With the increase connected cars and supporting services, the need for these cars to store, analyse and exchange data is set to increase exponentially; the industry is expecting by 2020 connected and autonomous car data traffic to reach over 280 petabytes per vehicle each year.  This potential market is attracting manufacturers with diverse solutions. Western Digital, which many know as a storage solution provider for computers, has released an embedded storage device specifically for connected automotive applications and the infotainment sector.

The acquisition of Alertme by British Gas is now bearing fruit for the energy company. According to Centrica, British Gas’s parent company, connected home services revenue is up 30% to the end of April 2017, with over 600,000 connected hubs installed and over 900,000 connected products sold to date.

Comcast is adding two new solutions to its Xfinity internet services. One is xFi, a Wi-Fi management console for home owners to manage their Wi-Fi network, and a xFi Advanced Ethernet Gateway. Both services are expected to enhance the user experience of the Comcast Xfinity internet service and make home Wi-Fi configuration easier. The xFi platform is also the foundation to facilitate a stream of new services coming from Comcast.

Control4 has launched a new family of power control devices for the Control4 smart home. The Pakedge PowerPak Power Distribution Units (PDU) help to protect your connected home appliances against surge protection, and with networking capabilities your dealer can monitor and manage the PowerPak PDUs remotely.  The new PDUs also leverage SafeStart boot sequencing to power on devices such as modems, routers, and switches in the appropriate order – ensuring proper reset and optimal functionality.

Mercedes-Benz has join a long list of car manufacturers that are offering car owners the connected car experience.  They have announced that their new 2016 and 2017 models* will come with Google Home and Amazon Alexa. The integration of Google Assistant on Google Home, will allow you to speak to your car, said Mercedes-Benz.  The new services, said the manufacturer, is part of their long-term goal in using cutting edge technology to create an intelligent ecosystem around their cars.

Up until the end of 2015 many of us would have been only familiar with Amazon Echo and Alexa as a smart home solution, but since 2016 this perception is changing.  Amazon has been working with Hyundai and Ford to offer Alexa as part of an in car connected services solution.  With just voice commands via Alexa you will be able to access services in your home from your car, and using the Amazon Echo in your home you will be able to access your car.

If you are planning on changing your home router this Christmas, NETGEAR has just introduced the latest Nighthawk WiFi home router.  Called the Nighthawk X10 AD7200, it offers the latest and fastest in WiFi home networking.  According to Netgear the Nighthawk X10 has a powerful 1.7GHz Quad Core processor, the fastest processor in a home router;  along with next generation high speed 802.11ad WiFi so you can enjoy media streaming at its best.

Orbita has unveiled the healthcare industry’s first HIPAA-compliant, cloud-based solution designed specifically to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of connected home healthcare. Organizations using the Orbita platform can easily create, manage and deliver practical digital home healthcare applications that improve medical outcomes and reduce health care costs for individuals with chronic and post-acute care needs.

ecobee maker of the ecobee smart thermostat, announced the launch of ecobee3 lite. The new device like the company’s flagship ecobee3; ecobee3 lite features a beautiful and easy-to-use touchscreen for a fraction of the price. Ecobee3 lite will integrate with Amazon Echo, Apple HomeKit, Samsung SmartThings and IFTTT. The ecobee3 lite comes with a new mobile application for Apple and Android devices.

Frances state owned energy supplier has setup a new team to take advantage of the growing need for connected home services among its customers.  EDF's CEO Jean-Berard Lévy made the announcement at the Parisian Cultural Center, Gaite Lyrique, dedicated to digital art.  EDF has joined a list of other energy supplier in Europe and around the globe that has gone down this route by offering their customer added services that will help then to better manage their energy use.