Category: standards

Episode 412: Playing with ChatGPT on Home Assistant

Details about how the U.S. government plans to disperse $39 billion in funding for chips was announced this week, so we discuss the details and what the funds mean for the IoT. Mobile World Congress took place in Barcelona this week, and amid the news about 5G networks there were several IoT-related bits worth mentioning such as Qualcomm outlining plans for millimeter-wave spatial sensing and Wi-Fi 7 updates. In satellite news, Qualcomm announced that its upcoming 5G modems would have satellite capability, and said several phone companies would use it to add emergency text messaging. Those modems will also find homes in IoT devices. Deutsche Telekom also announced satellite capability on its network thanks to a partnership with Intelsat and Skylo. Then we discuss whose responsibility it is to secure the smart home, and what you think depends on where you live. And in smaller news, we cover a new chip that provides wireless power for wearables, wireless security cameras that don’t use batteries, an update on the Google Nest deal with ADT, and the launch of fall detection on Pixel watches. Plus, I get salty about Google’s Fitbit acquisition. Finally, we answer a listener question about how to help someone in assisted living notice they have a phone call.

Image courtesy of the World Economic Forum.

Our guest this week is Paulus Schoutsen, founder of Home Assistant, the DIY, open source smart home platform. Schoutsen explains why this year is the “year of voice” for the platform and how to build an AI for users to speak in their own language for triggering automations (all without sharing data with third-party providers). He also shows off two new features; the first is using a HomePod to talk to Google Assistant over Home Assistant, and the second is using a generative language model like ChatGPT over a HomePod to create stories. We also talk about Matter and Home Assistant’s plans for a smart speaker or voice-capable device, as well as why you can’t easily buy Home Assistant Yellow, a pre-packaged box that already has the radios and software a beginner needs to run Home Assistant. It’s a good show.

Hosts: Stacey Higginbotham and Kevin Tofel
Guest: Paulus Schoutsen founder of Home Assistant
Sponsors: InfluxData and Silicon Labs

  • Childcare, chips and government grants
  • Mobile World Congress goes heavy on LPWANs and satellites
  • Smart home security is your responsibility if you live in the U.S.
  • Why your older gear may never get promised Matter support
  • Bowser takes on Minecraft in a demo of AI chat via a HomePod Mini

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: RSS

Episode 411: IoT is ready to tackle data privacy

The Connectivity Standards Alliance is back in the news this week with the launch of a new working group focused on data privacy, which we’re super pumped about. Also in privacy news, Tile has released a new anti-stalking feature that requires users to register their tags and fines them if they use it for bad behavior. Location tracking, especially at a few meters or centimeters, will be a big topic at the Mobile World Congress event next week, starting with news of a new Qualcomm Aware cloud platform for the IoT and Nokia and Bosch trying out centimeter-level accuracy. We also discuss a new survey from the Eclipse Foundation focused on enterprise IoT and edge computing adoption. In smaller news we discuss a new product designed to track the use of open source software in IoT products and the importance of software bills of material thanks to new data from Synopsys. There’s a new smart button from Soracom and Unabiz that uses LTE Cat-M and also a refresh for Samsung’s Bixby voice assistant. Finally, we answer a listener question about how Matter will affect cloud connections.

The latest survey from the Eclipse Foundation shows that IoT deployments are approaching greater scale.

Our guest this week is Mohammed Ansari, senior director of business development of 5G and IoT at Qualcomm. He’s on the show to talk about the new Qualcomm Aware platform that the chip maker announced this week. The Aware platform is designed to be a cloud-based IoT service that ties into Qualcomm’s chips to provide telemetry, device management and services such as precise positioning and optimizing the network connection based on the quality of local network options. Ansari explains why Qualcomm has chosen to build a cloud and why he thinks that customers will use it (even though chip firms have not historically had success launching software or service businesses). He also describes how two of Qualcomm’s prior acquisitions will fit within this cloud offering. Enjoy the show.

Hosts: Stacey Higginbotham and Kevin Tofel
Guest: Mohammed Ansari, Qualcomm
Sponsors: InfluxData and Silicon Labs

  • The CSA has launched a group to bring privacy to the IoT
  • Connectivity is still too hard for the IoT
  • Open source software is big in the IoT
  • Why Qualcomm has decided to launch an IoT cloud
  • What does Qualcomm Aware mean for other cloud providers?

