Tech News - Home Automation

iRobot, the intelligent robot making company revealed its latest robot vacuum, the Roomba i7+ yesterday. It is a successor to the Roomba 980 which was launched in 2015. The i7+ has two key changes - it stores a map of your house and empties the trash itself. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPgxcETuqzI Weighing about 7.4lbs, the Roomba i7+ is designed to be easier to manage than the previous models. The new charging base houses a larger trash bin for automatic emptying. The stationary base automatically sucks the debris out of the Roomba into the bag. The base has the capacity to hold dirt of 30 cleanings. This would mean you’ll have to empty the bigger trash bag only once a month, depending on your cleaning needs. The i7+ works with two rubber brushes, one to loosen up the dirt and another to lift and collect it. The large bag in the base traps dust so that it can’t escape. It works on iAdapt® 3.0 Navigation with vSLAM® technology both of which are patented. They allow the robot to map its surroundings and clean sections of your home systematically. It creates visual landmarks to keep track of areas it has cleaned and areas pending to clean. Source: iRobot The i7+ too like the older models connect to the iRobot Home app and can sync with virtual assistants like Alexa to schedule cleanings. Like the previous 900 series, the i7+ too maps your house, the difference being that the newer model stores the map for automatic navigation later. You can use the app to differentiate and name different rooms and control the cleaning frequency. With an assistant, you can use voice commands to clean specific rooms. The i7+ will be available in stores from October. The price tag of $949 may not appeal to everyone, but if you want your house to be cleaned automatically, this is something to consider. There is also a lower- priced model, the i7 with a price tag of $699. This version does not have a self-cleaning base or mapping features, but it can be controlled by Wifi or an assistant. You can pre-order the latest Roomba i7+ from the iRobot website. Home Assistant: an open source Python home automation hub to rule all things smart How Rolls Royce is applying AI and robotics for smart engine maintenance 6 powerful microbots developed by researchers around the world

We have Amazon Alexa, Google Home and Phillips Hue for smart actions in your home. But they are individual and require different controls. What if all of your smart devices can work together with a master hub? That is Home Assistant. Home assistant is an automation platform that can run on Raspberry Pi. It acts as a central hub for connecting and automating all your smart devices. It supports services like IFTTT, Pushbullet, Google cast, and many others. Currently there are over a thousand components supported. It tracks the state of all the installed smart devices in your home. All the devices can be controlled from a single, mobile-friendly, interface. For security and privacy, all operations via Home Assistant are done locally, meaning no data is stored on the cloud. The Home assistant website advertises functions like having lights turn on upon sunset, dimming lights when you watch a movie on Chromecast. There is a virtual image called Hass.io which is an all in one solution and get started with Home Assistant. There is a guide is to install Hass.io on a Raspberry Pi. The requirements for running Home Assistant are: Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+ + Power Supply (at least 2.5A) A Class 10 or higher, Size 32 GB or bigger Micro SD card An SD Card reader Ethernet cable (optional, Hass.io can work with WiFi) For unattended configuration, optionally a USB-Stick Home assistant is a hub, it cannot control anything on its own. Think of it as a hub that passes instructions, a master device that communicates with other devices for home automation. Home assistant can’t do anything if there are no smart devices to work with. Since it is open source, there are dozens of contributions from tinkerers and DIY enthusiasts worldwide. You can check out the automation examples to know more and use them. The installation is very simple and there is a friendly UI to control your automation tasks. There is plenty of information at the Home Assistant website to get your started. They also have a GitHub repository. Cortana and Alexa become best friends: Microsoft and Amazon release a preview of this integration Apple joins the Thread Group, signalling its Smart Home ambitions with HomeKit, Siri and other IoT products Amazon Echo vs Google Home: Next-gen IoT war

