FarmBOX is a DIY plant management system: It’s hard to believe that a meager $15 Raspberry Pi Zero 2 can help you grow indoor plants like a master gardener. OK, it takes more than just the $5 compute board; you’ll need a compatible camera sensor, a motor timer, and a few other hardware bits, too. Even so, I think this is a DIY project that practically anyone can complete. And once done, you’ll have a plant management system that uses TensorFlow AI to send notifications of produce ripeness and potential plant disease. (Hackster.io)
Wireless systems can monitor Parkinson’s patients: Lately, we’ve covered quite a few wireless solutions providing the promise of presence detection. This week, I found an interesting use case for presence detection that’s far more specific: monitoring the health of those living with Parkinson’s disease. This research paper describes how readily available wireless radio tech can be used to monitor gait speed, which can be used to track the progression of the disease over time. (Science Translational Medicine)
Cellular airwaves might be the next wireless power source: I’m typically skeptical of most wireless power claims, and I think I have a right to be. After all, it’s been “the year wireless power goes big” for the last 12 or so years. But now PowerCast is trying to leverage a new source for wireless energy — low-band cellular frequencies, specifically those in the 600 to 900 MHz band — which it showed off at Mobile World Congress this week. And unlike most wireless energy solutions, this one provides an incentive to the companies that own those airwaves. PowerCast can offer its product to carriers who can, in turn, charge consumers for “power as a service.” It’s an interesting idea. Now let’s see if it has legs. (PowerCast)
Want a door lock that recharges wirelessly? Speaking of wireless power, I have to mention Alfred. No, not Batman’s butler. Alfred is a company that makes smart door locks. Its latest product, announced this week, is the yet-to-be-priced ML2 Bluetooth lock. What’s unique about this smart lock is that it can be wirelessly charged by an optional module to provide “limitless long-term power” to the rechargeable battery. Personally, I’d just go with a small solar panel, but not everyone likes the look of those. (Alfred)
Your next Volvo may detect drunk driving: Most connected cars that use LIDAR, radar, or other sensors direct those outward for vehicle safety. But Volvo is spinning that idea on its head by turning the sensors inward. The latest Volvo EX90 will use sensors to detect if a driver has been drinking. If the standard safety feature detects that the driver has had one glass too many, it will show alerts and warnings to “right the ship,” as it were. But if the driver doesn’t do that, the car will intelligently and safely slow down to pull over. The only missing feature is for the car to lock the keys in the off position and call an Uber. (The Verge)
AWS IoT FleetWise is ready for business: Previously announced in limited availability, AWS IoT FleetWise is now generally available for all. And by “all,” I mean car manufacturers. The service allows carmakers to gather sensor data from connected vehicles and push up only what they want or need to Amazon’s cloud. That reduces the bandwidth necessary, saving on data costs, because sensor-equipped vehicles can generate gigabytes of data in a very short time. Once uploaded, the data can be sliced and diced however the car manufacturer wants. Think of it as a more intelligent way to get connected vehicle data to the cloud — or to Amazon’s cloud, at least. (Amazon)
Amazon Alexa is getting a new voice: Many people are focused on the new hardware announcements from Amazon’s event earlier this week, but I think they may be overlooking services. After partnering with Disney for its Disneyland MagicBand wearable for kids, Amazon is expanding beyond the theme park’s borders. The MagicBand+ still works as a park and ride pass, but the Disney experience doesn’t stop when leaving. Kids can use the new “Hey, Disney!” command on Echo devices for more than 1,000 interactions built by Disney. Amazon says this first time an Alexa Custom Assistant will be available on Echo devices. Overlooking this partnership would be a mistake. By bringing kids into its wearable ecosystem now, Amazon can offer products and services to the same kids when they’re grown up. Hmm… (Amazon)
NYC’s latest water sensor network runs on LoRa: When you have an island with more than 8 million residents, you have to keep an eye on water levels. Otherwise, you end up with a lot of angry commuters in fashionable galoshes. So, New York City is riding the IoT train by testing a small-scale ultrasonic sensor project that sends water level data from streets over a LoRa network. If successful, the city plans to expand from 23 sensor units to more than 500 within the next five years. I suspect that will depend on whether the data is successfully integrated into the predictive models the city plans to use. After all, having data is one thing; using it to take intelligent actions is another. (Engadget)
The smart speaker market is owned by the big three: A new research report from Omdia on the smart speaker market hit the wires this week and brought with it some intriguing data. Amazon grew its smart speaker brand by 33% compared to the previous year’s quarter, according to the report, while Google and Apple saw their market share fall 31% and 57%, respectively. That may not be surprising, given Amazon’s retail reach and relatively inexpensive, sometimes-free-with-other-purchases products. What did surprise me was the longer look back. Omdia notes that more than 35 smart speaker models have been discontinued since April of just this year, and 46% of the brands that used to make smart speakers haven’t released a new one since 2018! In other words, Amazon, Apple, and Google essentially own this market now. (Omdia)
Want the latest IoT news and analysis? Get my newsletter in your inbox every Friday.
If you have any questions on Lora Smart Door Lock. We will give the professional answers to your questions.