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: RSS

Episode 409: ChatGPT takes on the smart home

This week’s show kicks off with our hopes for privacy in the wake of President Biden calling out tech firms during his State of The Union address. Biden was focused more on targeted ads and protecting children, but children’s’ data gets swept up in smart home devices as well, so there’s a chance. We then explore why Josh.ai is combining its voice assistant with ChatGPT and note that smart home forums are banning ChatGPT. Then we talk about a win for Amazon’s Sidewalk Network and how insurers might use it and a new Electronic Shelf Label standard from the Bluetooth SIG. In more wireless news, we discuss a new modem from Qualcomm that will benefit both the industrial IoT and wearables, such as AR glasses. Y’all may recall that I’ve been pleased that the U.S. has started regulating security for IoT devices, and it looks like some of its efforts are working. In smaller news, we cover a review of the Samsung SmartThings Station, an update on Apple’s HomeKit architecture change, and funding for InfluxData. Finally, we answer a listener question about options for open source tools to manage home energy consumption.

An example of an electronic shelf label. The Bluetooth SIG has created a wireless standard to connect these labels to data and power. Image courtesy of Bluetooth SIG.

Our guest this week is Jaser Faruq, Senior Vice President, Innovation at Schneider Electric, who is on the show to discuss why his company is betting big on smart home technology to manage energy consumption, storage and generation. We talk about the three reasons energy management is such an important feature for smart homes, and what it will take to get consumers to adopt it. We also talk about what role utilities will play in the development of a smarter grid and how long it will take before this becomes more mainstream. It’s an important topic, especially for those of y’all considering the purchase of an electric vehicle. Enjoy the show.

Hosts: Stacey Higginbotham and Kevin Tofel
Guest: Jaser Faruq, Senior Vice President, Innovation at Schneider Electric
Sponsors: InfluxData and Silicon Labs

  • Is the US government ready to regulate privacy? For real?
  • How might ChatGPT help solve problems in the smart home?
  • Qualcomm’s new modem is good for the industrial IoT
  • Is this a new era when electricity is a scare resource?
  • We’ll see a smarter electrical grid within the next five years

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: RSS

Episode 407: Does the IoT mean the end of privacy?

This week’s show kicks off with a discussion about Carnegie Mellon’s research into detecting people’s movements through walls using Wi-Fi. As part of the discussion we also talk about the use of stick figures to protect privacy and how little trust consumers have in companies when it comes to the use of their data. That lack of trust might explain why so few consumers connect their smart appliances, or perhaps it’s simply because appliance makers don’t offer consumers a good reason. We then share the results of our audience survey about how y’all create routines. Most of y’all (86%) use a hub rather than the device application. Reliability and funding for Memfault, a startup helping companies build more reliable connected devices, is the next topic of conversation, which also features a funny smart lock failure from a fellow smart home reporter. In smaller news, we talk about a security camera which will use the new Wi-Fi HaLOW standard, Google asking for opinions on Google Home, and new security settings to view Nest camera feeds. We also discuss Apple’s revamp of its botched HomeKit architecture update, and Kevin’s experience using the Apple AirPods Pro 2nd gen earbuds as a hearable device. Finally, we answer a listener question about how to set up a light or smart speaker notification to attract attention when an important person calls.

We asked, and 79 of y’all answered what hub system you use for creating smart home routines. Apparently, a lot of y’all use Hubitat.

Our guest this week is Matt Rogers, the co-founder and CEO of Mill, a startup using a connected kitchen bin to fight food waste. We talk about the problem of food waste and who will pay $33 a month for the bin and concurrent service. Rogers also explains the math behind the service, and talks about why he chose to use a subscription model to fund the business. He also tells me why this isn’t a composting device, since it’s designed to keep food in the food system, and explains why that is so important. Finally, he shares how challenging it was to build a hardware startup during the pandemic. It’s a fun chat.

