Archive for December 16, 2022

Elon Musk Unloads Another $3.6 Billion In Tesla Stock…. If You’re A Shareholder, You Can’t Be Happy About This

Posted in Commentary with tags , on December 16, 2022 by itnerd

Clearly Elon Musk needs money because he’s just sold another $3.6 billion in Tesla stock:

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has sold about 22 million more shares of his electric vehicle business, which were worth around $3.6 billion, according to a financial filing out Wednesday night. The transactions took place between Monday and Wednesday of this week according to the filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Earlier this year, Musk told his millions of followers on social media that he had “no further TSLA sales planned” after April 28.

According to financial research firm VerityData, Musk has sold 94,202,321 shares so far this year at an average price of $243.46 per share for pretax proceeds of approximately $22.93 billion.

This is after recently selling $4 billion in Tesla stock just after buying Twitter. And seeing as he said this previously:

After Musk’s Twitter takeover, he told employees there that he sold Tesla shares to “save” their business.

You have to assume that this latest stock sale is more of the same. The thing is that if you look at this, he’s hurting Tesla’s share value:

If I were a Tesla shareholder, I’d be be pretty mad as that’s just today. Broaden it out to the year to date and I can see shareholders being even more mad:

Tesla started out the year at almost $400 a share. As I type it’s down 62% from that value. Now there’s other headwinds facing Tesla like economic headwinds, increased competition in the EV space, problems selling in China to name three issues that Tesla is facing. But Elon selling stock to fund Twitter isn’t helping this in any way. Thus I wonder if there’s going to be a motion to get rid of Elon at the next shareholder’s meeting?

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Athom to Showcase All New Homey Pro Smart Home Hub At CES 2023

Posted in Commentary with tags on December 16, 2022 by itnerd

Athom, maker of privacy-first smart home solutions, will showcase the all new Homey Pro (Early 2023) smart home hub at CES 2023, before introducing it in worldwide retail in Q1 2023. Homey Pro is a highly advanced, privacy-aware, locally operating universal smart home hub built to create better smart homes. Now available for preorder, Homey Pro (Early 2023) features even more smart home technologies ánd better wireless range compared to its predecessor and will be available in more markets, including the U.S. and Canada. Press will be able to see the new Homey Pro in person for the first time during CES 2023, January 5-8 at the Netherlands Next Level Pavilion located in the Venetian Expo (Hall A-C, Booth 55332). Homey Bridge, which is currently in beta and slated for release in Q1 2023, will also be on display.

Homey Pro unites the powerful, intuitive Homey experience with local processing — all in one beautifully designed hub made for any home — making it possible for devices from countless manufacturers and platforms to work together. Connecting all of the smart devices in a single home has long been a challenge — one that Homey changed with the introduction of a hub for the smart home that allowed users to access devices in one location without scrolling through apps. Aside from connectivity, Homey Pro comes with lauded functionality like Homey Flow and Advanced Flow for automation, Homey Insights for historical data and Homey Energyto show real-time energy usage and generation. Unlike the Big Tech giants, Homey is also built privacy-first. It doesn’t listen in or sell any customer data, and it does not use personal information to create user profiles or targeted advertisements.

Homey Pro (Early 2023) works with minimal dependence on the cloud, with even more local control options than its predecessor, and is compatible with 50,000+ devices from more than 1000+ brands. New devices and services are added on a daily basis to the Homey App Store, which allows developers and manufacturers to extend support to more devices and services. The Homey App Store features more than 750 apps, including staff picks and popular apps that can be browsed by category for inspiration.

The Homey Pro (Early 2023) smart home hub features a quad-core ARMv8 processor, 2 GB of DDR4 RAM and 8 GB onboard storage. It also has up to 3.5 times better performance than the previous generation, and up to four times better wireless range, depending on the connection and technology. Homey cloud services, such as the Homey App Store and remote access, are included free of charge with the new Homey Pro, as well as a free local back-up option via PC or Mac. Cloud backups are available with an optional 99 cents per month subscription.

Homey Pro unites the smart home and smart devices in various ways, including:

  • Eight Smart Home Technologies, including Matter: Homey Pro features Wi-Fi, BLE, Zigbee, Z-Wave, 433MHz, IR, Matter and Thread connectivity in a single hub. This allows users to combine devices on existing Zigbee and Z-Wave technology with new ones on Matter, the new smart home language backed by large brands including Google, Apple, Amazon and IKEA. In addition to generic Matter support, Homey Apps can extend Matter devices’ functionality with manufacturer-specific features, energy usage and a manufacturer-defined appearance to honor the brand’s uniqueness. Homey Pro also has the ability to bridge non-Matter devices to existing Matter networks. Matter support is scheduled for Q2 2023. Thread support is scheduled for Q3 2023.
  • Wired Networks: In addition to Wi-Fi, Homey Pro can be connected to a wired network with the optional Homey Pro Ethernet Adapter (MSRP $29). Designed to be plugged into a power outlet, Homey Pro looks beautiful without messy cables, even when connected to ethernet.
  • Satellite Mode: Homey Pro can be extended with one or more Homey Bridges to increase wireless coverage in large homes. Zigbee and Z-Wave act as powered repeaters in the mesh network. Devices that use Infrared or 433 MHz will use the nearest Homey Pro or Homey Bridge.

