On CE - For Dealers, Distributors and OEMs of Consumer Electronics throughout EMEA

According to IDC 2017 global smart home device shipments total 433.1 million-- a 27.6% increase over 2016, a result set to increase to 939.7m device by 2022 with a CAGR of 18.5% over the forecast period.

The fastest growing category within the smart home market remains smart speakers such as the Amazon Echo and Google Home, while all categories except video entertainment products should see a double-digit CAGR over the same period. The market is also seeing some "significant" changes, as both vendors and customers are less interested in central hub devices and more in a common interface tying myriad smart devices together.

"While it's still early days for the smart home market-- and the wider consumer IoT ecosystem in general-- we expect to see considerable growth over the next few years, especially as consumers become more aware of and increasingly interact with smart assistant platforms like Amazon's Alexa and Google Assistant," the analyst says. "Whether in the form of a smart speaker or embedded in a thermostat, fridge, TV, or any other device, smart assistants are quickly becoming the cornerstone of consumer IoT by enhancing the accessibility, use, and functionality of connected devices, which will noticeably boost adoption rates in the near future."

GoPro might be going through tough times, but it it still making cameras-- with the latest being an entry-level Hero model promising to be "the perfect GoPro for kids, adventurous social sharers and travelers."

“Hero is a great first GoPro for people looking to share experiences beyond what a phone can capture,” the company says. “Hero makes it easy to share ‘wow’ moments at a price that’s perfect for first-time users.”

As an entry-level model, the Hero is not able to shoot 4K or super-slow-motion video. Instead maximum video resolution clocks at 1440p at 60fps. It also shoots 10MP still photos and has just one burst shooting mode (10fps) and one time lapse setting (0.5 seconds per shots). Power all is an Ambarella chip, not the GP1 chip found in the Hero 6 black.

Denon announces an update of the HomeCinema HS soundbar-- the (un)suprisingly titled HomeCinema HS2, a soundbar and subwoofer package customers can connect with 4K-capable TVs and media players.

The soundbar carries two 5x13cm drivers to handle upper bass and midrange, and a pair of 20mm dome tweeters for the high frequencies. Connectivity comes through HDMI input and output with ARC TV channel capable of passing UHD 4K content through, together with optical and coax inputs, aux-in port and USB input for external storage devices.

Sony launches a pocket-size option for customers wanting a portable projector solution-- the MP-CD1, a projector measuring just 8cm and 15cm able to beam a 120-inch image from 3.45m distance.

First presented back at CES 2018, the MP-CD1 projects 854 x 480 resolution images at 105 lumens brightness. Texas Instruments DLP IntelliBright processing technology promises to boost brightness without compromising battery consumption, with a dynamic mode boosting projection brightness and saturation. An auto keystone correction system adjusts the image in case the projector is not on a flat surface, correcting the image to eliminate lean.