Hosts: Stacey Higginbotham and Kevin Tofel
Guest: Matt Rogers, co-founder and CEO of Mill
Sponsor: Akenza

  • Researchers use Wi-Fi to track movement through walls
  • Half of us don’t connect our smart appliances
  • Maybe you don’t need hearing aids just yet?
  • Why Matt Rogers went from smart thermostats to fighting food waste
  • Rogers tried to keep manufacturing during the pandemic local

 

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: RSS

Episode 406: Return of the HomePod

This week’s show kicks off with a discussion of Apple’s new HomePod, which has some cool machine learning capabilities and new sensors built into it, plus a higher price tag than most smart speakers. Then we talk about a survey out of the UK that asked 119 appliance makers about their plans to continue updating software over the life of the appliance, finding out that some won’t commit to updates. A former Nest employee has a new connected composting startup that we have some questions about. Then we talk about some deals in the enterprise and industrial sector with the $1.2 billion acquisition of Sierra Wireless by Semtech completed, and a $7 billion hostile takeover of National Instruments by Emerson. In smaller news, we talk about what it means that Google’s new Chromecast 4K remote does away with batteries, Wyze’s new connected cameras that bring back the $20 price tag, and Kevin’s review of the Govee Smart Kettle purchased by his wife. Finally, we answer a listener question about motion sensors that don’t always work, which inspired us to create a survey asking where y’all build your smart home automations.

The new Apple HomePod will ship on Feb. 3. Image courtesy of Apple.

Our guest this week is Ivo Rook, COO of 1NCE, a company that provides device connectivity for 10 years at a cost of $10. Obviously this isn’t for smart phones or cameras, but for many IoT devices, this type of flat-rate pricing over a long time period makes it easy for developers to create a device and predict exactly how much it will cost to support. Rook discusses how the 1NCE mindset differs from the traditional carrier a-roach and explains the rationale behind a new operating system that 1NCE announced at CES. It’s not exactly an OS, but more of an abstraction layer for data traveling from the device to the cloud. It’s a good idea and the open, developer-friendly ethos 1NCE has is pretty exciting. Enjoy the show.

Hosts: Stacey Higginbotham and Kevin Tofel
Guest: Ivo Rook, COO of 1NCE
Sponsor: Silicon Labs

  • How long will your appliances get software updates?
  • Why Emerson would want National Instruments
  • Kevin’s wife bought a smart kettle, and it’s pretty cool
  • Rethinking the telco business model
  • Is the new 1NCE OS really an OS? Does it matter?

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: RSS

Episode 405: More CES trends including wireless power

Want to bring an IoT company back from the dead? Or understand the technical and business challenges associated with building an IoT product? Then this story by Kevin Chung is for you. Kevin and I  have left CES 2023 behind, but we had plenty of of things to talk about on this week’s show, starting with our sense of disappointment after the show. We also serve up some more news from CES tied to Matter, Leviton, Aqara, and new products from Shelly. Then we discuss the deal between John Deere and The American Farm Bureau Federation to give U.S. farmers the tools they need to repair their own farming equipment at fair and reasonable rates. We talk about what this deal does and does not make possible. We also focus on wireless power with news from Energous, Ossia and a door lock that we saw at CES that charges over the air. I can’t wait to get rid of charging cables, and batteries. We then answer a listener question about updating plugs and energy monitoring products to Matter.

The Aqara presence sensor will come out later this year and cost $60. Image is a screenshot from Aqara’s YouTube.

Our guest this week is Sanjay Gupta, president of the AirFuel Alliance. He’s on the show talking about the newly launched AirFuel RF standard, which provides up to 1 watt of power over a distance. We discuss what that means for convenience in terms of not having to replace batteries, and what it means for sustainability if we can eliminate batteries. We also talk about why over-the-air wireless power is actually real after more than a decade of hearing about it. It turns out we have companies such as Wiliot, Atmosic and others who are pioneering efficient computing and low power radios for IoT use cases to thank. Finally, we discuss when we’re likely to see wireless power become commonplace and where we’ll see it first. Enjoy the show.

