Technavio released their latest market study of the global smart connected cooking appliances market, according to the report titled ‘Global Smart Connected Cooking Appliances Market 2017-2021’, we can expect to see a CAGR of close to 20% between 2017 and 2021.  The study looked at Ranges, Ovens and others from manufacturers such as Robert Bosch, LG Electronics, Samsung, Behmor, Koninklijke Philips, Haier (GE Appliances), Breville, and Whirlpool.

Honeywell is launching a new home security solution through Indiegogo's Enterprise Crowdfunding service.  According to Honeywell, the system is a camera base station with an integrated 1080p HD camera and 145-degree viewing that will incorporate facial recognition with push notifications.  The camera base station is completely integrated with the Alexa Voice Service, which will allow the system to recognise voice commands. The smart home security system features indoor and outdoor sensors and motion viewers that can alert you if your doors or windows are opened. The camera base station and additional devices can be adjusted using a schedule, location-based geofencing, or customizable event and scene triggers.

With the rise of smart speakers and voice activated smart home solutions LG Electronics has decided to make some of its SIGNATURE brand home appliances Google Home compatible. The range of connected smart devices, include the LG refrigerator, washing machine and dryer, oven range and air purifier as well as an LG air conditioner and robotic vacuum.  With Google Home, you will be able to access the full range of the Google Assistant's features on connected LG appliances.

It is no joke when we said the home has become a fierce battle ground for connected technologies, and 2017 is the year of the smart speaker.  Already this year most of the well known brands have announced dates for release or plans to develop their own smart speaker solution.  Therefore, I can see a smart speaker being high on the shopping list for Christmas 2017.  Underneath the elegant and smooth designs will be one of four voice control systems Apple Siri, Google Assist, Microsoft's Cortana or Amazon Alexa. We have gather them all here for you to have a look and hopefully help you decide.

Stay connected while you're away from home by receiving rich notifications on your iPhone or iPad lock screen or Apple Watch from your Logitech Circle 2.  The company has announced that Circle 2 Wired home security cameras and mounts now work with Apple HomeKit. Simply set up your Circle 2 Wired camera with the Apple Home app and enjoy access to live video on your iPhone and iPad, notifications to your lock screen on iPhone, iPad or Apple Watch.  You can automate your home such as turning on the lights automatically when motion is detected by the camera.

Since the invention of the simple car, car manufactures are always on the lookout for ways of making a car journey comfortable and entertaining.  And as technology advances they have been able to make changes to this machine whose main purpose is transport. This year's auto show in Frankfurt, Germany has prompt me to look at how the concept of the car has changed from simply a means of transport to something that has become one with us (the driver) and now desires to be one with our home.

Netgear has added another router to its range of Nighthawk routers.  The Nighthawk X4S, is the industry first DOCSIS 3.1 Gigabit Cable Modem Router and is also certified for Comcast Xfinity internet services.  With support for the updated DOCSIS, The Nighthawk X4S AC3200 WiFi Cable Modem Router (C7800) is able to deliver Gigabit internet download speeds and strong and fast WiFi connectivity.

All smart home appliances we buy today offers some from the connectivity whether to the internet or another device in our home; because of this some see it as an opportunity to hack into our home.  We therefore, need a better way of securing our connected home appliance, from viruses, malware or any other nasties that might try to cause us problem.  The new ARRIS home gateway is one of the new forms of home security solution that try to protect your home internet's first point of entry - the gateway.

The global smart home M2M market is expected to expand at a rate of 13.3% CAGR between 2017 and 2025 to reach a value of US$16.316 million by 2025 from US$5.421 million in 2016, according to a report by Transparency Market Research.  The report pointed out that the global smart home M2M market remains fragmented.   The market is comprised of many large vendors operating in various industry verticals such as: platform providers, telecommunications operators, chip providers, device manufacturers, and original equipment manufacturers (OEM). Stiff competition characterizes the market.

In Partnership with Trend Micro, TP-Link has released a new home networking and cyber security solution, called HomeCare. Designed for the modern home; HomeCare has Trend Micro built-in antivirus control, which is designed to keep your wireless network and connected devices, safe and secure, while maintaining top internet speeds. With strong parental controls, HomeCare provide additional insights, ensuring the entire family can safely enjoy surfing the internet.