After Eight Years, The Internet of Things Podcast Bids Farewell With Episode 437

After an influential eight-year run chronicling the rapid evolution of connected devices, smart homes, and industrial automation, The Internet of Things Podcast has officially released its final episode. Episode 437 marks the end of an era for the long-running audio program, which has served as a cornerstone of technology journalism and community discussion since the mid-2010s. Rather than diving into the usual breaking industry headlines of the week—such as Arm’s high-profile planned initial public offering, fresh display hardware announcements from Brilliant, or Leviton’s rollout of next-generation smart circuit breakers and whole-home energy monitors—the final installment offers a reflective, retrospective look back at the journey, the reasons behind the hosts’ decision to step back, and a glimpse into where both the creators and the industry are heading next.

The decision to close the chapter on the show was not made lightly, and the final episode spends significant time unpacking the motivations behind stepping away from a weekly production schedule that has defined the hosts’ professional lives for nearly a decade. Throughout the broadcast, the hosts share personal insights into why now feels like the right moment to pivot toward new ventures. For dedicated listeners who have relied on the show as their primary touchpoint for IoT news, the episode also serves as a curated guide for navigating the broader media landscape moving forward. To help fill the impending void, the hosts share a comprehensive list of their own favorite resources, podcasts, and newsletters that continue to cover the ecosystem with depth and authority.

For those seeking alternative audio content within the space, recommendations include the Mr. Beacon Show, known for its deep dives into tracking technology and proximity solutions, as well as The IoT Podcast. On the written journalism front, the hosts regularly turn to publications such as The Verge, TechHive, The Ambient, and The Journal of Innovation, a publication produced by the Industrial IoT Consortium. Community-driven platforms also play a vital role in staying abreast of consumer trends, with the hosts noting that they frequently drop in on Reddit’s bustling r/smarthome and r/homeautomation forums. Meanwhile, for industrial IoT developments, the analysis and reporting of James Blackman over at RCR Wireless are highlighted as essential reading.

Financial movements and venture capital activity within the sector have always been critical to understanding where the market is heading, and the final episode points listeners toward Dan Primack’s Axios Pro Rata newsletter to track funding rounds, mergers, and acquisitions. Additionally, Iskander Smit’s publication, Target is New, is recommended for those looking for thoughtful, design-oriented takes at the intersection of the Internet of Things and artificial intelligence. While acknowledging that there are countless other valuable outlets and newsletters available, the hosts kept the curated list concise to avoid extending the final goodbye episode indefinitely, opting instead to focus on the core community that has supported them over the years.

True to the show’s interactive nature, the final episode concludes by answering one last listener question, tackling the complex debate over what constitutes a genuinely complete smart home and exploring the long-term technological innovations that will keep the industry moving forward in the years ahead. This forward-looking perspective is complemented by a rich visual history of the smart home movement itself, including memorable personal recollections—such as the reality that ever since the show began full-time production in 2016, the host never again had matching light switches in their own home, a quirky testament to years of testing, swapping, and experimenting with early-generation hardware.

Bringing both historical context and expert analysis to the farewell episode, Jennifer Pattison Tuohy of The Verge joins the program as the final guest. Having covered the smart home beat across various technology publications for nearly a decade, Tuohy brings a seasoned perspective to the discussion. Known for her hands-on approach of thoroughly testing every product she writes about, she possesses the historical depth required to analyze where the connected home ecosystem stands today, the current state and adoption curve of the cross-platform Matter standard, and the elusive business models that are most likely to succeed for manufacturers of connected home hardware.

During the conversation, Tuohy offers valuable insights into upcoming initiatives planned by the Connectivity Standards Alliance, shares her expert perspective on the ongoing tension between underlying home infrastructure versus standalone consumer gadgets, and even pulls back the curtain to reveal her own personal smart home setup. Her appearance provides a fitting and comprehensive note on which to conclude the podcast’s long-running tenure, bridging the gap between the early days of fragmented experimental tech and the more standardized, interoperable ecosystem that the industry is striving to build today.