The government’s watchful eye to  has a new ally, and it could very well be your freshly installed connected light bulb, smart TV or smart refrigerator. This is just one of many recent developments in the Internet of Things (IoT), a market ripe with fresh funding and emerging use cases.

Every week we round up the latest developments in the Smart World, from new developer platforms to smart city initiatives around the world. Here’s what you missed in the Smart World:

IoT healing heart disease, almost as smart as a doctor

In time for Heart Month, Withings SA announced that Hy-Result, a sophisticated advisory algorithm developed by hypertension specialists from Hospital Georges Pompidou in Paris, is now available for purchase in the Withings Health Mate in iOS for $4.99.

Hy-Result gathers blood pressure data and individual user data that includes lifestyle, medications, medical history, and personal stats, to determine the appropriate course of action to better manage high blood pressure.

Read more about what Hy-Result can do for you here.

IoT can’t save you from Big Brother

The Director of National Intelligence James Clapper announced to the Senate that Internet of Things devices can in fact be used “for identification, surveillance, monitoring, location tracking, and targeting for recruitment, or to gain access to networks or user credentials.”

This revelation confirmed the fear of many, as discussed in a recent academic paper. If you ever gave the government the benefit of the doubt that it is not spying on you, then the joke’s on you.

Read more about how IoT could become the government’s tool for spying here.

Veniam lands $22M for smart cars, cities

European “Internet of Moving Things” startup Veniam, Inc. announced that it has raised $22 million in Series B funding led by Verizon Ventures. Veniam stated that this round of funding will be used to expand its platform to new cities as well as grow its team. Veniam’s services allows smart cities to collect data from connected vehicles.

Read more about Veniam’s plan for the connected car here.

Your Fitbit did what?!

Fitbit, Inc.’s shares may have recently reached new lows, but some users are still reaping benefits from using its fitness trackers. From one couple who found out that they were pregnant, to capturing the exact moment his heart broke after being dumped, to a teenager averting cardiac arrest, the Fitbit is proving useful in the most unexpected ways. 

Read more about how Fitbit’s health tracker offers new insight to human life here.

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

Photo by RyanMcGuire (Pixabay)