May 8, 2019
Researchers at North Carolina State University have identified design flaws in “smart home” Internet-of-Things devices that allow third parties to prevent devices from sharing information. The flaws can be used to prevent security systems from signaling that there has been …
February 12, 2019
As Amazon.com Inc. and Google work to place their smart speakers at the center of the internet-connected home, both technology giants are expanding the amount of data they gather about customers who use their voice software to control other gadgets. …
January 3, 2019
Say you’re on your laptop at Starbucks, minding your own business, when an acquaintance of yours across the room isn’t minding his. Unbeknownst to you, he’s using the same store Wi-Fi as you to conduct a virtual invasion of your …
January 2, 2019
The almost weekly headlines about insurers and venture capitalists investing in insurtechs and tech-savvy insurance startups sometimes blocked the view of what established big technology firms were doing in insurance. During 2018, giant technology firms Google and Amazon showed renewed …
October 16, 2018
The Travelers Companies Inc. is teaming up with Amazon to offer smart home kits, insurance quotes and risk management information through a digital storefront: Amazon.com/Travelers. Customers will be able to obtain smart home kits at discounted prices in participating states. …
March 20, 2018
This week’s Lowdown highlights interesting results from a new report by Parks Associates entitled, Market Snapshot: Insurance, Consumers, and Smart Home Solutions. The survey reveals that nearly 60% of respondents, (consumers with homeowners or renters insurance), are likely to purchase …
September 2, 2016
Your fridge is getting so smart, security-software maker Kaspersky Lab thinks you probably shouldn’t trust it. As makers of household appliances fill their machines with computer chips to make them smarter, consumers and privacy watchdogs should beware the data collected …
March 10, 2016
The Travelers Companies, Inc. will now provide a discount on homeowners insurance for eligible customers with qualifying smart home devices. Smart smoke detectors and security systems that alert homeowners through their smartphones may qualify for the Protective Device discount from …