Smart Home (connected home, home networking) News

China Smart Speaker surge puts Baidu, Alibaba, Xiaomi in reach of Amazon and Google
May 20, 2019 – Sales of smart speakers in China in the first quarter of 2019 grew by more than 500% year-on-year, according to Strategy Analytics. This lifted global Q1 sales to 25.9 million, a 168% increase on the same period in 2018.
News categories: Strategy Analytics, David Watkins, David Mercer, China, Market Research, Smart Home, Worldwide

IoT now numbers 22 billion devices, but where is the revenue?
May 16, 2019 – The number of devices connected to the internet reached 22.0 billion worldwide at the end of 2018, according to Strategy Analytics. The company predicts that Home will be the fastest growing segment over the coming years.
News categories: Strategy Analytics, David Mercer, David Kerr, Digital TV, Market Research, Smart Home, Worldwide

Samsung TVs first with Apple TV app and AirPlay 2
May 13, 2019 – Samsung has announced that all 2019 Samsung Smart TVs and select 2018 TV models with a firmware update will feature the all-new Apple TV app in more than 100 countries and offer AirPlay 2 support in 176 countries.
News categories: Samsung, Apple, Won-Jin Lee, Apps, Digital TV, OTT, Smart Home, Smart TV, Worldwide

Cox adds Amazon Prime Video access to Contour voice remote
May 13, 2019 – Cox Communications has announced that Contour customers now have access to Amazon Prime Video. By simply saying "Amazon Prime Video" or "Prime Video" into their Contour voice remote, customers can watch Amazon Originals.
News categories: Cox Communications, Prime Video, Kevin Hart, Andrew Bennett, Apps, Cable TV, Digital TV, OTT, Set Top Box, Smart Home, USA

Smart Speakers see largest gain in U.S. household ownership
May 9, 2019 – One-third of U.S. homes (31%) now own a smart speaker – up from 8% only three years ago and a record-setting example of Americans embracing AI-enabled devices – according to a Consumer Technology Association (CTA) study.
News categories: Consumer Technology Association, Steve Koenig, Market Research, Smart Home, USA

Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant neck and neck in Smart Speaker market
May 8, 2019 – The Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant platforms will take an almost equal share of the global smart speaker market this year, according to Strategy Analytics. Amazon Alexa's share of sales will decline to 31.7% in 2019, while Google Assistant’s share will rise to 31.4%.
News categories: Strategy Analytics, David Watkins, David Mercer, Market Research, Smart Home, Worldwide

Caavo expands ecosystem to make the TV the hub of the home
May 1, 2019 – Caavo has announced that it has expanded the capabilities of its platform to create one simple interface for everyone and everything connected to your TV and smart home. Caavo now provides more meaningful tools and resources to bring families together.
News categories: Caavo, Andrew Einaudi, Smart Home, USA, UX

New security layer for MoCA home networking
Apr 30, 2019 – Addressing the requests for stronger secured links between networked devices, MoCA has developed MoCASec, a security layer for MoCA links, available for its entire portfolio of specifications. MoCASec enhances network configurations where peer to peer privacy is required.
News categories: MoCA, Wi-Fi Alliance, Charles Cerino, Kevin Robinson, Content Protection, Smart Home, Worldwide

Majority of US homes to have a Smart Speaker next year
Apr 23, 2019 – There will be more US homes with smart speakers than without by the end of next year, according to Strategy Analytics. The company predicts that the 50% threshold will be reached in late 2020, with the US being the first to reach this level of ownership.
News categories: Strategy Analytics, David Watkins, Market Research, Smart Home, USA