Yesterday, Microsoft and Amazon announced a public preview of the integration of their intelligent digital assistants, Cortana and Alexa for US users. Both Cortana and Alexa allow each digital assistant to summon each other and access additional apps and services on their Windows 10 PCs and Harman Kardon Invoke speakers. This digital assistant integration was first announced on 30th August last year and was demonstrated at the Microsoft Build Developer Conference, 2018. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxwjnuhNVIY Why did Microsoft and Amazon collaborate Cortana and Alexa? "I want them to have access to as many of those A.I.s as possible", said Jeff Bezos in an interview with The New York times, while putting forth his vision for users to communicate with AIs as they do with their friends while asking them recommendations about a good restaurant or a famous hiking place nearby, and so on. He further stated, "The world is big and so multifaceted. There are going to be multiple successful intelligent agents, each with access to different sets of data and with different specialized skill areas. Together, their strengths will complement each other and provide customers with a richer and even more helpful experience." Satya Nadella, CEO, Microsoft added,"Bringing Cortana's knowledge, Office 365 integration, commitments, and reminders to Alexa is a great step toward that goal". Cortana users can have another way of making their lives easier with a great shopping experience. For instance, if you’re at work but remember you have to get soft drinks for a dinner party in the evening and you’re using their Windows 10 PC, iPhone or Android phone, you can simply ask Alexa to order soft drinks using the preferred payment method for their Amazon account. “Alexa, open Cortana” “Hey Cortana, open Alexa” For trying out this exciting update for Alexa on Cortana, and vice versa, you can simply say “Hey Cortana, open Alexa” on a Windows 10 PC, or “Alexa, open Cortana” on an Echo device. https://twitter.com/tomwarren/status/1029722099789832200 As explained by Amazon in one of its recent posts, “The goal is to have two integrated digital assistants who can carry out tasks across different dimensions of daily life — at home or work, and on whatever device is most convenient. Currently, Cortana and Alexa can each be enabled as a skill on the other.” In Microsoft Office 365 users can simply ask Cortana to summon Alexa through a PC at work or can use Alexa to order groceries, adjust the thermostat before heading home for the day. Also before heading to work, one could enlist Cortana through an Echo device to preview a daily calendar, add an item to a to-do list or check for new emails while making breakfast in the kitchen. As a part of this latest public preview, users can freely offer their feedback on how they can help both the communities in improving the Alexa+Cortana experience. The feedback will be based on what the users like, what they did not, and what features they use the most. With customer feedback, the experience will keep getting better and more precise as more people use it and as changes are updated to the underlying algorithms. “Engineers will use feedback from the public preview to deepen the collaboration between Cortana and Alexa”, stated Jennifer Langston in Amazon’s official post. Read more about this collaboration in detail on the  Amazon blog and Microsoft blog. Amazon Alexa and AWS helping NASA improve their efficiency Amazon Echo vs Google Home: Next-gen IoT war Microsoft Azure’s new governance DApp: An enterprise blockchain without mining

Microsoft’s tiny two-in-one tablet Surface Go is now shipping! Microsoft launched Surface Go last month, as the smaller, and cheaper version of its expensive counterpart, the Surface Pro device. Surface Pro is Microsoft’s response to the popular 2018 iPad and Chromebooks with features such as a 10-inch screen, front-facing camera with facial recognition, USB-C 3.1 port, and an integrated kickstand among others. Surface Go comes with Intel’s Pentium Gold 4415Y processor. Its processor is a dual-core seventh-generation model. According to Microsoft, this was chosen as it is able to provide the right balance between performance, battery life, and thermal properties which allows for a thin, fanless design. The device comes with a 10-inch display and weighs nearly 500g. The base model of the Surface Go is $399, the upgraded version, however, costs around $549 per model. Those prices don’t include the cost of the Surface keyboard, which comes for $100 extra for a basic model. You can also get the keyboard in $125 Alcantara Signature version. It also supports inking with the Surface Pen costing $99. There’s also a new $34.99 Surface Mobile Mouse. It is a two-button, ambidextrous, Bluetooth mouse which comes with a scroll wheel. It is available in colors like silver, red, and blue. For now Surface Pro is available to purchase online from the Microsoft Store in 25 countries only. Depending on the region the prices may vary. For the US, the price ranges between $399 and $599 depending on the RAM (4 or 8GB), storage (64 or 128GB), as well as the operating system (Windows 10 Home S-mode, or Windows 10 Pro). Microsoft launches Surface Go tablet at just $399 Microsoft launches a free version of its Teams app to take Slack head on Microsoft Edge introduces Web Authentication for passwordless web security

