This week’s Smart World Series features a smart bed cover, a smartphone dongle that tests for the HIV virus, biometric trends for the smart home and a smart home security market plagued with flaws, to name just a few of the top stories.

For those who missed last week’s Smart World Series, here’s a chance to catch up on the exciting developments in the connected world.  Each week, SiliconANGLE rounds up the top news trends regarding smart homes and cars, smart data centers and IT, smart infrastructure and all things related to the Internet of Things (IoT).

Smart bed cover tracks sleep and heart rates, regulates temp.

Luna is a smart bed cover that features dual zone temperatures and is able to track sleep patterns, heart rates and breathing rates, and comes with a smart alarm that wakes you up at the right moment of light sleep.

Also featured in this roundup is Misfit Wearables’ entrance in the smart home market and Muzzley, a platform that streamlines your home’s connected devices.

Read more about these new products in our Smart Living roundup.

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Your iPhone can test for STDs with this cheap dongle

Waiting for the result of your HIV test can take months and for some people, that could feel like an eternity. Hoping to simplify the home testing process, Associate professor of biomedical engineering Samuel K. Sia and his team developed a smartphone dongle that costs only $34, able to test for HIV and Syphilis and deliver results in just 15 minutes.

Also featured in this roundup is Microsoft’s SWARM smart scarf prototype and a temporary tattoo that is able to test for glucose levels without having to draw blood.

Learn more about the advancements in health technology in our Smart Health roundup.

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Smart-home devices riddled with security flaws, HP study finds

A report from Hewlett-Packard revealed the harrowing truth about connected home appliances: they have very weak security features making them vulnerable to hacks. According to the report, HP used its cloud-based vulnerability testing service to test 10 of the most popular connected appliances in the market as well as on its respective  web-based and mobile companion apps. It was determined that the systems lack two-factor authentication and that none curtailed the number of failed log-in attempts. Simply put, these connected home appliances are vulnerable to brute-force attacks.

Learn more about HP’s security report on connected home devices here.

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Your office building gets its own data plan with Metrum LTE

Aclara Technologies LLC unveiled Metrum LTE, an addition to its line of products designed to bring cellular connectivity to infrastructures such as meters and other utility devices.

Also featured in this roundup is AT&T Corp. and GE Co.’s partnership for the Industrial Internet of Things, and SmartPark’s expansion of operations to Tennessee to give truck drivers an easier way of finding parking spots in rest stops.

Learn more about how Metrum LTE can connect buildings here.

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Biometric trends for the smart home

Security is a top priority for homeowners and as we move to the connected everything era, security measures are becoming more advanced. Some security systems are now placing biometric scanners in homes as an added layer of security. Such biometric scanners being utilized for home security include fingerprint scanners, facial recognition tools and voice control integration.

Learn more about these biometric trends here.

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Microsoft expands IoT developer program with Windows 10 for Raspberry Pi 2

Evans Data Corp. revealed in a report that app developers are now shifting focus from developing apps for tablets to developing apps for connected devices such as as smartwatches. Also featured in this roundup is SmartThings, Inc.’s hiring of former Google executive Dora Hsu and Microsoft making a Windows 10 version available for the Raspberry Pi 2.

Learn more about these in our Smart DevOps roundup.

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iCar: Apple reported to be building an electric car…seriously

In 2014, Apple unveiled Apple CarPlay, a software platform to make interacting with the connected dashboard less distractive for drivers. Now, the company seems to be moving on to bigger endeavors as reports have surfaced that Apple is working on a car, and not just any car, an electric car that would give Tesla Motors a run for its money.

Learn more about what Apple may or may not be planning for the streets here.

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Tune in next week for more interesting stories, discoveries and innovations in the world of smart and connected things.

Feature image via Flickr under Creative Commons license

photos by Newtown grafitti and Robby Ryke via photopin cc