Podcast #1024: Dune, Seven Alexa Commands You Are Not Using and Why Matter Matters

On today's show we discuss watching Dune from our home theaters, Seven Alexa commands you are probably not using, and why we think Matter really matters. Plus we have two weeks of emails and news. Dune - Our thoughts 7 Alexa commands you're probably not using (but should be) With Alexa and the range of Echo devices, -- including smart displays and smart speakers -- Amazon has built a robust service that can deliver seemingly endless information and control your home. But, are you actually taking full advantage of all it can do? Full article here… Samsung promises Matter support for SmartThings hubs, Galaxy devices, TVs, and fridges The Matter smart home train is picking up steam. Following Google's commitment to the new standard at its developer conference last week and Apple's addition of Matter support in iOS 15 at WWDC, Samsung is now following suit. The company announced a complete adoption of Matter across ​Samsung's Galaxy devices, televisions, Family Hub appliances, and SmartThings hubs at SDC21, its virtual developer conference being held this week. Full article here… Matter is the foundation for connected things. This industry–unifying standard is a promise of reliable, secure connectivity—a seal of approval that devices will work seamlessly together, today and tomorrow. Matter is creating more connections between more objects, simplifying development for manufacturers and increasing compatibility for consumers. This collaborative breakthrough is built on proven technologies and guided by the Connectivity Standards Alliance (formerly Zigbee Alliance), whose members come together from across industries to transform the future of connectivity. Companies from across the industry are contributing market-proven technologies and best practices. Matter is built around a shared belief that smart home devices should be secure, reliable, and seamless to use. By building upon Internet Protocol (IP), Matter will enable communication across smart home devices, mobile app and cloud services, and to define a specific set of IP-based networking technologies for device certification. Foundation for connected things: Simplicity - Easy to purchase and use Interoperability - Devices from multiple brands work natively together Reliability - Consistent and responsive local connectivity Security - Robust and streamlined for developers and users An open-source approach Members of the Alliance have taken an open-source approach to the development and implementation of this new, unified connectivity protocol. We are using best-in-class contributions from market-tested smart home technologies, such as those from Amazon, Apple, Google, the Connectivity Standards Alliance (formerly the Zigbee Alliance), and others. By leveraging these technologies' contributions, we have been able to accelerate the development of the protocol and deliver benefits to manufacturers and consumers faster. IP-Based Matter makes it easier for device manufacturers to build devices that are compatible with smart home and voice services such as Amazon's Alexa, Apple's Siri, Google's Assistant, and others. The first specification release of the Matter protocol will run on Wi-Fi and Thread network layers and will use Bluetooth Low Energy for commissioning.