Outlet Shelf for Smart Speaker

I considered getting a shelf to hold an Echo Dot or Eufy Genie, but after I hit the post button I'm gonna buy one of the shelves since it is only $5 with code MX6AGTXV. (You can also get a two-pack for $10 with the same code.)

Via Kinja Deals

Alexa Controlled Microwave

I think I'd really rather have the voice-control built in to the microwave - requiring proximity - instead of being able to yell at an Echo have it issue commands via the cloud. But if you want an Alexa Controlled Microwave you can order it from Amazon for $155 - which includes an Echo Dot.

Wyze Cam v2 - Update

A couple of updates on my Wyze Cam v2 order...

1. Wyze experienced a manufacturing problem and had to delay lots of shipments. They sent a very nice note with a lot of detail explaining the issue and the actions they were taking. They included a link to easily cancel your order if that's what you wanted to do. If you were willing to wait, they said they would include a 5 foot long USB extension cable. I thought it was a great job of recovering from a problem.

2. An anonymous commentor pointed out that the cameras are sending data to services besides AWS. I was planning on placing this in my garage pointing outside, so I'm not super concerned, but I will be curious to follow Wyze's response and actions to address the concerns.

Creating More Work

I enjoy my smart home things and keep adding to the list. I'm not sure they save me time, but I love the convenience of them - especially the voice control for muting the TV while my hands are wet from washing dishes or telling the HVAC unit to turn the air on while I'm in the middle of working out.

The only downside is I keep coming up with new problems to solve - some of which didn't exist prior to buying all these smart devices. For example, I don't have a good place for my Eufy Genie (Amazon Echo Dot clone) in my bathroom. I don't have a spot to put it and we don't have enough plugs to power it.

The solution... $40 to get this outlet shelf and an outlet with USB ports.

Home Network - Part 2

So that change didn't go as smoothly as I had hoped... turns out the latest firmware for the ASUS RT-AC3200 has a 2.4 GHz bug. It took me a long time to figure out that was the problem.

I noticed the issue on some of my IoT devices and my wife's hand-me-down laptop. I assumed it was a problem with the devices. Basically, I kept getting a bad password error. I ended up trying a lot of different things - laptop driver update, deleting all the network settings, resetting the IoT devices to their default config, changing the SSID, etc.

It wasn't until I realized I was having the problem on my laptop and my iPhone 8 that I started thinking the router was the issue. Originally I had those devices configured to use 5 GHz only, so they never experienced the problem. After a short search, I found this thread: 2.4GHz band issues with RT-AC3200 firmware 3.0.0.4.382_50010. Bingo! That was exactly my problem. I rolled back to an older firmware version and everything has been working like a champ.

On a happier note, I returned my Comcast cable modem, since I had purchased the NETGEAR CM500-1AZNAS. I walked in the retail store, they scanned the label on the modem, and printed a receipt. It took less than 30 seconds. Perfect!

For an upcoming post, I may list all the devices I have connected and note which ones were easy to migrate to the new SSID. (Spoiler Alert - the inexpensive Smart Plugs I bought have some horribly written instructions.)

Wyze Cam v2

I've been looking for a camera solution for the house. At $20 (plus shipping), I figure the Wyze Cam is worth a try.


CPU
1.0GHz

Memory
128MB

Resolution
1920 X 1080 (1080p)

Camera
Lens: F2.0 aperture, 2.8mm focal length
Image sensor: 1/2.7" CMOS
Digital zoom: 8x

Field of View
110° lens

Night Vision
4 Infrared LEDs (850nm) with IR cut filter
Illuminates up to 29.6 feet (9m)

Video
H.264 encoding
10 FPS (both HD & SD video modes)

Audio
Built-in speaker and microphone
Class-K power amplifier

Alerts
Push notifications

Cloud Storage
Free rolling 14 days of alert videos stored in the AWS Cloud

Local Storage
Supports 8GB, 16GB and 32GB microSD cards in FAT32 format

Data Usage
1-2MB per minute in SD, or 4-7MB per minute in HD

WiFi
802.11 b/g/n 2.4GHz

Connectivity Requirements
Upload speed 1.0 Mbps for SD and 1.5 Mbps for HD

Operating Systems
Supports iOS 8.0 and Android 5.0 or later

Operation Temperature
32℉ – 104℉ / 0°C – 40 °C

Operation Humidity
< 90% at 104℉ / 40°C

Weather Resistance
Indoor use only

The House That Spied on Me

The House That Spied on Me:

"Thanks to the Internet of Things, I could live in my very own tech-mediated Downton Abbey. That’s the appeal of smart homes for most people, and why they are supposed to be a $27 billion market by 2021. But that wasn’t my primary motivation. The reason I smartened up my house was to find out whether it would betray me."

