Remember when Amazon (quietly) announced its expansion to Sidewalk, back in September? Well, the feature is live for some in a new update for the Amazon Alexa app, and you might want to go turn it off. We covered it in Issue 7-25.

Sidewalk is a feature that extends the network coverage of your devices, particularly Ring surveillance tech (like its cameras, smart lights, and pet trackers) and Echo smart speakers. But it'll also share a small chunk of that internet bandwidth to provide the same services to your neighbors – so your privately-owned devices won't be so private anymore. 

Sidewalk has been slowly rolling out to Echo and Ring owners in the U.S. as of Thanksgiving, which users were made aware of via an email from Amazon. While the feature isn't up and running yet, the email essentially notifies users that it's "coming soon." But it's also the company's discreet way of letting you know the feature has officially been turned on. 

Amazon makes it easy to opt out if you're only just unboxing your shiny, new Sidewalk-compatible device. During the setup process, users are asked if they want to join the network via the Amazon Alexa app. However, if you already own one of the 20 Sidewalk-enabled products, it'll automatically opt-in for you. 
To disable Sidewalk, all you need to do is: 

• Update the Amazon Alexa app or double-check that you're on the latest version
• Open the Amazon Alexa app and tap on the More tab
• Then, tap Settings > Account Settings > Amazon Sidewalk and toggle off the Enabled button
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Thankfully, the additional Community Finding feature – which "can help your neighbors find pets and important items connected to Sidewalk by sharing the approximate location of [your] device and other Sidewalk bridges you own" is disabled automatically.

Of course, if you'd like to use Sidewalk on either your Echo smart speaker or Ring security device, you'll be happy to know you're already all set for when Amazon officially launches the new feature.

Amazon is now starting to roll out its Amazon Sidewalk local networking system to customers in the U.S. Here's what you should know about it.

First announced in September 2019, Sidewalk is a new idea and long-term effort for extending the smart home to entire smart neighborhoods by using various local networking options. 

On November 24th, Amazon began sending out emails to Echo device owners letting them know that an update with Amazon Sidewalk will soon be rolling out. Though the system will take time to build out, the first steps are happening now.

With that in mind, here are some of the essential points that users should know about Amazon Sidewalk.

What is Amazon Sidewalk? Amazon Sidewalk is a new type of wireless network that makes smart home capabilities much longer ranged. A Sidewalk Bridge connects to your Wi-Fi network and essentially extends the connectivity range beyond what your router can output. In some cases, Amazon says this range could be half a mile.

It works by using various communication protocols, such as 900MHz radio signals and Bluetooth Low-Energy, for inter-device communications. The system will intelligently switch between these protocols depending on the range and power needed.

These Sidewalk networks work a bit differently than your home Wi-Fi, however. The bandwidth in a Sidewalk network is open for not just your own devices, but your neighbors', too. It's a bit like a local mesh network, but across a neighborhood. 

Most Amazon device owners already have a Sidewalk Bridge in their homes. Recent Echo and Ring devices will soon receive over-the-air updates that will allow them to work as bridges.

Benefits of Amazon Sidewalk. As mentioned earlier, one of the first and primary goals of Amazon Sidewalk is to extend the range of your smart home gadgets. What that looks like in practical terms could differ depending on your smart home setup.

A Sidewalk network could, as an example, ensure that outdoor security cameras or lights have a working connection even if they're far from your Wi-Fi router. It could also mean faster connectivity if a device connects to a nearby Sidewalk Bridge instead of attempting to connect to a router farther away.

If you happen to drop a Tile device while walking around the neighborhood, it could still be within the range of the local Sidewalk network — and it'll be able to connect to the appropriate servers using a neighbor's Sidewalk bandwidth.

Sidewalk will also make the onboarding of devices much quicker and simpler. And Amazon envisions other uses, too, such as a pet safety service called Amazon Fetch that alerts users if their pet wanders outside of a preset perimeter.

Are there any downsides to Amazon Sidewalk? For one, Sidewalk isn't a replacement for a home Wi-Fi network. The bandwidth available on a Sidewalk network is pretty small — Amazon says the maximum bandwidth is just 80Kbps, with a cap at 500MB. As such, it's only useful for low-power devices like smart locks, security sensors, and Tile trackers.

