CEVA has announced that the Israeli Smart Grid (ISG) Consortium which it helped spearhead has received the backing of the Israeli Chief Scientist under its MAGNET R&D Program. The group consists of seven industrial partners and five academic institutions. It will use the funding for a three to five year development program focused on new technologies and algorithms for the emerging smart grid market, including communication technologies, demand response and consumption forecasting.

Panasonics is planning to show off its latest in consumer electronics at this year’s IFA show in Berlin Germany and for those who cannot make it to the show Panasonic is planning to take the show to you via live and interactive broadcast. Through its online portal viewers will be able to explore the Panasonic stand via live webcams and ask product experts questions about the latest Panasonic products, will be in three categories Digital AV Network, Green Technology and Energy Solutions and 3D.

The predicted growth of the home automation market in India has tempted Hager India (subsidiary of the Hager Group) to retool and position itself as service and solutions provider to the home automation sector. According to business-standard.com the facility should be ready by the end of this year.  Its primarily focus will be on working with system integrators in providing solutions of lighting management of homes and commercial buildings.

MagnaChip Semiconductor Corporation, a Korea-based designer and manufacturer of analog and mixed-signal semiconductor products, announced that it now offers ultra high voltage 700V BCD (Bipolar CMOS-DMOS) technology targeting smartgrid and green energy applications such as AC-DC adaptors and LED lighting to meet the specialized needs of foundry customers.

On-Ramp Wireless has announced that it has signed an agreement with Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) to become a value added reseller and systems integrator of On-Ramp's Ultra-Link Processing(ULP) wireless systems in North America and the UK. As SAIC deploys Smart Grid as a Service (SGS) for utility customers, this agreement will enable the companies to offer complete system solutions to address all aspects of the Grid, from Smart Meter/AMI to Distribution Automation and risk mitigation applications.

Pace has announced its latest set of High Definition set-top boxes for the connected home. The new set-top boxes are expected to offer pay TV subscribers an advanced viewing experience. The boxes offer a number of flexible features to enhance users viewing experience and network setup options.  Operators are expected to benefit from the devices, which are accompanied by upgraded software, business consulting, specialised customer care call centre and product delivery services.

Vivint the creator of smart home solution Go!Control is partnering with Tendril to license tendril’s home energy management cloud platform.  The partnership will allow Vivint customers to get real-time energy use which will help to better manage their energy use.  Under the partnership Vivint has licensed Tendril’s ‘Tendril Connect’ and ‘Tendril Energize’, a suite of applications including a home energy management web portal.

As part of its continued development of intelligent Smart Grid initiatives, Black Hills Corp., whose utility subsidiaries provide electric and natural gas service to approximately 762,000 customers in Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wyoming, has chosen Siemens Energy, Inc. to integrate the eMeter EnergyIP  meter data management system (MDMS) into its information technology systems.

Trident Microsystems, today unveils the world's first integrated 240 Hz digital TV SoC (System-on-Chip) for Android-Based smart televisions. The chip is due for commercial release in the first quarter of 2012, will help digital televisions to offer a more immersive entertainment experience. The new solution comes with an HDMI 1.4a receiver and high speed ADCs to support up to 1080p digital and analog video inputs integrated.

Almost nine months after announcing plans to launch its own home automation solution, Rogers of Canada has finally announced the release of Smart Home Automation, a managed home solution.  According to Rogers the new solution brings home monitoring and automation to Canada’s home owners finger tip whether they are home or away. The move is part of Rogers’ strategy to move into new markets and create new revenue streams.