IoT news of the week for October 7, 2022

This week’s IoT news was compiled and written by Kevin C. Tofel

The Pixel Tablet morphs into a Nest Hub: Along with the Pixel 7, Pixel Watch, and new Nest products, Google this week showed off the Pixel Tablet. You can’t buy this Android tablet until next year, and you might not even want an Android Tablet. Then again, you might want this one because it works with a wireless speaker charging base. When you’re done using the device as a tablet, placing it on the base turns it into a smart display, similar to the existing Nest Hub. At that point, the interface changes to match its current smart displays, providing a pair of use cases for the price of one. Google’s new Tensor G2 chip powers on-device machine learning, which is a compelling smart home feature. You also get the typical Nest Hub features such as Google Assistant and Google Photos integration. I knew this was a good idea when I suggested some time ago that Apple do this with the iPad. Google just beat them to the punch. (The Keyword)

Want a $1,300 smart remote? OK, so the price of this is a bit absurd, but the $1,300 Ava Remote shown off at CEDIA this week is a real looker. If a modern TV remote and an iPhone had a baby, the Ava Remote would be it. However, that’s where any Apple resemblance ends. The Ava Remote is the first to be Google Certified and it runs the Google Play Store. So you can install any of your smart home apps that work with Google’s ecosystem directly on the remote. There’s also a built-in microphone and speaker for voice commands if you don’t want to fiddle with touchscreen applications. Why so much for what’s essentially a large Android phone without the phone bits? Ava isn’t selling it directly to consumers; you can only get one through a custom smart home integrator. (The Verge)

Kohler and Phyn team up with Alarm.com: We’ve been seeing more consolidation and partnerships in the smart home and the latest one makes total sense to me. Working together, Kohler and Phyn are integrating their all-inclusive home water security system, H2Wise, with the services of Alarm.com. Homeowners with the H2Wise system can track water consumption and leaks directly through the Alarm.com mobile app. The H2Wise product range includes both Phyn’s self-installed water system and its professionally installed option. Homeowners can also add Phyn’s two smart water assistant devices, one of which can shut off the water supply upon leak detection. Or you can simply buy a new home with the H2Wise system; Toll Brothers will offer it for its new home construction projects. (Phyn)

Matter is finally official! I know we’ve been discussing Matter since the standard debuted as Project Connected Home over IP in 2019. But it’s worth mentioning that the Matter specification officially launched this week. That means we should soon see Matter-branded devices in the wild that will work with — and across — all of the major smart home platforms. To find out more about what this all means and what to expect, check out Stacey’s detailed write-up. (Stacey On IoT)

Rockwell Automation plans an acquisition: On the industrial side of things this week, Rockwell Automation announced it intends to purchase the Denmark-based company CUBIC. Terms of the proposed purchase were not made public. CUBIC focuses on renewable energy, data centers, and infrastructure, making it a good fit for Rockwell. CUBIC was founded in 1973 as a maker of modular electrical panels. This will give Rockwell more expertise in providing sustainable energy solutions as the industrial and enterprise IoT heads deeper into energy management and sustainability. (Rockwell Automation)

Generac buys an IoT energy platform: Speaking of industrial IoT acquisitions, Generac Power Systems announced one this week. The energy technology and power company purchased Blue Pillar, an IoT platform company that has a similar customer base. Generac plans to further integrate Blue Pillar’s software for simpler distributed energy generation monitoring services. Terms of the deal were not provided. (Generac)

T-Mobile US launches a suite of IoT services: Last month, we noted that T-Mobile and Deutsche Telekom landed a cellular IoT service deal in the EU for robotic mops. This month, a similar service offering from T-Mobile US arrives closer to home. The carrier is touting its new 5G Advanced Industry Solutions services to develop industry-specific solutions for retail, manufacturing, logistics, and smart cities. I’m not sure about the latter use case here in the U.S., but the former ones could all benefit from such a service. T-Mo says the Advanced Industry Solutions aim to provide an end-to-end suite of connectivity, compute, devices, and applications. (T-Mobile)

Sometimes HomeKit products don’t “just work”: After 18 months of HomeKit use, I generally feel the platform to be rock solid. But I haven’t tried all of the HomeKit products available. And one of them is actually losing HomeKit support. Rachio’s SmartSprinkler has been plagued with “no response” messages in Apple’s Home app, and after months of trying to figure out why, the company is giving up. It’s a disappointment for sure, but Rachio is doing right by the customer. Anyone who purchased the product can get a full refund. (9to5 Mac)

Lost your car? LoRa and Sigfox networks can find it: Here’s an interesting stat. Coyote Secure, maker of a vehicle tracker that helps locate stolen cars, says it can find 91% of them within 48 hours. Currently, the trackers send vehicle location data over the Sigfox network. Coyote Secure hopes to raise that vehicle recovery percentage to 100 by adding a second network to the trackers. This week, the company said it would integrate Orange’s LoRaWAN network into its devices to double up on connectivity. Coyote Secure customers pay a subscription fee of 14.99€ per month or 179€ per year for the service. However, the addition of LoRa connectivity will not boost the subscription costs. (IoT Business News)

Assa Abloy acquires DoorBird: Assa Abloy, the company behind the Yale and August lock brands, has acquired all of the shares of Bird Home Automation Group, which makes the DoorBird intercom system. DoorBird is a high end replacement for traditional apartment buzzers and intercoms, and was a popular suggestion when folks from NYC asked me about how to make their apartment buildings smarter. Details of the transaction weren’t shared, but it sounds like the DoorBird folks were looking for an exit, which Assa Abloy has now provided. (DoorBird) — Stacey Higginbotham