There are, of course, security and privacy concerns, too. If your dog has a Sidewalk-connected tag on its collar, it means that you may be sending Amazon the location, duration, and frequency of all your dog walks. Amazon does have a white paper that explains some of its Sidewalk-related security policies.

Of course, there's also the question of it being a shared network. Although Amazon says it will encrypt all traffic sent through a Sidewalk network, users won't know who is on a specific network or how much traffic their neighbor might be sending over it.

All in all, users will only be able to exercise marginal control over their local Sidewalk networks. There isn't currently a way for users to figure out which Sidewalk Bridge their compatible devices are connected to.
Can I opt out of Sidewalk? The downsides and implications of Amazon Sidewalk wouldn't be as pressing if it weren't enabled by default. The system is opt-out instead of opt-in.

Once Amazon enables Sidewalk, users will see an information splash screen that explains what it is and what it does. There, they'll have the option to disable it — it'll be turned on by default.

Users will also be able to disable the local networking system through the Amazon Alexa app. The option is located in Settings > Account Settings > Amazon Sidewalk.
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If users do disable Sidewalk, their devices won't connect to their local neighborhood networks. On the flip side, neighbors won't be able to use their Sidewalk bandwidth, either.

Ever since the pandemic began, many knowledge workers have continued their employment responsibilities from their homes. But now, with many employers extending the remote-work timeframe well into 2021, it may be time to consider working from a residence that’s in a far more pleasant location.

If you are a remote worker tired of sitting all day at your principal residence or working in grey cubicles at a remote office, here’s a group of exotic locations that offer you not only a stunning change of scenery but also dependable internet speeds and infrastructure necessary for remote work. From pristine beaches to tropical rainforests and paradise islands, there’s something in this list that is sure to make you want to book your ticket now and even consider these locations for a leased or purchased second home.

Galapagos Islands. West of continental Ecuador lies the isles made famous by Darwin’s studies of the natural world that would result in the Theory of Evolution. A natural paradise filled with stunning vistas, pristine beaches, and some of the most exotic wildlife in the world, the Galapagos Islands are a real paradise on earth. 

Galapagos has a population of only 25,000 people, setting the standard for the word remote. Nevertheless, they offer a reliable infrastructure for remote workers, with most hotels offering free Wi-Fi and most housing areas, including a good connection as well. While Galapagos is by far not the cheapest option on the list, you can expect prices similar or slightly less expensive than living in the continental USA.

Costa Rica. Costa Rica, the country with the most amazing biodiversity on the entire planet, has long been espoused as a real paradise for ex-pats. Not only does the Central American country offer dense tropical rainforests, volcanoes, and tropical climate, but also some of the best beaches in the world – featuring crystal clear water and pristine sand.

Santa Teresa is one of such beaches and is one of the most visited by tourists for many a reason. Not only does Santa Teresa have some of the best surf you will find in the world, but it also features a large town and tightknit community that offers plenty of yoga retreats, delicious food, thriving nightlife, and fantastic weather you could expect.

You will come for the surf and natural beauty, but you will stay for the people – a collection of ex-pats from around the world and locals that live the “Pura Vida” (Pure Life) lifestyle and always boast a smile on their face.

Morocco. Located not be too far off the coast of its northern neighbors in Spain, Morocco might as well be a galaxy apart. This diverse land containing four different mountain ranges, deserts, and Mediterranean beaches has been the setting for many iconic movies throughout the years, including Lawrence of Arabia, The Man Who Knew Too Much, Gladiator, and even Star Wars.

But what truly makes Morocco so special, and attracts millions of tourists each year, is its perfectly preserved culture and traditional architecture. The market town-turned-city of Marrakesh has been a crossroads for culture and trade for close to ten centuries. Featuring gorgeous oriental architecture and thousands of captivating smells and colors, the streets through the bazar hold plenty of secrets within them – from delicious honey drizzled pastries to sensual belly dancers.

A very low cost of living country, Morocco has been evolving technologically at a breakneck pace in the last few years and has plenty of co-working spaces available for digital nomads, as well as surprisingly fast internet connections for rental homes.