Hosts: Stacey Higginbotham and Kevin Tofel
Guest: Sanjay Gupta, president of the AirFuel Alliance
Sponsor: Silicon Labs

  • What’s next for the Matter standard
  • Why this Aqara sensor is so cool
  • John Deere compromises on right to repair
  • Over-the-air wireless charging is ready for its close up
  • Low power chips help bring over-the-air wireless power closer

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: RSS

Episode 403: Matter upgrades aren’t ready for prime time

We tried Matter for the first time late last week, and have a lot to share with our listeners about what we and other journalists learned through the process. The early verdict is that most people should not update for a while because the process is tedious at best and downright frustrating at worst. But if you want to update, we provide tips. Then we focus on a story about iRobot’s Roomba vacuums that shows how a larger ecosystem of tech partners are taking device data and potentially sharing it in places consumers wouldn’t be comfortable with. Next up, we cover the acquisition of Notion by Pepper IoT, which wants to help insurers build policies around the smart home. We also cover some news bits such as an Amazon employee becoming the new chairman of Z-Wave Alliance, delays for the next generation of Raspberry Pi hardware, and further updates on the Eufy camera security snafus. We conclude the first segment of the show by answering a listener question about how far apart Thread devices should be in the home.

The Homey hub will launch in the U.S. at CES. Image courtesy of Homey.

Our guest this week is Stefan Witkamp, the commercial director at Athom, the company behind the Homey smart home hub. Witkamp explains Honey’s privacy-focused smart home hub and the plan to launch the latest generation of the Homey Pro hub at CES. This will be the first time Homey is available in the U.S. after six and half years of availability for the original Homey hub in Europe. Homey Pro has all of the radios that a smart home needs, including Thread and IR. For listeners who care about privacy, Witkamp explains how Athom created a business model that allows the company to respect user privacy. This means the $399 pro version of the hub is more expensive than other options on the market, and the cheaper version comes with a monthly subscription. We talk about what it costs to keep a home hub running and how investors can push a company to choose alternative business models. Enjoy the show.

Hosts: Stacey Higginbotham and Kevin Tofel
Guest: Stefan Witkamp, Commercial Director for Homey
Sponsors: Arm and Silicon Labs

  • Wait a minute before updating to Matter
  • Will a Roomba story get everyone to care more about device privacy?
  • The smart home meets insurance in this acquisition
  • Why the Homey hub decided to focus on privacy
  • When your data isn’t for sale, the consumer pays

 

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: RSS

Episode 402: Google begins its Matter roll out

This week’s show is a celebration of Matter actually hitting devices, with Google announcing its Matter roll out and Eve allowing users to update its devices to Matter as well. We’re super excited to play with Matter, and you’ll read more about in the newsletter or hear us chat about it next week. We also discuss how Z-Wave’s open-source efforts have gone, and the first port of Z-Wave technology to a third party chip. Energy management is becoming a compelling use case for smart home tech given the high price of heat this winter, so we share what might help and how it may change the conversation around connected devices. Then we dig into a new Comcast report on home security that points out the things you’re worried about getting hacked in your smart home are not necessarily what’s getting hacked. In smaller news, we cover gestures and accessibility features for the Echo Show, smarter alarm systems, and a new sensor that’s itty-bitty. We close with chip news about a new RISC-V microcontroller, a new integrated Matter chip from NXP, and Qualcomm’s new LTE Cat 1 modem for IoT. We end the first segment of the show by answering a listener question about outdoor smart lights for cold climates.

Data from Comcast focused on what people think they should worry about, and what they actually do worry about when it comes to home cybersecurity.

Our guest this week is Sean Petterson, the CEO and founder of StrongArm Tech, a company that makes wearable safety devices for industrial and warehouse workers. We talk about the company’s history of building exoskeletons and its pivot to data analytics and wearables, and then the challenges associated with converting worker safety into an ROI. Petterson makes the case that analytics can drive home the importance of keeping workers healthy despite the costs of the system and the perceived costs in terms of productivity. He gives a good example from a warehouse customer using StrongArm’s analytics to send workers home after they meet their quota for the day, even if it means they get sent home early. Petterson says it’s simply not efficient or smart from an ROI perspective to keep them working. We also talk about the ethics of such software and how StrongArm tries to make sure its data isn’t used to retaliate against poor performers. Enjoy the show.

Hosts: Stacey Higginbotham and Kevin Tofel
Guest: Sean Petterson, the CEO and founder of StrongArm Tech
Sponsors: Arm and Silicon Labs

  • Matter hits Google and Eve devices, but wait a second before updating
  • Don’t worry about someone hacking your voice assistant or robot vacuum
  • Check out this new RISC-V microcontroller
  • Keeping workers healthy improves ROI  and this company can prove it
  • What happens when worker data gets really detailed?

