroger is installing Cooler Screens’ connected refrigerator doors that replace the glass doors with a screen and uses optical sensors to track when people are walking by a case to show them ads. We talk about how these changes may or may not benefit shoppers and why broad deployment may also lead to better broadband quality. Then Kevin shares his dreams of a home robot and the launch of an easier way to program embedded hardware from Microsoft. We also look at the history of the Internet of Bees with news from Sateliot, and focus on projects from Microsoft, Oracle, and many others. In smaller news, Wyze has a new outdoor light with AI features, NXP has a new line of industrial application processors, Amazon is getting rid of celebrity voices, and Level debuts a connected doorbell product for multifamily units. We’re going to see more smart home companies pivot toward apartments in the next few years. There’s also a new Mirai variant spreading across IoT devices. Finally, we answer a listener question about installing low-voltage wiring during a home renovation.

Cooler Screens makes doors for cold storage that can show shoppers what’s inside. Image courtesy of Cooler Screens.

Our guest this week is Nate Williams, founder and managing partner at Union Labs VC. He’s on the show to answer my questions about the current fundraising environment for startups. We talk about what it takes to raise an early round of funding, and why venture capital firms are reluctant to invest in new companies while they try to figure out what their existing investments need. He also mentions that Union Labs is raising a second fund, and discusses what areas he’s excited about. We then discuss the hype around generative AI and what he’s looking for in AI investments. We end with our thinking about the current state of smart home investments. Enjoy the show.

Hosts: Stacey Higginbotham and Kevin Tofel
Guest: Nate Williams, founder and managing partner at Union Labs VC
Sponsors: Particle and Kudelski IoT

  • Will smart store technology benefit retailers or consumers?
  • Microsoft’s DeviceScript is a cool software tool for embedded devices
  • A brief history of the Internet of Bees
  • A closer look at the venture market for those seeking funding
  • If you’re selling AI to investors, you need a moat

 

Episode 423: Why Wemo is a no go for us

We start this week’s show with a conversation about Latch, the company that is acquiring Jamie Siminoff’s stealth startup. Siminoff, who also founded Ring, left Amazon (which had acquired Ring in 2018) this week ahead of the planned deal. He will become the CEO of Latch after the deal closes. Then we discuss Google I/O and wonder why we didn’t hear more about Google Assistant, and explore what it means to bring large language models to the smart home. Surveillance is a possibility. And for residents of public housing in the U.S., surveillance is a reality as landlords use cameras and AI to evict residents for minor infractions. They are weaponizing the internet of things. Also in depressing news, we recommend you never buy Belkin Wemo gear again and toss the Wemo gear you own after poor handling of security vulnerabilities by the company. In smaller news, Infineon has purchased TinyML company Imagimob, Amazon has lost a robotics executive and launched new Echo gear, and Eve has two new products. Finally, we answer a listener question about a message users might hear from their Google devices as Google sunsets a program called Conversational Actions.

Amazon introduced a new Echo device called the Echo Pop that will sell for $39.99. Image courtesy of Amazon.

Our guest this week is Doug Roberson, the chief operating officer at Shelly. We talk about Shelly and its history, as well as the products it offers. Roberson explains Shelly’s focus on relays designed to connect outlets and light switches with sensors and other devices to manage electrical consumption in homes and businesses. He talks about how enterprises are using Shelly’s products and what consumers can do with them. He also gives us a tutorial on connecting your dryer to the internet to detect when your clothes are done. We end with an update on Matter and a sneak peek at coming Shelly products, including a water shut-off device. Enjoy the show.

