IoT news of the week for April 23, 2021

SmartRent goes public via a SPAC: Property tech is hot hot hot in the public markets as SmartRent, a company that provides software and hardware to building owners to make their apartments smart, goes public via a special purpose acquisition company, or SPAC. SmartRent will merge with Fifth Wall Acquisition Corp. in a deal that values the four-year-old SmartRent at $2.2 billion. SmartRent follows on the heels of Latch, a company that provides access control for apartments and commercial spaces. (SmartRent) — Stacey Higginbotham

Yes, the new AppleTV 4K has Thread inside: On the podcast this week, we shared our thoughts about the new Apple AirTags, which the company announced on Tuesday. But Apple also introduced a number of other updated devices and — even though it didn’t note this part — one of them has to do with the smart home. That would be the new AppleTV 4K, arriving next month, which has built-in Thread support. So, just like the Apple HomePod mini, the new always-powered AppleTV 4K should act as a Thread border router, expanding the reach of your Thread network to other compatible devices. I was on the fence about getting a new AppleTV, but this technical tidbit has pushed me over the edge. (9to5 Mac) — Kevin C. Tofel

Speaking of Thread, Wemo’s new device has it, too: Fans of Wemo will be happy to see that the company’s new 6-scene remote is Thread-ready. This HomeKit remote has three buttons, each of which can be used for a short or long press, enabling up to six pre-set scenes in your smart home. In addition to the company’s assurance that the $49.99 Stage Scene Controller will work with Thread networks, it doesn’t require a Wemo app for set up; that takes place directly in the Apple Home application. Smart and simple! (Belkin) — Kevin C. Tofel

It just got a little easier to build Arduino smart home devices: This week, Arduino announced a new feature for its tiny, inexpensive computing boards. The Arduino IoT Cloud service gains two-way wireless communication between Arduino devices — even remote, internet-connected Arduinos far, far away. This is a big deal for hobbyists, tinkerers, and folks who build device prototypes. With two-way wireless communication support added, it’s easier for two or more Arduino devices to “speak” to each other, listen for messages, and send commands without physical connections. (Arduino) — Kevin C. Tofel

Silicon Labs gets out of infrastructure and automotive efforts: It looks like Silicon Labs is going all-in on the IoT market. On Thursday, the company announced the divestiture of its infrastructure and automotive divisions to Skyworks Solutions. Silicon Labs is getting a cool $2.75 billion in cash as a result of the deal, with $2 billion of it to be returned to shareholders through special dividends and/or stock repurchases. So not a bad sale, and one that will position the company to be a “pure-play leader of intelligent, wireless connectivity for the IoT.” (Silicon Labs) — Kevin C. Tofel

The DALI Alliance adds a Bluetooth mesh gateway spec for industrial lighting: I don’t know what connected light bulbs would say to each other in industrial environments, but a new gateway specification will enable them to be more chatty going forward. The DALI (Digital Addressable Lighting Interface) Alliance this week announced bridging capabilities in its Bluetooth Mesh to DALI Gateway Specification, which reduces single points of failure for connected industrial lighting products. The Bluetooth SIG worked with the DALI alliance on the effort. (Enterprise IoT Insights) — Kevin C. Tofel

UK law lets people know how long smart devices will be supported: Oh how I wish we had some U.S. laws that were similar to those in the UK. The latest one will require smart device makers to tell consumers how long their devices will be supported — and they will have to disclose that information at the point of sale, which is key. After all, you don’t want to walk out of the store with your new connected device only to discover later on that it’s stopped getting security and other updates. Apple, Google, and Samsung are named in the government press release, although as it notes, “many other manufacturers” will have to follow the laws, too. Additionally, factory-set, universal default passwords are now banned. Maybe one day we’ll ban them here, too? (Gov.UK) — Kevin C. Tofel

Do you trust Amazon with your palm print? Amazon has been trialing its Amazon One technology in the Seattle area for some time now. It’s what, upon entering the Amazon brick-and-mortar stores, enables you to scan your palm, grab your items, and leave without ever having to open your wallet. The palm-reading technology even tells your future, such as how much you’ll be paying for those items that the store’s cameras saw you take. This week, Amazon announced it would expand Amazon One to seven locations of Whole Foods, the grocery chain that Amazon owns. I anticipate a slow but steady march of this technology across the land to all Whole Food stores, but I’m not sure I’m ready to scan and go. Are you? (Amazon) — Kevin C. Tofel

This newly funded startup thinks it can fix IoT device security: There’s not much information out there about Thistle Technologies, but it raised $2.5 million in seed money this week. The only detail about the company worth noting that I could find is that it was founded by Window Snyder, who previously held the title of chief security officer at Square, Mozilla, and Fastly. Snyder also has experience working for Apple, Microsoft, and Intel. According to the funding release, “Thistle provides embedded device manufacturers the ability to incorporate a highly reliable and resilient implementation into their products quickly and easily.” I guess we’ll have to wait and see. (Thistle Technologies) — Kevin C. Tofel