Five IoT news bites to start your Thursday.

Stethoscopes are getting an upgrade. Eko Core, a device that’s inserted into those 200-year-old doctor’s tools, will be able to record, playback — and then send the heart and lung sounds to a smartphone. FDA approved, they’re already on sale.

Microsoft’s been filing a number of smart ring patents lately— including one with a depth sensor. From touching a stone or jewel, to even a ring band, sensors could read the gestures of the wearer, then send those controls to another device, according to a new report from Patently Mobile.

Soon your desk may act as a smart device. Buro, a prototype from Opendesk, is being designed to store data, using passwords to secure the information.

Verizon just jumped into the IoT game with new chips that let smart devices connect to its networks. Drone maker PrecisionHawk and the Hahn Estate winery are piloting the new program now.

Finally, the US Department of Homeland Security is looking to give away some money to IoT inventors. The Industry Day, a three-hour event scheduled for December 10th in Silicon Valley, is meant to attract startups, while also “describe the homeland security challenges associated with IoT,” according to the posting. Interested? Register here.