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Samsung leak exposed source code, passwords and employee data
Samsung was reportedly leaking sensitive source code, credentials and secret keys for several internal projects. According to TechCrunch, independent security researcher Mossab Hussein discovered dozens of exposed files in a GitLab used by Samsung engineers and hosted on a company-owned domain. The projects were reportedly set to "public" and not protected with a password.
Lowe's smart home device platform shuts down March 31st
Lowe's tried to become a mainstay of smart home technology with its Iris system, but it wasn't successful enough and unveiled plans to leave the category in November. Now, it's ready to bow out in earnest -- the hardware store has announced that it's shutting down the Iris app and services on March 31st, 2019. It stopped charging paying customers as of January 31st, and it's issuing Visa prepaid cards to eligible customers to help them migrate to other smart home platforms.
Samsung's LTE tracker locates lost items wherever they are
There are legions of Bluetooth item trackers that can help you find your keys or your bag. However, there's a common problem: without always-on data, you might not find them unless someone with a tracking app happens to wander nearby. Samsung might have a better approach. It's launching a SmartThings Tracker that uses low-power LTE-M data to share its location where Bluetooth and other technologies won't have the range. You could track your backpack even if if you only remembered it when you got home.
Samsung found a new smart home evangelist in 'Family Guy'
Samsung gives me smart home fatigue. Enough about Smart Things, enough about how a thousands-of-dollars TV can connect to a new thousand-dollar fridge or washing machine. Enough beautiful families showcasing features in beautiful houses that I can only dream of living in. Samsung's leaning on augmented reality and some Family Guy branding to show the kind of tasks that can be accomplished with connected home assistance -- and make it a little more, well, friendly. With Samsung Galaxy Note 9 in hand, I pointed the camera at an AR doormat to calibrate to the empty room, transforming it into the Griffin household you know and love/tolerate.
Samsung's new mesh routers use Plume's WiFi optimization tech
Mesh WiFi systems, like those from Eero, Netgear, Google and many others, have quickly become the preferred way to blanket a home in internet coverage. It provides a simple way to reach all corners of a house, something that's needed with the growing number of WiFi-enabled smart home devices. Samsung, which bought home automation platform SmartThings back in 2014, is tackling both mesh WiFi and smart home connectivity with its new, simply-named SmartThings WiFi mesh network system. As the name suggests, this system consists of multiple access points you can spread throughout your home to provide strong WiFi coverage. And like last year's Samsung Connect Home router, the new model also includes a full SmartThings hub, a helpful feature for people trying home automation for the first time.
Samsung patches multiple SmartThings Hub security flaws
Samsung's SmartThings hub suffered from 20 vulnerabilities that could have allowed attackers to control the internet-of-things devices connected to it. Thankfully, security intelligence firm Cisco Talos discovered the flaws and worked with the Korean company to resolve the issues, allowing Samsung to release a firmware update that patches them for all affected customers. Talos admits in its report that some of the vulnerabilities would've been difficult to exploit, but attackers can combine several at once to launch a "significant attack on the device."
Do you need a smart home hub?
When life gets chaotic, it can be convenient to have all your smart home devices operating on the same wavelength. Achieving this sort of harmony sometimes requires a hub to consolidate the myriad gadgets in your house. But not everyone needs a dedicated smart hub to make their setup run smoothly. A smart speaker like the Amazon Echo or the Google Home can serve a similar purpose, with each device's respective apps acting as central command. Manufacturers have even begun bundling hubs into other devices like security systems and mesh WiFi routers, making home automation simpler for beginners.
Samsung's SmartThings hub is down for North American users (updated)
Samsung launched its SmartThings automation Hub back in late 2015. Wirecutter called it the best smart hub the following year, and the company has added more features to the system, like the ability to control it with Gear smartwatches. Unfortunately, Samsung has confirmed that the system has been down for many North American users since yesterday. The company has also tweeted that it is still looking into the issue as of today.
Samsung to bring SmartThings control to its Gear smartwatches
During its CES press conference today, Samsung announced that this year, it will bring the SmartThings app to its Gear S3 and Gear Sport smartwatches. In its presentation, the company focused on how it will bring all of its connected devices together to create a seamless ecosystem with simple user controls, and adding the SmartThings app to its latest smartwatch models will be a nice step in that direction.
Samsung's 2018 4K TVs add Bixby AI
Even if you can't spring for an 85-inch 8K TV or a screen large enough to be called The Wall, Samsung still has something new for your next TV. Its 2018 Smart TV platform is getting an upgrade with the addition of its Bixby AI voice control platform, as well as integrated with its SmartThings smart home platform. That home automation hub support will "offer easier sharing, connectivity, and an overall simplified way to control the television and sync with other devices," according to the company. As Samsung explained during its launch event on Sunday at CES, it's replacing all of the current mobile apps with one SmartThings app, that will help you login to services, set up WiFi on your new TV, and more. Finally, a new universal guide will keep up with the likes of Apple, Roku and TiVo by searching for content within apps and suggesting new things you to watch.
Samsung adds Bixby voice control to its Family Hub smart fridge
Samsung is fulfilling its promise of spreading Bixby beyond mobile devices -- it just unveiled a Family Hub 3.0 refrigerator whose star attraction is (you guessed it) Bixby voice control. The company hasn't said exactly what its in-house voice assistant allows, but it will personalize responses to individual voices: you can ask what's new and get your personal calendar and news updates.