Bali, Indonesia. Another location famous for its beaches and surf, the Island of Bali, is often touted as a real heaven on earth. Boasting mind-blowing beaches, volcanoes, mountains, coral reefs, and overall nature, Bali can easily compete with any location on this list and come out ahead on most aspects.

In Ubud, the cultural center of the island and home of the ex-pat community, you will find the spiritual hippies and yogi types. In contrast, in the southern Bukit Peninsula, you will find the perfect location to surf in legendary breaks like Padang Padang, Dreamland, and Uluwatu.

What few people know about Bali, however, is that it has been building a burgeoning startup ecosystem with all kinds of entrepreneurs, initiatives, tech talent, and startups springing up all over the island. To satisfy this demand, Bali has seen a large number of co-working spaces pop up across the island, each one providing more than adequate commodities for digital nomads, who are not only attracted to the island’s legendary beauty but also its low cost of living and housing.

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Touted as one of the best cities for remote workers around the world, Ho Chi Minh City is a colorful, vibrant, and creative metropolis in the south of Vietnam that has plenty to offer for digital nomads, tourists, and ex-pats alike.

A highly developed city bursting with cafés that offer fantastic coffee and an even better internet connection, the former Saigon is filled with culture, commerce, art, and plenty of beautiful natural and human-made sites to behold.
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Visit the Ben Thanh Market and its iconic clock tower to buy all sorts of goods ranging from clothes to electronics to groceries for excellent prices, provided you are willing to haggle a little. The food is absolutely delicious and incredibly cheap, with Vietnam having one of the lowest costs of living in this entire list.
For those who prefer to work in office environments, Ho Chi Minh City has plenty to offer, including the fantastic Dreamplex co-working space, which features the fastest and most reliable internet in the city, as well as excellent ergonomic chairs.

Amazon has become a ubiquitous part of the modern world, but now it may even make its way into rental properties. Recently, Amazon unveiled its Alexa for Residential program. This program will make it easy for landlords to include Amazon and Alexa-powered devices in rental units across the country, including the Echo Dot and other products.

The idea is that Alexa’s smart speakers will be available from day one in rental properties. Even before renters move in, Alexa will be able to help with self-guided tours by providing information about square footage, monthly rent, and more. Renters can link their Amazon accounts to the speaker to access all of Alexa’s features. Once a renter moves out, property managers can reset the speakers without removing their connections to existing smart-home devices.

Amazon has taken numerous steps to ensure its position as the default smart home platform, viewing itself as a utility like lights and plumbing. In 2018, the homebuilding company Lennar began including Alexa and smart locks in its new builds. Amazon has also created partnerships with hotels and college dorms to bring its devices into these spaces. By doing this, Amazon places itself at the front of the pack and makes it more difficult for its competitors – Google Assistant and Siri – to claim their part of the spotlight.

On the other hand, re-using smart assistants that other people have used creates privacy concerns. Amazon addressed these concerns by saying that property managers cannot access customer data. Renters do not have to worry about their landlords listening in on them. By default, voice recordings are deleted daily and are inaccessible to human reviewers. If a renter links their Amazon account to a rental Alexa, they will have access to the platform’s full suite of privacy features.
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The moves by Amazon to bring it into more spaces as a service will likely help grow the already-impressive market lead that Alexa has over the competition, especially given the partnerships Amazon has formed with companies like Iotas, Stratis IoT, and Sentient Property Services. Amazon will also be opening up the potential for partnerships with more companies.

In the UK, all Internet of Things (IoT) and smart consumer devices will need to adhere to specific security requirements, under new government proposals.

The legislation aims is to help protect citizens and businesses from the threats posed by cybercriminals increasingly targeting Internet of Things devices.

By hacking IoT devices, cybercriminals can build an army of devices that can be used to conduct DDoS attacks to take down online services, while poorly secured IoT devices can also serve as an easy way for hackers to get into networks and other systems across a network.

The proposed measures from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) have been developed in conjunction with the UK's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and come following a consultation period with information security experts, product manufacturers and retailers and others.

"Our new law will hold firms manufacturing and selling internet-connected devices to account and stop hackers threatening people's privacy and safety," said Matt Warman, minister for digital and broadband at DCMS.

