IoT news of the week for May 26, 2023

Sequans launches a 5G chip for cheaper industrial IoT devices: French cellular module maker Sequans has introduced the Taurus 5G NR, a 5G chip that’s based on the modern Release 17 standard. The industrial IoT has been eager for release 17-capable silicon because it brings in elements such as fine-grained location. But most 5G chips are still pricey, meaning manufacturers put them in higher-end devices. So if you want to use 5G to track tools on the factory floor, the price points may not be there yet. With this chip, Sequans is trying to meet that larger, price-sensitive market for industrial 5G. (RCR Wireless) — Stacey Higginbotham

Savant buys a battery company as the smart energy sector heats up: Smart home device company Savant Systems Inc. has expanded its offering of smart energy products with the acquisition of POMCube, a home battery company. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Savant already provides a breaker box solution and software that can manage energy usage across a home, so adding backup power and energy storage only makes sense. As climate change and more frequent grid disruptions happen, consumers are investing in battery capabilities. But with a battery, consumers also need a way to manage how that stored power gets used, which is where the smart breakers and software come in. I expect we’ll see more deals in this sector as money starts trickling in from the smart energy incentives allocated in the Inflation Reduction Act. (Savant) — Stacey Higginbotham

Infinite Uptime gets $18.9M for predictive maintenance: Tiger Global has invested in Infinite Uptime, an Indian company that’s focused on the industrial IoT. The company has already raised around $12 million in total funding as it seeks to expand its customer base and product offerings through more R&D. The eight-year-old company has more than 300 customers who use its products for machine reliability, remote operations, and plant management. (TechCrunch) — Stacey Higginbotham

Two LoRa networks become one with this module: Although the Helium and Amazon Sidewalk networks are two distinct entities, Oxit effectively makes them one. The company this week announced its OxTech Sidewalk Module, which supports both LoRa networks and includes Bluetooth support as well. That means any IoT device with the OxTech module inside can roam between, and use, Helium and/or Amazon Sidewalk. Such a device could send its data over whichever of the two LoRa networks is available, propelling that data to the internet. While there is quite a bit of overlap between Helium and Amazon Sidewalk, there are gaps, too. But supporting both networks on a single module effectively extends the coverage area of any OxTech-equipped device. (Oxit) — Kevin C. Tofel

Apple’s smart display may just be your iPhone: I’ve long wanted a dedicated smart display for Apple HomeKit. Turns out I may already have one. It’s called my iPhone. How does that work, you ask? For now, it actually doesn’t. However, Bloomberg reports that iOS 17 will build upon the iPhone’s widget system and show a smart home style of display when the iPhone is locked. This isn’t quite what I had in mind when I envisioned a “HomePad” over the past few years. However, it does make sense. Why create a dedicated display for personal information and smart home controls when you have one with or even right next to you? (Bloomberg) — Kevin C. Tofel

Better battery life for Wi-Fi cameras: If you own any Wi-Fi cameras, they’re probably plugged into an outlet. That’s because while traditional Wi-Fi is more than fast enough to transmit high-bandwidth video, it’s also relatively power hungry. InnoPhase IoT thinks it has an answer to that problem in its Talaria Two chipset. A camera equipped with the Taleria Two inside uses Ultra-Low-Power (ULP) Wi-Fi at Bluetooth LE power levels, according to InnoPhase IoT. The idea here is that video transfers at up to 2K resolution can run on a battery-powered camera without needing a battery replacement for months and months. I’m looking forward to seeing a device maker use the chipset so I can test that claim. I’d love to unplug a few cameras and free up some outlets! (Electronics Weekly) — Kevin C. Tofel

Oops, the fly of your smart pants is down! I never thought I’d be writing about unzipped pants, but here we are. Rather than risk walking around with the “barn door” open, Guy Dupont decided to use some IoT smarts to solve this problem. And it’s actually not that complicated of a solution, although I suspect there might be a little discomfort. No, you won’t get an electric shock if you forget to zip your fly. But you will need to integrate your zipper pull with a magnet, hall sensor, and ESP32 module inside your pants pocket. If the sensor detects that you’ve been unzipped for too long, you’ll get a reminder notification on your phone. Yes, it’s quirky and not something everyone wants or needs. Is it wrong of me to like this DIY project anyway? (HackADay)

This rolling display can check your health: We don’t cover display technology too much here, but this week we’re making an exception. Once I explain the “magic” of Samsung’s newest OLED panel, I think you’ll understand. The Rollable Flex display can expand to five times its unrolled length. But that’s not the magic, nor what intrigues me the most. It’s the fact that this screen is capable of monitoring health metrics by touching it. Samsung says this display can measure heart rate, blood pressure, and stress level directly through the OLED panel, with no additional sensor modules. Like I said, magic! Well, only if it works, that is. We’ll have to wait and see if someone builds a device with this nifty expandable OLED screen. (The Verge) — Kevin C. Tofel

Abode outs a basic, cheaper security system: Looking for home security but don’t want to spend hundreds of dollars on hardware? You might be interested in the latest Abode product. The company this week introduced its $159.99 Abode Security Kit, with $20 off for the special introductory pricing. That gets you an Abode Security Hub, one mini door/window sensor, and one keyfob to start. And you can add more devices as you see fit. The hub uses Wi-Fi but drops the company’s flagship hub support for Zigbee, Z-Wave, and HomeKit, helping to keep the costs and complexity down. However, you still get cellular backup connectivity, a battery backup, a siren, voice assistance from Amazon or Google, plus person, package, and pet detection if you add cameras. Note that a security event timeline and the camera detection features require Abode’s Standard monitoring subscription. A Pro monitoring subscription includes these features and adds the cellular backup service. (Abode) — Kevin C. Tofel