IoT news of the week for January 14, 2022

JANUARY 14, 2022 BY STACEY HIGGINBOTHAMLEAVE A COMMENT

DigiCert has acquired IoT security firm Mocana: DigiCert, a company that provides certificate management, has acquired Mocana, a startup that uses its own proprietary networking protocol to track connected devices across a network. Mocana’s software runs on connected devices and helps companies get visibility into their OT networks while also creating a secure pathway for communication. This ties in well with DigiCert’s IT security offerings, which include encryption, certificate management, and more. It also continues the trend of IT security nestling ever closer to OT security. I await the day when there is just one holistic view of security. (DigiCert) — Stacey Higginbotham

Wirepas tech tapped for real-time nursing call system: Intrex, a Virginia-based medical device company, will use Wirepas radio technology to connect its Rythmos nurse calling and patient monitoring system. Wirepas makes a highly scalable, low-power mesh network that runs on a variety of frequencies. Wirepas gateways can manage thousands of nodes and can do so on battery power if needed, meaning that the devices and gateway can function in case of a power outage. Wirepas can also provide real-time location using less power than a cellular option. This means that patients wearing the nurse calling devices can press a button to get help and be tracked via their device without requiring constant battery changes. I’ve seen Wirepas win some really interesting deals outside of the traditional IoT connectivity space, and this is another one. (Wirepas) — Stacey Higginbotham

Honeywell adds OT software from Alcavio to its security suite: Honeywell has added a new feature to its security offerings thanks to a partnership with portfolio company Alcavio. Honeywell and Alcavio are launching the Honeywell Threat Defense Platform, which is designed to detect threats in the operational technology networks of smart buildings. These threats include both ransomware and 0-day attacks. Alcavio’s software works by creating decoys of valuable network targets and leaving them open for attackers. When attackers glom onto the targets, security teams get a notification. (Honeywell) — Stacey Higginbotham

Remember how I said smart buildings are going to be a thing? PassiveLogic, a startup in Utah, has raised $34 million in venture capital to help build out its automated building management platform. The company sells software that lets people draw buildings and then it will create a digital twin based on those drawings. From there, you can simulate and eventually map building hardware to the digital twin. The good news is, it seems easy to bring a building into the system. The bad news is, the digital twin is built using proprietary software called Quantum. We need more ways to exchange information between digital twins and having common data models and languages will be better for all involved. But perhaps if PassiveLogic gets bigger, it will see the value in opening up Quantum or at least bringing it closer to industry standards such as Brick or Project Haystack. (PassiveLogic) — Stacey Higginbotham

More startups get behind small data: I don’t know if this is news exactly to companies trying to build custom algorithms to spot defects in their own products, or to predict failures in highly customized equipment, but it seems like more of the big tech players are latching onto the idea that small data sets and a good data scientist can develop algorithms that will work for several problems faced by companies. I don’t think it’s a surprise to most that a service like Amazon’s SiteWise can’t magically predict failures on all equipment, but I’m glad we’re starting to discuss nuance here. Also, it’s good to see Andrew Ng back at a startup. (Protocol) — Stacey Higginbotham

Project Soli turns to open source for help: I was excited for Google’s Project Soli when it was announced in 2015. Google said its ultra-wideband radar effort could detect submillimeter gestures, which could transform device interfaces. But in the six years since then, only two products have used it. Now Google is involved with a project called Ripple, which is seeking open source APIs for Soli. I explain how this is really a pivot because Soli has so far been a solution in search of a problem. (StaceyOnIoT) — Kevin C. Tofel

Google’s workaround for Sonos patents is causing pain already: This week saw news of Sonos winning its suit against Google for five of its patents. That’s why you can no longer control speaker groups in your Google Home app, in case you hadn’t noticed. Google was quick to offer a workaround app called “Device Utility” but the software is getting hammered with negative reviews. The main reason is that you need the app to set up new smart speakers and Chromecast devices, which apparently the app is not very good at doing. Like we said in our podcast this week, Sonos may have won but it’s really us consumers that have lost. (9to5Google) — Kevin C. Tofel

Alexa can help be your weight room workout assistant: I’ve given Amazon’s Alexa a hard time in the past for not being as “smart” as other digital assistants, so I have to give credit where credit is due. You can use Alexa to change the amount of weight you want on NordicTrack’s iSelect Adjustable dumbbells. Just say the word, and you can be lifting between 5 and 50 pounds for your workout. Of course, this assumes you haven’t overtaxed yourself and can actually take a breath to speak. (Engadget) — Kevin C. Tofel

It could get easier to read Terms of Service in the U.S.: Hands up, who among us has completely read the Terms of Service (ToS) for their latest IoT device or online account? I’d say “put your hands down” but I doubt any hands were actually raised. And I don’t blame you. Most TOS are as long as book one of “Lord of the Rings.” OK, maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but you can’t deny that these documents are far longer than they should be for us to understand the main points. That’s why U.S. legislation has been introduced to require “nutrition label-style summaries” for commercial websites and apps. I vote yes! (The Washington Post) — Kevin C. Tofel

Another satellite company for edge computing aims for the stars: Over the past few years, I’ve lost track of how many companies are launching satellites for the IoT and edge computing. So whatever that number is, you can add one more to it. Mangata is the newest company in this space (no pun intended), having raised $33 million this week in a Series A round. Network service is planned to start in 2024 to enable micro data center connections over satellite for edge computing and IoT. (Mangata) — Kevin C. Tofel