IoT news of the week for Dec. 23, 2022

Rockwell Automation signs a partnership to work on industrial IoT in Saudi Arabia: Rockwell Automation has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Internet of Things Technologies Company, a joint venture between Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and stc Group. The MOU has Rockwell consulting on new business opportunities and innovations within the industrial sector. The idea is that by working together the country and Rockwell will be able to speed the adoption of new technologies for Saudi factories as part of digital transformation initiatives in the Kingdom. The news doesn’t say much, but it’s worth noting that the Internet of Things Technology Company exists and aims to push industrial IoT in Saudi Arabia. (Arab News) — Stacey Higginbotham

NIST develops a breath sensing algorithm that uses Wi-Fi: Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, or NIST, have built an algorithm that uses disruptions in Wi-Fi fields to detect breathing issues. The BreatheSmart algorithm correctly identified the simulated breathing conditions 99.54% of the time. It works by tracking the channel state information provided to the router more frequently to understand how a person is breathing. I’ve talked to companies using radar for measuring breath, but Wi-Fi would be even better since it’s already in use in homes and everyday devices. Of course, with this level of granularity people are going to start realizing that companies deploying this tech will have a lot more personal health information than they might want to provide. It would be awesome in health care or elder care settings, though. (Engadget) — Stacey Higginbotham

Origin Wireless inks a deal with Aloe Care for Wi-Fi sensing: Wi-Fi sensing technology made by Origin Wireless will be used to track seniors’ movements and falls in various health care settings thanks to a deal signed with Aloe Care. Aloe Care makes a voice-activated in-home care alert system. With Origin’s software, Aloe Care will launch new in-home safety devices and a service offering that will automatically detect whole-home motion and falls without the user needing a wearable device or indoor cameras. I can’t wait to see this at CES and get a sense of how accurate it is. (Origin Wireless) — Stacey Higginbotham

Philips Hue brings natural light to its bulbs: If you have Philips Hue bulbs, you may want to check the corresponding mobile app. It’s likely you’ll find a new “natural light” option available, something Philips Hue started but then stopped rolling out earlier this year. The feature is similar to Apple’s Adaptive Lighting functionality, which modifies bulb colors based on the time of day. Early in the morning, your white Philips Hue bulbs will provide a cool white light, gradually adjusting to warmer colors later in the day. (9to5 Mac) — Kevin C. Tofel

Hoobs goes Pro for Matter: Remember Hoobs, the pre-built $299 smart home hub with Homebridge software installed? When I reviewed it, I thought it was a good product that brought basic smart home device support for Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, and Google Home devices. But I noted it that was far more expensive than just buying a Raspberry Pi and installing the open source Homebridge app. Well, now there’s a Hoobs Pro model that you can pre-order for $399. Why the price jump? Hoobs Pro supports Matter devices with its embedded Thread radio. The cost is still steep to me but I already have a few Matter controllers. For a new smart home owner that wants a hub to do it all, Hoobs Pro is worth a look. (Hoobs) — Kevin C. Tofel

MQTT 101 is now in session: We mention the MQTT messaging standard on a regular basis, mainly because it’s one of the de facto IoT messaging protocols. Well, more so for industrial IoT than consumer use cases, but it’s still important. Since we rarely get into exactly how MQTT works, this explainer is worth sharing as it offers more context around device messaging. (InfoWorld) — Kevin C. Tofel

What can you learn from a CT scan of the Nest Thermostat? Arguably, the Nest Thermostat helped kick off the current smart home era. Designed by Tony Fadell of Apple iPod fame, it’s very functional while also being a beautiful piece of hardware. How did Fadell design the smarts inside the original Nest? A CT scan of the device provides all of the answers. I found this writeup and accompanying video quite fascinating. And I learned about the custom leaf spring connectors and other clever engineering approaches used in the product. (Scan of the Month) — Kevin C. Tofel

Pepper acquires Notion in smart home insurance play: IoT platform provider Pepper has acquired Notion from Comcast. The deal gives Pepper an entre into the smart home insurance market by giving it access to Notion’s multi-purpose sensors and insurance clients. (Stacey on IoT) — Stacey Higginbotham

Amazon rolls out limited version of Matter: Amazon has enabled Matter on millions of Echo devices, allowing them to control  Matter-enabled switches, outlets and bulbs over Wi-Fi. Amazon will add more devices and Thread capabilities next year as it tests how well the roll out goes. (Stacey on IoT)  — Stacey Higginbotham