HOMEY PRO SPECIFICATIONS:

  • Eight Smart Home Technologies: Wi-Fi (2.4GHz & 5GHz), Bluetooth Low Energy 5.0 (BLE), Zigbee 3.0, Z-Wave (Plus, S2), 433MHz RF, Infrared, Matter (Q2 2023) and Thread (Q3 2023) to connect with smart home devices. Homey Pro automatically switches its Z-Wave frequency with a unique multi-antenna design, based on Homey Pro’s geographical or country location. 433MHz RF is currently activated in Europe, Asia and Oceania.
  • Supported Devices: 50,000+ smart devices from more than 1,000 brands
  • Control Options:  
    • Smartphone or Tablet: iOS (v11 or higher) and Android (5.0 or higher)
    • PC, Mac, Linux: Universal web app including Homey Flow, Homey Insights and Advanced Flow
  • Other: Apple Watch, iOS and Android widgets, voice assistants (Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa and Siri Shortcuts), inputs from physical smart devices through Homey Flow automations
  • Local control: Homey Pro processes everything locally, independent of an internet connection. No subscription is required. It can be connected to local LAN instead of Wi-Fi through the optional Homey Pro Ethernet Adapter ($29).
  • Price: $399 (US)  / €399 (EU) / £399 (UK)
  • Where to Buy: Available now for pre-order on the Homey website and shipping worldwide in Q1 2023
  • What’s in the Box: Homey Pro, USB-C power adapter, USB-C to USB-C power cable and a Quick Start Guide
  • Hardware Specifications: 1.8GHz ARMv8 Quad Core, 2GB RAM, 8 GB storage.
  • Device Dimensions: 5.04” inches in diameter x 1.5” inches in height
  • Weight: 1.3 lbs (including packaging)
  • Manufacturer Warranty: Two-years
  • Certifications: FCC and CE

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Elon Musk Is Censoring Links From Social Media Sites Other Than Mastodon

Posted in Commentary with tags on December 16, 2022 by itnerd

Earlier today, I mentioned in a post that Elon Musk is having whatever staff is left at Twitter censor any Tweet that has links to Mastodon. This behaviour was called out by noted cybersecurity reporter Brian Krebs:

The thing is, it’s not just Mastodon. Other social media sites are getting this treatment:

https://twitter.com/clueless_brewer/status/1603793380143677440

The core reason why this is happening is that Elon doesn’t want Twitter users to have an easy off ramp to Mastodon or some other social media platform. And he’s doing this for the following reasons:

  • Mastodon and sites like it are a threat to Elon because they take users away from Twitter.
  • Less people on Twitter means that it’s a less appealing place for the few advertisers who still want to advertise on Twitter.
  • Less advertisers on Twitter means less money for Elon.
  • Less money for Elon means that he’s either got to fund Twitter out of his own pocket (which includes paying whatever he has to on $13 billion in loans that he secured to buy Twitter) or let Twitter die. Which if Twitter died, it would be a huge hit to his rather fragile ego.

In short, we’re seeing the desperation that I spoke of earlier this week increase. And if we see him start to block links to Facebook or Instagram, we’ll know that he’s in a very dark place trying anything to turn things around.

I have said it before and I will say it again. We are in the endgame. At this point, what we’re watching is to see how this all ends.

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Elon Musk Did Two More Things Besides Suspending The Twitter Accounts Of Journalists Last Night

Posted in Commentary with tags on December 16, 2022 by itnerd

The headline that people are paying attention to is the fact that Elon Musk decided to suspend the Twitter accounts of a bunch of journalists last night. That has gotten the predictable blow back that you’d expect from such a dumb move, including from the EU. But that’s not the only thing that he did last night. Let’s walk through everything else that happened. Starting with a Spaces event that Elon Musk joined. And then abruptly left when questions about suspending the accounts of journalists started to be asked. Here’s a recording for your review:

Shortly after that, the Spaces feature was disabled. It’s not clear if Spaces is disabled forever or for now. But clearly this Spaces event was enough that Elon ordered someone to turn the feature off. Clearly Elon has very thin skin.

Next up is the fact that Mastodon started to trend on Twitter last night. And I believe that Elon tried to stop it from trending. I noted this in a few Tweets:

It did return to the top ten of my trending list only to disappear again. As in “poof” it was gone in the blink of an eye. While I have no proof that Elon did this. It seems likely that he did after 9to5Mac editor Chance Miller noted this:

https://twitter.com/ChanceHMiller/status/1603585991809400839

Keep in mind that Mastodon is a confederation of servers that is largely not for profit. If Elon Musk is afraid of them, he must really be in trouble.

