Smart home
Amazon, Google Pressed by US Senator on Matter Smart Home Alliance
In a letter, the chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee’s antitrust subcommittee said testimony last week by attorneys from the companies left her with concerns about their dominance of the fast-growing field.
She asked the companies which of their products will support – and which will not – a recently revamped industry alliance known as Matter. The group, which includes Apple, Ikea, and others, aims to allow home-automation gadgets such as Internet-connected lights and speakers from various companies to sync with one another.
“For what period of time do you commit to support the Matter interoperability project, and who at your companies is responsible for determining whether to extend the length of your commitment to Matter?” Klobuchar wrote to Amazon and Google.
She called on the companies by July 2 also to answer questions about data collection by voice assistants and how the information is used.
Last week’s hearing followed complaints by Sonos and other home-device makers about big tech companies engaging in allegedly anticompetitive tactics to extend their dominance in advertising and other businesses.
Klobuchar noted at the hearing that Amazon’s Echo line had more than 50 percent of the smart-speaker market, while Google’s Nest products had 30 percent.
© Thomson Reuters 2021
Smart home
Apple to Face Lawsuit Claiming AirTags Are Weapon of Stalkers
About three dozen women and men who filed the suit alleged that Apple was warned of the risks posed by its AirTags and argued the company could be legally blamed under California law when the tracking devices are used for misconduct.
In the three claims that survived, the plaintiffs “allege that, when they were stalked, the problems with the AirTag’s safety features were substantial, and that those safety defects caused their injuries,” Chhabria wrote.
Apple had argued it designed the AirTag with “industry-first” safety measures and shouldn’t be held responsible when the product is misused.
“Apple may ultimately be right that California law did not require it to do more to diminish the ability of stalkers to use AirTags effectively, but that determination cannot be made at this early stage,” the judge wrote in allowing the three plaintiffs to pursue their claims.
A spokesperson for the company didn’t immediately return an email requesting comment on the ruling.
Apple was accused in the case of negligently releasing the AirTag despite warnings by advocacy groups and others that the product would be re-purposed for surveillance. “With a price point of just $29 it has become the weapon of choice of stalkers and abusers,” according to the complaint.
Apple developed a feature that alerts users when an AirTag might be tracking them, but that and other safety measures aren’t enough, according to the suit.
Tile Inc. is facing similar allegations that its tracking devices connected to Amazon.com Inc.’s Bluetooth network lack adequate protections against stalking.
The case is Hughes v. Apple, Inc., 3:22-cv-07668, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California (San Francisco).
© 2024 Bloomberg LP
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Smart home
Panasonic Launches Matter-Enabled Room Air Conditioners in India
Announcing its lineup of ACs, Fumiyasu Fujimori, Managing Director, PMIN, Panasonic Life Solutions India, said, “The new line-up of ACs, comprising of India’s first Matter-enabled RACs will not only provide inter-operability but is simple to use, reliable and secure. By seamlessly connecting with other Matter-certified devices and platforms, they will facilitate a smarter and more efficient use of energy, optimizing comfort while minimizing environmental impact.”
The Matter-enabled ACs can be connected through the company’s Miraie app, which also adopts the same connectivity standard. Users can also use any other Matter-enabled app to control the appliance. These new models are available across major offline outlets, e-commerce platforms and through the company website.
What is Matter, the universal standard of connectivity for smart home appliances
In recent years, a big focus in the consumer tech space has been on interoperability and unified solutions. Last year, Xiaomi launched its HyperOS, which replaced the MIUI system to bring a single interface to connect and unify all its IoT devices. On the hardware side, Apple finally ditched the Lightning port in the iPhone 15 series in favour of the USB Type-C port to comply with the European Union’s new rules of bringing a unified port for all consumer electronic devices.
Matter is a similar protocol for software unification and connectivity of smart home and IoT appliances. The universal standard was brought up by the Connectivity Standards Alliance (formerly known as Zigbee Alliance), a group of more than 500 companies. The first time this protocol made the headlines was in 2019 when Apple, Google, and Amazon joined hands with Zigbee Alliance to create a single unified connectivity system for smart homes.