They also follow on from the previously suggested voluntary best practice requirements. Still, the legislation would require that IoT devices sold in the UK must follow three particular rules to be allowed to sell products in the UK. They are:

• All consumer internet-connected device passwords must be unique and not resettable to any universal factory setting.
• Manufacturers of consumer IoT devices must provide a public point of contact so anyone can report a vulnerability, and it will be acted on promptly.
• Manufacturers of consumer IoT devices must explicitly state the minimum length of time for which the device will receive security updates at the point of sale, either in-store or online.

It is currently unclear how these rules will be enforced under any future law. While the government has said that its "ambition" is to introduce legislation in this area, and said this would be done "as soon as possible," there is no detail on when this would take place. A DCMS spokesperson said that the department would be working with retailers and manufacturers as the proposals move forward.

Many connected devices are shipped with simple, default passwordswhich in many cases can't be changed. At the same time, some IoT product manufacturers often lack a means of being contacted to report vulnerabilities – especially if that device is produced on the other side of the world.

In addition to this, it's been known for IoT products to stop receiving support from manufacturers suddenly, and by providing an exact length of time that devices will be supported will allow users to think about how secure the product will be in the long-term.

If products don't follow these rules, the new law proposes that these devices could potentially be banned from sale in the UK.

"Whilst the UK Government has previously encouraged industry to adopt a voluntary approach, it is now clear that decisive action is needed to ensure that strong cybersecurity is built into these products by design," said Warman.

"Our new law will hold firms manufacturing and selling internet-connected devices to account and stop hackers from threatening people's privacy and safety. It will mean robust security standards are built-in from the design stage and not bolted on as an afterthought," he added.

"Smart technology is increasingly central to the way we live our lives, so the development of this legislation to ensure that we are better protected is hugely welcomed," said Nicola Hudson, Policy and Communications Director at the NCSC.

"It will give shoppers increased peace of mind that the technology they are bringing into their homes is safe, and that issues such as pre-set passwords and sudden discontinuation of security updates are a thing of the past."
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The UK isn't alone in attempting to secure the Internet of Things – ENISA, the European Union's cybersecurity agency, is also working towards legislation in this area. At the same time, the US government is also looking to regulate IoT to protect against cyber-attacks.

The Smart Home market is currently badly fragmented because each vendor has been focusing on creating a separate ecosystem with devices that are difficult or impossible to connect with those of their competitors.
This situation may be about to end with the announcement of a new project called Project Connected Home over IP.

In a surprising move, Amazon, Apple, Google, along with the Zigbee Alliance have announced a joint effort to define a new standard that would remove those barriers by increasing interoperability and simplifying development for smart device manufacturers. They will join Zigbee Alliance members such as IKEA, NXP Semiconductors, Samsung SmartThings, Schneider Electric, and Signify in contributing to a project that aims to increase trust and adoption of smart things.

The new project is essentially a way to certify that whatever smart device you buy will work with your existing home setup and connect with your smartphone or voice assistant of choice. In other words, it will allow smart things to speak a common language, so they know what the other devices do and how to interact with them, hopefully, governed by better, end-to-end security and privacy protections.

The success of this project hinges on the idea that if companies build their products to connect using Internet Protocol-based technologies, it will be easier for consumers to invest in building up mixed ecosystems that are "secure, reliable, and seamless to use."

The companies involved will take an open-source approach, so each will bring some of their smart home technologies to the table so that a common protocol can be developed as quickly as possible with relatively lower costs. That includes Amazon's Alexa, Apple's HomeKit and Siri, Zigbee's Dotdot, and Google Weave and Thread.

Once that new standard is ready, it will work alongside existing connectivity standards such as Wi-Fi, cellular, and Bluetooth Low Energy. A logo on the boxes of smart things will make it easy for consumers to discern what devices are guaranteed to work with each other, and this should also make things easier for manufacturers who no longer need to worry about which standards to support. Similarly, developers will be able to follow a standard for "lifecycle events such as provisioning/onboarding, removal, error recovery, and software update."

Before you get too excited about the new development, keep in mind that a preliminary draft will be completed by the end of 2020, so we'll probably have to wait until at least 2021 to see this project bear fruit. And be ready to buy new smart things if you want these benefits, as existing ones won't necessarily be able to work with the new protocol.
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The new industry group will initially focus on physical safety products like smart locks, gas sensors, smoke alarms, security cameras, smart electrical plugs, and thermostats. Then they'll move on to cover most other smart home and commercial devices.

