The Internet of Things Podcast - Stacey On IoT

Episode 321: Google decides Matter matters

This week’s show focuses on news from Google I/O 2021 where it’s clear the search giant is trying to build out a fairly open ecosystem [https://blog.google/products/google-nest/four-google-smart-home-updates-matter/] based on the Matter protocol and WebRTC for audio and video streaming. Google also said it would use Wear OS for Fitbit and combine Wear OS with Samsung’s Tizen OS [https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2021/05/samsung-and-fitbit-announce-next-watches-to-be-wear-os.html] . Google also announced a CarKey deal with BMW [https://android-developers.googleblog.com/2021/05/whats-new-with-android-for-cars.html] . There’s bad news on the data-sharing front from Imperial College London and Northeastern University, where researchers tracked [https://www.consumerreports.org/privacy/connected-devices-share-more-data-than-needed-study-says-a7015033345/] how many connections popular smart home devices opened, and what it means for privacy. In security news, Consumer Reports found flaws in four security cameras and video doorbells [https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=4tNED-2FM8iDZJQyQ53jATUXnii6LS7sDGCMIPJONh4V3RofShHRAnDhOfhtx2yqTIPvd4PBa-2BjddNJLK9UBloyiN6qA90ZskiUsuEFNSv81mDSgws2XBjl2Xbt5KZZl54osV7o1IiaavuYfZdnqjcQq5Qw8QDmwEdnpncFZccOrJsvHKlpYU4W3zvBSm5QHBN_c-S_bbTnpkV8nill7Mf6KSTMf1RnFtXkVVjcyp-2BDBD0boBaEgkjbLIIR2Tt6NIf1wP3sP7uXSennCB-2FnBoBu5M3WlvKciFUmu3BIHmwa-2FP-2FtO4edczQoJ9tZUKTvNGf05kBPSY72j8ksQw51cY1hKxSbamO3knax4DUtMo9iiKwYMghSuO8xL-2BS1837vUNv0M084B93L3K6aEFWpWIcjwtw-2BTVKzPJSjE5hAeiZhRxJ82MFd95DZuF2J-2F1v3Ybwrd5w27h8FuT843hhrnFD-2FHQNf-2FsWwN7ya5f3h8-2Fhp-2FzTuiKIKMMYc3E-2BTumV-2BbN77jgXaBGCMAIqV7ovat5iSlC-2Ff13-2Fk1VS-2BPEoG6iPdHaN7iSU-3D] , and we discuss the Eufy video camera bug [https://www.cnet.com/home/security/eufy-blames-software-bug-for-breach-that-exposed-users-video-footage-to-strangers/] . Additionally, cyber risks are so high that the CEO of Swiss Re, a reinsurer, said insurance for cyberattacks was becoming impossible [https://www.reinsurancene.ws/pipeline-cyber-attack-not-surprising-says-swiss-res-mumenthaler/] . Finally, we mention the new Echo Frame options [https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/devices/echo-frames-now-offers-sunglass-and-blue-light-filtering-lenses] , although Kevin is still not a fan. In our hotline, we answer a question about Matter and keeping a SmartThings hub. [https://iotpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/210518_1004_3S1A4903_B_1_1.max-1000x1000-1.jpg] [https://iotpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/210518_1004_3S1A4903_B_1_1.max-1000x1000-1.jpg] Google CEO Sundar Pichai speaking at Google I/O 2021. Image courtesy of Google. Our guest this week is Mark Hanson, VP of Innovation at Sony Semiconductor America [https://www.sony-semicon.co.jp/e/]. We talk about embedded computer vision and what it means to have machine learning taken care of on the image sensor itself. It enables lip-reading applications, occupancy sensing, and new ways to track inventory in stores. (He’s very excited about inventory sensing cameras.) Hanson also says the sensor and its DSP can provide training at the edge, allowing a user to show the sensor images and then have the sensor later recognize those images. We also talk about how product designers can figure out if they need a camera for a particular use case. Hanson really wants to get new ideas from everyone listening about use cases for embedded computer vision, so see if any of the interview sparks your creativity. Hosts: Stacey Higginbotham and Kevin Tofel Guest: Mark Hanson, VP of Innovation at Sony Semiconductor America [https://www.sony-semicon.co.jp/e/] Sponsor:Very [https://www.verypossible.com/landing/iot-development?utm_campaign=Stacey%20on%20IoT%20Advertising&utm_source=homepage-banner] * Google will embrace Matter in most displays, smart speakers and on Android * Do you know who your smart devices talk to? * Cyberattacks are becoming too big for insurance to cover * Why adding ML to an image sensor makes sense * How to use a “dumb” sensor to offload some computing tasks The post Episode 321: Google decides Matter matters [https://iotpodcast.com/2021/05/episode-321-google-decides-matter-matters/] appeared first on IoT Podcast - Internet of Things [https://iotpodcast.com].

