This week’s Smart Living roundup features how companies are shaping up to deliver the Internet of Things to more consumers.

iControl & NETGEAR create smart home tablet

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With mobile devices playing such an important role in our daily lives, service providers are taking advantage of consumers’ affinity for mobile to entice more customers their way.

To that end, iControl Networks has partnered with Netgear to deliver a cost-effective solution to consumers who want to automate their homes as well as stay on top of important tasks. To start, Netgear launched the Security Touch Screen (STS7000), a seven-inch Android tablet for the iControl Connect solution. It features 2×2 WiFi for reliable connectivity, ready to manage home automation and security networks.

For Michael Clegg, senior vice president and general manager of the Service Provider Business Unit at Netgear, their new tablet is the centerpiece for next-gen smart homes. “The Netgear STS7000 gives users the power to do almost anything — from disarming their security system to turning on lights, locking doors, checking traffic and even viewing family photos, all from the palm of their hand,” he said.

Intel goes to China for home automation

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At the annual Intel Developer Forum, the chip maker giant announced it’s establishing its first innovation center for smart equipment, as well as investing $100 million to speed up efforts for the smart market in China.  Intel has also revealed that it will be collaborating with Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi and Internet giant Tencent for its smart home efforts.

At the forum, Intel demonstrated the Xiaomi Box, which has been integrated with Intel’s WiDi, short for Wireless Display. The upgrade enables the box to share content wirelessly.  The Xiaomi Box allows users to transmit content from varied devices to televisions using Intel processors with high transmission quality and minimal delays. As for Intel’s team up with Tencent, users will soon be able to edit images immediately while using Tencent’s messaging service QQ.

SiriusXM at forefront of the connected car market

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Satellite radio service provider SiriusXM believes that it is in the lead of the connected car market, and it has to Agero to thank.  Agero is a dashboard telematics company that SiriusXM acquired for $530 million last year.

SiriusXM CEO Jim Meyer sees unparalleled opportunity as car manufacturers move to produce more connected cars, and he expects all of them will want to offer a connected service in order to remain competitive. Meyer projects that SiriusXM will rake in $100 million in revenue this year, and will double that revenue in the next three years.

“Our entire organization to capitalize on this opportunity from our investments in the CV business to the improvements we are planning in our core audio service. We see tremendous value in delivering a service that combines the best features of satellite broadcast and IP connectivity,” Meyer stated.

SiriusXM EVP and CFO David Frear recognizes the fact that it shares the car’s dashboard with other services, such as music streaming service Pandora, but currently doesn’t see the need to offer rival services to trump the competition, as most users return to over-the-air-radio when their free trial is over.

image courtesy iControl