Episode 436: Can Alexa (and the smart home) stand on its own?

<p>Amazon&#8217;s head of devices, <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/amazons-leader-on-alexa-echo-and-other-devices-plans-to-leave-cde4f689?mod=djemalertNEWS&amp;s=09" rel="noopener" target="_blank">David Limp, plans to retire</a> as part of a wave of executives that have been leaving Amazon in the last year. Also, next year Alexa and the Amazon Echo will be 10 years old, which prompted us to take a look at the role Alexa and the Amazon Echo have played in the smart home, along with what has and hasn&#8217;t changed. Our concerns about the state of the smart home are perfectly illustrated by <a href="https://www.theverge.com/23828379/mill-kitchen-trash-can-bin-review" rel="noopener" target="_blank">this review of the Mill composting system</a> created by Nest co-founder Matt Rodgers, and the news that <a href="https://www.zdnet.com/home-and-office/smart-home/worlds-first-smart-door-on-sale-at-home-depot-today-you-probably-cant-afford-it/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Masonite is now selling its expensive smart door at Home Depot</a>. There&#8217;s positive news as well, as the FCC releases its <a href="https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-proposes-cybersecurity-labeling-program-smart-device" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Notice of Proposed Rule Making for the IoT cybersecurity label</a>. Y&#8217;all have 30 days to comment, so get on it. Then we talk about <a href="https://arstechnica.com/security/2023/08/microsoft-finds-vulnerabilities-it-says-could-be-used-to-shut-down-power-plants/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Microsoft&#8217;s discovery of a new set of vulnerabilities</a> affecting industrial equipment, and a new company that will become a <a href="https://staceyoniot.com/z-wave-gets-a-boost-with-new-chip-provider/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">secondary source of Z-Wave chips</a>. Kevin also shared his <a href="https://staceyoniot.com/homey-pro-review-great-potential-but-check-device-support/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">review of the Homey Pro smart home hub</a>, which is expensive but allows users to control their devices locally. Finally, we answer a listener question about what light bulb a woodworker should use in a lamp he&#8217;s trying to build.</p>
<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_4124" style="width: 610px;"><a href="https://iotpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Masonite_M-Pwr_Shot1b.jpeg"><img alt="" class="size-full wp-image-4124" height="682" src="https://iotpodcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Masonite_M-Pwr_Shot1b.jpeg" width="610" /></a><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" id="caption-attachment-4124">The Masonite smart door is on sale at Home Depot. <em>Image courtesy of Masonite.</em></figcaption></figure>
<p>Our guest this week is Mariusz Malkowski, founder and CTO of <a href="https://tridentiot.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Trident IoT</a>, who tells us about the company’s origin and what it means for the Z-Wave community. He also explains how Matter will work with Z-Wave, and the importance of bridging between the two standards. We discuss the future of Z-Wave, including the plans for Z-Wave Long Range and planned security upgrades. We then cover how Trident is going to build Z-Wave chips, but also how it will focus on building or integrating other smart home radio protocols into devices, and will act as a Z-Wave certification house as well. Enjoy the show.</p>
<p><strong>Hosts</strong>: Stacey Higginbotham and Kevin Tofel<br />
<strong>Guests</strong>: Mariusz Malkowski, founder and CTO of <a href="https://tridentiot.com/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Trident IoT</a><br />
<strong>Sponsors</strong>: <a href="https://www.skyhawk.ai/skyhawk_iot1/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Skyhawk</a></p>
<ul>
<li>David Limp&#8217;s departure from Amazon inspires a smart home reckoning</li>
<li>Are expensive doors and compost services the future of the connected devices?</li>
<li>The Homey Pro is an expensive hub with privacy in mind</li>
<li>Why a new chipmaker could boost the Z-Wave standard</li>
<li>Trident IoT is building a new type of chip company</li>
</ul>
<p>The post <a href="https://iotpodcast.com/2023/08/episode-436-can-alexa-and-the-smart-home-stand-on-its-own/">Episode 436: Can Alexa (and the smart home) stand on its own?</a> appeared first on <a href="https://iotpodcast.com">IoT Podcast - Internet of Things</a>.</p>