More than 400 police agencies across the United States are working with the Amazon-owned Ring home surveillance system, and now you can check if your local department is one of them.

Ring disclosed the number late month, and it’s double what reports had previously revealed. It also published an interactive map where anyone can check whether their hometown cops are part of the controversial effort through which police can see all the Ring cameras in a given neighborhood, can seamlessly request the footage and are encouraged to promote the device.

The map, where you can also check when each department started working with Ring, is available here, along with a blog post about the Ring-law enforcement partnership. The company will be updating the map as new departments are added, it says.

The release coincided with an in-depth Washington Post story, which disclosed the full number of agencies for the first time.

The Ring system includes its surveillance cameras (most famously the motion-activated camera doorbells) as well as the Neighbors app (where people can share footage from their cameras and discuss crime in their areas) and the Neighborhood Portal (where police can see a map of Ring cameras and quickly submit a request for footage during an investigation). In recent months, Vice, CNET, and Gizmodo have reported on police’s close relationship with the company, which, for example, gives departments discounts or free cameras to distribute among residents. In some cases, police have used the giveaways as leverage to demand that people hand over their footage, although Ring says it is supposed to be voluntary.
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Critics worry about the privacy implications of such a built-out surveillance network, especially one that is controlled by a private company. What’s more, “neighborhood watch” apps like Neighbors or Nextdoor have had problems with racism and racial profiling, after users have raised the alarm after merely seeing people of color in their area.

We often take the quality of the water we drink for granted. Food is regularly tested for hygiene and safety, but that level of scrutiny doesn’t extend to water. With water, we usually take for granted that it’s clean if it looks, smells, and tastes okay. If only purity worked that way!

Lishtot TestDrop Prodoes what our senses cannot. Tests water for contaminants that we can’t see, smell, or taste. It scans water without needing to be immersed in it, and in a matter of 2 seconds, tells you if the water you’ve got is safe to drink or not.

In what outwardly seems like magic, the TestDrop Pro is capable of analyzing your water in seconds, without even being in contact with it. Water emits its own local electromagnetic field, which the TestDrop Pro reads. Using this electromagnetic reading, the TestDrop Pro can tell if your water is safe to drink or not. The device can test for lead, E. Coli, pesticides, chlorine, and more. The electromagnetic field emitted by the contaminants is different from that of pure water. So, using this electromagnetic reading, and a simple red and blue light, the TestDrop Pro can, within seconds, tell you whether your water is pure or not. It goes even a step further with Lishtot’s smartphone app (currently in beta testing), showing you the exact percentage of purity with remarkable accuracy!
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You can buy a TestDrop Pro at Amazonfor $50.

One of the highlights of MIT’s Emtech Next Conference in June was a debate on whether we should tax robots. We heavily tax human workers, so why not the machines that replace them? Then, goes the theory, that tax money could help provide training or benefits for workers who’ve lost their jobs to automation.

Ryan Abbott, a law professor at Surrey University, presented a convincing case for such a tax– or, more precisely, for removing the tax incentives that favor automation over human labor. Many business decisions to automate processes, argued Abbott, are driven by these tax advantages, not because the robots are more productive. If automation is more efficient, suggested Abbott, let that be the reason businesses decide to use it – not some tax break.

The counter-arguments from Ryan Avent, economics columnist at the Economist, were that taxes (or ending tax breaks) would slow innovation, and, in any case, there is little economic evidence that robots are taking over jobs. While these points appear to be less convincing, a robot tax alone won’t solve the lack of good jobs. But removing the financial incentives that favor automation over humans will at least create a level playing field.

Even more erroneous is the argument that a robot tax is a slippery slope: are they going to tax my Roomba or smart toaster next? Somehow, we manage to tax labor, and yet you can still mow your lawn and clean your house without paying the government.

Alas, the Emtech Next attendees disagreed, with 70% voting against the robot tax after hearing the debate.
One of the recurring themes at the conference was that businesses could better exploit automation and AI not just for their own efficiency, but to improve productivity and grow the economy as a whole. How? A pair of engineers, Meera Sampath at the State University of New York and Pramod P. Khargonekar at the University of California, Irvine, presented their plan for “socially responsible automation,” which starts with getting technologists to think harder about how their creations will actually be used and how those uses can benefit workers and society.

