Wi-Fi ceiling fans and LED lighting fixtures from Haiku Homes, a division of Big Ass Solutions, will join the growing number of home-automation products that can be controlled by voice through Amazon's Alexa virtual assistant.
The Internet of Things is a burgeoning industry that seemed like it was going to take off several years ago, but the hubbub has since died. That doesn't mean the interest is gone though - rather no one really knows what to do with all their smart devices.
Like many in the technology world, Ali Jelveh, CEO of the Hamburg, Germany-based startup Protonet, has seen great opportunities in the smart home world, estimated to be a $15.6 billion industry in the United States alone this year. But he believes that most consumers are focusing on the ease and convenience of devices such as the Amazon Echo, and not paying enough attention to the tradeoffs, especially in terms of data security.