Amazon Dash Pad automates small business supplies
Amazon’s Dash Button for consumers, the small hardware device that reorders products automatically, was discontinued. The technology has been resurrected in the form of a Dash Smart Shelf — a small Wi-Fi connected platform which is setup to either reorder the designated supplies resting on top of the shelf, or to simply notify someone that it is time to reorder. TechCrunch
dis-rup-shun: This is an elegantly simply application of the Internet of Things with a simple business model that provides businesses with convenience while providing Amazon with a competitive advantage, using established, proven technologies. It is hard to imagine that this concept will not succeed, unless a growing bias against the power of Amazon becomes a barrier to adoption. The IoT industry needs more simple, clear applications such as this to prove the benefits of connecting everything.
HoloLens technology being used in surgery
Microsoft’s HoloLens augmented reality technology — currently deployed as a headset, is being used in sinus surgery at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. The technology provides guide-lines to help guide surgeons as they navigate through a patient’s sinuses. MediView, one company implementing the technology is using it at the Cleveland Clinic, leading the way for broader adoption among doctors. Wired
dis-rup-shun: Remember when you had to back a car up by wrenching your neck to look over your shoulder and look out of the rear window? Archaic. Soon, surgeons will be laughing about the old days when they operated without multiple virtual views and guidelines of patient’s bodies. The safety, quality and time improvements are exciting, and the more these advantages can be quantified, the quicker large institutions will fund and adopt emerging technologies.
Sonos offers non-connected voice control
Sonos has acquired a voice control technology firm called Snips. The acquisition will enable one to control a Sonos speaker via voice without connecting to a cloud and without the voice command going to the cloud and back to execute commands. Sonos appears to be responding to customer who are unwilling to have a BigTech voice service constantly listening to conversations. TechCrunch
dis-rup-shun: The fact that Sonos has invested in Snips makes an interesting statement about smart speaker technology. The statement is that a significant share of the tech and digital music-loving population will not buy a smart speaker that connects to Amazon, Google or Apple’s cloud services — which must listen for trigger words to function. Rather than accept the fact that a share of the population will not purchase a cloud connected smart speaker, Sonos has invested in technology to address this population. Marketers take note — a very sophisticated technology product company has determined that privacy concerns are a significant barrier to adoption, worthy of a $37 million investment.
A single sensor for smart applications
Smart buildings and smart homes now have to manage a plethora of devices to inform users. Oval is a startup which has developed a five-in-one sensor that senses movement, light, temperature, humidity and water. The $50 sensor, $150 hub and app make implementing simple home or building automation really easy. Oval
dis-rup-shun: Simplicity in smart applications for consumers cannot be over emphasized, and despite the success of hot products like Ring, Nest, Echo and Google Home, smart products are not yet simple enough. Oval is a step closer to the “open the package and it just works” requirement. The industry needs to take note and continue to drive both complexity and prices down.