Episode 320: Project CHIP becomes Matter and hacked pipelines

This week’s show hits on two of the biggest stories of the year for the smart home: Project Connected Home over IP [https://staceyoniot.com/project-chip-becomes-matter/] is now called Matter [https://staceyoniot.com/you-can-learn-much-about-matter-from-the-project-chip-github-repo/] and Amazon’s Sidewalk Network adds Tile [https://staceyoniot.com/with-tile-deal-amazons-sidewalk-network-just-became-more-interesting/] as a participant. We also discuss what it means for Zigbee after the Zigbee Alliance changed its name to the Connectivity Standards Alliance. The Colonial Pipeline ransomware [https://www.csoonline.com/article/3618016/colonial-pipeline-shutdown-highlights-need-for-better-ot-cybersecurity-practices.html] also merits some attention. We then spend time on some news bits such as Amazon updating [https://press.aboutamazon.com/news-releases/news-release-details/amazon-introduces-upgraded-echo-show-8-echo-show-5-and-all-new] its Echo Show devices for the video calling era we seem to be in, Wyze’s new earbuds [https://wyze.com/wyze-buds-pro.html#pageDetails] with noise-canceling technology, and the new Phyn leak detection sensors [https://www.cnet.com/home/smart-home/belkin-spinoff-phyn-launches-new-puck-sized-leak-detector-with-up-to-2-years-battery-life/] . We also discuss the FragAttack vulnerabilities [https://www.fragattacks.com/] and try to explain them. We conclude by answering a listener question about whether we’ll see Thread on phones anytime soon. [https://iotpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/1280-psws-node-1-1024x847.jpeg] [https://iotpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/1280-psws-node-1.jpeg]The Phyn puck, cable, and extension node combine to create a compelling option for sensing leaks. Image courtesy of Phyn.Our guest this week delves even deeper into the Matter protocol. Kevin Po, a senior product manager at Google [https://www.google.com/], is involved in the Matter working group. Po explains the multi-admin feature that will let consumers swap ecosystems with ease if they have Matter-certified devices, and lets me pester him with specific questions for those who might have multiple ecosystems in one home, or those that might want to use different smartphones. He also lays out some of the security features and explains where he thinks device makers should try to differentiate themselves as the Matter standard develops. He also foreshadows some Google-related Matter news at Google I/O next week, so we should probably pay attention. Hosts: Stacey Higginbotham and Kevin Tofel Guest: Kevin Po, a senior product manager at Google [https://www.google.com/] Sponsor: Very [https://www.verypossible.com/landing/iot-development?utm_campaign=Stacey%20on%20IoT%20Advertising&utm_source=homepage-banner] * Project CHIP becomes Matter and the Zigbee Alliance becomes the Connectivity Standards Alliance * Why the Colonial Pipeline really shut down * Amazon’s Sidewalk network is better than Apple’s Airtags at one thing * Will Matter let me have Alexa and Google in my home? * Is Matter an attempt for the big three tech firms to dominate the smart home? The post Episode 320: Project CHIP becomes Matter and hacked pipelines [https://iotpodcast.com/2021/05/episode-320-project-chip-becomes-matter-and-hacked-pipelines/] appeared first on IoT Podcast - Internet of Things [https://iotpodcast.com].

