Matter smart home platform could help your devices play together in 2022

Speaker 1: Matter is going to fix the smart home matter is going to fix the smart home. Y'all I am getting my hopes up. It's happening, apple and Amazon and Google are gonna play nice with each other. The smart home is all going to work together. I am getting my hopes up. This is an updated outlook for matter for 2022, CES just came and went and there were plenty of interesting [00:00:30] flashy things like ceiling faucets and robot vacuums that combined mops and cameras, but undoubtedly, the most important announcement that came outta CES for the smart home, wasn't something flashy. It was simply matter, gaining a ton of momentum that might help it fulfill its massive amount of pros. Now you might be thinking in elegant fashion, huh? [00:01:00] And I get it. And most of the announcements related to matter had more to do with developers than consumers anyway, but the advancements that come out of it could be some of the most consumer friendly stuff we've seen in the smart home in a long time. Speaker 1: So let me catch you up on what matter is then I'll go over all of the updates that we've seen recently from matter focused, mostly on CES before detailing, why these updates make me [00:01:30] so excited about it. And then finally talking about my remaining concerns about matter. Okay. The cliff notes version of matter. If you're already familiar, feel free to check out the time codes below and skip ahead. Or alternatively, if you want a more detailed explanation, check out this video that we made when matter first debuted last year, and then come back here and feel free to skip ahead or don't and spend that much more quality time with me. [00:02:00] Here we go. Matter wants to make kits so that your Amazon devices work with your Google assistant devices work with your apple home kit devices and Amazon, Google, and apple are already on board along with a whole bunch of other big names in the smart home like Samsung and Phillips hu and Comcast to get granular for a sec matter is a smart home protocol for founded by the connectivity standards Alliance. Speaker 1: The connectivity standards Alliance is the new name for the group behind [00:02:30] Zigby. Zigby is essentially a low power radio signal that devices like door sensors can use to communicate with hubs or smart speakers. And the CSA is refining the whole idea and making it easier for, for devices to talk to each other matter is actually gonna use a relatively new way for devices to communicate called thread. In addition to more standard ways like Bluetooth, low energy and wifi going into CES, we knew a bunch of big [00:03:00] names were already on board and they were already building matter into their compatible gadgets. And even their software. Apple is making it part of iOS, Google and Amazon are building compatibility into their smart speakers, smart things, and Phillips who are adopting the protocol on new devices and up dating some old ones to work with matter, et cetera. Speaker 1: They're planning to flip the switch, so to speak and start letting this communication flow in the first half of this coming year. [00:03:30] And you're caught up CES 2022. Google announced something called fast pair, which will supposedly let you set up and pair compatible devices like headphones and Chromebooks and other Google gizmos with a single click and Google specified that you'll be able to use matter with fast pair to set up your smart home devices on your home network. Amazon already had something called frustration for set [00:04:00] up, which basically lets you use existing Amazon devices to set up new stuff on your network without having to reenter your info every time. And at CES, Amazon rolled out a developer kit so that all matter devices can take advantage of this feature. Both updates are helping to one of matters, main promises making the smart home stuff in your home, just work with less fuss before matter. Speaker 1: It's [00:04:30] a hassle knowing which smart devices work with, which assistant does the cool, smart light bulb that you just saw in the hardware store work with Siri. Well with matter, you shouldn't have to guess or pull out your smartphone for a quick search. You'll just be able to see this symbol and no, and you won't have to download a separate app to set it up. When you get home, the existing smart home gatekeepers, Amazon, Google, apple, they'll do that part for you, which will also make life easier [00:05:00] for developers. Those developers can focus on great unique hardware and let the software giants do the software part and they don't have to design for different systems. Just matter. That's what this easy setup stuff is putting into place. Amazon went one step further with something called commissionable end point. First of all, yes, we bleeped that word to not wake your smart speakers. Speaker 1: And second of all, who, how about [00:05:30] that name? Talk about a crowd pleaser matter. Doesn't really work unless compatible devices can be controlled by multiple assistance. This commissionable endpoint allows you to add Amazon's assistant as an admin on devices that you already have set up in another system. You've got Google assistant gadgets blue. Now they work with Amazon too. So sure it doesn't sound sexy, but my goodness it's important. It's these sharks and the jets finally letting their [00:06:00] kids have play dates, bloop, and the Amazon software should allow you to control matter devices using the cloud or your local network, meaning that