IoT news of the week for June 17, 2022

Z-Wave hits 4K devices: The Z-Wave Alliance says the number of certified Z-Wave devices available has now surpassed 4,000, with Hoppe AG, a maker of smart locks, getting the 4,000th certification. As we get closer to the release of the Matter standard — which includes Wi-Fi, Thread, and a tiny role for Bluetooth — many in the smart home community are wondering what happens to Z-Wave. Perhaps in response to more competition in the home, the Alliance last year introduced a Z-Wave Long Range standard that provides connectivity over a 1-mile range. This is pretty unique and could lead to continued relevance for Z-Wave even if Matter takes over most of the smart home. (Twice)

Savant launches new GE Cync light bulbs: At CES this year, Savant, which purchased GE’s lighting business, said it planned to release a series of light bulbs, a camera, and a thermostat. Well, this week it launched 11 light bulbs that start at $11.99 for a basic bulb and come in white, color, and something called HD color (which filters out yellow tones). The bulbs won’t require a hub because they use Wi-Fi for connectivity. The lights, including some recessed downlighting that can be installed in the ceiling, are now available at Lowe’s in-store and online and will soon be rolling out to Target, Best Buy, and Amazon. (Review Geek)

Nordic’s new Thingy is basically a Matter development kit: Nordic Semiconductor (it’s also a sponsor this month) has released a new all-in one MCU, radio, and sensor package that’s part of its Thingy line. The Thingy:53 costs between $45 and $60 and provides an ARM Cortex M33 along with Bluetooth Low Energy, Thread, Matter, Zigbee, IEEE 802.15.4, NFC, and Bluetooth mesh radios. It’s also packed with sensors. While the Matter standard isn’t fully certified yet, this dev kit will prepare you for that eventuality and likely get the necessary updates to support Matter once it is released. Happy playing. (CNX Software)

Why build when you can buy? That’s the unsettling question behind this awesome essay in PCMag, which calls out how, after voters in certain U.S. locales forbade their state or local governments from building their own surveillance networks by ordering products such as facial recognition cameras and services from tech firms, the government entities have decided to buy the data instead. So if, say, Oregon can’t build its own surveillance networks, its law enforcement agencies can simply buy the data from existing data brokers instead. Not only does this circumvent the will of the voters, but it ends up creating demand for surveillance services that might go far beyond what these tech firms would have developed. Law enforcement data needs are very different from those of targeted advertisers, after all. (PCMag)

NXP has a new microcontroller family: NXP has launched a new family of microcontrollers aimed at machine learning and low-power computing. The MCX family tree is composed of four branches, with the MCX N having the beefiest performance and security for edge computing. The MCX A family is a budget version with slightly less performance, while the MCX W offers Bluetooth LE integrated in with the MCU. Finally, the MCX L is optimized for the lowest power consumption across a range of performance. According to the article, NXP wants folks to know that this new line doesn’t replace its existing Kinetis and LPC MCU families. (Hackster.io)

Interested in Sonos speakers and its new voice control? This review might help determine if you’re ready to give up on smart speakers from Apple, Amazon, or Google to focus on Sonos’ better audio quality while still being able to dictate your music choices with your voice. Sadly, this option isn’t for me since there’s no Spotify integration, but I do miss the sound quality associated with my Sonos speakers. (The Verge)

Here’s a connected robot for your door lock: Maybe you don’t want to replace your existing door lock because you rent or DIY isn’t your thing. SwitchBot, a company that provides a button-pushing robot and switch-flipping device, now has a door lock turner that will remotely unlock your door for you. It doesn’t look that pretty, but SwitchBot has long been a way to cheaply and easily remotely control things in your home without having to shell out for expensive dedicated devices that need installation. The new door lock is $99.99 and accessories such as a keypad are extra. (SwitchBot)

The future of demand response is here: This partnership between a startup called Lumin, which makes a smart breaker box and home energy management software, and Leap, a residential power supplier, is pretty awesome. Leap has signed a deal with Lumin that allows consumers with Lumin equipment to sign up for Leap power, and when power is in high demand those consumers can choose how they want to reduce their demand. They can use the Lumin app to delay running a dryer or charging a car, for example, or to turn their ACs higher. Typical demand-response programs simply ask users to turn up their thermostats (or do it for the consumer) while also asking them to avoid cooking or drying clothes. This partnership is much more proactive and also attempts to let consumers choose how they want to reduce demand. Right now, this is only available to a select few in California, but I am eager to see how the program develops and how consumers respond. (Residential Tech Today)