Episode 319: How ML at the edge will make products truly smart

This week’s show was a lot of fun to record with Kevin and me discussing Google’s upcoming I/O event [https://developers.googleblog.com/2021/04/assistant-sessions-io-2021.html] and updates on the chip shortage from STMicro [https://www.reuters.com/article/stmicroelectronics-results/stmicro-ceo-says-global-chip-plants-likely-saturated-until-end-of-2021-idUSP6N2IP009] , TSMC [https://seekingalpha.com/news/3689058-tsmc-can-meet-minimum-auto-chip-demand-by-june] , and someone who makes electronics [https://twitter.com/_MG_/status/1388321639524229120]. We also talk about Kroger’s drone delivery plans [https://www.theverge.com/2021/5/3/22416957/kroger-drone-express-groceries-ohio] , cameras in cars [https://www.embedded.com/gwm-adopts-ambarella-ai-vision-soc-for-new-suv/], funding for robotic computer vision [https://techcrunch.com/2021/04/27/robotic-vision-startup-plus-one-raises-33m/], and funding for robotic welding driven by AI [https://techcrunch.com/2021/05/03/path-robotics-raises-56m-series-b-for-automated-welding/] . After that, we hit some smaller news items such as Amazon adding greetings to the Ring doorbell [https://www.techradar.com/in/news/alexa-can-now-answer-your-ring-doorbell-and-take-a-message-if-you-cant] , Oura raising $100 million [https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexkonrad/2021/05/04/ouras-sleep-tracking-ring-raises-100-million-to-move-further-into-personalized-health/?sh=7f3e857a2be6] , and an update to Withings’ scale that provides a new biomarker [https://www.mobihealthnews.com/news/withings-updates-body-cardio-smart-scale-predict-users-vascular-age] . We then cover my review of the Lutron outdoor outlet [https://www.casetawireless.com/products/smart-plugs] and Kevin reviews Apple’s new AirTags [https://staceyoniot.com/apple-airtags-review-find-my-network-and-uwb-make-them-top-notch/] . We conclude by answering a listener question about Bluetooth mesh. [https://iotpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Kroger_Delivery_x_Drone_Express-1.jpg] [https://iotpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Kroger_Delivery_x_Drone_Express-1.jpg] Kroger will introduce a drone delivery pilot this spring in the Midwest in partnership with Drone Express. Image courtesy of Kroger.This week, our guest is David McIntyre, the VP of marketing at Perceive [https://perceive.io/], a startup building edge-based machine learning chips. He shares several ways that local machine learning will enable new features in products and explains how to add machine learning to consumer devices. He also explains how adding smarts to products changes their design and offers advice for those trying to rethink their own product strategies. We spent a lot of time trying to dissect what makes something smart as opposed to connected, and I think y’all will enjoy that discussion. Hosts: Stacey Higginbotham and Kevin Tofel Guest: David McIntyre of Perceive [https://perceive.io/] Sponsor: Very [https://www.verypossible.com/services?utm_source=PaidAdStacey&utm_medium=PaidAdStacey] * The chip shortage will make a lot of gadgets more expensive * How should we handle camera data from inside our cars? * Lutron’s outdoor outlet is pricey, but high quality * Local ML will enable better Zoom calls and smart appliances * Forget the ecosystem, and think about differentiation when building smart devices The post Episode 319: How ML at the edge will make products truly smart [https://iotpodcast.com/2021/05/episode-319-how-ml-at-the-edge-will-make-products-truly-smart/] appeared first on IoT Podcast - Internet of Things [https://iotpodcast.com].

Episode 318: Lawsuits galore and Silicon Labs bets it all on the IoT

This week’s show starts off with two lawsuits: the first filed by ADT alleging trademark infringement against Ring [https://adt-external.us.newsweaver.com/icfiles/200/1003068/1039913/1354763/8dad62c2b764f04c60efcb95/_1%20-%20complaint%20-%20adt%20llc%20v%20ring%20llc.pdf] , and the second a decision by the Seventh Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals [http://media.ca7.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/rssExec.pl?Submit=Display&Path=Y2021/D04-26/C:19-2357:J:St__Eve:aut:T:fnOp:N:2695373:S:0] related to police accessing cell phone location data without a warrant. Wemo’s new scene controller [https://www.belkin.com/us/smart-home/wemo/wemo-stage-scene-controller/p/p-wsc010/] , Everactive’s energy harvesting sensors [https://www.eejournal.com/industry_news/everactive-awarded-additional-small-business-innovation-research-sbir-contract-this-time-to-identify-the-next-batteryless-sensing-iot-applications-for-u-s-air-force/] , a discussion about Helium’s tokens [https://helium.freedomfi.com/helium5g/#faq], and a new network partner are next. We then cover some financial news with Life360 acquiring Jiobit [https://www.afr.com/technology/life360-to-acquire-trackable-wearables-firm-jiobit-20210427-p57mot] for $37 million, Safehub getting $9 million in funding [https://venturebeat.com/2021/04/27/earthquake-monitoring-platform-safehub-raises-9m/] , and $55 million for OpenSpace [https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/openspace-announces-series-c-funding-to-expand-automated-construction-progress-tracking-and-accelerate-international-expansion-301278739.html?tc=eml_cleartime] , a startup that brings the IoT to construction. Then, Kevin shares his thoughts on Eve Aqua [https://staceyoniot.com/eve-aqua-smartly-serves-up-a-drink-to-your-lawn-and-garden/] , a HomeKit and Thread compatible faucet controller. Finally, we close with a listener question about whether your smart home should have its own email address. [https://iotpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Screen-Shot-2021-04-28-at-10.49.37-AM.png] [https://iotpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Screen-Shot-2021-04-28-at-10.49.37-AM.png] An image taken from ADT’s lawsuit alleging trademark infringement by Ring.This week’s guest is Matt Johnson, the newly named president of Silicon Labs. He and I discussed Silicons Labs’ divestiture of its automotive and industrial lines of business [https://investors.skyworksinc.com/news-releases/news-release-details/skyworks-acquire-infrastructure-automotive-business-silicon-labs] to Skyworks for $2.75 billion. With this deal, Silicon Labs is going all-in on the IoT, and we talk about what that means for the company. He shares his thoughts on what the IoT requires from chipmakers in terms of hardware and software. We also explore how Silicon Labs plans to continue adding security for the IoT and the growth of machine learning on edge devices, and how that will affect chip design. Hosts: Stacey Higginbotham and Kevin Tofel Guest: Matt Johnson, president of Silicon Labs [https://www.silabs.com/] Sponsors:DigiCert [https://www.digicert.com/iot/iot-device-manager]andQt [https://hubs.ly/H0JXZSb0] * ADT files another lawsuit against Ring * Will we try Wemo’s new HomeKit-enabled scene controller? * Helium expands its mining and network operations * Why Silicon Labs sold off a big chunk of its business * The two biggest trends in the IoT are security and AI The post Episode 318: Lawsuits galore and Silicon Labs bets it all on the IoT [https://iotpodcast.com/2021/04/episode-318-lawsuits-galore-and-silicon-labs-bets-it-all-on-the-iot/] appeared first on IoT Podcast - Internet of Things [https://iotpodcast.com].