And, oh, Certified Refurbished Amazon Echo Dots (and devices) are on-sale.

Anker Echo Dot Clone - $19.99 via Amazon Prime Today Only

I paid $29 for my Anker Echo Dot clone... so I'm in for another one since it is only $19.99 today only for Amazon Prime members.


Edit: This deal may be for everyone, but shipping charges might apply for non-Prime folk.

Voice Control Security

I love my Echo, but the attack vectors are scary...

Turns out hackers can take control of Siri and Alexa by "whispering" to them in frequencies humans can’t hear. https://t.co/TMTw1BjGLB

— Fast Company (@FastCompany) September 6, 2017

Via @Jruys

Doom!

It's everywhere!

You can play "Doom" on a thermostat because of course you can https://t.co/tql3kdXQpX pic.twitter.com/P2Ob7fy1xD

— Motherboard (@motherboard) May 23, 2017

Look, I'm not saying ATMs are trivial to hack, just that lots of them seem to run Doom okay. Infer what you will 😏 pic.twitter.com/PNPPj4L4Tp

— covfefe||oɥɔsɐp (@da5ch0) March 6, 2017

Amazon Echo Dot Pricing

I'm not sure I understand the pricing...

You can get a new Echo Dot for $39.99 (limited time offer).

Or you can get a refurbished Echo Dot for $37.99.

They both have the same warranty, so no real risk to save $2 dollars, but with the prices so close I don't get it.

Refurb Amazon Echo Dot - $38

You can get a refurb Amazon Echo Dot for $38.

But don't do it... it is a slippery slope. I've got voice control of my thermostats. I added two plugs to control a couple of outlets last week. Now, I'm looking for a deal on light switches.

Internet of Things: Febreze Home

Control the scent (fan) from your phone, integrate Febreze Home with your Nest Thermostat, and use it as a smart night light. For real.

Oh god. It's happening. pic.twitter.com/tibDbAh8lK

— Internet of Shit (@internetofshit) July 15, 2016

Internet of Things: Doorbells

Honeywell sent me an e-mail announcing their new doorbells. You can make a custom "ring tone" or define a silent period (so the deliveryman doesn't wake the baby, for example).

It doesn't mention it, but surely the pressing the doorbell will eventually ring your phone. Of course, it needs to integrate with your IoT lock and camera system.

Honeywell Thermostat and Amazon Echo

I can adjust my thermostat from the app on my phone - which is nice, but the real advantage is being able to build the schedule without having to wade through the menus on the limited physical interface of the thermostat itself.

So, I'm not sure how much I would use the integration with the Amazon Echo, but it's cool to see it is an option:

"Amazon Echo can now control your Honeywell Total Connect Comfort Thermostat. Use Alexa, the voice service that powers Amazon Echo, to set the perfect temperature in your home by voice command. Simply say "Alexa, set my temperature to 72 degrees" and enjoy your home's comfort without having to lift a finger."

Also, you can get a cheap refurbished Amazon Echo today from Woot.

Google Home

Privacy issues aside (especially since Google knows everything about me anyway)... I'm happy to see Google Home applying pricing pressure to Amazon and it's Echo product.

AWS IoT Button

Amazon is selling an IoT Dash-like button:

The AWS IoT Button is a programmable button based on the Amazon Dash Button hardware. This simple Wi-Fi device is easy to configure and designed for developers to get started with AWS IoT, AWS Lambda, Amazon DynamoDB, Amazon SNS, and many other Amazon Web Services without writing device-specific code.

A tear-down of the Dash:



Via @kfalconspb

And perhaps a fitting comic to accompany the above:

We are barely scratching the surface of new shopping models 😏
Via @NewYorker pic.twitter.com/8wUY48fNGe

— Subrahmanyam KVJ (@SuB8u) May 15, 2016

The Other Chirp

Google's alternative to the Amazon Echo is code-named Chirp. I'm pretty excited for competition in this space. Tools like these should drive some innovation in the integration of all my IoT devices. And, yes, I'm sure everything will be designed with security at a priority.

Schneier on the DMCA and IoT

"For the Internet of Things to provide any value, what we need is a world that looks like the automotive industry, where you can go to a store and buy replacement parts made by a wide variety of different manufacturers. Instead, the Internet of Things is on track to become a battleground of competing standards, as companies try to build monopolies by locking each other out."

Health Sensors

I like data, but I'm not quite ready for this kit.