I really think when the history is written about what went on with Twitter after Elon Musk bought it, I think it will say that last night is the moment when Twitter started to really implode. Thus I would fully expect to see more crisis moments with Twitter and Elon in the coming days as the platform starts to die a slow death.

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Review: Meross Smart Power Strip

Posted in Products with tags on December 16, 2022 by itnerd

Frequent readers of this blog will know that I’ve got a rather modest Apple HomeKit setup to give me some smart home capabilities. I don’t have a lot of HomeKit gear and my setup isn’t very complex. But it meets my needs just fine. One thing that I needed to do is clean up the area around where my wife and I store our bikes because we have a HomeKit compatible plug to control a light there, plus we have a charger to charge my road bike’s electronic shifting system. Thus I decided to get one HomeKit compatible item to rule them all so to speak:

This is the Merooss Smart Power Strip. This specific one has four AC outlets that are individually controlled from HomeKit, plus four 5V USB-A plugs for charging which are controlled from HomeKit as a single block. It operates on 2.4 Ghz WiFi and also is compatible with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, & Samsung SmartThings. But since I am a HomeKit user, I set it up with HomeKit. And it is a very good touch that you don’t need the Meross app to set it up in HomeKit. Simply scan the HomeKit code at the bottom of the power strip and off you go. Having said that, Meross says that you need their app to do firmware updates on the device. So I installed it and checked the firmware and found that it was up to date. I also found this:

The app asks for a ton of permissions. Including asking for your exact longitude and latitude. Call me paranoid, but it seems to me that asking for exact longitude and latitude is a bit over the top in terms of asking for your location. So I removed the power strip from the app, which then required me to set it up in HomeKit again as removing it resets the device. I then deleted the app from my phone. That way it has no relationship with the Meross app beyond what I did to check for new firmware.

As I mentioned earlier, the power strip has four AC outlets that are individually controlled from HomeKit, plus four 5V USB-A plugs for charging which are controlled from HomeKit as a single block. That way you can add them to scenes and set automations for them individually. Plus each of these has a green light to indicate that they are on (you can disable them, but you need their app to do that), along with a master power switch to turn the entire strip off. But one interesting omission is a manual control for any of the outlets or the block of USB-A ports. Which means that this is 100% app controlled. That’s a shame as it is handy to be able to walk up and press a button to turn something on or off without using your phone.

The Meross Smart Power Strip was $50 CDN at Amazon. It works well within the HomeKit ecosystem and as long as you avoid using their app, I would have no problem suggesting that you take a look at it if you need a smart power strip of some sort in your home.

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EU Warns Elon Musk That “There Are Red Lines” After He Bans Journalists From Twitter

Posted in Commentary with tags on December 16, 2022 by itnerd

Last night, Elon Musk banned a number of journalists from Twitter. That of course set the Internet alight and sent people running to Mastodon. He did a whole lot more than that as well, but I will get to that in a separate story later today. But in that story, I said this:

Given the attention that this is getting, I believe that a number of things are likely to happen: 

  • The EU will see this and make moves to make his life miserable. 
  • Departures to Mastodon will accelerate. 
  • I would not at all be surprised if Capitol Hill gives him a call and asks him to explain himself in front of a Congressional Hearing.

Well, the EU has chimed in and fired a warning shot across Elon’s bow:

Elon Musk’s decision to suddenly ban prominent tech journalists from Twitter is fanning a fierce backlash in Europe.

Germany warned of the impact on press freedom, while a senior EU official said Twitter must comply with the bloc’s rules or face possible sanctions. 

“Freedom of the press cannot be switched on and off as you please,” Germany’s foreign ministry tweeted on Friday. “As of today these journalists are no longer able to follow us, to comment or criticize. We have a problem with that @Twitter.”

Věra Jourová, the European Commission’s vice president for values and transparency, said the “arbitrary suspension” of journalists was “worrying,” and she indicated that the company could face penalties as a result.

“The EU’s Digital Services Act requires respect of media freedom and fundamental rights. This is reinforced under our #MediaFreedomAct,” Jourová said in a post on Twitter, adding that Musk “should be aware of that.” 

“There are red lines,” she continued. “And sanctions, soon.”

The EU doesn’t fool around with this sort of stuff. If they say they’re going to do something, they will do it. And it will hurt Elon because EU sanctions tend to be really painful. The thing is, he had to have known that something like this would have happened if he went about banning journalists on Twitter. Though, he has proven to be a “ready, fire, aim” sort of person who doesn’t think through the consequences of his actions before he does something. And it looks like that’s about to come back to bite him. Which means it really sucks to be Elon as it looks like he’s going to get slapped pretty hard.

I hope it was worth it Elon.

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