Opinion | When Apple met Google: New tech standard aims to ensure smart home devices always work — even when the internet is down

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Apple and Amazon are among dozens of companies using new tech standard ‘Matter,’ which allows smart home devices from different manufacturers to work together. It’s good news because up until now, smart home tech has had problems. Opinion by navalang

I must admit, I’m a little sheepish about being so easily influenced. But having seen coloured LED lights everywhere — those glowing strips or bulbs that adorn shelves and ceilings in modern coffee shops, or on Instagram — I gave in and got some too.

That now looks set to change, however. At this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Vegas, dozens of manufacturers showcased wares that adhered to a new smart home standard called ‘Matter.’ Everything from garage door openers to thermostats to lighting will begin to work interoperably and more seamlessly, starting now. And while there are inevitably lots of kinks to work out, it seems our homes might finally now get smarter.

Matter acts as a solution to these problems in a few ways. For one, it is a shared protocol, with hundreds of major and minor manufacturers having signed on. In addition to Apple, Google, and Amazon, myriad other tech makers — everyone from major companies like GE, Samsung, and Phillips, to small but important ones like Govvee, Nanoleaf, and TP-Link — have all incorporated the standard.

 

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navalang I missed this! Super interesting. A privately set standard ahead of antitrust on IOT or other mechanisms to get at interop. Presumably helps all firms sell more smart home stuff? Lower barrier to entry? cc: JohalSunil anaqarri

navalang SMART isn’t smart at all. In fact, it’s kinda stupid when there are power outages and cyber attacks. The WEF has already warned us that there’s a big one coming. And it leads to the WEFs planned 15 communities, which no one wants at all.

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