your smart home can keep functioning to an extent in the case of a connectivity issue, aside from Amazon on and Google, a bunch of other companies announced matter support, including Arlo Bekin Wemo, LG sang Lidle. We knew smart things would support matter, but parent company Samsung showed off a new [00:06:30] control hub for the system. Speaker 1: And specifically mentioned that matter support will be built in even more companies announced products that will communicate with thread laying the groundwork for that seamless communication for matter to live up to expectations, it needs widespread adoption CES kind of confirmed that that's happening. It needs to make setting up your smart home devices, easier check. It needs to make working with multiple voice assistance, easier check the process [00:07:00] isn't done on any of these three fronts, but concrete steps keep happening at an assuring rate. As we build up to a launch, that's hopefully only a few months away. The biggest thing holding the smart home back in terms of functionality was the mostly junky way that different devices work together. It was trying to fit all of your gadgets under one Google or Amazon shaped umbrella matter is constructing a big shelter for everything and Amazon and Google are willingly acting as supports. Speaker 1: [00:07:30] A seamless smart home is finally on the horizon, but there are a few concerns like left. Number one, apple. They didn't announce anything at CES, but that's not unusual. And they've already pledged support for matter on smart home devices and even iPhones and dedicated home kit device makers like Eve are building in support for threat. So why am I worried? Well, customer matter [00:08:00] to truly work, it has to be a two way street, including all of the major parties, Amazon controlling Google devices, Google controlling, Amazon devices, cats, and dogs living together. Amazon is letting companies use its frustration free developer kit. Google is letting others back into the, to control nest gadgets. Like the thermostat last year, apple did show off an ITAB be thermostat that had Siri built in, but you had to have a nearby home pod mini [00:08:30] or another apple hub to actually route the command to the cloud. Speaker 1: Apple has always wanted its smart home to be a sort of walled garden. And for good reason, the smart home for a long time has been a wild west of sorts. And apple is wanted to keep its smart homes secure on its own terms. But the matter vision might be held back from full fruition. If everybody else is fully on board, but apple still requires you to get one of their apple TVs or home pod minis to play nice. That's [00:09:00] the extra step we're trying to get rid of an obstacle between buying something and having it just work with whatever you already have. Amazon and Google still have work to do on this front too. And apple could certainly come around on its own terms hopefully by the time matter actually launches, but it is a concern I have. And here I am peer pressuring apple to just be cool, man. Speaker 1: And we don't know everything about matters. Privacy and security data in particular is a big question. [00:09:30] Mark. If multiple big companies can access a single smart home gadget, which of them owns that data. It's probably not a big deal for something like a door sensor, but this could be why we haven't heard much about smart cameras and matter. Lots of companies make recurring revenue from subscription costs related to storing smart camera data and video, not to mention monetizing that data itself. There's no way companies just give up that source of profit. So how is matter going [00:10:00] to function when it comes to these higher end devices and things that companies will be truly reluctant to share and is interoperability the thing that's actually holding back the smart home one analyst we talked to suggested that that was low on the list for consumers. Instead he pointed to things like cost and use limitations. Speaker 1: Smart bulbs are more expensive than regular ones and matter. Isn't going to fix every smart home [00:10:30] headache like glitches or changing out different types of batteries for different sensors. And my last major concern backwards compatibility, yes, most companies have announced that matter will roll out to existing products via an update, but a lot of those announcements have specified some existing products matter. Looks like it could be the perfect solution. If you're starting your smart home this summer, almost every product you could want should be compatible by that. [00:11:00] But I'm a little worried about those who have an existing setup getting left behind, dealing with obsolescence in the smart home and evolving field of tech was always going to be an issue. And it's probably unavoidable to an extent, some stuff will just be too old for an up some older stuff. Can't work with thread, et cetera. Still I'll be keeping my eyes out for announcements about existing products. Getting the upgrade over the course of the next couple of months, fingers crossed. We see more [00:11:30] and more cuz like I said, I've got my hopes up wave way up and there's no way I am setting up for crushing disappointment, no way because the smart home might be finally ready to live up to the sci-fi expectations of yesterday. It might be finally seamless and easy thanks to matter. Speaker 2: And I don't wanna leave anyone behind cuz this could be really cool. Thank you very much for [00:12:00] watching. 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