Microsoft stepped up its tablet game by releasing the all-new Surface Go yesterday. The 10-inch Windows tablet looks exactly likes its expensive and popular counterpart, the Surface Pro device. Only smaller, less powerful and way cheaper, starting at $399. It includes features such as a 10-inch screen, front-facing camera with facial recognition, USB-C 3.1 port, and an integrated kickstand among others. Source: Microsoft Mechanics Let’s have a look at the features that make this tablet all the more alluring: Design Surface Go comes with a  built-in kickstand which includes unlimited positions. It has got corners that are slightly round as compared to the latest Surface Pro and a user familiar magnesium design surface. It weighs 1.15 lbs, making it a bit heavier as compared to the iPad but lighter than the Surface Pro. It consists of large bezels surrounding the screen which provides a place to hold the tablet. You get wider keyboard attachment with these bezels even though they make the tablet look quite dated when compared to the latest versions of the iPad. Display The Go has a smaller 3:2 aspect ratio display (1800 x 1200 pixel resolution). Its 3:2 touchscreen makes it easy for the users to use Go in landscape mode for more productivity. It also supports all the split-screen and multitasking modes that are available in Windows 10. Processor It comes with Intel’s Pentium Gold 4415Y processor with a RAM of either 4GB or 8GB. It provides storage of 64GB  eMMC or a 128GB SSD. Its processor is a dual-core seventh-generation model. According to Microsoft, this was chosen as it is able to provide the right balance between performance, battery life, and thermal properties which allows for a thin, fanless design. Battery Microsoft Surface Go has a USB-C 3.1 port which is Microsoft’s signature surface connector. This helps charge the tablet along with outputting video and data to external devices. Microsoft says the Surface Go tablet comes with up to nine hours of battery life. Additional Features Operating System: Go Tablet runs Windows 10 with S mode enabled. With Go, you can access only Edge browser and apps that are available in the Microsoft Store. Keyboard: The Surface Go consists of an additional keyboard cover which is available in four different colors, and can work with an optional Surface Pen. The Surface Go’s Type Cover provides “laptop-class typing” that comes with a scissor-key mechanism as well as 1 mm of key travel. The trackpad is much larger than the trackpad on the current Type Cover for the Surface Pro. If you add the keyboard, it will increase the price of the Go tablet to $99 or $129 ( depending on which color you choose) while the Pen adds another $99. There’s also a new $34.99 Surface Mobile Mouse. It is an ambidextrous, and two-button Bluetooth mouse which comes with a scroll wheel. It is available in colors like silver, red, and blue which matches the keyboard cover and pen. The new Surface Go is available for pre-order starting today and will start shipping in August. Leap Motion open sources its $100 augmented reality headset, North Star HTC Vive Focus 2.0 update promises long battery life, among other things for the VR headset

Microsoft had initially come up with Windows IoT which was formerly known as Windows Embedded. It was rebranded with the release of Windows 10 where Microsoft introduced twelve versions of Windows 10 that varied in features delivered, use cases, and the devices they supported. With that said, Microsoft gained a fighting place in the world of IoT with Windows 10 IoT which consists of two products catering to different customer bases: Windows 10 IoT Core and Windows 10 IoT Enterprise. Since IoT has to still evolve amongst major enterprises, we will focus on Window 10 IoT Core today. Windows 10 IoT Core is an optimized version of Windows 10 that is designed for smaller devices with or without a display that run on both ARM and x86/x64 devices. It is created to work on devices such as Raspberry Pi, Arduino, and other popular single board computers while it also utilizes the extensible Universal Windows Platform (UWP) API to build great solutions. The IoT domain has always been popular with traditional open source operating systems such as Linux distributions. Since the past couple of years, Windows has started to find its way into this domain and have proven to be an advantageous alternative in many ways. Initially setting up Windows 10 IoT Core to install the image and get started was a task. Recently Microsoft has focused on alleviating these small pain points and has got things sorted for Windows users. When it comes to developing IoT applications, open source distros lack making beautiful user interfaces possible. But with Windows this can be achieved thanks to Visual Studio. Visual Studio has always been a great environment to code in and if you are strong with C#, this can definitely be your go to platform. I emphasize on Windows users because  if you are looking at using or developing on Windows 10 IoT Core you would strictly need Windows 10 which isn’t open source. Well, this might never change. No doubt Microsoft wants to sell its software keeping its existing user happy. This would only be possible when Microsoft services work well only in its own environment. I’m sure you are wondering what could you possibly build with Windows 10 IoT Core and Raspberry Pi or Arduino. These are some breathtaking project ideas that you might be interested in building: Obstacle avoiding robot: This could be your basic project that can help you getting used to the new ecosystem you have adopted. Room light and temperature manager: Next, you can get some home automation tweaks that will help you automate your room environment.   Personal car data monitor: This can be an intermediate project where your IoT application can reveal the health of your vehicle before you start your ride.   Pet feeder: Lastly, you can take up something that involves Cloud platforms where you can feed your pet while your in office or at your neighbours instead of letting them starve. IoT is at such a stage now where the virtual world of Information Technology is connected to the read world. Initially this was possible only through Linux-based ecosystem, but with Windows 10 IoT coming into picture there has been quite a shift observed in the IoT market. Users have observed that in spite running on smaller devices Windows 10 IoT has managed to offer most of the essential features from parent Windows 10.  The world may still seem like a Linux base and deploying Python programs may look easier but it’s best to keep your options open and in this case you have a trusted platform, Windows. 5 reasons to choose AWS IoT Core for your next IoT project Should you go with Arduino Uno or Raspberry Pi 3 for your next IoT project? Splunk Industrial Asset Intelligence (Splunk IAI) targets Industrial IoT marketplace