It solves a core issue for smart home owners, which is managing multiple apps to control the various smart appliances in the house. The situation has become similar to the late 90s and early 2000s when users were forced to keep multiple remote controls to use their appliances till universal remotes came about. Matter aims to mirror a similar solution through a networking protocol to connect compatible devices and systems regardless of their brand, model, or origin of manufacturing.
The universal connectivity standard focuses on a four-pronged solution. First is interoperability, which will allow users to buy any smart home appliance, from a smart TV to smart lights, without worrying about downloading its companion app to control it. The second is simplicity, as it ditches complex setup processes and offers a simple UI to connect all the devices in your home via WiFi. The third issue it tackles is security, as Matter uses an encryption system to ensure the data shared between the different devices are protected from any outsider trying to hack the user. Finally, it also addresses the reliability problem as the protocol is designed to evolve and adapt to newer smart devices that might be invented in the future.
Smart home
Amazon Great Republic Day Sale 2024: Best Amazon Devices Under Rs. 30,000
As part of the ongoing sale on Amazon, customers can purchase the Echo Dot (5th Gen) for Rs. 4,949, down from the listed price of Rs. 5,499. Meanwhile, the Echo Dot (4th Gen) which is equipped with a clock, is currently priced at Rs. 3,749. For those looking to pick up an even more affordable smart speaker, the Echo Pop speaker is on sale for Rs. 3,449 (previously Rs. 4,999). The Echo Show 5 with a 5.5-inch display is currently priced at 5,999 instead of Rs. 8,999 during the sale.
If you’re looking to purchase a Kindle e-reader, you can pick up the standard model with a 6-inch display at Rs. 8,499 (previously Rs. 9,999). The Kindle Paperwhite and Paperwhite Signature model are priced at Rs. 13,999 and Rs. 17,999, respectively. You can also buy the Kindle Oasis (10th Gen) at Rs. 18,999 instead of its previous price of Rs. 21,999.
The Redmi 43-inch 4K LED Fire TV is currently priced at Rs. 24,500 (it was launched in India at Rs. 26,999). You can purchase the Fire TV Stick with Alexa Voice Remote and Fire Stick 4K with Alexa Voice Remote at Rs. 2,999 (previously Rs. 4,999) and Rs. 3,999 (previously Rs. 5,999), respectively.
Product | MRP | Deal Price |
---|---|---|
Echo Dot (5th Gen) | Rs. 5,499 | Rs. 4,949 |
Echo Pop | Rs. 4,999 | Rs. 3,449 |
Echo Show 5 | Rs. 8,999 | Rs. 5,999 |
Kindle (6-inch) | Rs. 9,999 | Rs. 8,499 |
Kindle Oasis (10th Gen) | Rs. 21,999 | Rs. 18,999 |
Redmi 43-inch 4K LED Fire TV | Rs. 26,999 | Rs. 24,500 |
Fire TV Stick with Alexa Remote | Rs. 4,999 | Rs. 2,999 |
Fire TV Stick with Alexa Remote | Rs. 3,999 | Rs. 3,999 |
Catch the latest from the Consumer Electronics Show on Gadgets 360, at our CES 2024 hub.
-
world news4 months ago
Gulf, France aid Gaza, Russia evacuates citizens
-
world news4 months ago
‘What will your excuse be?’: Gaza hostage’s mother urges world to help
-
Camera2 years ago
Sony a7 IV sample gallery
-
Solar Energy4 months ago
The potential of solar cars in the world
-
TOP SCEINCE2 months ago
Chemists create a 2D heavy fermion
-
world news3 months ago
Yemen’s Houthis in Oman-mediated talks over Red Sea ‘operations’
-
Smart home12 months ago
Xiaomi Smart Air Purifier 4 Series, Robot Vacuum Mop-2i, More Debut in India
-
TOP SCEINCE2 weeks ago
A healthier diet is linked with a slower pace of aging, reduced dementia risk, study shows