Samsung’s cellular smart tag lasts for a week on one charge
Smart products have given us the tools we need to track personal items, and even loved ones. Want to know where your kids are? Buy them a custom smartwatch. Worried about losing your suitcase? Grab some connected luggage. Looking to keep a watchful eye over your pet? Get a webcam-integrated smart toy. But, as useful as they may be, they're still restricted by their category. Sensing a gap in the market for a versatile product that can do all of the above, Samsung is releasing the Connect Tag.
Samsung squeezed a smart home hub into a WiFi router
Samsung isn't content with simply unveiling the Galaxy S8 today. In addition to its latest flagship phone, the company is also showing off a new Gear 360 camera, a desktop dock and, interestingly enough, a router. The Connect Home Smart Wi-Fi System is a mouthful of a name, but the device itself may actually reduce clutter in your home, since it removes the need for a separate SmartThings Hub. Samsung hasn't shared information on price and availability yet, but we do know the Connect Home system will be sold on its own or in a three-pack. A so-called Pro version will also be available.
Engadget giveaway: Win a smart home package courtesy of Stringify!
If you've been piecing together a smart home setup one connected device at a time, you'll be happy to know that Stringify can help you create smart sequences at the tap of a button or at just the right time of day. While you can link smart devices and even wearables, the app's abilities also tie in to online services such as Google Drive, RSS feeds and push notifications. If you have a Withings connected scale, you can set up a "flow" that automatically populates a spreadsheet with new weight readings. Want to set the mood for bedtime? You can have the lights dim slowly once it gets to a certain hour, with the temperature lowered and even have some snoozy jams playing on your connected speaker -- automatically. This week, Stringify has provided us with a respectable smart home starter kit for one lucky reader, including a Sonos Play:1, LIFX bulbs, a Samsung SmartThings Hub with sensors and an Echo Dot. All you need to do is head to the Rafflecopter widget below for up to three chances at winning. Already have some devices you'd like to tie together? The Stringify app is free on iOS and Android if you want to check it out. Winner: Congratulations to Mitch B. of Brooklyn, NY!
The best smart leak detector
By Rachel Cericola This post was done in partnership with The Wirecutter, a buyer's guide to the best technology. Read the full article here. After spending over 10 hours pouring water, mopping it up, and changing wet socks to test the performance of seven DIY leak detectors, we've decided that the D-Link DCH-S160 Wi-Fi Water Sensor is the best smart water sensor currently available. It's one of the few options that doesn't need a smart-home hub, making it a more affordable solution than the competition because it can work with your existing Wi-Fi network. It can—like the rest of the units we tested—deliver alerts whenever water is present, but it also throws in a few perks that aren't available on any other smart water sensor at this price.
Samsung's 2016 4K TVs start at $1,499, get even smarter
This year is shaping up to be a 4K HDR showdown for all of the big TV makers. We've already seen Vizio and LG's entries, and now Samsung has announced more details about its latest lineup. All of its new 4K TVs feature quantum dot technology, which promise more accurate colors compared to LED on its own. They also sport a revamped "Smart Hub" interface, which streamlines the entire process of setting up your TV and integrating new devices. And, as we've heard before, they'll also serve as hubs for Samsung's SmartThings IoT platform, allowing you to control a variety of smart home devices using the TV.
Samsung's home tech will eventually plug into Windows 10
Microsoft has revealed that it will join forces with Samsung to develop smart home "internet of things" (IoT) devices that work on Windows 10. The idea is to let people monitor and control washing machines, refrigerators and other appliances using apps on Microsoft's OS. To demonstrate the idea (below), Microsoft used Cortana to query whether a Samsung washing machine was in use and then brought up a chart showing when and how different family members used it.
Samsung is putting SmartThings hubs in its 2016 HDTVs
All the smart TVs in Samsung's 2016 lineup can connect to its SmartThings platform, the company has revealed. Even better, it equipped all the flagship TVs, which it calls SUHDs, within next year's product list with the IoT hub technology it snapped up in 2014. In other words, those SUHDs can connect to Samsung devices and all the SmartThings-compatible lights, thermostats, cameras, motion (and other types of) sensors you have in your home. The TVs will most likely be able to control them all through a single user interface.
Samsung's next-gen SmartThings home hub goes on sale
The next generation of SmartThings hardware is now available after a lengthy delay. Samsung purchased the home automation company just over a year ago, but was optimistic when it said the next-gen hardware would arrive in April. The hub, sensors and app (available on iOS and Android) are now good to go, however, along with developer tools to get other companies on board. The new hub improves on the last version in a couple of key ways. It no longer needs an internet cloud connection to function, and can run autonomously for 10 hours on a battery if the power is cut.
Samsung's new SmartThings home automation Hub ships next month
Samsung quickly announced a second generation of SmartThings home automation hardware after acquiring the tech for $200 million last year... and then just as quickly delayed their release in March. Fortunately, there's good news: the new Hub and sensors are just about ready to go and the company says they will go on sale in September. While older hardware will still work, the new generation is supposed to be powerful enough to handle processing locally, instead of in the cloud, improving reliability even when your internet connection is out. More info is promised in the coming weeks, but interested customers can preorder the $99 Hub from SmartThings or on Amazon to be first in line.
