Episode 421: Amazon adds Thread and beefs up Alexa

Episode 421: Amazon adds Thread and beefs up Alexa

Author: Stacey Higginbotham, tech journalist May 4, 2023 Duration: 54:07
The Internet of Things Podcast - Stacey On IoT
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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

The post Episode 421: Amazon adds Thread and beefs up Alexa appeared first on IoT Podcast - Internet of Things.


For anyone trying to make sense of a world where everything from your thermostat to a factory floor is getting smarter, The Internet of Things Podcast-Stacey On IoT offers essential context. Veteran tech journalist Stacey Higginbotham, who brings her experience from Fortune, and co-host Kevin Tofel break down the weekly flood of news, separating genuine innovation from mere hype. Their analysis spans the entire connected ecosystem, diving into the gadgets in our homes, the sensors transforming industrial workspaces, and the complex enterprise systems tying it all together. This isn't just theoretical; it's a practical guide to the business and technology decisions shaping our networked future. You'll hear from a range of voices that have built and critiqued this landscape, including pioneers like Vint Cerf, insightful commentators like Om Malik, and practitioners from companies such as Amazon, AT&T, and IBM Watson. Listening to this podcast provides a crucial framework for understanding the real-world implications of connectivity, whether you're an industry professional, a curious developer, or simply someone wondering how all these "smart" things actually work-and what they mean for privacy, security, and daily life. It's the clear-eyed conversation you need to navigate the ever-expanding Internet of Things.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

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Podcast Episodes
Episode 366: Meet a robot that weeds your garden [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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This week’s show kicks off with a discussion about smarter robots and new funding for a Canadian general purpose robotics platform. Then we talk about Amazon’s further healthcare ambitions in a deal with Teledoc that let…
Episode 360: Europe’s planned IoT data law [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:47
The European Union is proposing new data regulations aimed at making it hard for companies to collect and use data as a barrier to competition. We talk about what it might mean for the IoT and Kevin also proposes that we…
Episode 359: Meet the man who “invented” the IoT back in 1985 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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The National Institute of Standards and Technology has finally released its plans for securing the IoT, so we discuss what the plans are for a consumer-oriented cybersecurity label. We then give a quick update on the Sig…
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Duration: 58:12
On this week’s show, we talk about the Resideo purchase of smoke detector company First Alert for $593 million and why it makes sense. Then we focus on connectivity with an update on the Sigfox receivership and a look at…
Episode 357: Too many companies are paying ransomware [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:35
This week we kick off the show with an explainer on Sigfox’s receivership before delving into grim news from Claroty, a cybersecurity firm. Claroty surveyed 1,100 IT and OT (operational technology) pros and discovered th…

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