Episode 433: Tracking air quality with the IoT

Episode 433: Tracking air quality with the IoT

Author: Stacey Higginbotham, tech journalist July 27, 2023 Duration: 1:00:54
The Internet of Things Podcast - Stacey On IoT
NewsTechnology

This week we didn’t see a ton of news, yet we managed to talk about several big trends in IoT. We started with an update on Amazon’s planned acquisition of iRobot, and Amazon dropping the price by 15%. We explain why and then decided to explain in depth why we need the planned cybersecurity labeling plan for connected devices because so many people asked me why we need this. We then talk about Unabiz creating a partnership with Semtech to bring Sigfox technology into the Semtech network. Then we talk about insurance companies using data gleaned from drones, satellite photos, and IoT devices and how that may hurt consumers, as insurance companies try to cancel policies in risky areas. This is where climate change, the IoT, and data privacy will all intersect in ways that will harm consumers. We then ponder what will happen with Google displays as the company pulls back from its Fuchsia OS, and how a smart home reporter’s broken HVAC system made her realize the limits of the smart home. Finally, we answer a listener question about using a motion detector to make sure kids turn off their lights.

The PurpleAir Zen works both indoors and outdoors and costs $299. Image courtesy of PurpleAir.

Our guest this week is Adrian Dybwad, CEO and founder of PurpleAir, which makes a line of air quality sensors. As we head into wildfire season here on the West Coast, air quality data is becoming more important for people. For example, I turn regularly to PurpleAir data from the app, its web site, or on my Google display to see if I should go outside for a run or hold off. Dybwad and I talk about why the company was created, and how the air sensors are helping communities lobby for positive policy changes that can improve air quality. We also talk about how to think about connected devices contributing to citizen science, and why having a lot of sensors can mitigate concerns over accuracy. We spend a lot of time on how air quality sensors work and how to place them optimally as well. Enjoy the show.

Hosts: Stacey Higginbotham and Kevin Tofel
Guest: Adrian Dybwad, CEO and founder of PurpleAir
Sponsors: Wilderness Labs and Skyhawk

  • Why Amazon cut the price for Roomba maker, iRobot
  • Why you (and everyone else) should care about secure IoT devices
  • What we really need from our smart homes
  • How PurpleAir uses quantity to assure quality
  • The best place to set up your air quality sensors

 

The post Episode 433: Tracking air quality with the IoT 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

Official website RSS
redditmedium
The Internet of Things Podcast - Stacey On IoT
Podcast Episodes
Episode 406: Return of the HomePod [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:23
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…
Episode 405: More CES trends including wireless power [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:37
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 behi…
Episode 404: CES has more Matter and many voices [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:55
Kevin and I are at CES 2023 this week and eager for the show floor to open to see all of the new and crazy gear. But before we see the show floor, we had to slog through the planned news and media events, which we’re tal…
Episode 403: Matter upgrades aren’t ready for prime time [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:03
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…
Episode 402: Google begins its Matter roll out [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:29
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, an…
Episode 401: Two big smart home deals explained [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:24
The end of the year is a busy time for M&A as companies rush to get deals done before the start of a new tax year, and this week the smart home sector saw Assa Abloy sell its Yale and August smart lock and some other bra…
Episode 400: How to pronounce IKEA’s Dirigera hub [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:35
This week’s show starts off with a review of news from AWS Re:Invent which is happening now in LAs Vegas. We cover the general availability of support for the latest version of the MQTT messaging protocol, the launch of…
Episode 399: Alexa’s drama and our holiday gift guide [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:39
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 wh…
Episode 398: Bluetooth bets on 6 GHz and TP-Link hops on Wi-Fi 7 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:54
Amazon has started laying off workers, including some working on Alexa and in Amazon’s devices business. We discuss this as well as IBM following in Google’s footsteps and shutting down its IoT cloud business. We move fr…
Episode 397: Arduino Opta adds a little IT to the OT [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:29
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 headi…

«12345678...10»