Episode 317: Apple’s AirTags and greener devices

The week’s Apple event is the star of the podcast, with Kevin and I spending time noting a smart use of iPhone sensors with the new Apple TV 4K. We then discussthe AirTags tech [https://staceyoniot.com/why-apple-airtags-will-be-a-hit-this-is-no-ordinary-bluetooth-tracker/] , the implications for consumers, frustrated competitors [https://techcrunch.com/2021/04/20/tile-bashes-apples-new-airtag-as-unfair-competition/] , and the things we find disappointing. Then, we talk about the EU’s proposed rules for AI [https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_21_1682] and AI-based applications before questioning the market for the just-announced Fitbit Luxe tracker [https://www.theverge.com/2021/4/19/22386394/fitbit-luxe-fitness-wellness-tracker-price-release-date-features] that hews closer to jewelry than the company’s traditional devices. Enterprise IoT security gets some attention with the FIDO Alliance’s new provisioning protocol [https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2021/04/21/fido-device-onboard-protocol/] and app certification from the ioXt Alliance [https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2021/04/19/ioxt-alliance-compliance-program/]. In honor of Earth Day, Samsung is boosting its upcycling efforts [https://news.samsung.com/global/samsung-electronics-expands-its-galaxy-upcycling-program-to-enable-consumers-to-repurpose-galaxy-smartphones-into-smart-home-devices] for old smartphones, and we cover an update and news from smart electrical panel company Span [https://vermontbiz.com/news/2021/april/21/gmp-first-utility-offer-span-smart-panel-replaces-home-electric-panel] . We end the show by answering a listener’s question about how Thread devices will work in homes. [https://iotpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Fitbit_Luxe_Lifestyle_Bedroom_Pregnant_OTS_Lunar_White_1773_Cropped_Sleep_Screen-1024x576.jpeg] [https://iotpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Fitbit_Luxe_Lifestyle_Bedroom_Pregnant_OTS_Lunar_White_1773_Cropped_Sleep_Screen.jpeg] The Fitbit Luxe is designed to look more like jewelry. Image courtesy of Fitbit. Also in honor of Earth Day, our guest this week is Phil Skipper, head of business development and strategy for IoT at Vodafone Business. Skipper explains how Vodafone is trying to reduce the carbon footprint [https://www.vodafone.com/news/press-release/vodafone-commits-to-net-zero-carbon-emissions-by-2040] of its networks and IoT devices. For example, Vodafone uses an integrated SIM card [https://www.arm.com/company/news/2019/02/arm-and-vodafone-commit-to-work-together] for some of its devices to cut down on plastic. In other designs, it is using different batteries that are more recyclable than lithium-ion batteries. The company is trying to extend the life of its equipment by selling it to other network operators, which ensures that the carbon created to produce the equipment at least is spread out over a longer life. He also touches on how Vodafone is helping customers reduce their carbon footprints using connected products provided by Vodafone. Enjoy. Hosts: Stacey Higginbotham and Kevin Tofel Guest: Phil Skipper, Vodafone Business Sponsors:DigiCert [https://www.digicert.com/iot/iot-device-manager]andQt [https://hubs.ly/H0JXZSb0] * Apple’s AirTags go above and beyond the traditional Bluetooth trackers * What the EU gets right with its proposed AI legislation * Two new security standards for the IoT * Don’t forget reuse when thinking about your carbon footprint * What’s an iSIM, and why is Vodafone pushing it? The post Episode 317: Apple’s AirTags and greener devices [https://iotpodcast.com/2021/04/episode-317-apples-airtags-and-greener-devices/] appeared first on IoT Podcast - Internet of Things [https://iotpodcast.com].