Friday, August 15, 2014

IoT: protocol "Thread" by Nest and others

Nest Nurtures New IoT Protocol | EE Times:
"Even before its $3.2 billion acquisition by Google, Nest Labs was quietly building into all its products a low-power mesh networking protocol. Now it hopes to make it an industry standard, called Thread, for home automation devices. 

 A handful of chip and system makers, including ARM, Freescale, Silicon Labs, and Samsung, have joined the ad hoc Thread Group led by Nest. It aims to release the royalty-free protocol this year to anyone who joins the group."

Nest and Samsung launch Thread, a wireless mesh standard for the smart home — Tech News and Analysis
Thread Applications
Thread Group > Home

"It’s hard to get devices to talk to one another. And once they do, the connection is often spotty and power hungry. Thread changes all that. It’s a mesh network designed to securely and reliably connect hundreds of products around the home – without blowing through battery life."

Google's Nest pushes a new IoT protocol for wireless sensor networks | Embedded

Samsung and Nest collaborate on 'internet of things' standards (Wired UK)
"Nest already uses the wireless network protocol Thread for its smart thermostat and smoke and carbon monoxide alarm. It will, however, also work in conjunction with other platforms adjoined to different IoT groups."

IoT: Samsung += SmartThings - $200M

SmartThings Acquired By Samsung For Around $200 Million | TechCrunch

Screen Shot 2014-08-14 at 3.18.54 PM

"Apt for their name, SmartThings builds… smart things. Light switches. Water sensors. Door locks. All packaged up and prepped to hook into their iOS/Android app, which lets you control and monitor these devices from afar.


SmartThings had raised about $15.5 million to date (not including the $1.2 million raised on Kickstarter), with its latest round being a $12.5 million Series A back in November 2013."