Google Laid Off Its Smart Home Ecosystem Chief, Eufy Fixes Its Encryption, and ZigBee Direct Launches

Hello, and welcome to Signals, my newsletter dedicated to the latest smart home news, products announcements, business deals, and more.

To get future issues of Signals delivered straight to your inbox, subscribe now!

I did not expect Google’s cold-hearted layoffs of 12,000 employees to make it into this newsletter, but here we are! Additionally, Eufy is finally fixing its camera encryption, the Connectivity Standards Alliance formally released ZigBee Direct, and TP-Link released its first Matter product. Plus, there was a host of smaller news and product announcements. Let’s dive in!

Google Laid Off Michele Turner, Head of the Google Smart Home Ecosystem

I was surprised and disappointed to see Michele Turner announce her departure from Google on LinkedIn. I don’t understand why you would let go of one of your key division leaders just as that division is executing a number of bold changes (from adopting the Matter standard to completely overhauling the Google Home app) meant to reinvigorate Google’s smart home platform. Turner was also instrumental in the creation of Matter, working with her counterparts at Google’s biggest rivals to make the standard a reality and chart a better path for the smart home market.

Prior to running Google’s smart home ecosystem, Turner ran the Nest home security business where she launched the Nest Hello video doorbell, Nest Secure alarm system, and several Nest Cams. With such a strong background in the smart home, I’m sure plenty of IoT companies would love to work with her. And if you’re lucky enough to bring her aboard, you better treat her well!

If I had to make an educated guess, I would say Turner’s smart home duties probably now fall to Rishi Chandra, who is the Vice President of Product and General Manager of Google Nest. Of course, that’s assuming Chandra is also still employed (he hasn’t updated his LinkedIn profile).

Eufy Is Finally Fixing an Encryption Flaw On Its Security Cameras

The Verge’s Sean Hollister has been busy over the last few months reporting on a flaw in Eufy cameras that allowed unencrypted camera feeds to be accessed from a regular media player app, such as VLC, despite the cameras being marketed as using end-to-end encryption.

He now exclusively reports that Eufy has admitted its cameras were never fully end-to-end encrypted when using the company’s web portal to access live camera feeds. However, the company claims it has now patched this flaw and its web portal will now use end-to-end encryption. Additionally, Eufy is updating all of its security cameras and video doorbells to use the WebRTC standard for end-to-end encryption when accessed from the Eufy web portal. (The company claims its cameras always used end-to-end encryption when accessed from the Eufy Security mobile app.)

It’s good that Eufy is finally owning and fixing its mistakes, but I wonder how much damage this whole debacle has done to their reputation. There are plenty of posts on Reddit and Twitter from upset Eufy users who claim they’re done with the company, and it’s certainly made me think twice about using the company’s products. Eufy seems to at least be aware of this, and is claiming it will continue to make changes, such as conducting outside security audits, to win back its customers’ trust. You can see Hollister’s story for a detailed statement from Eufy’s head of communications, with answers to many questions about its encryption practices and future plans.

ZigBee Evolves to Remain Relevant With ZigBee Direct

Last week, the Connectivity Standards Alliance formally launched ZigBee Direct, a new feature of the ZigBee wireless standard that allows Bluetooth-enabled devices (such as smartphones, tablets, and smart speakers) to control ZigBee devices without another hub. It works by using a smart home device with both ZigBee and Bluetooth radios as a bridge between the Bluetooth controller device (phone, speaker, etc.) and other ZigBee smart home devices. The bridge device could be something as small and simple as a smart lightbulb, and Philips Hue smart bulbs already have both radios inside them.

With the future of ZigBee somewhat unclear due to the growing popularity of the CSA’s other smart home standard, Matter, I think ZigBee Direct could be a great way for this older standard to remain relevant. Virtually every major smart home controller, whether its an Apple TV streaming box or a Google Nest Hub smart display, has Bluetooth. That means the bar is relatively low to implement ZigBee Direct across a range of devices much broader than your typical smart home hub.

At the very least, ZigBee Direct could provide a pathway to integrate existing ZigBee smart home devices that consumers already own with new Matter devices. Right now, the Matter standard only uses Bluetooth to handle device setup (device-to-device communication happens over WiFi, Thread, or Ethernet), but it wouldn’t be a stretch for the CSA to expand the standard to further support Bluetooth and ZigBee Direct. The CSA has said in the past that it’s open to adding other wireless protocols to Matter.

TP-Link Launches Its First Matter Device, the Tapo P125M Smart Plug

Just a few weeks after the release of Meross’ first Matter smart plug, TP-Link now has a Matter plug of its own that’s available for purchase from Amazon for just $20. Thanks to Matter, this plug will work with any major smart home system, including Amazon Alexa, Apple Home, Google Home, and Samsung SmartThings.

Taken together, these Meross and TP-Link plugs are the first two products to ship with Matter support out of the box. The only other available Matter products are made by Eve, but they currently require a software update to work with the standard. Now that we have a few smart plug options, it would be great to see other types of devices release, or launch with, Matter support. (I’m looking at you, smart lock manufacturers!)

Bits & Bytes

This past week saw a number of smaller product announcements and news bits, so I’ve decided to experiment with a short, bulleted section to cover them. Let me know if you like this approach!

• Generac, which acquired smart thermostat maker Ecobee in 2021, is now integrating Ecobee thermostats with Generac whole-home generators. The integration will allow you to monitor propane levels, view the generator status, and check alerts directly from Ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium and Smart Thermostat Enhanced screens.

• Schlage has a new smart lever lock that’s based on the company’s popular Encode smart deadbolts. Like those locks, it uses WiFi instead of a bridge or hub. Schlage isn’t sharing pricing yet, but the lock will be available this spring.

• Amazon’s other home security brand, Blink, has a new Wired Floodlight Camera that only costs $100. It features 1080p HD video and bright 2,600 lumen LED floodlights.

• A new brand called Viro is offering smart LED light fixtures made with hand-blown glass. They’re beautiful, and obviously expensive.

• A company called Chicony Electronics has created reference designs for the first WiFi HaLow security cameras. WiFi HaLow is a low-power version of WiFi that’s been in the works since at least 2016, but it has never taken off and requires new WiFi router hardware.

That’s All, Folks!

Thank you so much for reading Signals! If you have ideas, thoughts, or feedback on how I can improve the newsletter, please reach out on Twitter or via email. I’m open to changing just about anything. Finally, if you want to connect with me on my other social channels or see what I’m working on, click here. See you next time!