IoT news for the week of August 11, 2023 – Stacey on IoT
Here’s more about Philips Hue’s potential as a home security game: On an earnings call, the president of Signify, which owns the Philips Hue brand, said the company was working on a security camera. Now reports say that there are four cameras planned and some communication sensors. I’ve had Hue lights in my home since 2013, and after 10 years of watching others do it in the lighting industry I think it would make sense for Hue to get into security. It has brand recognition, for one. In addition, there are too many people who want to pay a premium for light bulbs (and if their bulbs are still good a decade later, the growth is probably not that big). Security is the logical next step, as long as everyone sees the potential for subscription revenue for video storage and monitoring as a key way to monetize the smart home. (The TechHive)
Most of the Matter gear comes from TP-Link: For the past few months, TP-Link has been releasing Matter smart plugs and switches under its cheaper Tapo brand, and now it has two Matter switches under its Kasa brand. The Kasa KS205 Smart Wi-Fi Light Switch and the Kasa KS225 Smart Wi-Fi Light Dimmer Switch will retail for $27.99 and $29.99, respectively. They will require a central cable and provide programming and offline mode support. (Apple Insider)
Microsoft is disabling Cortana everywhere: Back in 2014, Microsoft introduced Cortana as a competitor to Apple’s Siri. As voice assistants go, it’s not bad, but there’s never been a platform to get the most out of it. Microsoft then removed Cortana from consumer products but left it enabled on Windows. But now, with the update to Windows 11, Cortana is officially dead on that platform and will stop working on Windows 10 in the near future. (WindowsLatest)
Tractorian receives $45M in industrial monitoring funding: Predictive maintenance is always attractive to buyers and investors, especially if you stop calling it confusing acquisitions and call it AI. Atlanta-based tractian has raised more than $60 million since it was founded in 2019 and makes its own software and sensors for tracking machine health in industrial environments. The new funding will help increase sales and fund more research. With over 500 customers already, this sounds like a good bet. (VentureBeat)
As insure-tech is used against consumers, things will get scary: Insurance companies are feeling pressure to move out of states with high replacement costs and high accident rates. As housing prices and inflation continue to slow, and the climate will continue to change, it is likely that insurance companies will try to stop underwriting in other areas. Which means pushing existing policyholders back onto their list. Indeed, in California they are turning to drones to do just that. Insurance companies use drones to scan policyholders’ yards and roofs, and dump those when drone footage shows risky behavior. One person saw their insurance company cancel their insurance over a roof that looked like it needed repair (the owner protested, showed receipts, and was able to get their insurance back), and another got dumped because they had ruined their pool. Insurance firms can legally use drones to investigate policyholder claims, but the risk is that drones and other connected technology being installed in people’s homes will be an easy lever insurance firms will use to kick consumers off their rolls as risks rise. (ABC7)
Enter the energy harvest with new foam: Scottish researchers demonstrate a type of graphene foam that can be used to create a ground sensor for energy harvesting. When someone steps on dirt, it generates about 10 watts of electricity, powering the sensor. The sensor can use software to determine who is in the room and whether they are coming or going based on an analysis of their steps. We’ve seen attempts to use people’s kinetic energy in energy sensors, but I’m always excited to see more. (register)
SaaviHome is ready to franchise its smart home integration model: Ahead of the trade show for professional installers of CEDIA next month, SaaviHome presents its announcement for franchise owners to join the company in helping to set up people’s smart homes. SaaviHome was founded in 2004 and in 2020 it developed software and services that it plans to automate. It looks like Control4 is the software of choice. SaaviHome is looking for franchisees in the Mountain West region, especially in Colorado, Utah, Nevada and Arizona. (SaaviHome)
