Episode 426: Our take on Apple’s Vision Pro and fixes for bad air

Episode 426: Our take on Apple’s Vision Pro and fixes for bad air

Author: Stacey Higginbotham, tech journalist June 8, 2023 Duration: 1:04:18

It may not surprise anyone, but Kevin and I have thoughts on Apple’s Vision Pro mixed reality headset that we’re sharing with y’all. We also lay out some details about changes to Apple’s various operating systems and services that relate to Siri and the smart home. Google also added Matter support for its Home app on Apple devices, which is another means for chipping away at the challenges of deploying Matter across a variety of ecosystems. As we head into wildfire season, and with Kevin’s home wreathed in smoke, we talk about measuring air quality and addressing poor air quality in your home using connected and unconnected devices. Then we celebrate some recent settlements and fines from the Federal Trade Commission that involve Amazon storing children’s data and Ring compromising users’ privacy when it comes to their face data.  Then we speculate on whether Fitbit might release a new sleep-tracking device based on a patent it has filed. Finally, we close by answering a listener question about a smart lock for a HomeKit user with a mobile home.

Apple’s Vision Pro headset has 12 cameras, several sensors, and a special chip to process all that incoming data.  Image courtesy of Apple.

Our guest this week is Micha Anthenor Benoliel, the CEO and co-founder of Nodle, a decentralized wireless network created using Bluetooth. He’s on the show to talk about the newly launched app that will let folks turn any old Android phone into a Nodle hotspot. If you’re wondering about the value of a dedicated device for a short-range Bluetooth hotspot, Benoliel explains why companies or consumers might want to run this network, even if their device isn’t traveling out in the world. We also talk about enterprise customers on the Nodle network and why those customers ditched LPWANs or cellular for BLE. He also talks about the role of cryptocurrency in decentralized wireless and discusses how the crypto winter affected Nodle. It’s a good show.

Hosts: Stacey Higginbotham and Kevin Tofel
Guest: Micha Anthenor Benoliel, CEO and co-founder of Nodle
Sponsors: Particle and Kudelski IoT

  • The Apple Vision Pro isn’t for all-day or even mobile computing
  • Apple also updated Siri and some home control widgets
  • How to prepare for wildfire and smoke season
  • Why the world needs a decentralized Bluetooth network
  • Will the crypto winter stop Nodle’s blockchain-based decentralized network?

The post Episode 426: Our take on Apple’s Vision Pro and fixes for bad air 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

The Internet of Things Podcast - Stacey On IoT
Podcast Episodes
Episode 416: What the heck is an IoT hyperscaler? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:04
With this week’s show I feel like we’re singing the same old tune. Philips Hue maker Signify is delaying its implementation of Matter while it waits for others to implement features it needs. Meanwhile Eve has started se…
Episode 415: Making meaning from Matter product delays [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:07
This week’s show starts off with our take on Belkin deciding to hold off on releasing Matter products, and an update on Matter plans from other vendors including Wyze and Yale. We also talk about Nanoleaf’s new Matter-co…
Episode 414: How generative AI could help the IoT [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:09:38
We kick off this week’s show with a focus on generative AI and what new models such as GPT-4 and even things like Stable Diffusion could mean for the internet of things. Along the way we disagree with an article trying t…
Episode 413: Cranes, trains, and cybersecurity [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:54
This week’s podcast kicks off with a story about the Pentagon’s fears over a Chinese-connected crane maker and its prevalence in U.S. ports. The Pentagon and others focused on national security question whether or not ZP…
Episode 412: Playing with ChatGPT on Home Assistant [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:08:30
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 Barcelo…
Episode 411: IoT is ready to tackle data privacy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:51
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-stalkin…
Episode 409: ChatGPT takes on the smart home [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:00
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 child…
Episode 408: Hacking sensors and securing medical devices [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:41
This week’s show starts with an overview of the reviews for the new second generation HomePod and a deep dive into the security mess that Anker has made with its Eufy smart home cameras. We then dig into some earnings fr…
Episode 407: Does the IoT mean the end of privacy? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:41
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…