Hosts: Stacey Higginbotham and Kevin Tofel
Guest: Doug Roberson, the chief operating officer at Shelly
Sponsors: Computex and Blues Wireless

  • Latch has a bunch of issues. Will Siminoff solve them?
  • Google Assistant was missing at Google I/O
  • When smart cameras can see everything, which laws do police enforce?
  • We recommend Shelly gear often, what is this company?
  • Shelly’s U.S. business has an enterprise, integrator, and DIY audience

Episode 421: Amazon adds Thread and beefs up Alexa

Amazon has turned on the Thread-capabilities inside its Echo devices so they can support the Matter smart home interoperability standard in its totality, so Kevin and I talk about what that will and won’t do for smart home users. It’s also the moment I give up on my dreams for the Matter specification. We also discuss the end of the Amazon Halo products, and plans to make Alexa savvier by updating the large language model behind the digital assistant. Then we talk about Arm’s plans for an initial public offering and a new report from Forrester on the state of the IoT. After that, we talk about Google and Apple teaming up to help prevent stalkers from using AirTags and other tracking devices, and the return of a rumored Nest tracking device. Then we mention Abode’s integration with Google’s Nest devices, and Kevin reviews the SwitchBot Hub 2 (with Matter) and BlindTilt. We end by answering a listener question about Level locks and its plans to support Matter.

Forrester says that four out of five organizations are in the process of adopting or have plans to adopt IoT.

Our guest this show is Jonathan Beri, who is the founder and CEO of Golioth, a platform to link hardware to the cloud. Golioth recently raised $4.6 million in a tough funding environment, so we talk a bit about what Beri plans to do with the money. But the bulk of our conversation touches on the changes happening in the embedded world as connectivity gets added to more devices. Beri provides historical context to help explain why the embedded world and OT staff have been so slow to adopt the Internet of things, and then expresses his hopes that the phrase IoT will simply fade into the background as connectivity becomes assumed. Before we can get to that place, he explains what vendors, developers and buyers need to think about from security to business processes. It’s a good show.

Hosts: Stacey Higginbotham and Kevin Tofel
Guest: Jonathan Beri , founder and CEO of Golioth
Sponsors: Computex and Blues Wireless

  • Amazon adds Matter, kills Halo, invests in Alexa
  • What worries enterprises about the IoT?
  • SwitchBot’s devices are surprisingly useful in Kevin’s opinion
  • Virtual PLCs and standard radios indicate a big shift in embedded computing
  • Bringing IT skills to the embedded world will make it safer

Episode 417: We need a standard for aging in place

This week’s podcast is focused on IoT infrastructure, with our first conversation explaining the upcoming 6G cellular connectivity standard. After that, we discuss sales of IoT connectivity chips and modules, and the leaders in each category before moving on to low-power wide area network news from Unabiz, which is open sourcing the code for Sigfox. Then we talk about smart home systems and devices for aging in place, and what we’d like to see for products in this category. The bad news is we need a standard that no one is currently developing, but the good news is we think people will pay a subscription for these devices, so there’s a reason to create that standard. Security is our next hot topic with news from DoorBird, then an ultrasonic exploit, a garage door exploit, and a Wi-Fi exploit. We then discuss the market update from the Bluetooth SIG. Finally, we answer a listener question about which new Matter or Zigbee light bulbs to buy.

The Bluetooth SIG expects Bluetooth to gain the biggest market share in the smart home as a means of connecting appliances and in lighting. Chart courtesy of the Bluetooth SIG. 

Our guest this week is Tarun Gupta, the chief product officer at Skylo, a company that is using existing satellite infrastructure to converge satellite and cellular networks. Gupta explains what satellite connectivity is good for in the IoT, and how we can expect convergence between the cellular and satellite networks to occur. He also explains why Apple’s and Qualcomm’s satellite approaches differ from other options out there, and how the latest release of the LTE standard will drive the convergence between cellular and satellite networks. We then discuss the concerns around space trash and whether companies need to own their own constellation of satellites. Enjoy the show.

Hosts: Stacey Higginbotham and Kevin Tofel
Guest: Tarun Gupta, the chief product officer at Skylo
Sponsors: OnLogic and Silicon Labs

  • Why 6G is ready-made for the industrial IoT
  • We need a Matter-like standard for devices aimed at aging in place
  • DoorBird’s new firewall is an interesting approach to security risks
  • Why satellite connectivity is everywhere this year
  • These are the best use cases for satellite coverage in IoT