NEWS
NEWS
NEWS
What you missed in the Smart World: Botched software update angers Philips Hue users
A new Internet of Things (IoT) headquarters, a botched software update, IoT assets being sold … these are just a few of the most interesting news items that popped up in the connected world last week.
Every week we round up the latest developments in the Smart World, from new developer platforms to smart city initiatives around the world, and more. Here’s what you missed in the Smart World:
Philips backtracks on Hue Bridge software update after Internet backlash
Royal Philips recently released an update to address issues in its Hue Bridge, but the update resulted in incompatibilities with third-party bulbs, something that did not sit well with users. After some Internet backlash, Philips backtracked with its update and stated that third-party bulbs will still be supported. But that doesn’t mean incompatibility issues have been resolved.
Read more about the kerfuffle here.
The rise of Vivint: Anticipating what smart home consumers want and need
Smart home adoption is on the rise in the U.S., and it looks like Vivint, Inc. is at the forefront. Vivint offers home security solutions that not only protect from intruders but also help users of the technology keep an eye on kids and pets. The company anticipates what consumers want, and this seems to be working well for the company, resulting in good business results in 2015, as well as obtaining naming rights for a sports arena.
Read more about how Vivint is shooting to the top here.
Bankruptcy judge approves sale of Quirky assets
Despite objections from General Electric Co., bankruptcy judge Martin Glenn has approved the sale of Quirky, Inc.’s assets. Quirky’s remaining assets will be sold to Q Holdings, LLC for $4.7 million.
Read more about Quirky’s fate here.
Wistiki has the answer to never losing your keys, wallet or pet again
Wistiki ASA’s Bluetooth trackers, which were created in collaboration with Philippe Stark, have surpassed its funding goal on Indiegogo with a week more to go. The line of trackers can help you locate lost items, including smartphones, keys, pets and more.
Read more about Wistiki’s Bluetooth trackers here.
5 connected gifts even your grandparents can use
Finding the perfect gift for your grandparents can be tricky, especially in our connected world, but there are some gadgets that even they can appreciate and use, such as a digital frame or a cheap tablet so they can video call with their grandkids.
Read more about gift ideas for grandparents here.
App connects IoT devices via a drawn line
Researcher Valentin Heun, from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Fluid Interfaces Lab, has come up with an app called Reality Editor that allows users to draw a line between devices to connect their functions. This aims to help users control things around them in a simpler way.
Read more about how Reality Editor works and its availability here.
IBM debuts new Watson-powered analytics APIs for the Internet of Things
IBM has opened a new headquarters in Munich, Germany, dedicated to IoT, which will house 1,000 developers, consultants, researchers and designers along with data scientists, engineers and programmers, all dedicated for IoT innovations and finding solutions. Aside from the new HQ, Big Blue also debuted four a new families of Watson APIs available for IBM clients, partners and developers to make better sense of gathered data via machine learning and correlation with unstructured data.
Read more about IBM’s IoT efforts here and here.
Pebble updates software to join fitness tracking revolution
Pebble Technology Corp. has released an update for its smartwatches that adds native step and sleep tracking. The Pebble Health is a free health tracking system that shares the data collected to Apple’s HealthKit and Google Fit, but Pebble is working on making the data appear on its own app, which it hopes will be ready by the next update. Though it is a bit primitive compared to other trackers, it does offer something new, such as adjusting daily goals based on previous activities.
Read more about the Pebble Health here.
Tune in next week for more interesting stories, discoveries and innovations in the world of smart and connected things.
Image source: Royal Philips
Since you’re here …
… We’d like to tell you about our mission and how you can help us fulfill it. SiliconANGLE Media Inc.’s business model is based on the intrinsic value of the content, not advertising. Unlike many online publications, we don’t have a paywall or run banner advertising, because we want to keep our journalism open, without influence or the need to chase traffic.The journalism, reporting and commentary on SiliconANGLE — along with live, unscripted video from our Silicon Valley studio and globe-trotting video teams at theCUBE — take a lot of hard work, time and money. Keeping the quality high requires the support of sponsors who are aligned with our vision of ad-free journalism content.
If you like the reporting, video interviews and other ad-free content here, please take a moment to check out a sample of the video content supported by our sponsors, tweet your support, and keep coming back to SiliconANGLE.
