This Week in Bluetooth & UWB

Aug 14, 2026

In This Issue

→ Pixel Tag uses Channel Sounding
→ CISA: hidden Bluetooth LE commands
→ Satellite Bluetooth LE tech talk
→ A $59.80 UWB positioning board

What I'm Working On

Bluetooth LE Unplugged teaches the protocol on real hardware, with no embedded C required. Two dongles ship with the course, so you run both the central and the peripheral side yourself rather than reading about them. Enrollment is open, from $199, with lifetime access and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Google Pixel Tag keeps track of your everyday items

Google (The Keyword)

Google introduced the Pixel Tag on August 12, 2026. In Google’s description, Ultra-Wideband with Bluetooth Channel Sounding enables precision finding, with visual distance and directional cues for guidance. Google notes that precision finding requires a compatible Android device with Ultra Wideband support. Google says Pixel Tag has a long-lasting battery life, up to one year, and lists it at $29, or $99 for a 4-pack, on shelves November 11.

CISA advisory: Pulsetto Vagus Nerve Stimulator

CISA (ICSMA-26-223-02)

CISA published an advisory on August 11, 2026 for the Pulsetto Vagus Nerve Stimulator (CVE-2026-18844, CVSS v3 8.1). The firmware of the affected product accepts several undisclosed commands over its Bluetooth Low Energy interface. These commands are sent without authentication or encryption, and are never issued by the companion mobile application, yet are fully processed by the device when it is powered on. Successful exploitation of this vulnerability could allow an attacker to use hidden commands to disable electrical safety mechanisms or modify other stimulation output settings. This vulnerability is not exploitable remotely, and no known public exploitation specifically targeting this vulnerability has been reported to CISA at this time. CISA adds that Pulsetto has not responded to requests to work with CISA to mitigate this vulnerability.

Extending Bluetooth LE Tracking with Hubble Network

Silicon Labs (tech talk, September 1)

Silicon Labs is running a tech talk on September 1 about extending Bluetooth LE tracking with Hubble Network. Silicon Labs describes the premise as standard Bluetooth LE silicon heard directly by satellites and by a global network of terrestrial gateways, with no hardware changes at all. Silicon Labs’ own case study on Hubble is more specific about the satellite half: it describes a proprietary 2.4 GHz protocol on a Bluetooth device with some innovative signal design, devices transmitting at power levels ranging from 13 dBm to 20 dBm, and seven satellites currently in orbit. The session says it extends Bluetooth LE range from meters to hundreds of kilometers using the Silicon Labs EFR32MG24 wireless SoC, and how to integrate Hubble’s SDK into your existing Bluetooth LE designs.

MaTouch ESP32-S3 MaUWB board integrates 3.95-inch touchscreen and UWB module for indoor positioning and ranging

CNX Software

Makerfabs MaTouch ESP32-S3 MaUWB is a development board that combines an ESP32-S3 wireless MCU, a 3.95-inch touchscreen display, and a UWB module for indoor positioning and ranging applications. It uses a trilateration algorithm with up to three fixed UWB anchors to calculate the tag’s coordinates in real time. The MaUWB chipset operates on UWB Channel 5 (6489.6 MHz) and supports up to 8 anchors and 64 tags. It is currently available on the Makerfabs store for $59.80.