A shout-out to workers: Too often in these discussions of how automation and AI are affecting jobs, the voices of workers themselves are absent. MIT’s Thomas Kochan, speaking at the conference, at least provided a reminder to listen to such views, even in the early stages of product designs, and to involve them more in automation decisions. And, he argued, companies need to take the time to give their existing workforce the skills and training necessary to integrate them with changes in automation better.

Let’s admit it, every time we hear the word “co-bot” we cringe. Yes, there have been remarkable advances in robotics over the last decade that allow these machines to more safely and comfortably work alongside people and do more human-like tasks. And, yes, we know the promise is that, by taking over mundane tasks, these robots will free people up to do more interesting and, hopefully, productive ones.

But that’s a business decision that too often companies are not taking; instead, many are simply replacing their workers. If robots do 20% of the tasks that a worker was doing, then you need 20% fewer people to get the job done.

It’s become increasingly clear to economists that this one reason we’re facing a crisis: wages are flat, and job opportunities are limited for many workers.

MIT economist Daron Acemoglu blames this on what he calls “so-so” automation and technologies. Advances like automation should be a boon to productivity, but productivity growth has been sluggish for more than a decade. That, says Acemoglu, is because too often companies are automating jobs even when the machines are not more productive, because of the tax mentioned above distortions and a general enthusiasm for robots. So, you have a double whammy; not only are robots replacing workers, they’re not particularly adept at growing the economy.

The way out is to create new, productive tasks for the workers replaced by the automation. (That’s what happened in the past). And that’s where AI could be useful. Examples are not that hard to imagine. For instance, if you free up healthcare workers, such as radiologists and nurses, from routine tasks, they could use AI systems to collect and analyze far more patient data, expanding their capabilities and giving them new ways to advise and treat patients. Acemoglu cites similar examples existing in education and manufacturing.
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But, and this is key, Acemoglu warns that this won’t necessarily happen on its own. You can’t leave this up to the markets or the technologists. We need to pursue this goal deliberately.

Amazon now has a say in the development of a commonly used smart home standard, giving the company more power as it continues to push smart speakers, cameras, doorbells, and all other kinds of gadgets into its customers’ homes.

As of today, Amazon has a seat on the board of the Zigbee Alliance, which oversees implementation of the Zigbee wireless protocol. Zigbee isn’t nearly as popular as Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, but you can think of it a lot like them – it’s a wireless protocol for letting gadgets communicate. But unlike Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, Zigbee is particularly useful for low-power devices and can travel longer distances, making it ideal for simple smart gadgets like a light switch.

Amazon introduced a version of the Echo, called Echo Plus, with Zigbee support more than a year ago. That support allowed the speaker to directly connect to a new world of smart home gadgets, like light bulbs, power outlets, and tiny sensors that it otherwise couldn’t have reached. The home alarm system for Ring, which Amazon owns, also connects to Zigbee.

It’s a slow start, but Amazon’s ascension to Zigbee’s board suggests the company will want to make more use of the protocol in the future. Other companies on Zigbee’s board include: 1) Samsung-owned SmartThings, which makes a smart home hub; 2) Signify, the company behind the popular Philips Hue smart lights; and 3) Comcast, which uses Zigbee on its Xfinity Home security solution.

Getting onto Zigbee’s board isn’t exactly a feat for Amazon, but it is an obvious and deliberate decision. Getting on the board means becoming one of the Alliance’s highest-paying members – $75,000 per year – and it gives those companies an significant advantage: they’re able to “drive specification development, requirements, and test plans.” Or basically, define where Zigbee goes next.
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If Amazon is paying that money, it means the company wants a say in what future versions of Zigbee can do and how different Zigbee devices work together. It also shows Amazon taking an opinion on which smart home standard it’d like to see win out. Zigbee’s most direct competitor is an alternative called Z-Wave, which hardware makers have criticized for relying on proprietary chips from a single company. Amazon is likely among the many companies in the smart home industry that would rather avoid dealing with the pricey parts that could come along with that if Z-Wave were to grow in popularity.