According to ABI Research the global wireless connectivity market (excluding cellular) is to reach over 10 billion annual IC shipments by 2021, with various IoT verticals such as smart home devices creating new opportunities.

While smartphone continue to represent the biggest market, technologies such as Bluetooth mesh networking, emerging wifi protocols, 802.15.4 enhancements (such as ZigBee 3.0 and Thread) and the growing need for multiprotocol connectivity system on chips (SoCs) are main market drivers. For instance, the analyst predicts Bluetooth will be in 60% of total devices by 2021, with mobile phones making less than 45% of total Bluetooth shipments.

Bluetooth Smart is forecast to be in 16% of devices by 2021 thanks to strong growth in smart home and beacon application as well as "significant" presence in connected home and wearable devices.

The Multimedia over Coax Alliance (MoCA) announces its latest specification-- MoCA 2.5, featuring data rates of up to 2.5Gbps as well as network management and security additions required by service providers.

The new specification is backwards compatible with MoCA 2.0 and MoCA 1.1, and allows for easier setup and push-button password sharing via MoCA protected setup (MPS), enhances privacy through longer passwords and different keys between MoCA 2.5 nodes and manages nodes lacking upper layer management support by supporting management queries from one node on behalf of other nodes.

Extron Electronics announces new versions of the DTP T USW 233 and DTP T USW 333 three-input switchers now featuring analog stereo audio embedding and compatibility with HDBaseT-enabled devices.

The DTP T USW switchers send HDMI or analog video, audio, and control up to 230 feet (70 meters) or 330 feet (100 meters) over a shielded CATx cable. The switchers can embed stereo analog audio onto the digital video signal for transport over DTP. This streamlines integration and is particularly useful when connecting to displays without analog audio inputs.

No bigger than a matchbox (or a very small Black Box), this new 4K Extender extends video with resolutions up to 4K UHD (3840x2160) and, in addition to supporting USB HID, also supports transparent USB 1.1 for touchscreen or KVM applications.

With a range of 300 metres (1080p), or 40 metres (4K UHD) over a standard multimode cable, it is designed for use in industrial, healthcare or broadcasting environments.

The compact, lightweight housing of Black Box’s UVX-HDMI-FO-MINI measures 4 x 5.6 x 1.5 cm and can be installed discreetly behind the screen (receiver) or computer (transmitter), ensuring economy of space. At the same time, both the extender units USB interface powered.

WyreStorm enters a "strategic partnership" with Global Caché-- one providing the seamless integration of Global Caché products with WyreStorm Enado control systems.

Global Caché products allow installers to connect any IR, serial or contact closure device to wifi or IP networks. The company also offers a number of other connectivity devices, such as sensor input, IR learning, HTTP communication and the cloud-based Control Tower IR database.

DVIGear expands its line of switching and scaling products with the DVI-3580a 4K MultiViewer Switcher/Scaler, a device featuring 7 inputs in the shape of 4 HDMI (or DVI), 2 DisplayPort and 1 RGB/YPbPr analog (VGA).

The unit supports a wide range of signal formats and resolutions up to 4K/60p (4:4:4 on the DisplayPort inputs). Selected input signals are routed to 2 mirrored outputs, one HDMI and the other PoH-compliant HDBaseT, allowing the remote powering of a compatible receiver unit (such as DVIGear's DVI-7520-RX) through the DVI-3580a unit.