Google Says it Matters
During its I/O developer conference, Google reiterated its commitment to Matter, saying that it will bring Matter to Android and capable Nest products. Android will offer built-in support for Matter and ways to set up and control Matter-certified devices (apps, Google Assistant, Google Home app..). Nest products with Thread (such as Nest Wifi, Nest Hub Max, and Nest Hub 2nd gen) will become connection points for Matter devices. All Nest displays and speakers will be automatically updated to control Matter devices, as will the newest Nest Thermostat.
In other smart home news, Google has launched a new smart home web page to search for Google Assistant-compatible devices, see product details, read reviews, and purchase from Google Shopping. Finally, Google is adding support for the WebRTC video protocol for live video streaming from security cameras and smart doorbells to displays, phones, and TVs.
The NPD Take:
- While it was a bit disappointing not to see any new smart home devices come out of I/O, the commitment to Matter is a reassuring thought for a smoother smart home future (though not very surprising given that Google has been on board with what was formerly called Project Connected Home over IP from day one.
Echo Displays Can Half Act as a Security Camera
Using a setting called Home Monitoring, Alexa’s smart displays can now behave like security cameras…somewhat, by enabling you to view – from the Alexa app on your phone or tablet – what the display is seeing. Video Delay blurs the first few seconds of video, allowing anyone on camera to react to suddenly being watched…which they will only know if the Audio Alert setting is enabled to alert said person that the camera feed is going live. The feature has been enabled on the new Echo Show 10, as well as the Echo Show 5 and Echo Show 8, but only the Echo Show 10 lets you pan and zoom (right and left, but not up and down) and zoom in and out.
The NPD Take:
- This is an interesting feature but doesn’t really take the place of an actual security camera. There is no way to record video, for one, and no direct way to set up motion alerts (which basically renders the feature useless for detecting intruders…which is why you would want a security camera in the first place). Nevertheless, it could be a fun/possibly creepy way to check in on your kids…or your dog.
Eufy Gets Too Close for Comfort
Eufy suffered a damning but supposedly limited privacy breach last week that enabled camera owners to see live and recorded footage of other users and provided complete access to those strangers’ accounts – including the ability to control their cameras. Eufy blamed the snafu on a software bug during a server update, and claims that 712 of its users were impacted. The company also said the problem was fixed in one hour’s time.
The NPD Take:
- 712 users impacted is 712 too many. While the company now says it is upgrading its network architecture, strengthening its two-way authentication, upgrading its servers, and obtaining new privacy certifications, this will be too little too late for some.