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: RSS

Episode 399: Alexa’s drama and our holiday gift guide

The biggest news in the internet of things this week was the staggering story about Amazon’s Alexa business being responsible for the majority of an estimated $10 billion loss in the year ahead. So Kevin and I discuss what Amazon pulling back on Alexa might look like and what it means for voice and the smart home. Then we talk about how a newly available Amazon device signals Amazon’s problem and the potential solutions to that problem. After talking about voice, we take a look at a new controller from Aqara that uses gestures and share our thoughts about the form factor.  After all our user interaction talk, we then cover some news, such as the FIDO Alliance planning to work on security and authentication issues for the IoT, Google’s plans for aggregating fitness data, and a new dev kit from T-Mobile. We also talk about new devices from Wyze and Firewalla. Finally, we answer a listener’s question about connecting LED fairy lights. Then it’s time to talk about the holidays.

The Aqara Cube T1 Pro costs $22.99, and is a fancy button that you can press, roll and shake. Image courtesy of Aqara.

Every year we choose 10 devices that we think make good holiday gifts for our audience and their loved ones. This year we suggest a few in the first part of the show, such as the JaxJox kettlebell and my perennial favorite, the Ember mug. (I gave this to my mom in 2019, and she still uses it every day.) This year’s gifts include a smart plug designed for Matter, a device to reboot your router, and multiple options for smart buttons from Philips Hue and Shortcut Labs. We also include a Nanoleaf option because we’re such fans of the devices as gifts for teens. We also include some fancier gifts for chefs and dog owners. There are more options in this week’s newsletter, but before we sign off we also want to thank our listeners for the gift of their time this year, and the nine years that Kevin and I have been producing this show. Y’all are awesome.

Hosts: Stacey Higginbotham and Kevin Tofel
Sponsors: Arm and Silicon Labs

  • Voice is a user interface, not a platform
  • I don’t want to roll the dice on my home routines
  • Google aggregates health data in a better format
  • We love buttons and lights for smart home gifts
  • We also love cooking tech, and pet tech too

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: RSS

Episode 397: Arduino Opta adds a little IT to the OT

This week’s show kicks off with a discussion of the lawsuit between Arm and Qualcomm amid accusations that Arm is changing its licensing model. We cover what has been said, and what it might mean for the IoT before heading into some industrial news. Arduino has announced a programmable logic controller (PLC) in conjunction with Finder called the Arduino Opta. It’s part of a larger trend of convergence between the IT and OT, as is news from Marvell that it has built an integrated networking chip for industrial clients that uses Ethernet. We talk about how Marvell made Ethernet appealing to the industrial world, and then shift to smart home news. First, Vivint reported financial results and previewed some new products coming in 2023, including integrated indoor lighting. Then we talk about the new Eufy trackers that use Apple’s Find My network and new connectors for the Nanoleaf Lines. And before we finished this segment, we also talked about last week’s Matter launch, including the news that more device types were coming. We end by answering a listener’s question about building DIY devices that will talk to Matter devices.

The Eufy tracker is less expensive than an AirTag, and it has a hole you can use to attach it to things. Image courtesy of Eufy.

Our guest this week is Matt Rose, the CEO of Apana, a company that tracks water usage for commercial clients. The company has more than 800 customers including Costco Wholesale, Coca-Cola, and Fetzer. Rose talks about how business is booming thanks to Environment, Social and Government (ESG) directives and growing corporate concern about water usage. He explains how the focus has moved from ROI to ESG and how to parse over a billion points of data into something front-line workers can take action on. He also talks about the scaling challenges early on and moving from wired to wireless connections for his company’s sensors. Finally, we discuss his switch from private LoRa connectivity to LoRaWAN and how that should expand his business going forward. Enjoy the show.

Hosts: Stacey Higginbotham and Kevin Tofel
Guest: Matt Rose, CEO of Apana
Sponsors: Arm and Silicon Labs

  • Arm’s suit against Qualcomm is pretty crazy
  • The industrial IoT will have to embrace IP
  • More Matter device types are coming next year!
  • This company’s digital twin can save on water consumption
  • LoRaWAN has matured, and it’s about time

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: RSS