Comcast launched a $5.99 monthly digital security service to protect home devices connected to its Xfinity Advanced Gateway. XFi Advanced Security uses artificial intelligence and machine learning technology to monitor and analyze a home’s Wi-Fi traffic and will automatically block identified suspicious activity in real time, said Comcast Wednesday. Customers can monitor activity on the digital dashboard in the Xfinity app. It cited Cisco figures saying by 2022 North American consumers will have an average 13 connected devices and Symantec data saying the number of IoT attacks jumped 600 percent 2016-17.

Sirius XM and Visa are collaborating on an "e-wallet" that would be integrated into vehicle dashboards and let drivers and passengers make purchases while driving, they said Monday. They said the e-wallet will be offered to manufacturers who deploy Sirius XM's connected vehicle services. They said Visa is setting virtual payment relationships with various retailers and will provide secure authentication capabilities, while Sirius XM is developing protocols for connectivity and in-vehicle interfaces.

Moen and Flo Technologies will launch a home water management system at CES, they said Friday. Flo by Moen is a Wi-Fi-connected device that installs on a home’s main water supply line, monitoring it for leaks, unnecessary waste and water usage. A smartphone app contacts the homeowner if a critical leak is detected and can automatically shut off the water to prevent serious damage. Homeowners can also monitor water usage by app.

Universal Electronics said it will launch a connected home platform at CES with a recurring monthly revenue opportunity for its customers. The Smarter Living kits give Universal’s customers a fast track to offering smart home services to end users, said Arsham Hatambeiki, senior vice president-product and technology. Kits are available for different market segments: the Care platform is a low-cost, self-monitored safety and security platform using Ecolink Zigbee window/door sensors and motion sensors; Eco is built around Zigbee connected thermostat and occupancy sensors in a voice-controllable solution; and hospitality is an energy management, entertainment control and in-room service integration for hotels. Universal will demonstrate the platform and design concepts at booth #42325 in the Sands Expo.

One-fifth of U.S. broadband households has a tech support subscription, Parks Associates blogged Thursday, saying 50 percent of smart-home owners who set up devices on their own reported setup problems. Support services for connected households should expand protection for the entire home network “with knowledge of all connected devices, their capabilities, and how they interact with each other,” said analyst Patrice Samuels. Artificial intelligence and adaptive tech innovations can help companies develop a support service that is cost-effective while delivering positive user experiences, she said.

Broadband homes that don’t intend to buy a smart home device due to security and privacy concerns jumped from 21 percent in Q1 2017 to 32 percent this Q1, Parks Associates blogged Wednesday. A quarter of U.S. broadband households strongly agree it’s impossible to keep their personal data away from unauthorized users, said the researcher. Consumers own an average of 8.6 connected CE products, up 87 percent since 2010, said analyst Chris O’Dell, noting that connected devices using cloud-based servers can provide easy targets for hackers. A Parks report on blockchain for connected home and entertainment said the technology can help IoT providers create a more secure and efficient network in smart home, digital media, connected health and energy. “A hacker trying to gain unauthorized access to IoT devices on a blockchain-powered network would have to break into a majority of the network’s nodes to gain controllable access to the system, essentially needing an entire army of hackers,” said O’Dell. Research also showed more than 60 percent of data-sensitive households don't trust companies that have their data to keep it safe, and 80 percent of data-sensitive households don't believe they get much in return for sharing their data.

Some 7.7 million stand-alone and all-in-one networked cameras will be sold in the U.S. this year, generating $889 million revenue, Parks Associates reported. Networked cameras, in 9 percent of broadband households, are highly popular among smart home devices because they give peace of mind to consumers, said analyst Dina Abdelrazik. Advances in image recognition and self-installation, along with improving user experience, are driving increased adoption that’s being led online and in stores, she said. Seven of 10 consumers surveyed said recommendations from an insurance or security company would be important in a purchase decision, though do-it-yourself cameras generate most sales due to improving experiences, she said. Artificial intelligence and voice control integration are expected to drive further engagement. More than 80 percent of consumers who own or plan to buy an IP camera consider image or sound recognition abilities to identify safety and security events to be appealing. Privacy concerns will be offset by familiarity with the technology, dropping prices and more millennials buying homes, Abdelrazik said Tuesday: New parents and pet owners make for strong target markets.

Noon Home released a free lighting system driver for Control4 systems Tuesday that provides two-way control and feedback, instant feedback for lighting controlled from a switch or other applications, a dimming function, and discovery of all loads in a Noon account, said the company. Noon also pre-announced products due from the lighting control company later this year: an on-off switch that replaces controls for fans, exhaust outlets and lights; whole-home lighting scenes; and recommended scenes based on time of day and user history.

Voice-activated speakers, operating as interfaces to smart home services or as digital assistants, will deliver an incremental $1.6 billion to the U.S. technology industry through 2019, reported NPD. Home automation devices will add an additional $1.7 billion to the industry through 2019, as 19 percent of consumers are planning to buy a device in the next 12 months, it said. With growing consumer interest in controlling smart home products by voice, demand for smart speakers is projected to rise accordingly, creating a $2.7 billion category next year, said the researcher Tuesday. The best opportunity for retail could be pitching the installed smart home base to make incremental device purchases "and to then provide services to help consumers fully leverage the technology in their smart home,” said analyst Stephen Baker. Another area ripe for retail sales is networking gear, said Baker. "As the number of connected devices on the home network increase[s], consumers will come to the realization that they need better equipment to support those devices.” Mesh technology is driving a sharp sales uptick, Baker said, with mesh network sales forecast to jump 88 percent from 2017-2019.

Some 65 percent of U.S. broadband households bought at least one CE device last year and own an average 8.6 connected computing, mobile and entertainment devices, reported Parks Associates Thursday. Purchase intent for smart speakers with a personal assistant has increased year over year, reflecting consumer interest in voice-first technologies, which are expected to drive further adoption of smart home devices, said analyst Jennifer Kent.