IoT news of the week for Sept. 3, 2021

Samsara has confidentially filed for an IPO: This is big news for those of us who have been in the industry for a while. Samsara launched in 2015 as a connected sensor platform with an excellent pedigree. Its founders co-founded enterprise Wi-Fi company Meraki, and it has about 20,000 customers. Samsara’s history is a microcosm of the history of enterprise IoT. It launched with big plans to create a horizontal platform that would make it easier for customers to manage and deploy sensor networks. But it quickly realized that industries needed more specialized products. So it shifted, specifically to focus on cold-chain management and then asset tracking. I personally believe the underlying vision for building out a broad platform still exists, but reality required Samsara to layer more services and dedicated products on top. My hope is that eventually we can break down the vertical focus and pull in data across industries, but we’re not there yet. I’m keeping an eye on Samsara to see when that might change. (Reuters)

SimpliSafe releases an outdoor camera: Hot on the heels of Google’s Nest releasing a battery-powered indoor/outdoor camera and a camera plus light, SimpliSafe has added its own outdoor camera to its home security lineup. The SimpliSafe camera is rechargeable, which means homeowners don’t have to mess with wires, and it’s IP65-compliant, so it’s weatherproof. The camera will cost $169.99, which is less than the planned Nest outdoor camera with integrated lights, and there are a range of accessories on offer including a mount, a cable, and a solar panel. (The Verge)

Consent is going to continue to be an issue for smart homes: I feel like a lot of people don’t think about the discomfort others might have when their partner or a neighbor brings home a smart device. Not everyone wants to be photographed or have data shared about their lives when at home. This is why I am a big fan of telling people who live with you what a device can do and who sees the information or data it generates. You should also ask them if they are down with a camera or an oven that takes picture of everything you put inside it and sends it to an app. These issues are made even more complicated in shared buildings. So I was fascinated by the question posed in this article about a neighbor’s video doorbell that faces a condo owner’s front door, and wonder how many similar issues arise each day in condos or duplexes across the land. (NYT)

Another security flaw in the smart home: A flaw in an API and insecure radio links apparently make it possible for an attacker to remotely turn off a connected alarm system, according to research published this week. The two vulnerabilities affect the Fortress S03 WiFi Home Security System, and the flaws remain unpatched as of Tuesday. While exploiting either of these flaws is unlikely for a run-of-the-mill hacker, a stalker or dedicated attacker could use them to break into a home with this security system. I get that no system is ever secure, especially against a dedicated hacker, but it’s a bit disconcerting, especially since hackers for hire are a real thing now. (ThreatPost)

China’s new laws help citizens opt out of algorithmic manipulation: This is such an interesting story because of the contradiction between China’s dystopian use of algorithmic and computer surveillance and how it’s setting rules to protect citizens from algorithmic manipulation by companies. China is drafting new laws that prevent companies from using personalized data to offer ads, manipulate pricing, and even schedule employees or take advantage of gig workers. These are positive things! However, it also seems that while private companies can’t go too far in screwing over citizens, China’s policies will ensure that the government can do whatever it wants with data. (Protocol)

More research like this, please: Swiss researchers have created a type of wooden flooring that can generate enough electricity to power a lightbulb or other small devices when a person walks across it. This is obviously not commercial-ready, yet I’m excited by the possibility of electricity-generating flooring that might power in-wall or in-building sensors. This means we could put sensors in hard-to-reach places without worrying about battery changes and could place more of them in different areas. People who like to pace instead of sit at their desk could become the unsung heroes of the office. (The Guardian)

This looks like an interesting project: This article introduces us to TinyGo, a version of Go recompiled for resource-constrained devices such as Arduinos, ESP32s, and other microcontrollers. So if you’re familiar with Go and want to experiment with IoT projects, check this out. (Auth0)